Application of QRM approach in a chemical company

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carolina Belotti Pedroso

2017-06-01

Full Text Available The Quick Response Management (QRM has as its main goal lead time reduction in companies that offer a wide range of products. With the evolution of production paradigms and considering the current context in which organizations operate, the necessity of competition based on time is growing increasingly. Due to this, and in order to minimize them, this research focused on investigating the main causes of these long lead times in a company active in the chemical sector. The research started with a bibliographic review about the subject of QRM; the second part of the study consisted of field research and the use of a computer simulation application (MPX. Results from the research show the effectiveness of applying concepts from QRM for lead time reduction, whereby a reduction of around 50% in lead time was possible. This paper outlines contributions to the theories about the subject and collaborates to disseminate this issue, which is relatively scarce in Brazil, more broadly.

Web-Based Implementation of E-Marketing to Support Product Marketing of Chemical Manufacturing Company

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Riswan Efendi Tarigan

2015-10-01

Full Text Available Currently, many company’s marketing strategies are limited only to face-to-face communication, telephone, facsimile, company portfolio, and product brochures. However, those marketing strategies are well- known to have limited impacts. Therefore, the presence of e-marketing as one of the marketing strategies would be appropriate to cover the weaknesses and to solve a number of the marketing problems. The purpose of this study is to discuss matters related to marketing, such    as, proposing a marketing plan using website, expanding marketing segment, and introducing existing  products for a chemical manufacturing company. The adopted research method is a descriptive method where the study is directly performed on the research object to acquire necessary data. The collected data are further analyzed using the Porter’s Five Force and SWOT analysis. Fi- nally, the work provides a number of recommendations for implementing e-marketing strategies to support the company business.

Managing a reservoir-based hydro-energy plant: building understanding in the buy and sell decisions in a changing environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ackere, A. van; Ruud, Morten; Davidsen, Paal

2005-01-01

This paper describes a modelling process at a Norwegian chemical producer, who owns 20% of a reservoir based hydro-energy plant. While the initial objective was to increase the profitability of the energy plant (in particular by an improved understanding of buying and selling decisions and a reconciliation of the managerial and engineering points of view in the context of a liberalised energy market) the process resulted in the company's decision to refocus on its core-business. The process illustrates how a modelling process can lead to a fundamental re framing of the issue, resulting in major change for the company

75 FR 16524 - FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company, Perry Nuclear Power Plant; Exemption

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... Company, Perry Nuclear Power Plant; Exemption 1.0 Background FirstEnergy Nuclear Operating Company (FENOC... the Perry Nuclear Power Plant, Unit 1 (PNPP). The license provides, among other things, that the... date for all operating nuclear power plants, but noted that the Commission's regulations provide...

Volatile chemical interaction between undamaged plants

OpenAIRE

Glinwood, Robert

2010-01-01

This chapter discusses whether plant chemical communication is a mechanism by which plant genetic diversity can affect the natural enemies of herbivores. Plant genetic diversity influences natural enemies, and these insects use volatile chemical cues to locate suitable habitats. However, the importance of chemical communication for these interactions has not been considered. In this chapter, the latest research on chemical communication between undamaged plants is reviewed. ...

Inline chemical process analysis in micro-plants based on thermoelectric flow and impedimetric sensors

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jacobs, T; Kutzner, C; Hauptmann, P; Kropp, M; Lang, W; Brokmann, G; Steinke, A; Kienle, A

2010-01-01

In micro-plants, as used in chemical micro-process engineering, an integrated inline analytics is regarded as an important factor for the development and optimization of chemical processes. Up to now, there is a lack of sensitive, robust and low-priced micro-sensors for monitoring mixing and chemical conversion in micro-fluidic channels. In this paper a novel sensor system combining an impedimetric sensor and a novel pressure stable thermoelectric flow sensor for monitoring chemical reactions in micro-plants is presented. The CMOS-technology-based impedimetric sensor mainly consists of two capacitively coupled interdigital electrodes on a silicon chip. The thermoelectric flow sensor consists of a heater in between two thermopiles on a perforated membrane. The pulsed and constant current feeds of the heater were analyzed. Both sensors enable the analysis of chemical conversion by means of changes in the thermal and electrical properties of the liquid. The homogeneously catalyzed synthesis of n-butyl acetate as a chemical model system was studied. Experimental results revealed that in an overpressure regime, relative changes of less than 1% in terms of thermal and electrical properties can be detected. Furthermore, the transition from one to two liquid phases accompanied by the change in slug flow conditions could be reproducibly detected

Construction technique for a chemical plant (I)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-08-01

This book mentions the order of plant construction, building plant and related regulations, basic engineering design data, provide of equipment, plan and management on building plant, quality control, the budget and contract for building plant, public works for building chemical plant like road construction, basic plan and building for a chemical plant, introduction and principle on foundation improvement method, including pile foundation and design for footing, construction and installation for a chemical plant and a rotary machine for a chemical plant.

Differences in the patent management in Brazilian companies with and without plants abroad

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hilda Maria Salomé Pereira

2014-12-01

Full Text Available This paper compares the procedures of local Brazilian companies (those which have plants in Brazil only with those of international Brazilian companies (which have plants in at least two countries regarding the patent management. Although there are a lot more variables to consider when examining the issue of patents in companies, this study presents and analyzes the results of a qualitative research on the decision to patent innovations, the choice of countries where to patent and the strategic significance of patents to the company.

Nitrogen oxide control at power plants of the ENEL company (Italy)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kotler, V.R. (Vserossiiskii Teplotekhnicheskii Institut (Russian Federation))

1993-03-01

Analyzes experiences of the ENEL electricity company in Italy in controlling pollutant emission from fossil-fuel power plants. In 1990, the company produced 87% of the country's electricity. Until the year 2000, ENEL plans to increase coal use for power generation by 23.5% and install 9,300 MW of new coal-fired power plant capacity. New European and Italian emission standards require ENEL to reduce NO[sub x] emissions by 30% from 1986 to 1998. NO[sub x] emission values from various fuel-oil and pulverized-coal fired steam generators operated by the company are given. Modifications to existing combustion technologies and equipment installed to lower NO[sub x] content in flue gases at various ENEL power plants are considered. The most promising coal combustion technologies and ongoing research programs are pointed out. 4 refs.

Pregnant Employee Protection Program in a Large Chemical Company.

Science.gov (United States)

Frey, Gunild; Schuster, Michael; Oberlinner, Christoph; Queier-Wahrendorf, Annette; Lang, Stefan; Yong, Mei

2015-09-01

To assess whether a structured employee protection program for pregnant workers at a chemical company has an impact on pregnancy outcomes. Reported pregnancies (n = 1402) between 2003 and 2010 and their outcomes were documented using questionnaires at the time of pregnancy report, end of pregnancy, and 1 year later. Potential maternal exposures were assessed using job histories, workplace inspections, and questionnaires. Participation was 86% overall and was consistently high across subgroups.Pregnancy losses (10.9%), pregnancy complications, and preterm births (8.1%) were in agreement with rates in the general population and were independent of type of work and maternal exposure category. Pregnancy complication rates in this chemical company are not statistically elevated than that in the general population, as suggested in a previous study. The protection program may play a role in preventing complications that may have occurred.

Construction technique for a chemical plant (III)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-08-01

This book mentions design of instrumentation and construction for a chemical plant, which deals with the change of instrumentation, construction, choice of material test, construction of thermal insulation work for a chemical plant, about classification and main materials, the problems on construction, painting plan and construction for a chemical plant such as paint and painting, safety and hygiene, cleaning of a chemical plant on the time for washing and decision of the way of washing, start up test for a chemical plant such as introduction of the check, construction and repair.

76 FR 27669 - Automotive Components Holdings, LLC, a Subsidiary of Ford Motor Company, Saline Plant Division...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-05-12

... Holdings, LLC, a Subsidiary of Ford Motor Company, Saline Plant Division, Including Workers Whose Wages Were Reported Under Ford Company, Visteon, MSX International, W.J. O'Neil Company, and Unibar, Saline... workers of Automotive Components Holdings, LLC, a Subsidiary of Ford Motor Company, Saline Plant Division...

Managing key capabilities: A challenge for nuclear plant building companies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pascal Corbel

2003-01-01

The nuclear plant building industry faces a paradoxical situation. The use of nuclear reactors to produce energy for civil purposes is both a promising technology, with potentially huge outlets, and a technology facing declining demand. One of the key problems is then: how to maintain the capabilities necessary to benefit from the potential recovery? The resource-based view of strategic management has shown the importance of different types of resources and capabilities in gaining a sustainable competitive advantage. Successful incumbents in the market of nuclear station building have built those kinds of distinctive capabilities that give them a competitive advantage over potential new entrants. But we show that, without a permanent activity in plant building, preserving those capabilities necessitates specific strategic action. We firstly develop the argument that the nuclear plant building industry is in a paradoxical situation in terms of demand and technical performance trends. Secondly, we try to identify the key capabilities of the incumbents. We show that companies in that field use mainly three types of distinctive capabilities: pure technical and scientific knowledge in direct relation to the use of nuclear as an energy generator, competences in risk management and competences in large project management, including financing. Thirdly, we show that although some of those capabilities are used through other nuclear-related activities such as plant maintenance or fuel supply, some of them necessitate taking strategic actions in order to be preserved. We argue that this should be a priority of nuclear equipment company managers in the next few years. (author)

Plants' essential chemical elements

Science.gov (United States)

Kevin T. Smith

2007-01-01

Every garden center and hardware store sells fertilizer guaranteed to "feed" plants. In a strict sense, we can't feed plants. Food contains an energy source. Green plants capture solar energy and make their own food through photosynthesis! Photosynthesis and other metabolic processes require chemical elements in appropriate doses for plants to survive...

Empirical validation of a real options theory based method for optimizing evacuation decisions within chemical plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Reniers, G L L; Audenaert, A; Pauwels, N; Soudan, K

2011-02-15

This article empirically assesses and validates a methodology to make evacuation decisions in case of major fire accidents in chemical clusters. In this paper, a number of empirical results are presented, processed and discussed with respect to the implications and management of evacuation decisions in chemical companies. It has been shown in this article that in realistic industrial settings, suboptimal interventions may result in case the prospect to obtain additional information at later stages of the decision process is ignored. Empirical results also show that implications of interventions, as well as the required time and workforce to complete particular shutdown activities, may be very different from one company to another. Therefore, to be optimal from an economic viewpoint, it is essential that precautionary evacuation decisions are tailor-made per company. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Evaluation of wastewater treatment plant at Khartoum refinery company

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alnour, Y. A. M.

2010-03-01

A wastewater treatment plant has been established in Khartoum Refinery Company in order to treat 1800 meters cubic per day, and to meet the increase in the number of employees and the continued expansion of the company. The study aims to evaluate the performance of the station after a three years period of work, and calculate the efficiency of the station through the following variables: average removal of the biological oxygen demand, chemical oxygen demand, suspended solids and oils, by taking water samples before and after treatment, every week for two month, analysis of samples were conducted in the central laboratory at KRC. The determination of the station efficiency revealed that the station is working well. Treated water characteristics are in conformity with the specifications set by the world Organization Health. It is also proved to be suitable for use in irrigation the amount of water entering to treatment is very large (1500 cubic meters), which lead to dilution of the BOD, COD, SS and oils concentrations. The reason being misuse of water by employees in addition to the large number of damage in the water pipes. The station must be re-evaluated after a certain (5 years) period to determine the impact of future increases of employees, and it is effect on the efficiency of the station. It is recommended to improve the behaviour of employees regarding the use of water, so as to reduce the dilution. (Author)

Chemical Risk Assessment Screening Tool of a Global Chemical Company

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Evelyn Tjoe-Nij

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Background: This paper describes a simple-to-use and reliable screening tool called Critical Task Exposure Screening (CTES, developed by a chemical company. The tool assesses if the exposure to a chemical for a task is likely to be within acceptable levels. Methods: CTES is a Microsoft Excel tool, where the inhalation risk score is calculated by relating the exposure estimate to the corresponding occupational exposure limit (OEL or occupational exposure band (OEB. The inhalation exposure is estimated for tasks by preassigned ART1.5 activity classes and modifying factors. Results: CTES requires few inputs. The toxicological data, including OELs, OEBs, and vapor pressure are read from a database. Once the substance is selected, the user specifies its concentration and then chooses the task description and its duration. CTES has three outputs that may trigger follow-up: (1 inhalation risk score; (2 identification of the skin hazard with the skin warnings for local and systemic adverse effects; and (3 status for carcinogenic, mutagenic, or reprotoxic effects. Conclusion: The tool provides an effective way to rapidly screen low-concern tasks, and quickly identifies certain tasks involving substances that will need further review with, nevertheless, the appropriate conservatism. This tool shows that the higher-tier ART1.5 inhalation exposure assessment model can be included effectively in a screening tool. After 2 years of worldwide extensive use within the company, CTES is well perceived by the users, including the shop floor management, and it fulfills its target of screening tool. Keywords: occupational exposure, risk assessment, risk management

Chemical Plant Accidents in a Nuclear Hydrogen Generation Scheme

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, Nicholas R.; Revankar, Shripad T.

2011-01-01

A high temperature nuclear reactor (HTR) could be used to drive a steam reformation plant, a coal gasification facility, an electrolysis plant, or a thermochemical hydrogen production cycle. Most thermochemical cycles are purely thermodynamic, and thus achieve high thermodynamic efficiency. HTRs produce large amounts of heat at high temperature (1100 K). Helium-cooled HTRs have many passive, or inherent, safety characteristics. This inherent safety is due to the high design basis limit of the maximum fuel temperature. Due to the severity of a potential release, containment of fission products is the single most important safety issue in any nuclear reactor facility. A HTR coupled to a chemical plant presents a complex system, due primarily to the interactive nature of both plants. Since the chemical plant acts as the heat sink for the nuclear reactor, it important to understand the interaction and feedback between the two systems. Process heat plants and HTRs are generally very different. Some of the major differences include: time constants of plants, safety standards, failure probability, and transient response. While both the chemical plant and the HTR are at advanced stages of testing individually, no serious effort has been made to understand the operation of the integrated system, especially during accident events that are initiated in the chemical plant. There is a significant lack of knowledge base regarding scaling and system integration for large scale process heat plants coupled to HTRs. Consideration of feedback between the two plants during time-dependent scenarios is absent from literature. Additionally, no conceptual studies of the accidents that could occur in either plant and impact the entire coupled system are present in literature

Power plant chemical technology

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1996-12-01

17 contributions covering topies of fossil fuel combustion, flue gas cleaning, power plant materials, corrosion, water/steam cycle chemistry, monitoring and control were presented at the annual meeting devoted to Power Plant Chemical Technology 1996 at Kolding (Denmark) 4-6 September 1996. (EG)

Organizational Diagnosis in Project-Based Companies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Behrouz Zarei

2014-05-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this article is to develop a new method for corporate diagnosis (CD. To this end, a method is developed for the diagnosis process of project-based companies. The article presents a case study in a large company where data have been collected through focus groups. Project delay, high project cost, and low profitability are examples of project deficiency in project-based companies. Such issues have made managers pay special attention to find effective solutions to improve them. Prominent factors are inappropriate strategy, structure, system, human resource management, and PMBOK(Project Management Body of Knowledge processes. Thus, CD and analysis is an important task in improvement of corporate performance. The CD model that is developed in this article could be used for project-based companies. The proposed method can be used for CD in any project-based company. This article provides an emphatic application of CD as a prerequisite for restructuring in project-based companies.

Construction technique for a chemical plant (II)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-08-01

This book deals with design and construction for a chemical plant which includes design and building of steel structure for a chemical plant with types, basic regulation, plan, shop fabrication for steel structure and field construction. It explains design and construction of making building for a chemical construction with measurement, types of building and basic rule of the building, design of the building, constructing plumbing for a chemical plant with plan, management of material, checking for construction, construction of electrical installation on plan, know-how to construction and maintenance.

Role of knowledge based engineering in Heavy Water Plants and its relevance to chemical industry

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sonde, R.R.

2002-01-01

The development of heavy water technology under the Department of Atomic Energy in India is carried out based on a mission oriented programme and this was backed up by a committed and highly trained manpower with a single minded pursuit to achieve the goal of making India self-sufficient in this challenging area. The paper gives step by step methodology followed in completion of the above mission which has become a benchmark in the chemical industry. A large sized chemical industry (Heavy Water plant being once such industry) has many features which are similar. The process design typically includes design of reactors, distillation columns, heat exchange networks, fluid transfer machinery, support utility systems etc. Besides, there are other issues like safety engineering, selection of materials, commissioning strategies and operating philosophies which are quite common to almost all chemical industries. Heavy water board has engineered and set up large scale heavy water plants and the technology for production of heavy water is completely assimilated in India and this paper tries to bring about some of the strategies which were instrumental in achieving this. The story of success in this technology can most certainly be followed in development of any other process technology. The important factors in the development of this technology is based on integration of R and D, process design, engineering backup, safety features, role of good construction and project management and good operating practices. One more important fact in this technology development is continuous improvement in operation and use of knowledge based engineering for debottlenecking. (author)

Does chemical aposematic (warning) signaling occur between host plants and their potential parasitic plants?

Science.gov (United States)

Lev-Yadun, Simcha

2013-07-01

Aposematism (warning) signaling is a common defensive mechanism toward predatory or herbivorous animals, i.e., interactions between different trophic levels. I propose that it should be considered at least as a working hypothesis that chemical aposematism operates between certain host plants and their plant predators, parasitic plants, and that although they are also plants, they belong to a higher trophic level. Specific host plant genotypes emit known repelling chemical signals toward parasitic plants, which reduce the level of, slow the directional parasite growth (attack) toward the signaling hosts, or even cause parasitic plants to grow away from them in response to these chemicals. Chemical host aposematism toward parasitic plants may be a common but overlooked defense from parasitic plants.

Japan's big trading companies find themselves underemployed

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Coeyman, M.

1992-01-01

Japan's sogoshosha - its large trading companies - are fighting their way through an identity crisis. Originally established to help connect Japanese products and companies with offshore customers and a global market, the sogoshosha suddenly find that they are no longer in demand. The trading companies were originally intermediaries, says Yasunori Masuda, v.p. of Mitsui's chemical dividion (New York). But now we are less intermediaries and more organizers of joint ventures. Mitsubishi has a position in Saudi Arabia in methanol, ethylene glycol, and polyethylene (PE), currently being expanded. More recently the company teamed up with Pequiven, Venezuela's state-owned petrochemicals firm, on a 2,000-m.t./day methanol plant to be completed by the end of 1993 at Jose. Sone says Mitsubishi plans to market the methanol in the US Mitsubishi is also working on a feasibility study for a chlor-alkali/ethylene dichloride venture with Pequiven. Mitsubishi has jointed with five Japanese trading companies - Itochu, Marubeni, Mitsui, Sumitomo, and Nissho Iwai - to build a 450,000-m.t./year ethylene plant in China

THE USE OF CHEMICALS AS PLANT REGULATORS. AGRICULTURAL CHEMICALS TECHNOLOGY, NUMBER 8.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohio State Univ., Columbus. Center for Vocational and Technical Education.

ONE OF A SERIES DESIGNED TO ASSIST TEACHERS IN PREPARING POST-SECONDARY STUDENTS FOR AGRICULTURAL CHEMICAL OCCUPATIONS, THIS MODULE IS SPECIFICALLY CONCERNED WITH CHEMICALS AS PLANT REGULATORS. IT WAS DEVELOPED BY A NATIONAL TASK FORCE ON THE BASIS OF DATA FROM STATE STUDIES. SECTIONS INCLUDE -- (1) CHEMICALS AS MODIFIERS OF PLANT GROWTH, (2)…

Property Model-Based Chemcal Substitution and Chemical Formulation Design

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jhamb, Spardha Virendra; Liang, Xiaodong; Hukkerikar, Amol Shivajirao

Chemical-based products including structured product formulations and single molecule products have proven to be a boon to mankind and have been a significant part of our economies. Our life and the changes around us cannot be imagined without the presence or involvement of chemicals. But like...... with environmentally benign chemicals. Additionally, the decisions taken during chemical product design also have an impact on the process and product performance and are influenced by company strategy, availability of market and government policies [2]. Hence, undoubtedly there is a need to develop a systematic...... [3] will also be highlighted. A set of new group contribution-based models for a number of useful properties of amino acids will be presented. Through examples on substitution of chemicals from chemical-based products from various sectors namely cosmetics and personal care, pharmaceutical and food...

Chemical signaling involved in plant-microbe interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Chagas, Fernanda Oliveira; Pessotti, Rita de Cassia; Caraballo-Rodríguez, Andrés Mauricio; Pupo, Mônica Tallarico

2018-03-05

Microorganisms are found everywhere, and they are closely associated with plants. Because the establishment of any plant-microbe association involves chemical communication, understanding crosstalk processes is fundamental to defining the type of relationship. Although several metabolites from plants and microbes have been fully characterized, their roles in the chemical interplay between these partners are not well understood in most cases, and they require further investigation. In this review, we describe different plant-microbe associations from colonization to microbial establishment processes in plants along with future prospects, including agricultural benefits.

Chemical and Plant-Based Insect Repellents: Efficacy, Safety, and Toxicity.

Science.gov (United States)

Diaz, James H

2016-03-01

Most emerging infectious diseases today are arthropod-borne and cannot be prevented by vaccinations. Because insect repellents offer important topical barriers of personal protection from arthropod-borne infectious diseases, the main objectives of this article were to describe the growing threats to public health from emerging arthropod-borne infectious diseases, to define the differences between insect repellents and insecticides, and to compare the efficacies and toxicities of chemical and plant-derived insect repellents. Internet search engines were queried with key words to identify scientific articles on the efficacy, safety, and toxicity of chemical and plant-derived topical insect repellants and insecticides to meet these objectives. Data sources reviewed included case reports; case series; observational, longitudinal, and surveillance studies; and entomological and toxicological studies. Descriptive analysis of the data sources identified the most effective application of insect repellents as a combination of topical chemical repellents, either N-diethyl-3-methylbenzamide (formerly N, N-diethyl-m-toluamide, or DEET) or picaridin, and permethrin-impregnated or other pyrethroid-impregnated clothing over topically treated skin. The insecticide-treated clothing would provide contact-level insecticidal effects and provide better, longer lasting protection against malaria-transmitting mosquitoes and ticks than topical DEET or picaridin alone. In special cases, where environmental exposures to disease-transmitting ticks, biting midges, sandflies, or blackflies are anticipated, topical insect repellents containing IR3535, picaridin, or oil of lemon eucalyptus (p-menthane-3, 8-diol or PMD) would offer better topical protection than topical DEET alone. Copyright © 2016 Wilderness Medical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

COMPANY VALUATION METHODS BASED ON PATRIMONY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

SUCIU GHEORGHE

2013-02-01

Full Text Available The methods used for the company valuation can be divided into 3 main groups: methods based on patrimony,methods based on financial performance, methods based both on patrimony and on performance. The companyvaluation methods based on patrimony are implemented taking into account the balance sheet or the financialstatement. The financial statement refers to that type of balance in which the assets are arranged according to liquidity,and the liabilities according to their financial maturity date. The patrimonial methods are based on the principle thatthe value of the company equals that of the patrimony it owns. From a legal point of view, the patrimony refers to allthe rights and obligations of a company. The valuation of companies based on their financial performance can be donein 3 ways: the return value, the yield value, the present value of the cash flows. The mixed methods depend both onpatrimony and on financial performance or can make use of other methods.

Survey of awareness about hazardous chemicals of residents living near chemical plants in South Korea.

Science.gov (United States)

Han, Don-Hee; Park, Min Soo

2018-02-10

With economic growth, the use of chemicals has continually increased, resulting in an increase of chemical accidents. Chemical accidents pose a life threat and can lead to many health problems among the residents living in close proximity to chemical plants. This study aimed to investigate the awareness of the residents living near chemical plants about hazardous chemicals, as well as to survey the awareness of workers who do not directly handle chemicals at chemical plants (WNHCs). To this end, a questionnaire survey was conducted among a total of 600 residents and 160 WNHCs. The questionnaire was composed of three items: awareness of chemical risk, awareness of countermeasures in chemical accidents, and imperious necessity of PPE (personal protective equipment). Statistical analysis of the data was performed with the Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS) version 18.0. The results show that the government needs to complement the notification system of chemical risk for residents who live close to chemical plants. The highest priority of PPE which residents want to prepare for chemical accidents was respiratory protective equipment (RPE). They responded that, if necessary to purchase PPE, they could bear a portion of the expenses (up to US $30). This study provides basic data for the development of programs and policies on chemical safety relevant for the residents living in close proximity to chemical plants in South Korea.

Owners of nuclear power plants: Percentage ownership of commercial nuclear power plants by utility companies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wood, R.S.

1987-08-01

The following list indicates percentage ownership of commercial nuclear power plants by utility companies as of June 1, 1987. The list includes all plants licensed to operate, under construction, docked for NRC safety and environmental reviews, or under NRC antitrust review. It does not include those plants announced but not yet under review or those plants formally canceled. In many cases, ownership may be in the process of changing as a result of altered financial conditions, changed power needs, and other reasons. However, this list reflects only those ownership percentages of which the NRC has been formally notified. Part I lists plants alphabetically with their associated applicants/licensees and percentage ownership. Part II lists applicants/licensees alphabetically with their associated plants and percentage ownership. Part I also indicates which plants have received operating licenses (OL's). Footnotes for both parts appear at the end of this document

Plant cell tissue culture: A potential source of chemicals

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Scott, C.D.; Dougall, D.K.

1987-08-01

Higher plants produce many industrially important products. Among these are drugs and medicinal chemicals, essential oils and flavors, vegetable oils and fats, fine and specialty chemicals, and even some commodity chemicals. Although, currently, whole-plant extraction is the primary means of harvesting these materials, the advent of plant cell tissue culture could be a much more effective method of producing many types of phytochemicals. The use of immobilized plant cells in an advanced bioreactor configuration with excretion of the product into the reactor medium may represent the most straightforward way of commercializing such techniques for lower-value chemicals. Important research and development opportunities in this area include screening for plant cultures for nonmedical, lower-value chemicals; understanding and controlling plant cell physiology and biochemistry; optimizing effective immobilization methods; developing more efficient bioreactor concepts; and perfecting product extraction and purification techniques. 62 refs., 2 figs.

Chemical process measurements in PWR-type nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Glaeser, E.

1978-01-01

In order to achieve high levels of availability of nuclear power plants equipped with pressurized water reactors, strict standards have to be applied to the purity of coolant and of other media. Chemical process measurements can meet these requirements only if programmes are established giving maximum information with minimum expenditure and if these programmes are realized with effective analytical methods. Analysis programmes known from literature are proved for their usefulness, and hints are given for establishing rational programmes. Analytical techniques are compared with each other taking into consideration both methods which have already been introduced into nuclear power plant practice and methods not yet generally used in practice, such as atomic absorption spectrophotometry, gas chromatography, etc. Finally, based on the state of the art of chemical process measurements in nuclear power plants, the trends of future development are pointed out. (author)

Using simulation-based optimization to improve performance at a tire manufacturing company

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mohamad Darayi

2013-04-01

Full Text Available In this paper, a simulation optimization-based decision support tool has been developed to study the capacity enhancement scenarios in a tire manufacturing company located in Iran. This company is experiencing challenges in synchronizing production output with customer demand causing an unbalanced work-in-process (WIP inventory distribution throughout the tire manufacturing process. However, a new opportunity to increase the supplying of raw materials by fifty percent and increase the expected growth in market demand, necessitate this study of the current company situation. This research supported by the company, is to analyze whether the ongoing production logistics system can respond to the increased market demand, considering the raw material expansion. Implementation of a proposed hybrid push/pull production control strategy, together with the facility capacity enhancement options in bottleneck stations and/or heterogeneous lines within the plant, are investigated by the proposed simulation optimization methodology.

The impact of plant chemical diversity on plant-herbivore interactions at the community level.

Science.gov (United States)

Salazar, Diego; Jaramillo, Alejandra; Marquis, Robert J

2016-08-01

Understanding the role of diversity in ecosystem processes and species interactions is a central goal of ecology. For plant-herbivore interactions, it has been hypothesized that when plant species diversity is reduced, loss of plant biomass to herbivores increases. Although long-standing, this hypothesis has received mixed support. Increasing plant chemical diversity with increasing plant taxonomic diversity is likely to be important for plant-herbivore interactions at the community level, but the role of chemical diversity is unexplored. Here we assess the effect of volatile chemical diversity on patterns of herbivore damage in naturally occurring patches of Piper (Piperaceae) shrubs in a Costa Rican lowland wet forest. Volatile chemical diversity negatively affected total, specialist, and generalist herbivore damage. Furthermore, there were differences between the effects of high-volatility and low-volatility chemical diversity on herbivore damage. High-volatility diversity reduced specialist herbivory, while low-volatility diversity reduced generalist herbivory. Our data suggest that, although increased plant diversity is expected to reduce average herbivore damage, this pattern is likely mediated by the diversity of defensive compounds and general classes of anti-herbivore traits, as well as the degree of specialization of the herbivores attacking those plants.

Safety criteria for nuclear chemical plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ball, P.W.; Curtis, L.M.

1983-01-01

Safety measures have always been required to limit the hazards due to accidental release of radioactive substances from nuclear power plants and chemical plants. The risk associated with the discharge of radioactive substances during normal operation has also to be kept acceptably low. BNFL (British Nuclear Fuels Ltd.) are developing risk criteria as targets for safe plant design and operation. The numerical values derived are compared with these criteria to see if plants are 'acceptably safe'. However, the criteria are not mandatory and may be exceeded if this can be justified. The risk assessments are subject to independent review and audit. The Nuclear Installations Inspectorate also has to pass the plants as safe. The assessment principles it uses are stated. The development of risk criteria for a multiplant site (nuclear chemical plants tend to be sited with many others which are related functionally) is discussed. This covers individual members of the general public, societal risks, risks to the workforce and external hazards. (U.K.)

A plant-based chemical genomics screen for the identification of flowering inducers

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Fiers, Martijn; Hoogenboom, Jorin; Brunazzi, Alice; Wennekes, Tom; Angenent, Gerco C; Immink, Richard G H

2017-01-01

BACKGROUND: Floral timing is a carefully regulated process, in which the plant determines the optimal moment to switch from the vegetative to reproductive phase. While there are numerous genes known that control flowering time, little information is available on chemical compounds that are able to

RETRAN code analysis of Tsuruga-2 plant chemical volume control system (CVCS) reactor coolant leakage incident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kawai, Hiroshi

2002-01-01

In the Chemical Volume Control System (CVCS) reactor primary coolant leakage incident, which occurred in Tsuruga-2 (4-loop PWR, 3,423 MWt, 1,160 MWe) on July 12, 1999, it took about 14 hours before the leakage isolation. The delayed leakage isolation and a large amount of leakage have become a social concern. Effective procedure modification was studied. Three betterments were proposed based on a qualitative analysis to reduce the pressure and temperature of the primary loop as fast as possible by the current plant facilities while maintaining enough subcooling of the primary loop. I analyzed the incident with RETRAN code in order to quantitatively evaluate the leakage reduction when these betterments are adopted. This paper is very new because it created a typical analysis method for PWR plant behavior during plant shutdown procedure which conventional RETRAN transient analyses rarely dealt with. Also the event time is very long. To carry out this analysis successfully, I devised new models such as an Residual Heat Removal System (RHR) model etc. and simplified parts of the conventional model. Based on the analysis results, I confirmed that leakage can be reduced by about 30% by adopting these betterments. Then the Japan Atomic Power Company (JAPC) modified the operational procedure for reactor primary coolant leakage events adopting these betterments. (author)

Quality assurance activities by the companies in the Mitsubishi group for nuclear power plants in Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fujiwara, K.; Moriyama, A.; Okabe, K.

1982-01-01

The paper summarizes the quality assurance (QA) activities of the Mitsubishi group regarding PWR plant construction. 1. To ensure a uniform approach to QA activities in the group, the Nuclear System Quality Assurance Administration Centre was established at the headquarters of Mitsubishi Heavy Industries. This Centre is engaged in establishing and promoting comprehensive QA plans, in supervising the interface control between the companies concerned, and in auditing each company's QA programme. 2. In parallel with endeavours to complete QA systems, a great effort has been made to instill consciousness of QA in everyone concerned with the work. It is emphasized that quality control (QC) circle activities play an important role in maintaining a high level of quality. An innovative system of design computerization coupled with model engineering is now being developed to improve design reliability and to prevent human error. Reliability improvement and preventive maintenance systems using computers are being introduced with the object of performing systematic corrective actions based on analyses of plant operation. (author)

The Danish Industrial Enzyme Industry - National based Companies with strong internationalised R&D

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pedersen, Jørgen Lindgaard; Hansen, Anne Grethe

Danish industrial enzyme industry consists of three main companies (Chr. Hansen A/S, Novozymes A/S and Danisco A/S) which in total has around 75 percent of the world market for industrial enzymes. Industrial enzymes are catalysts used in biological and chemical processes in food, detergents, paper...... and energy and many other fields. Historically the industry started up in 1874 based on empiric knowledge on use of rennet in production of cheese from Switzerland and Germany and later enriched by scientific knowledge produced in the company and institutions all over the world. Important for the company...... was resources of calve stomachs from which the active stuff can be extracted. The private university, The Carlsberg Laboratory, established nearly at the same time, became after First World War a world leader in research of enzymes. And inspiration from here to the pharmaceutical company in insulin production...

Planning of dairy farm and dairy plant based ecotourism

Science.gov (United States)

Sarnyoto, A. S.; Tama, I. P.; Tantrika, C. F. M.

2017-06-01

One of a dairy production company producing pasteurized milk and yoghurt drink, whose brand has widely known in East Java, has a factory plant in Batu City, one of tourism destinations in Indonesia. Behind the factory plant, there is a vacant land with an estimated total area of 2.3 ha and a vacant cowshed which had not been used for cattle ranching. Because of that, the company planned to develop the vacant land as a dairy farm and plant based ecotourism. In addition, dairy farm and dairy plant based tourism attractions are still rarely found in Batu. Thus, the first aim of this study was to analyse the potencies of the company that related to future plans of ecotourism built. The second aim was to set up the strategies that can be done in order to actualize the ecotourism project. The next aim was to plan the ecotourism, especially the facilities planning and the facilities arrangement on the vacant land. Strategic management approach was used to analyse the potencies and to determine the strategies. To select the proper facilities, tourists were asked to give appraisal by using questionnaire. Appraisal result was mapped onto four quadrants spatial map to see advantages and shortcomings of each facility along with choosing the right facilities to be built. Those facilities and tourist activities were compared with ecotourism criteria to make sure that the facilities were appropriate to provide not only entertainment but also ecotourism function. To arrange the chosen facilities, the step in Systematic Layout Planning were conducted to generate a propose layout of facilities arrangement. Based on potencies analysis, in Internal-External matrix, the company current position was on quadrant 2 (grow and build), with the most appropriate strategy was intensive or integrative. The proposed strategies were to build the new infrastructure, to renovate cowshed, and to add new tourism facilities on the land. There were 11 selected facilities based on MDS. Moreover, based

An endothermic chemical process facility coupled to a high temperature reactor. Part I: Proposed accident scenarios within the chemical plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, Nicholas R.; Seker, Volkan; Revankar, Shripad T.; Downar, Thomas J.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► The paper identifies possible transient and accident scenarios in a coupled PBMR and thermochemical sulfur cycle based hydrogen plant. ► Key accidents scenarios were investigated through qualitative reasoning. ► The accidents were found to constitute loss of heat sink event for the nuclear reactor. - Abstract: Hydrogen generation using a high temperature nuclear reactor as a thermal driving vector is a promising future option for energy carrier production. In this scheme, the heat from the nuclear reactor drives an endothermic water-splitting plant, via coupling, through an intermediate heat exchanger. Quantitative study of the possible operational or accident events within the coupled plant is largely absent from the literature. In this paper, seven unique case studies are proposed based on a thorough review of possible events. The case studies are: (1) feed flow failure from one section of the chemical plant to another with an accompanying parametric study of the temperature in an individual reaction chamber, (2) product flow failure (recycle) within the chemical plant, (3) rupture or explosion within the chemical plant, (4) nuclear reactor helium inlet overcooling due to a process holding tank failure, (5) helium inlet overcooling as an anticipated transient without emergency nuclear reactor shutdown, (6) total failure of the chemical plant, (7) control rod insertion in the nuclear reactor. The qualitative parameters of each case study are outlined as well as the basis in literature. A previously published modeling scheme is described and adapted for application as a simulation platform for these transient events. The results of the quantitative case studies are described within part II of this paper.

Exergoeconomic evaluation of a KRW-based IGCC power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsatsavonis, G.; Lin, L.; TawFik, T.; Gallaspy, D.T.

1991-01-01

This paper reports on a study supported by the US Department of Energy, in which several design configurations of Kellogg-Rust-Westinghouse (KRW)-based Integrated Gasification-Combined-Cycle (IGCC) power plants were developed. One of these configurations was analyzed from the exergoeconomic (thermoeconomic) viewpoint. The detailed exergoeconomic evaluation identified several changes for improving the cost effectiveness of this IGCC design configuration. Based on the cost information supplied by the M.W. Kellogg Company, an attempt was made to calculate the economically optimal exergetic efficiency for some of the most important plant components. This information is currently used in plant optimization studies

Integrated chemical plants at the pulp mill

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ehtonen, P.; Hurme, M.; Jaervelaeinen, M.

1995-12-31

The goal of this paper is to present how the chemical plants can be integrated to the pulp mill. The integration renders possible to balance the chemical consumptions. The total mass balance of a pulp mill with the incoming fuel material and the outgoing waste and flue gases are discussed. The balance figures are presented for the chemicals of the modern fibre line, which will produce fully bleached softwood pulp with an improved effluent quality. The main benefits are lower chemical and transportation costs. The principal over-all plant process block diagrams and process descriptions are presented. The presented info system provides real time information on process and production status at overall mill and department levels. (author)

Protecting chemical plants against terrorist attacks: a review

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Khakzad Rostami, N.; Reniers, G.L.L.M.E.

2015-01-01

Protection of hazardous establishments such as chemical plants intentional incidents has drawn attention from safety and security experts since 9/11 terrorist attacks in the U.S. Although major steps have been taken since, the recent intentional incidents in two chemical plants in France in June and

An endothermic chemical process facility coupled to a high temperature reactor. Part II: Transient simulation of accident scenarios within the chemical plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, Nicholas R.; Revankar, Shripad T.

2012-01-01

Highlights: ► Seven quantitative transient case studies were analyzed in a coupled PBMR and thermochemical sulfur cycle based hydrogen plant. ► Positive power excursion in the nuclear reactor were found for helium-inlet overcoolings. ► In all cases studied the maximum fuel temperatures in the nuclear reactor were 200 K below the design basis limit. - Abstract: Hydrogen generation using a high temperature nuclear reactor as a thermal driving vector is a promising future option for energy carrier production. In this scheme, the heat from the nuclear reactor drives an endothermic water-splitting plant, via coupling, through an intermediate heat exchanger. Transient study of the operational or accident events within the coupled plant is largely absent from the literature. In this paper, seven quantitative transient case studies are analyzed. The case studies consist of: (1) feed flow failure from one section of the chemical plant to another with an accompanying parametric study of the temperature in an individual reaction chamber, (2) product flow failure (recycle) within the chemical plant, (3) rupture or explosion within the chemical plant, (4) nuclear reactor helium inlet overcooling due to a process holding tank failure, (5) helium inlet overcooling as an anticipated transient without emergency nuclear reactor shutdown, (6) total failure of the chemical plant, (7) control rod insertion in the nuclear reactor. Various parametric studies based on the magnitude of the events were also performed. The only chemical plant initiated events that caused a positive power excursion in the nuclear reactor were helium-inlet overcoolings due to process holding tank failures or reaction chamber ruptures. Even for a severe sustained overcooling, the calculated maximum fuel temperatures in the nuclear reactor were 200 K below the design basis limit. The qualitative basis for the case studies and the analysis models are summarized in part I of this paper.

Improving Chemical Plant Safety Training Using Virtual Reality

OpenAIRE

Nasios, Konstantinos

2002-01-01

The chemical engineering industry often requires people to work in hazardous environments and to operate complicated equipment which often limits the type of training that be carried out on site. The daily job of chemical plant operators is becoming more demanding due to the increasing plant complexity together with increasing requirements on plant safety, production capacity, product quality and cost effectiveness. The importance of designing systems and environments that are as safe as poss...

Production of Plant Phthalate and its Hydrogenated Derivative from Bio-Based Platform Chemicals.

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Rui; Lu, Fang; Si, Xiaoqin; Jiang, Huifang; Huang, Qianqian; Yu, Weiqiang; Kong, Xiangtao; Xu, Jie

2018-04-06

Direct transformation of bio-based platform chemicals into aromatic dicarboxylic acids and their derivatives, which are widely used for the manufacture of polymers, is of significant importance for the sustainable development of the plastics industry. However, limited successful chemical processes have been reported. This study concerns a sustainable route for the production of phthalate and its hydrogenated derivative from bio-based malic acid and erythritol. The key Diels-Alder reaction is applied to build a substituted cyclohexene structure. The dehydration reaction of malic acid affords fumaric acid with 96.6 % yield, which could be used as the dienophile, and 1,3-butadiene generated in situ through erythritol deoxydehydration serves as the diene. Starting from erythritol and dibutyl fumarate, a 74.3 % yield of dibutyl trans-4-cyclohexene-1,2-dicarboxylate is obtained. The palladium-catalyzed dehydrogenation of the cycloadduct gives a 77.8 % yield of dibutyl phthalate. Dibutyl trans-cyclohexane-1,2-dicarboxylate could be formed in nearly 100 % yield under mild conditions by hydrogenation of the cycloadduct. Furthermore, fumaric acid and fumarate, with trans configurations, were found to be better dienophiles for this Diels-Alder reaction than maleic acid and maleate, with cis configuration, based on the experimental and computational results. This new route will pave the way for the production of environmental friendly plastic materials from plants. © 2018 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Development of a knowledge-based information management system for plant maintenance

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yim, Hyung Sang; Park, Young Jae; Lee, Sang Min; Choi, Jae Boong; Kim, Young Jin; Roh, Eun Chul; Lee, Byung Ine

2003-01-01

Recently, the importance of Plant Maintenance(PM) was highly raised to provide efficient plant operation which highly affects the productivity. For this reason, a number of engineering methodologies, such as Risk-Based Inspection(RBI), Fitness For Service guidelines(FFS), Plant Lifecycle Management(PLM), have been applied to improve the plant operation efficiency. Also, a network-based business operation system, which is called ERP(Enterprise Resource Planning), has been introduced in the field of plant maintenance. However, there was no attempt to connect engineering methodologies to the ERP PM system. In this paper, a knowledge-based information system for the plant operation of steel making company has been proposed. This system, which is named as K-VRS(Knowledge-based Virtual Reality System), provides a connection between ERP plant maintenance module and knowledge-based engineering methodologies, and thus, enables network-based highly effective plant maintenance process. The developed system is expected to play a great role for more efficient and safer plant maintenance

Development of a knowledge-based information management system for plant maintenance

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Yim, Hyung Sang; Park, Young Jae; Lee, Sang Min; Choi, Jae Boong; Kim, Young Jin [Sungkyunkwan Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of); Roh, Eun Chul; Lee, Byung Ine [Pohang Iron and Steel Company, Pohang (Korea, Republic of)

2003-07-01

Recently, the importance of Plant Maintenance(PM) was highly raised to provide efficient plant operation which highly affects the productivity. For this reason, a number of engineering methodologies, such as Risk-Based Inspection(RBI), Fitness For Service guidelines(FFS), Plant Lifecycle Management(PLM), have been applied to improve the plant operation efficiency. Also, a network-based business operation system, which is called ERP(Enterprise Resource Planning), has been introduced in the field of plant maintenance. However, there was no attempt to connect engineering methodologies to the ERP PM system. In this paper, a knowledge-based information system for the plant operation of steel making company has been proposed. This system, which is named as K-VRS(Knowledge-based Virtual Reality System), provides a connection between ERP plant maintenance module and knowledge-based engineering methodologies, and thus, enables network-based highly effective plant maintenance process. The developed system is expected to play a great role for more efficient and safer plant maintenance.

Chemicals on plant surfaces as a heretofore unrecognized, but ecologically informative, class for investigations into plant defence.

Science.gov (United States)

LoPresti, Eric F

2016-11-01

Plants produce and utilize a great diversity of chemicals for a variety of physiological and ecological purposes. Many of these chemicals defend plants against herbivores, pathogens and competitors. The location of these chemicals varies within the plant, some are located entirely within plant tissues, others exist in the air- (or water-) space around plants, and still others are secreted onto plant surfaces as exudates. I argue herein that the location of a given defensive chemical has profound implications for its ecological function; specifically, I focus on the characteristics of chemical defences secreted onto plant surfaces. Drawing from a broad literature encompassing ecology, evolution, taxonomy and physiology, I found that these external chemical defences (ECDs) are common and widespread in plants and algae; hundreds of examples have been detailed, yet they are not delineated as a separate class from internal chemical defences (ICDs). I propose a novel typology for ECDs and, using existing literature, explore the ecological consequences of the hypothesized unique characteristics of ECDs. The axis of total or proportional investment in ECDs versus ICDs should be considered as one axis of investment by a plant, in the same way as quantitative versus qualitative chemical defences or induced versus constitutive defences is considered. The ease of manipulating ECDs in many plant systems presents a powerful tool to help test plant defence theory (e.g. optimal defence). The framework outlined here integrates various disciplines of botany and ecology and suggests a need for further examinations of exudates in a variety of contexts, as well as recognition of the effects of within-plant localization of defences. © 2015 Cambridge Philosophical Society.

Domino effects within a chemical cluster: a game-theoretical modeling approach by using Nash-equilibrium.

Science.gov (United States)

Reniers, Genserik; Dullaert, Wout; Karel, Soudan

2009-08-15

Every company situated within a chemical cluster faces domino effect risks, whose magnitude depends on every company's own risk management strategies and on those of all others. Preventing domino effects is therefore very important to avoid catastrophes in the chemical process industry. Given that chemical companies are interlinked by domino effect accident links, there is some likelihood that even if certain companies fully invest in domino effects prevention measures, they can nonetheless experience an external domino effect caused by an accident which occurred in another chemical enterprise of the cluster. In this article a game-theoretic approach to interpret and model behaviour of chemical plants within chemical clusters while negotiating and deciding on domino effects prevention investments is employed.

The enhanced variance propagation code for the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kern, E.A.; Zack, N.R.; Britschgi, J.J.

1992-01-01

The Variance Propagation (VP) Code was developed by the Los Alamos National Laboratory's Safeguard's Systems Group to provide off-line variance propagation and systems analysis for nuclear material processing facilities. The code can also be used as a tool in the design and evaluation of material accounting systems. In this regard , the VP code was enhanced to incorporate a model of the material accountability measurements used in the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant operated by the Westinghouse Idaho Nuclear Company. Inputs to the code were structured to account for the dissolves/headend process, the waste streams, process performed to determine the sensitivity of measurement and sampling errors to the overall material balance error. We determined that the material balance error is very sensitive to changes in the sampling errors. 3 refs

Preliminary site survey report for the Uniroyal Chemical Company, formerly the Diamond Magnesium Company, 720 Fairport-Nursery Road, Painesville, Ohio (DMP001)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Foley, R.D.; Floyd, L.M.

1990-03-01

At the request of the US Department of Energy (DOE), a group from Oak Ridge National Laboratory conducted a preliminary radiological survey at the Uniroyal Chemical Company, formerly the Diamond Magnesium Company, 720 Fairport-Nursery Road, Painesville, Ohio (DMP001), in 1988. The purpose of the survey was to determine whether the property was contaminated with radioactive residues from the former Manhattan Engineer District (MED) project. The scope of this preliminary survey primarily covered the area west of the buildings around the railroad car spill containment basin. The survey included direct measurement of gamma radiation levels at the surface and soil sampling for radionuclide analyses. Results of the survey demonstrated radionuclide concentrations in excess of the DOE Formerly Utilized Sites Remedial Action Program criteria for both 238 U and 226 Ra in soil. Based on the results of this radiological assessment, it is recommended that a follow-up, detailed radiological survey of both surface and subsurface environs be performed to more precisely define the extent of the contamination. 5 refs., 10 figs., 3 tabs

Leaf spray: direct chemical analysis of plant material and living plants by mass spectrometry.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Jiangjiang; Wang, He; Cooks, R Graham; Ouyang, Zheng

2011-10-15

The chemical constituents of intact plant material, including living plants, are examined by a simple spray method that provides real-time information on sugars, amino acids, fatty acids, lipids, and alkaloids. The experiment is applicable to various plant parts and is demonstrated for a wide variety of species. An electrical potential is applied to the plant and its natural sap, or an applied solvent generates an electrospray that carries endogenous chemicals into an adjacent benchtop or miniature mass spectrometer. The sharp tip needed to create a high electric field can be either natural (e.g., bean sprout) or a small nick can be cut in a leaf, fruit, bark, etc. Stress-induced changes in glucosinolates can be followed on the minute time scale in several plants, including potted vegetables. Differences in spatial distributions and the possibility of studying plant metabolism are demonstrated. © 2011 American Chemical Society

75 FR 67770 - General Motors Company, Formerly Known as General Motors Corporation, Orion Assembly Plant...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-11-03

..., Formerly Known as General Motors Corporation, Orion Assembly Plant, Including On-Site Leased Workers From Aerotek Automotive, Ryder and Premier Manufacturing Support Services, Lake Orion, MI; Amended... of General Motors Company, formerly known as General Motors Corporation, Orion Assembly Plant, Lake...

Chemical defence and toxins of plants

OpenAIRE

Yamane, H.; Konno, K.; Sabelis, M.; Takabayashi, J.; Sassa, T.; Oikawa, H.; Mander, L.; Lui, H.W.

2010-01-01

Higher plants protect themselves by producing a variety of secondary metabolites and proteins that are involved in defense against herbivores as well as microbial pathogens. Concerning microbial pathogenesis in plants, in many cases, it is known that phytotoxins that are produced by plant pathogens play an important role in disease development causing chlorosis, necrosis, or wilting. This chapter mainly focuses on the chemical structures, distribution, and biosynthesis of defense-related natu...

ANALYSIS OF THE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM IN THE FIELD OF ENVIRONMENTAL PROTECTION OF RUSSIAN CHEMICAL COMPANIES

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna Makarov

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Since 2007, many chemical industrial companies in the Russian Federation have been actively involved in the Responsible Care® international voluntary program. To implement this program, vast bodies of data on environmental impact assessments needs to be collected. This allows us to analyse the environment-oriented trends in economic and social activities, and to record the achievements and problems in this field. The collected large bodies of data are in many cases heterogeneous, since the report has been a voluntary initiative. To analyse the existing trends in business processes, authors applied the methodology for system analysis of large bodies of data and used their own heuristic approximation algorithm for the treatment of accumulated data. This algorithm gives us the unique possibility of evaluating the performance of both individual chemical companies in the framework of the Responsible Care® program and the Russian chemical industry as a whole.

Chemical Priming of Plants Against Multiple Abiotic Stresses: Mission Possible?

KAUST Repository

Savvides, Andreas

2015-12-15

Crop plants are subjected to multiple abiotic stresses during their lifespan that greatly reduce productivity and threaten global food security. Recent research suggests that plants can be primed by chemical compounds to better tolerate different abiotic stresses. Chemical priming is a promising field in plant stress physiology and crop stress management. We review here promising chemical agents such as sodium nitroprusside, hydrogen peroxide, sodium hydrosulfide, melatonin, and polyamines that can potentially confer enhanced tolerance when plants are exposed to multiple abiotic stresses. The challenges and opportunities of chemical priming are addressed, with the aim to boost future research towards effective application in crop stress management.

Chemical Priming of Plants Against Multiple Abiotic Stresses: Mission Possible?

KAUST Repository

Savvides, Andreas; Ali, Shawkat; Tester, Mark A.; Fotopoulos, Vasileios

2015-01-01

Crop plants are subjected to multiple abiotic stresses during their lifespan that greatly reduce productivity and threaten global food security. Recent research suggests that plants can be primed by chemical compounds to better tolerate different abiotic stresses. Chemical priming is a promising field in plant stress physiology and crop stress management. We review here promising chemical agents such as sodium nitroprusside, hydrogen peroxide, sodium hydrosulfide, melatonin, and polyamines that can potentially confer enhanced tolerance when plants are exposed to multiple abiotic stresses. The challenges and opportunities of chemical priming are addressed, with the aim to boost future research towards effective application in crop stress management.

Analysis and modelling of the energy consumption of chemical batch plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bieler, P.S.

2004-07-01

This report for the Swiss Federal Office of Energy (SFOE) describes two different approaches for the energy analysis and modelling of chemical batch plants. A top-down model consisting of a linear equation based on the specific energy consumption per ton of production output and the base consumption of the plant is postulated. The model is shown to be applicable to single and multi-product batches for batch plants with constant production mix and multi-purpose batch plants in which only similar chemicals are produced. For multipurpose batch plants with highly varying production processes and changing production mix, the top-down model produced inaccurate results. A bottom-up model is postulated for such plants. The results obtained are discussed that show that the electricity consumption for infrastructure equipment was significant and responsible for about 50% of total electricity consumption. The specific energy consumption for the different buildings was related to the degree of automation and the production processes. Analyses of the results of modelling are presented. More detailed analyses of the energy consumption of this apparatus group show that about 30 to 40% of steam energy is lost and thus a large potential for optimisation exists. Various potentials for making savings, ranging from elimination of reflux conditions to the development of a new heating/cooling-system for a generic batch reactor, are identified.

Success and Failures of Acquisitions: A Case Study for a Chemical Company

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shainaaz MOOSA MUSTAFFA

2017-05-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this study was to perform a universal inspection of the processes adopted in acquisitions by concentrating on attributes which are speedily implemented in the industry. The approach to this research study was based on literature reviews to gain knowledge on the causes of failure and the factors attributed to the success of acquisitions in the case study concerning a chemical company. This method was applied to identify if the failures and successes researched are shown in the case study. The research study firstly looked at various approaches to acquisitions, namely, the pre-acquisition, post-acquisition and integration phases together with the motives for acquisitions. The study delves further into factors influencing the failures and successes of acquisitions. A notable body of research was consulted to focus on these factors. The research study highlights a framework incorporating the management of post-integration strategy concurrently with the people and the organisational goals. The key findings showed that the company lacked a formal integration plan, cultural integration, ad proper communication plans. This resulted in staff unrest and high attrition of staff from deal announcement date up to post integration, leading to high resistance from staff and poor people integration. The company did however achieve financial success through synergy realisation. This positive outcome could have been achieved quicker with the proper integration plans within the different phases of the acquisition. The knowledge attained from this study will hopefully add to the body of knowledge on acquisitions.

How insects overcome two-component plant chemical defence

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Pentzold, Stefan; Zagrobelny, Mika; Rook, Frederik

2014-01-01

Insect herbivory is often restricted by glucosylated plant chemical defence compounds that are activated by plant β-glucosidases to release toxic aglucones upon plant tissue damage. Such two-component plant defences are widespread in the plant kingdom and examples of these classes of compounds...... are alkaloid, benzoxazinoid, cyanogenic and iridoid glucosides as well as glucosinolates and salicinoids. Conversely, many insects have evolved a diversity of counteradaptations to overcome this type of constitutive chemical defence. Here we discuss that such counter-adaptations occur at different time points......, before and during feeding as well as during digestion, and at several levels such as the insects’ feeding behaviour, physiology and metabolism. Insect adaptations frequently circumvent or counteract the activity of the plant β-glucosidases, bioactivating enzymes that are a key element in the plant’s two...

75 FR 80547 - Carolina Power & Light Company, Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant, Unit No. 1; Exemption

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-22

..., Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant, Unit No. 1; Exemption 1.0 Background Carolina Power & Light Company... operation of the Shearon Harris Nuclear Power Plant (HNP), Unit 1. The license provides, among other things... request to generically extend the rule's compliance date for all operating nuclear power plants, but noted...

77 FR 19718 - Ford Motor Company Twin Cities Assembly Plant Vehicle Operations Division Including On-Site...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-04-02

... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment and Training Administration [TA-W-81,038] Ford Motor Company Twin... February 9, 2012, applicable to workers of Ford Motor Company, Twin Cities Assembly Plant, Vehicle..., and Pacer International were employed on-site at the St. Paul, Minnesota location of Ford Motor...

75 FR 3252 - Ford Motor Company, Dearborn Truck Plant, Dearborn, MI; Notice of Negative Determination on...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-20

... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment and Training Administration [TA-W-70,326] Ford Motor Company... workers and former workers of Ford Motor Company, Dearborn Truck Plant, Dearborn, Michigan. The Department... separations were not related to an increase in imports of like or directly competitive products with Ford F...

Plants and chemical constituents with giardicidal activity

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Flavia M.M. Amaral

Full Text Available Intestinal infection caused by Giardia lamblia represents a serious public health problem, with increased rates of prevalence in numerous countries. Increased resistance of the parasite and the side-effects of the reference drugs employed in the treatment of giardiasis make necessary to seek new therapeutic agents. Natural products, especially of plant origin, represent excellent starting point for research. The objective of this study is to review the literature on plant extracts, fractions and chemical constituents whose giardicidal activity has been investigated in vitro. The review describes 153 (one hundred and fifty-three plant species from 69 (sixty-nine families that were evaluated for their giardicidal activity. The geographical distribution of the plant species, the part used, preparation, strain of Giardia lamblia tested and the results obtained by the authors are also given. One hundred and one compounds isolated from plant species, classified by chemical class, are presented. Recent aspects of research on natural products of plant origin employed in the treatment of giardiasis are also discussed.

A comparison of the chemical constituents of Barbadian medicinal plants within their respective plant families with established drug compounds and phytochemicals used to treat communicable and non-communicable diseases.

Science.gov (United States)

Cohall, D; Carrington, S

2012-01-01

Barbados has a strong base in the practice of folklore botanical medicines. Consistent with the rest of the Caribbean region, the practice is criticized due to lack of evidence on the efficacy and safety testing. The objectives of this review article are i) to categorize and identify plants by their possible indications and their scientific classification and ii) to determine if the chemical constituents of the plants will be able to provide some insight into their possible uses in folklore medicine based on existing scientific research on their chemical constituents and also by their classification. A review of the folklore botanical medicines of Barbados was done. Plants were primarily grouped based on their use to treat particular communicable and non-communicable diseases. Plants were then secondarily grouped based on their families. The chemical profiles of the plants were then compared to established drug compounds currently approved for the conventional treatment of illnesses and also to established phytochemicals. The extensive literature review identified phytochemical compounds in particular plants used in Barbadian folklore medicine. Sixty-six per cent of reputed medicinal plants contain pharmacologically active phytochemicals; fifty-one per cent of these medicinal plants contain phytochemicals with activities consistent with their reported use. Folklore botanical medicine is well grounded on investigation of the scientific rationale. The research showed that fifty-one per cent of the identified medicinal plants have chemical compounds which have been identified to be responsible for its associated medicinal activity. To a lesser extent, approved drug compounds from drug regulatory bodies with similar chemical structure to the bioactive compounds in the plants proved to validate the use of some of these plants to treat illnesses.

Arco to enter European PGE production with new Rotterdam plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Young, I.

1993-01-01

Arco Chemical (Newtown Square, PA) will enter production of propylene glycol ethers (PGEs) in Europe by building a 70,000-m.t./year plant at its Rotterdam site. Arco's board has approved the project, with construction to begin this year and completion expected in mid-1995. 'This new plant supports the company's long-standing strategy to increase its downstream integration in value-added derivatives of propylene oxide,' says Jack Oppasser, president of Arco Chemical Europe (Maidenhead, U.K.). 'It allows the company to sustain its strong position in the growing European glycol ether market.' Arco's move represents a challenge to Dow Europe (Horgen, Switzerland), which dominates the European PGE market. Dow is Europe's biggest producer of PGEs, with its Dowanol brands commanding a share greater than 50% of the estimated 90,000-m.t./year methyl-based PGE market. This was recently boosted by completion of the expansion of its plant at Stade, Germany, from 60,000 m.t./year to 110,000 m.t./year. While Arco does not currently make PGEs in Europe, it is the second-largest supplier, with about 15,000 m.t.-20,000 m.t./year, via 'third-party manufacturing arrangements' with European producers, including BP Chemicals, and imports from its 90-million lbs/year plant at Bayport, TX. However, Arco refuses to comment on this because of 'antitrust aspects.'

78 FR 26401 - Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Company, Haddam Neck Plant, Environmental Assessment and Finding...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-05-06

... Atomic Power Company, Haddam Neck Plant, Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant Impact... Neck Plant (HNP) Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation (ISFSI). CYAPCO stated that the exemption...-rm/adams.html . From this site, you can access the NRC's ADAMS, which provides text and image files...

Plant exposure chambers for study of toxic chemical-plant interactions (journal version)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

McFarlane, J.C.; Pfleeger, T.

1987-01-01

Chambers for the study of plant uptake and phytotoxicity of toxic, radio-labeled chemicals are described. The chambers are designed to meet the criteria of continuously stirred tank reactors while providing containment for toxic chemicals. They are computer managed and operated within a controlled-environment room. Besides providing controlled conditions within the contained spaces, continuous measurements are made of various environmental parameters and plant transpiration, net photosynthesis, and dark respiration in up to 18 separate chambers

Herbivore specificity and the chemical basis of plant-plant communication in Baccharis salicifolia (Asteraceae).

Science.gov (United States)

Moreira, Xoaquín; Nell, Colleen S; Katsanis, Angelos; Rasmann, Sergio; Mooney, Kailen A

2016-09-06

It is well known that plant damage by leaf-chewing herbivores can induce resistance in neighbouring plants. It is unknown whether such communication occurs in response to sap-feeding herbivores, whether communication is specific to herbivore identity, and the chemical basis of communication, including specificity. We carried out glasshouse experiments using the California-native shrub Baccharis salicifolia and two ecologically distinct aphid species (one a dietary generalist and the other a specialist) to test for specificity of plant-plant communication and to document the underlying volatile organic compounds (VOCs). We show specificity of plant-plant communication to herbivore identity, as each aphid-damaged plant only induced resistance in neighbours against the same aphid species. The amount and composition of induced VOCs were markedly different between plants attacked by the two aphid species, providing a putative chemical mechanism for this specificity. Furthermore, a synthetic blend of the five major aphid-induced VOCs (ethanone, limonene, methyl salicylate, myrcene, ocimene) triggered resistance in receiving plants of comparable magnitude to aphid damage of neighbours, and the effects of the blend exceeded those of individual compounds. This study significantly advances our understanding of plant-plant communication by demonstrating the importance of sap-feeding herbivores and herbivore identity, as well as the chemical basis for such effects. © 2016 The Authors. New Phytologist © 2016 New Phytologist Trust.

How the best petrochemical companies will achieve reliability in the next decade

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bloch, H.P.

1996-01-01

Based on the observation or perception of trends among the trend setters, and the forward thinking of the Best of Class companies, the author would like to alert the reader/listener to a few of the work processes, organizational realities, lineups or interfaces, as well as hardware and software systems which are under discussion, or will likely be implemented by the most profitable chemical process plants in the not too distant future. The paper discusses the redefinition of operator function, thoughtful project engineering, investment in upgrade, redefining partnerships, improved training, and attention to detail

A study on the steam generator data base and the evaluation of chemical environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yang, Kyung Rin; Yoo, Je Hyoo; Lee, Eun He; Hong, Kwang Pum

1990-01-01

In order to make steam generator data base, the basic plant information and water quality control data on the steam generators of the PWR nuclear power plant operating in the world have been collected by EPRI. In this project, the basic information and water quality control data of the domestic PWR nuclear power plants were collected to make steam generator data base on the basic of the EPRI format table, and the computerization of them was performed. Also, the technical evaluation of chemical environments on steam generator of the Kori 2 plant chemists. Workers and researchers working at the research institute and universities and so on. Especially, it is able to be used as a basic plant information in order to develop an artificial intellegence development system in the field on the technical development of the chemical environment. The scope and content of the project are following. The data base on the basic information data in domestic PWR plant. The steam generator data base on water quality control data. The evaluation on the chemical environment in the steam generators of the Kori 2 plant. From previous data, it is concluded as follows. The basic plant information on the domestic PWR power plant were computerized. The steam generator data base were made on the basis of EPRI format table. The chemical environment of the internal steam generators could be estimated from the analytical evaluation of water quality control data of the steam generator blowdown. (author)

Prey, but not plant, chemical discrimination by the lizard ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

We experimentally studied responses to food chemicals by Gerrhosaurus nigrolineatus, amember of a lizard genus endemic to subsaharan Africa. Gerrhosaur diets vary from insectivorous to omnivorous with a very large plant portion. The omnivorous G. validus responds strongly to chemical cues from prey and food plants.

Transformation of highly toxic chemicals factory for Fuqing nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang Hongkai; Gao Yuan; Li Hua

2014-01-01

For the iodine adsorption tests of current M310 nuclear power plant, dimethyl sulfate is one of highly toxic chemical of national strict standard management, and the nation make strict control over toxic chemicals procurement, transportation, storage, management requirements. Since the appropriate toxic chemicals storage place was not considered in the design of M310 nuclear power plant, Fuqing nuclear power sites for storage of dimethyl sulfate implement technical transformation to meet and regulate the storage requirements for highly toxic chemical. This will lay the foundation for carrying out smoothly the relevant tests of nuclear power plant, and provide the reference for the use and construction of toxic chemicals reactor in the same type nuclear power plant. (authors)

Chemical process and plant design bibliography 1959-1989

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ray, M.S.

1991-01-01

This book is concerned specifically with chemical process in formation and plant equipment design data. It is a source for chemical engineers, students and academics involved in process and design evaluation. Over 500 chemical categories are included, from Acetaldehyde to zirconium Dioxide, with cross-referencing within the book to appropriate associated chemicals

A Combined Heuristic and Indicator-based Methodology for Design of Sustainable Chemical Process Plants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Halim, Iskandar; Carvalho, Ana; Srinivasan, Rajagopalan

2011-01-01

The current emphasis on sustainable production has prompted chemical plants to minimize raw material and energy usage without compromising on economics. While computer tools are available to assistin sustainability assessment, their applications are constrained to a specific domain of the design...

Effect of plant chemicals on the behavior of the Mediterranean fruit fly

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Papadopoulos, N.T.; Kouloussis, N.A.; Katsoyannos, B.I.

2006-01-01

A review of current information on the relation between plant chemicals and the Mediterranean fruit fly is presented. The influence of age and adult physiology on the response of med flies to plant chemicals is studied. The effect of plant chemicals on med fly behavior during host finding, mating and oviposition is analysed. The possible influence of plant chemicals on the dispersion patterns and spatial distribution of the fly is also addressed. (MAC)

Effect of plant chemicals on the behavior of the Mediterranean fruit fly

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Papadopoulos, N.T., E-mail: nikopap@uth.g [University of Thessaly (Greece). Dept. of Crop Production and Rural Environment. Lab. of Entomology and Agricultural Zoology; Kouloussis, N.A.; Katsoyannos, B.I. [University of Thessaloniki, Thessaloniki (Greece). School of Agriculture

2006-07-01

A review of current information on the relation between plant chemicals and the Mediterranean fruit fly is presented. The influence of age and adult physiology on the response of med flies to plant chemicals is studied. The effect of plant chemicals on med fly behavior during host finding, mating and oviposition is analysed. The possible influence of plant chemicals on the dispersion patterns and spatial distribution of the fly is also addressed. (MAC)

Implantação do método activity based costing na logística interna de uma empresa química Activity-based costing applied to the internal logistics of a chemical company

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Themis Castro de Vasconcellos

2008-08-01

Full Text Available Este trabalho tem como objetivo apresentar como o método ABC - activity based costing foi implantado para realizar o custeio da logística interna da empresa química BASF SA., situada na cidade de Guaratinguetá - SP. Apresentam-se: a descrição do processo de mudança do método de custeio tradicional para o método ABC, as dificuldades encontradas e como foram ultrapassadas, bem como as vantagens constatadas pela empresa. O departamento de logística da empresa funciona como um prestador de serviços, atendendo a todos os processos produtivos das divisões (unidades de negócio existentes na planta de Guaratinguetá, no que concerne à armazenagem e ao fornecimento de matérias-primas, além de atuar na retirada e na armazenagem de produto acabado. Como principais resultados, obteve-se uma distribuição de custos mais justa entre as divisões da planta, identificação de oportunidades de melhoria nos processos logísticos, identificação de processo e atividades que não agregavam valor aos produtos, entre outros. Finalmente, o processo de implantação e os resultados foram muito bem avaliados pelos gestores, o que foi decisivo para a adoção do método ABC como sistema gerencial de custos logísticos da empresa.This paper describes an Activity-Based Costin (ABC model implemented for the costing of the internal logistics of the chemical company BASF S.A. located in Guaratinguetá, state of São Paulo, Brazil. All the phases involved in the change from the traditional costing model to the ABC model adopted by the company as presented, as are the difficulties, the solutions for detected problems, and the advantages gained. The Logistics Department of BASF acts as a service provider for all the productive processes of the company's departments (Sales Business Units - SBUs in the Guaratinguetá plant in terms of raw material storage and supply, and in the removal and storage of end products. The main results were improved costing of the

76 FR 77022 - In the Matter of Carolina Power & Light Company, H.B. Robinson Steam Electric Plant, Unit No. 2...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-09

... and 72-3] In the Matter of Carolina Power & Light Company, H.B. Robinson Steam Electric Plant, Unit No. 2, H. B. Robinson Steam Electric Plant, Unit 2, Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation; Order Approving Indirect Transfer of Control of Licenses I. Carolina Power & Light Company (CP&L, the licensee) is...

Chemical regulators of plant hormones and their applications in basic research and agriculture.

Science.gov (United States)

Jiang, Kai; Asami, Tadao

2018-04-20

Plant hormones are small molecules that play versatile roles in regulating plant growth, development, and responses to the environment. Classic methodologies, including genetics, analytic chemistry, biochemistry, and molecular biology, have contributed to the progress in plant hormone studies. In addition, chemical regulators of plant hormone functions have been important in such studies. Today, synthetic chemicals, including plant growth regulators, are used to study and manipulate biological systems, collectively referred to as chemical biology. Here, we summarize the available chemical regulators and their contributions to plant hormone studies. We also pose questions that remain to be addressed in plant hormone studies and that might be solved with the help of chemical regulators.

Chemical interactions between plants in Mediterranean vegetation: the influence of selected plant extracts on Aegilops geniculata metabolome.

Science.gov (United States)

Scognamiglio, Monica; Fiumano, Vittorio; D'Abrosca, Brigida; Esposito, Assunta; Choi, Young Hae; Verpoorte, Robert; Fiorentino, Antonio

2014-10-01

Allelopathy is the chemical mediated communication among plants. While on one hand there is growing interest in the field, on the other hand it is still debated as doubts exist at different levels. A number of compounds have been reported for their ability to influence plant growth, but the existence of this phenomenon in the field has rarely been demonstrated. Furthermore, only few studies have reported the uptake and the effects at molecular level of the allelochemicals. Allelopathy has been reported on some plants of Mediterranean vegetation and could contribute to structuring this ecosystem. Sixteen plants of Mediterranean vegetation have been selected and studied by an NMR-based metabolomics approach. The extracts of these donor plants have been characterized in terms of chemical composition and the effects on a selected receiving plant, Aegilops geniculata, have been studied both at the morphological and at the metabolic level. Most of the plant extracts employed in this study were found to have an activity, which could be correlated with the presence of flavonoids and hydroxycinnamate derivatives. These plant extracts affected the receiving plant in different ways, with different rates of growth inhibition at morphological level. The results of metabolomic analysis of treated plants suggested the induction of oxidative stress in all the receiving plants treated with active donor plant extracts, although differences were observed among the responses. Finally, the uptake and transport into receiving plant leaves of different metabolites present in the extracts added to the culture medium were observed. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Environmental degradation as the result of NATO air-raids against Pancevo chemical plants - oil refinery/petrochemical plant/azotara fertilizer plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bogojevic, S.; Mirkov, Lj.; Stoimirovic, N.; Pajevic, V.; Krasulja, S.; Spasojevic, N.

2002-01-01

The long period of sanctions followed by the NATO air raids against the chemical plants of Pancevo caused ecological disaster of enormous proportions in the district, leaving the consequences to the population of the region,making it a transboundary issue of utmost urgency and importance. Due to the impossibility to organize the running under normal conditions during a decade of sanctions imposed on our country, the mentioned companies were constantly facing difficulties concerning the purchasing of the raw materials, devices and equipment since the export to FRY was banned. Thus the companies have been prevented from the realization of the environmental programs and plans including the introduction and implementation of new technologies having as the objectives the remediation of the already existing environmental problems, instead the environmental degradation was increased. During the period from 4th April-7th June 1999, Pancevo was targeted by the NATO on seven occasions. The area where the chemical plants are located was targeted with 35 missiles causing not only the damages but also endangered the environment of Pancevo and the consequences remain to be monitored in the coming years. Three employees of the Oil Refinery were killed at work while more than 50 were injured. Approximately 58.500 tons of crude oil, oil derivates, vinylchloride monomer and other petrochemical products and components were burnt in fire. Serious spills of approximately 5.000 tons of crude oil, oil derivates, 23.000 tons of 1,2 dichloroethane (EDC), 600 tons of HCl, 8 tons of mercury, 3000 tons of NaOH, 230 tons of ammonia water and ammonia and large quantities of other toxic substances contaminated the surrounding soil, ground water, the waste water canal and the river Danube.The sewerage systems were seriously damaged and blocked. A considerable damage was caused to the wastewater treatment facilities resulting in pollution of HIP-Azotara wastewater canal and the river Danube. The

75 FR 43563 - Dow Jones & Company, Sharon Pennsylvania Print Plant a Subsidiary of News Corporation, West...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-26

..., Sharon Pennsylvania Print Plant a Subsidiary of News Corporation, West Middlesex, Pennsylvania; Notice of..., Sharon Pennsylvania Print Plant, a subsidiary of News Corporation, West Middlesex, Pennsylvania, was... between Dow Jones & Company, West Middlesex, Pennsylvania, and any Konica facility. The petitioner did not...

Integrated plant safety assessment: systematic evaluation program. Haddam Neck Plant, Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Company. Docket No. 50-213

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-03-01

The Systematic Evaluation Program was initiated in February 1977 by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission to review the designs of older operating nuclear reactor plants to confirm and document their safety. The review provides: (1) an assessment of how these plants compare with current licensing safety requirements relating to selected issues, (2) a basis for deciding on how these differences should be resolved in an integrated plant review, and (3) a documented evaluation of plant safety. This report documents the review of Haddam Neck Plant, operated by Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Company. The Haddam Neck Plant is one of 10 plants reviewed under Phase II of this program. This report indicates how 137 topics selected for review under Phase I of the program were addressed. Equipment and procedural changes have been identified as a result of the review

Idaho Chemical Processing Plant Process Efficiency improvements

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Griebenow, B.

1996-03-01

In response to decreasing funding levels available to support activities at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant (ICPP) and a desire to be cost competitive, the Department of Energy Idaho Operations Office (DOE-ID) and Lockheed Idaho Technologies Company have increased their emphasis on cost-saving measures. The ICPP Effectiveness Improvement Initiative involves many activities to improve cost effectiveness and competitiveness. This report documents the methodology and results of one of those cost cutting measures, the Process Efficiency Improvement Activity. The Process Efficiency Improvement Activity performed a systematic review of major work processes at the ICPP to increase productivity and to identify nonvalue-added requirements. A two-phase approach was selected for the activity to allow for near-term implementation of relatively easy process modifications in the first phase while obtaining long-term continuous improvement in the second phase and beyond. Phase I of the initiative included a concentrated review of processes that had a high potential for cost savings with the intent of realizing savings in Fiscal Year 1996 (FY-96.) Phase II consists of implementing long-term strategies too complex for Phase I implementation and evaluation of processes not targeted for Phase I review. The Phase II effort is targeted for realizing cost savings in FY-97 and beyond

Novel weapons testing: are invasive plants more chemically defended than native plants?

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eric M Lind

2010-05-01

Full Text Available Exotic species have been hypothesized to successfully invade new habitats by virtue of possessing novel biochemistry that repels native enemies. Despite the pivotal long-term consequences of invasion for native food-webs, to date there are no experimental studies examining directly whether exotic plants are any more or less biochemically deterrent than native plants to native herbivores.In a direct test of this hypothesis using herbivore feeding assays with chemical extracts from 19 invasive plants and 21 co-occurring native plants, we show that invasive plant biochemistry is no more deterrent (on average to a native generalist herbivore than extracts from native plants. There was no relationship between extract deterrence and length of time since introduction, suggesting that time has not mitigated putative biochemical novelty. Moreover, the least deterrent plant extracts were from the most abundant species in the field, a pattern that held for both native and exotic plants. Analysis of chemical deterrence in context with morphological defenses and growth-related traits showed that native and exotic plants had similar trade-offs among traits.Overall, our results suggest that particular invasive species may possess deterrent secondary chemistry, but it does not appear to be a general pattern resulting from evolutionary mismatches between exotic plants and native herbivores. Thus, fundamentally similar processes may promote the ecological success of both native and exotic species.

76 FR 66333 - Carolina Power & Light Company, H.B. Robinson Steam Electric Plant, Unit No. 2; Environmental...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-10-26

... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [Docket No. 50-261; NRC-2011-0247] Carolina Power & Light Company, H.B. Robinson Steam Electric Plant, Unit No. 2; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No Significant... Facility Operating License No. DPR-23, issued to Carolina Power & Light Company (the licensee), for...

Chemical mode control in nuclear power plant decommissioning during operation of technologies in individual radioactive waste processing plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Horvath, J.; Dugovic, L.

1999-01-01

Sewage treatment of nuclear power plant decommissioning is performed by system of sewage concentration in evaporator with formation of condensed rest, it means radioactive waste concentrate and breeding steam. During sewage treatment plant operation department of chemical mode performs chemical and radiochemical analysis of sewage set for treatment, chemical and radiochemical analysis of breeding steam condensate which is after final cleaning on ionization filter and fulfilling the limiting conditions released to environment; chemical and radiochemical analysis of heating steam condensate which is also after fulfilling the limiting conditions released to environment. Condensed radioactive concentrate is stored in stainless tanks and later converted into easy transportable and chemically stable matrix from the long term storage point of view in republic storage Mochovce. The article also refer to bituminous plant, vitrification plant, swimming pool decontamination plant of long term storage and operation of waste processing plant Bohunice

The recent activities of nuclear power globalization. Our provision against global warming by global deployment of our own technologies as integrated nuclear power plant supply company'

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yamauchi, Kiyoshi; Suzuki, Shigemitsu

2008-01-01

Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (MHI) is striving to expand and spread nuclear power plants as an 'Integrated Nuclear Power Plant Supply Company' based on its engineering, manufacturing, and technological support capabilities. The company also has ample experience in the export of major components. MHI is accelerating its global deployment through the market introduction of large-sized strategic reactor US-APWR, the joint development of a mid-sized strategic reactor ATMEA1 with AREVA, and a small strategic reactor PBMR. The company also plans to internationally deploy technologies for the nuclear fuel cycle. We present here the leading-edge trends in the global deployment of these nuclear businesses, all of which help to solve the energy and environmental issues in the world. (author)

Plant signalling: the opportunities and dangers of chemical communication.

Science.gov (United States)

Adler, Frederick R

2011-04-23

The notion of chemical communication between plants and other organisms has gone from being viewed as a fringe idea to an accepted ecological phenomenon only recently. An Organized Oral Session at the August 2010 Ecological Society of America meeting in Pittsburgh examined the role of plant signalling both within and between plants, with speakers addressing the remarkably wide array of effects that plant signals have on plant physiology, species interactions and entire communities. In addition to the familiar way that plants communicate with mutualists like pollinators and fruit dispersers through both chemical and visual cues, speakers at this session described how plants communicate with themselves, with each other, with herbivores and with predators of those herbivores. These plant signals create a complex odour web superimposed upon the more classical food web itself, with its own dynamics in the face of exotic species and rapid community assembly and disassembly.

Effect of Managerial Ownership, Free Cash Flow and Size Company Policy on Debt (Empirical Study on Industrial Enterprises Basic and Chemicals Listed in Bei)

OpenAIRE

Hasan, Mudrika Alamsyah

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to obtain empirical evidence about the effect of managerial ownership structure, free cash flow and the size of the companys debt policy the Basic Industry and Chemicals companies listed on the Stock Exchange.The population in this research is the basic chemical sector companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange during the last three years, is from the years 2009-2011, amounting to 43 companies, using purposive sampling and the sampling results obtained by 3...

Nuclear power company activity based costing management analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu Dan

2012-01-01

With Nuclear Energy Industry development, Nuclear Power Company has the continual promoting stress of inner management to the sustainable marketing operation development. In view of this, it is very imminence that Nuclear Power Company should promote the cost management levels and built the nuclear safety based lower cost competitive advantage. Activity based costing management (ABCM) transfer the cost management emphases from the 'product' to the 'activity' using the value chain analysis methods, cost driver analysis methods and so on. According to the analysis of the detail activities and the value chains, cancel the unnecessary activity, low down the resource consuming of the necessary activity, and manage the cost from the source, achieve the purpose of reducing cost, boosting efficiency and realizing the management value. It gets the conclusion from the detail analysis with the nuclear power company procedure and activity, and also with the selection to 'pieces analysis' of the important cost related project in the nuclear power company. The conclusion is that the activities of the nuclear power company has the obviously performance. It can use the management of ABC method. And with the management of the procedure and activity, it is helpful to realize the nuclear safety based low cost competitive advantage in the nuclear power company. (author)

Chemical intervention in plant sugar signalling increases yield and resilience

Science.gov (United States)

Griffiths, Cara A.; Sagar, Ram; Geng, Yiqun; Primavesi, Lucia F.; Patel, Mitul K.; Passarelli, Melissa K.; Gilmore, Ian S.; Steven, Rory T.; Bunch, Josephine; Paul, Matthew J.; Davis, Benjamin G.

2016-12-01

The pressing global issue of food insecurity due to population growth, diminishing land and variable climate can only be addressed in agriculture by improving both maximum crop yield potential and resilience. Genetic modification is one potential solution, but has yet to achieve worldwide acceptance, particularly for crops such as wheat. Trehalose-6-phosphate (T6P), a central sugar signal in plants, regulates sucrose use and allocation, underpinning crop growth and development. Here we show that application of a chemical intervention strategy directly modulates T6P levels in planta. Plant-permeable analogues of T6P were designed and constructed based on a ‘signalling-precursor’ concept for permeability, ready uptake and sunlight-triggered release of T6P in planta. We show that chemical intervention in a potent sugar signal increases grain yield, whereas application to vegetative tissue improves recovery and resurrection from drought. This technology offers a means to combine increases in yield with crop stress resilience. Given the generality of the T6P pathway in plants and other small-molecule signals in biology, these studies suggest that suitable synthetic exogenous small-molecule signal precursors can be used to directly enhance plant performance and perhaps other organism function.

WSSRAP chemical plant geotechnical investigations for the Weldon Spring Site Remedial Action Project, Weldon Spring, Missouri

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-12-01

This document has been prepared for the United states Department of Energy (DOE) Weldon Spring Site Remedial Action Project (WSSRAP) by the Project Management Contractor (PMC), which consists of MK-Ferguson Company (MKF) and Morrison Knudsen Corporation Environmental Services Group (MKES) with Jacobs Engineering Group (JEG) as MKF's predesignated subcontractor. This report presents the results of site geotechnical investigations conducted by the PMC in the vicinity of the Weldon Spring chemical plant and raffinate pits (WSCP/RP) and in potential on-site and off-site clayey material borrow sources. The WSCP/RP is the proposed disposal cell (DC) site. 39 refs., 24 figs., 12 tabs

Synthetic Minor NSR Permit: Red Cedar Gathering Company - Arkansas Loop and Simpson Treating Plants

Science.gov (United States)

This page contains the response to public comments and the final synthetic minor NSR permit for the Red Cedar Gathering Company, Arkansas Loop and Simpson Treating Plants, located on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation in La Plata County, CO.

Vulnerability assessment of chemical industry facilities in South Korea based on the chemical accident history

Science.gov (United States)

Heo, S.; Lee, W. K.; Jong-Ryeul, S.; Kim, M. I.

2016-12-01

The use of chemical compounds are keep increasing because of their use in manufacturing industry. Chemical accident is growing as the consequence of the chemical use increment. Devastating damages from chemical accidents are far enough to aware people's cautious about the risk of the chemical accident. In South Korea, Gumi Hydrofluoric acid leaking accident triggered the importance of risk management and emphasized the preventing the accident over the damage reducing process after the accident occurs. Gumi accident encouraged the government data base construction relate to the chemical accident. As the result of this effort Chemical Safety-Clearing-house (CSC) have started to record the chemical accident information and damages according to the Harmful Chemical Substance Control Act (HCSC). CSC provide details information about the chemical accidents from 2002 to present. The detail informations are including title of company, address, business type, accident dates, accident types, accident chemical compounds, human damages inside of the chemical industry facilities, human damage outside of the chemical industry facilities, financial damages inside of the chemical industry facilities, and financial damages outside of the chemical industry facilities, environmental damages and response to the chemical accident. Collected the chemical accident history of South Korea from 2002 to 2015 and provide the spatial information to the each accident records based on their address. With the spatial information, compute the data on ArcGIS for the spatial-temporal analysis. The spatial-temporal information of chemical accident is organized by the chemical accident types, damages, and damages on environment and conduct the spatial proximity with local community and environmental receptors. Find the chemical accident vulnerable area of South Korea from 2002 to 2015 and add the vulnerable area of total period to examine the historically vulnerable area from the chemical accident in

Eastman Chemical plans PETG for first Asia/Pacific production unit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jackson, D.

1993-01-01

Eastman Chemical (Kingsport, TN) will begin work on its first Asia/Pacific manufacturing plant this year. The company says it will spend $30 million-$100 million to build a polyethylene terephthalate glycol (PETG) plant with capacity for several million lbs/year. Earnest Deavenport, Eastman president and keynote speaker at CW's 1993 Asia/Pacific Chemical Industry Conference in Singapore last week, said 'several hundred million dollars' will be spent in the region during the next five years, and he is optimistic that plans to invest in China will start to bear fruit. The company is in the final stages of feasibility studies on the PETG plant site, says Garland Williamson, regional v.p./manufacturing, Eastman Chemical International Ltd. Seven locations - in Thailand, Malaysia, Singapore, and Indonesia - will be whittled down to two within the next couple of months, and engineering work will begin this year for an onstream date in second-half 1995. Eastman already ships PETG, a modified polyester used in food packaging, to the Asia/Pacific region. Deavenport does not rule out taking a partner to build the new plant, but it would have to be a 'nonoperating' role, he notes

A sequential-move game for enhancing safety and security cooperation within chemical clusters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pavlova, Yulia; Reniers, Genserik

2011-01-01

The present paper provides a game theoretic analysis of strategic cooperation on safety and security among chemical companies within a chemical industrial cluster. We suggest a two-stage sequential move game between adjacent chemical plants and the so-called Multi-Plant Council (MPC). The MPC is considered in the game as a leader player who makes the first move, and the individual chemical companies are the followers. The MPC's objective is to achieve full cooperation among players through establishing a subsidy system at minimum expense. The rest of the players rationally react to the subsidies proposed by the MPC and play Nash equilibrium. We show that such a case of conflict between safety and security, and social cooperation, belongs to the 'coordination with assurance' class of games, and we explore the role of cluster governance (fulfilled by the MPC) in achieving a full cooperative outcome in domino effects prevention negotiations. The paper proposes an algorithm that can be used by the MPC to develop the subsidy system. Furthermore, a stepwise plan to improve cross-company safety and security management in a chemical industrial cluster is suggested and an illustrative example is provided.

Proposed Synthetic Minor NSR Permit: Red Cedar Gathering Company - Arkansas Loop and Simpson Treating Plants

Science.gov (United States)

Proposed synthetic minor NSR permit, public notice bulletin, and administrative permit docket for the Red Cedar Gathering Company, Arkansas Loop and Simpson Treating Plants, located on the Southern Ute Indian Reservation in Colorado.

High Throughput In vivo Analysis of Plant Leaf Chemical Properties Using Hyperspectral Imaging.

Science.gov (United States)

Pandey, Piyush; Ge, Yufeng; Stoerger, Vincent; Schnable, James C

2017-01-01

Image-based high-throughput plant phenotyping in greenhouse has the potential to relieve the bottleneck currently presented by phenotypic scoring which limits the throughput of gene discovery and crop improvement efforts. Numerous studies have employed automated RGB imaging to characterize biomass and growth of agronomically important crops. The objective of this study was to investigate the utility of hyperspectral imaging for quantifying chemical properties of maize and soybean plants in vivo . These properties included leaf water content, as well as concentrations of macronutrients nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), and sulfur (S), and micronutrients sodium (Na), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), boron (B), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn). Hyperspectral images were collected from 60 maize and 60 soybean plants, each subjected to varying levels of either water deficit or nutrient limitation stress with the goal of creating a wide range of variation in the chemical properties of plant leaves. Plants were imaged on an automated conveyor belt system using a hyperspectral imager with a spectral range from 550 to 1,700 nm. Images were processed to extract reflectance spectrum from each plant and partial least squares regression models were developed to correlate spectral data with chemical data. Among all the chemical properties investigated, water content was predicted with the highest accuracy [ R 2 = 0.93 and RPD (Ratio of Performance to Deviation) = 3.8]. All macronutrients were also quantified satisfactorily ( R 2 from 0.69 to 0.92, RPD from 1.62 to 3.62), with N predicted best followed by P, K, and S. The micronutrients group showed lower prediction accuracy ( R 2 from 0.19 to 0.86, RPD from 1.09 to 2.69) than the macronutrient groups. Cu and Zn were best predicted, followed by Fe and Mn. Na and B were the only two properties that hyperspectral imaging was not able to quantify satisfactorily ( R 2 plant chemical traits. Future

High Throughput In vivo Analysis of Plant Leaf Chemical Properties Using Hyperspectral Imaging

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Piyush Pandey

2017-08-01

Full Text Available Image-based high-throughput plant phenotyping in greenhouse has the potential to relieve the bottleneck currently presented by phenotypic scoring which limits the throughput of gene discovery and crop improvement efforts. Numerous studies have employed automated RGB imaging to characterize biomass and growth of agronomically important crops. The objective of this study was to investigate the utility of hyperspectral imaging for quantifying chemical properties of maize and soybean plants in vivo. These properties included leaf water content, as well as concentrations of macronutrients nitrogen (N, phosphorus (P, potassium (K, magnesium (Mg, calcium (Ca, and sulfur (S, and micronutrients sodium (Na, iron (Fe, manganese (Mn, boron (B, copper (Cu, and zinc (Zn. Hyperspectral images were collected from 60 maize and 60 soybean plants, each subjected to varying levels of either water deficit or nutrient limitation stress with the goal of creating a wide range of variation in the chemical properties of plant leaves. Plants were imaged on an automated conveyor belt system using a hyperspectral imager with a spectral range from 550 to 1,700 nm. Images were processed to extract reflectance spectrum from each plant and partial least squares regression models were developed to correlate spectral data with chemical data. Among all the chemical properties investigated, water content was predicted with the highest accuracy [R2 = 0.93 and RPD (Ratio of Performance to Deviation = 3.8]. All macronutrients were also quantified satisfactorily (R2 from 0.69 to 0.92, RPD from 1.62 to 3.62, with N predicted best followed by P, K, and S. The micronutrients group showed lower prediction accuracy (R2 from 0.19 to 0.86, RPD from 1.09 to 2.69 than the macronutrient groups. Cu and Zn were best predicted, followed by Fe and Mn. Na and B were the only two properties that hyperspectral imaging was not able to quantify satisfactorily (R2 < 0.3 and RPD < 1.2. This study suggested

Chemical monitoring strategy for the assessment of advanced water treatment plant performance.

Science.gov (United States)

Drewes, J E; McDonald, J A; Trinh, T; Storey, M V; Khan, S J

2011-01-01

A pilot-scale plant was employed to validate the performance of a proposed full-scale advanced water treatment plant (AWTP) in Sydney, Australia. The primary aim of this study was to develop a chemical monitoring program that can demonstrate proper plant operation resulting in the removal of priority chemical constituents in the product water. The feed water quality to the pilot plant was tertiary-treated effluent from a wastewater treatment plant. The unit processes of the AWTP were comprised of an integrated membrane system (ultrafiltration, reverse osmosis) followed by final chlorination generating a water quality that does not present a source of human or environmental health concern. The chemical monitoring program was undertaken over 6 weeks during pilot plant operation and involved the quantitative analysis of pharmaceuticals and personal care products, steroidal hormones, industrial chemicals, pesticides, N-nitrosamines and halomethanes. The first phase consisted of baseline monitoring of target compounds to quantify influent concentrations in feed waters to the plant. This was followed by a period of validation monitoring utilising indicator chemicals and surrogate measures suitable to assess proper process performance at various stages of the AWTP. This effort was supported by challenge testing experiments to further validate removal of a series of indicator chemicals by reverse osmosis. This pilot-scale study demonstrated a simplified analytical approach that can be employed to assure proper operation of advanced water treatment processes and the absence of trace organic chemicals.

Process design of a hydrogen production plant from natural gas with CO2 capture based on a novel Ca/Cu chemical loop

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martínez, I.; Romano, M.C.; Fernández, J.R.; Chiesa, P.; Murillo, R.; Abanades, J.C.

2014-01-01

Highlights: • Process design of a H 2 production plant based on a novel Ca/Cu looping process is presented. • CuO reduction with syngas provides energy for CaCO 3 calcination. • The effect of operating conditions on plant performance indexes is analysed. • Carbon capture efficiencies of around 94% are obtained. • Around 6% points of equivalent H 2 efficiency improvement on conventional reforming. - Abstract: A detailed and comprehensive design of a H 2 production plant based on a novel Ca/Cu chemical looping process is presented in this work. This H 2 production process is based on the sorption-enhanced reforming concept using natural gas together with a CaO/CaCO 3 chemical loop. A second Cu/CuO loop is incorporated to supply energy for the calcination of the CaCO 3 via the reduction of CuO with a fuel gas. A comprehensive energy integration description of the different gas streams available in the plant is provided to allow a thermodynamic assessment of the process and to highlight its advantages and drawbacks. Hydrogen equivalent efficiencies of up to 77% are feasible with this novel Ca/Cu looping process, using an active reforming catalyst based on Pt, high oxidation temperatures and moderate gas velocities in the fixed bed system, which are around 6% points above the efficiency of a reference H 2 production plant based on conventional steam reforming including CO 2 capture with MDEA. Non-converted carbon compounds in the reforming stage are removed as CO 2 in the calcination stage of the Ca/Cu looping process, which will be compressed and sent for storage. Carbon capture efficiencies of around 94% can be obtained with this Ca/Cu looping process, which are significantly higher than those obtained in the reference plant that uses MDEA absorption (around 85%). Additional advantages, such as its compact design and the use of cheaper materials compared to other commercial processes for H 2 production with CO 2 capture, confirm the potential of the Ca

Water system integration of a chemical plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng Pingyou; Feng Xiao; Qian Feng; Cao Dianliang

2006-01-01

Water system integration can minimize both the freshwater consumption and the wastewater discharge of a plant. In industrial applications, it is the key to determine reasonably the contaminants and the limiting concentrations, which will decide the freshwater consumption and wastewater discharge of the system. In this paper, some rules to determine the contaminants and the limiting concentrations are proposed. As a case study, the water system in a chemical plant that produces sodium hydroxide and PVC (polyvinyl chloride) is integrated. The plant consumes a large amount of freshwater and discharges a large amount of wastewater, so minimization of both the freshwater consumption and the wastewater discharge is very important to it. According to the requirements of each water using process on the water used in it, the contaminants and the limiting concentrations are determined. Then, the optimal water reuse scheme is firstly studied based on the water network with internal water mains. To reduce the freshwater consumption and the wastewater discharge further, decentralized regeneration recycling is considered. The water using network is simplified by mixing some of the used water. After the water system integration, the freshwater consumption is reduced 25.5%, and the wastewater discharge is reduced 48%

75 FR 82414 - Carolina Power & Light Company; H. B. Robinson Steam Electric Plant, Unit No. 2; Exemption

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-30

... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [Docket No. 50-261; NRC-2010-0062] Carolina Power & Light Company; H. B. Robinson Steam Electric Plant, Unit No. 2; Exemption 1.0 Background Carolina Power & Light... authorizes operation of the H.B. Robinson Steam Electric Plant, Unit 2 (HBRSEP). The license provides, among...

75 FR 11579 - Carolina Power & Light Company H. B. Robinson Steam Electric Plant, Unit No. 2; Exemption

Science.gov (United States)

2010-03-11

... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [Docket No. 50-261; NRC-2010-0062] Carolina Power & Light Company H. B. Robinson Steam Electric Plant, Unit No. 2; Exemption 1.0 Background Carolina Power & Light... of the H. B. Robinson Steam Electric Plant, Unit 2 (HBRSEP). The license provides, among other things...

The development of a nuclear chemical plant human reliability management approach: HRMS and JHEDI

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kirwan, Barry

1997-01-01

In the late 1980's, amidst the qualitative and quantitative validation of certain Human Reliability Assessment (HRA) techniques, there was a desire for a new technique specifically for a nuclear reprocessing plant being designed. The technique was to have the following attributes: it should be data-based rather than involving pure expert judgement; it was to be flexible, so that it would allow both relatively rapid screening and more detailed assessment; and it was to have sensitivity analysis possibilities, so that Human Factors design-related parameters, albeit at a gross level, could be brought into the risk assessment equation. The techniques and literature were surveyed, and it was decided that no one technique fulfilled these requirements, and so a new approach was developed. Two techniques were devised, the Human Reliability Management System (HRMS), and the Justification of Human Error Data Information (JHEDI) technique, the latter being essentially a quicker screening version of the former. Both techniques carry out task analysis, error analysis, and Performance Shaping Factor-based quantification, but JHEDI involves less detailed assessment than HRMS. Additionally, HRMS can be utilised to determine error reduction mechanisms, based on the way the Performance Shaping Factors are contributing to the assessed error probabilities. Both techniques are fully computerised and assessments are highly documentable and auditable, which was seen as a useful feature both by the company developing the techniques, and by the regulatory authorities assessing the final output risk assessments into which these two techniques fed data. This paper focuses in particular on the quantification process used by these techniques. The quantification approach for both techniques was principally one of extrapolation from real data to the desired Human Error Probability (HEP), based on a comparison between Performance Shaping Factor (PSF) profiles for the real, and the to

Chemical Analysis of Plants that Poison Livestock: Successes, Challenges, and Opportunities.

Science.gov (United States)

Welch, Kevin D; Lee, Stephen T; Cook, Daniel; Gardner, Dale R; Pfister, James A

2018-04-04

Poisonous plants have a devastating impact on the livestock industry as well as human health. To fully understand the effects of poisonous plants, multiple scientific disciplines are required. Chemical analysis of plant secondary compounds is key to identifying the responsible toxins, characterizing their metabolism, and understanding their effects on animals and humans. In this review, we highlight some of the successes in studying poisonous plants and mitigating their toxic effects. We also highlight some of the remaining challenges and opportunities with regards to the chemical analysis of poisonous plants.

Intergrated plant safety assessment. Systematic evaluation program. Palisades plant, Consumers Power Company, Docket No. 50-255. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-10-01

The Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) has published its Final Integrated Plant Safety Assessment Report (IPSAR) (NUREG-0820), under the scope of the Systematic Evaluation Program (SEP), for Consumers Power Company's Palisades Plant located in Covert, Van Buren County, Michigan. The SEP was initiated by the NRC to review the design of older operating nuclear reactor plants to reconfirm and document their safety. This report documents the review completed under the SEP for the Palisades Plant. The review has provided for (1) as assessment of the significance of differences between current technical positions on selected safety issues and those that existed when the Palisades Plant was licensed, (2) a basis for deciding on how these differences should be resolved in an integrated plant review, and (3) a documented evaluation of plant safety when all supplements to the Final IPSAR and the Safety Evaluation Report for converting the license from a provisional to a full-term license have been issued. The report also addresses the comments and recommendations made by the Advisory Committee on Reactor Safeguards in connection with its review of the Draft Report, issued in April 1982

Integrated Plant Safety Assessment: Systematic Evaluation Program. Haddam Neck Plant, Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Company, Docket No. 50-213. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-01-01

The Systematic Evaluation Progam was initiated in February 1977 by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission review the designs of older operating nuclear reactor plants to confirm and document their safety. The review provides: (1) an assessment of how these plants compare with curent licensing safety requirements relating to selected issues, (2) a basis for deciding on how these differences should be resolved in an integrated plant review, and (3) a documented evaluation of plant safety. This report documents the review of Haddam Neck Plant, operated by Connecticut Yankee Atomic Power Company. The Haddam Neck Plant is one of 10 plants reviewed under Phase II of this program. This report indicates how 137 topics selected for review under Phase I of the program were addressed. Equipment and procedural changes have been identified as a result of the review

Development of Improved Chemicals and Plastics from Oilseeds

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nugent, Patricia A.; Lysenko, Zenon

2006-11-09

The overall objective of this program was to develop technology that can be applied to the production of various chemicals and plastics from seed oils. This research and development program included activities in all four key barrier areas identified in the US DOE Technology Roadmap for Plant/Crop-Based Renewable Resources, namely Plant Science, Production, Processing, and Utilization. Participants in the project included The Dow Chemical Company, Castor Oil, Inc., and the USDA Western Regional Research Center (WRRC). The objective of this production task was to evaluate and develop metathesis catalyst technology as a means of utilizing seed oils as feedstocks for the chemical industry. Specifically, ethenolysis of fatty acid methyl esters, FAME’s, leads to functionalized derivatives. These serve as valuable starting points for materials which cascade into a variety of applications, many of which have a current market presence. The relatively recent discovery and commercial availability of a family of metathesis catalysts which are tolerant of polar functional groups and the acquisition and implementation of high throughput synthesis and screening infrastructure led to a prime opportunity to investigate this project area.

Some Sensitivity Studies of Chemical Transport Simulated in Models of the Soil-Plant-Litter System

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Begovich, C.L.

2002-10-28

Fifteen parameters in a set of five coupled models describing carbon, water, and chemical dynamics in the soil-plant-litter system were varied in a sensitivity analysis of model response. Results are presented for chemical distribution in the components of soil, plants, and litter along with selected responses of biomass, internal chemical transport (xylem and phloem pathways), and chemical uptake. Response and sensitivity coefficients are presented for up to 102 model outputs in an appendix. Two soil properties (chemical distribution coefficient and chemical solubility) and three plant properties (leaf chemical permeability, cuticle thickness, and root chemical conductivity) had the greatest influence on chemical transport in the soil-plant-litter system under the conditions examined. Pollutant gas uptake (SO{sub 2}) increased with change in plant properties that increased plant growth. Heavy metal dynamics in litter responded to plant properties (phloem resistance, respiration characteristics) which induced changes in the chemical cycling to the litter system. Some of the SO{sub 2} and heavy metal responses were not expected but became apparent through the modeling analysis.

Application of model based predictive control to a solvent extraction plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Harper, W.J.

1995-01-01

British Nuclear Fuels plc. (BNFL) is the most experienced nuclear fuel company in the world, having supplied nuclear fuel cycle services in the UK and overseas for over forty years. BNFL is one of only two companies in the world that is able to offer nuclear fuel manufacture, enrichment, reprocessing and waste management services. In addition to its work for the UK Nuclear Power Programme, BNFL has developed a substantial export business with nuclear power plant operators in Western Europe, Japan and North America, which now accounts for 18% of the annual turnover. BNFL's plants re situated in North West England and Southern Scotland. Nuclear fuel and fuel products are manufactured at Springfields near Preston; uranium enrichment by the centrifuge process is carried out at Capenhurst, near Chester; reprocessing and waste management services are provided at Sellafield, West Cumbria. The Company's headquarters and engineering design facilities are based at Risley, near Warrington. BNFL also owns and operates two (MAGNOX) nuclear power stations-Calder Hall, on the Sellafield site, the Chapelcross, near Dumfries in Southern Scotland

High Throughput In vivo Analysis of Plant Leaf Chemical Properties Using Hyperspectral Imaging

Science.gov (United States)

Pandey, Piyush; Ge, Yufeng; Stoerger, Vincent; Schnable, James C.

2017-01-01

Image-based high-throughput plant phenotyping in greenhouse has the potential to relieve the bottleneck currently presented by phenotypic scoring which limits the throughput of gene discovery and crop improvement efforts. Numerous studies have employed automated RGB imaging to characterize biomass and growth of agronomically important crops. The objective of this study was to investigate the utility of hyperspectral imaging for quantifying chemical properties of maize and soybean plants in vivo. These properties included leaf water content, as well as concentrations of macronutrients nitrogen (N), phosphorus (P), potassium (K), magnesium (Mg), calcium (Ca), and sulfur (S), and micronutrients sodium (Na), iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), boron (B), copper (Cu), and zinc (Zn). Hyperspectral images were collected from 60 maize and 60 soybean plants, each subjected to varying levels of either water deficit or nutrient limitation stress with the goal of creating a wide range of variation in the chemical properties of plant leaves. Plants were imaged on an automated conveyor belt system using a hyperspectral imager with a spectral range from 550 to 1,700 nm. Images were processed to extract reflectance spectrum from each plant and partial least squares regression models were developed to correlate spectral data with chemical data. Among all the chemical properties investigated, water content was predicted with the highest accuracy [R2 = 0.93 and RPD (Ratio of Performance to Deviation) = 3.8]. All macronutrients were also quantified satisfactorily (R2 from 0.69 to 0.92, RPD from 1.62 to 3.62), with N predicted best followed by P, K, and S. The micronutrients group showed lower prediction accuracy (R2 from 0.19 to 0.86, RPD from 1.09 to 2.69) than the macronutrient groups. Cu and Zn were best predicted, followed by Fe and Mn. Na and B were the only two properties that hyperspectral imaging was not able to quantify satisfactorily (R2 designing experiments to vary plant nutrients

Chemical and radiochemical specifications - PWR power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stutzmann, A.

1997-01-01

Published by EDF this document gives the chemical specifications of the PWR (Pressurized Water Reactor) nuclear power plants. Among the chemical parameters, some have to be respected for the safety. These parameters are listed in the STE (Technical Specifications of Exploitation). The values to respect, the analysis frequencies and the time states of possible drops are noticed in this document with the motion STE under the concerned parameter. (A.L.B.)

Development of management systems for nuclear power plant of Hokuriku Electric Power Company

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakamura, Tatsuaki; Hasunuma, Junichi; Suzuki, Shintaro

2009-01-01

Hokuriku Electric Power Company has been operating the Shika Nuclear Power Station that it constructed in Shika city, Ishikawa prefecture, for over 15 years since bringing Unit 1 of this plant online in July 1993. In addition to electricity generation, maintenance and inspection tasks constitute a big part of operating a large-scale nuclear power plant, and in recent years, problems at power stations in the nuclear power industry have led to several revisions of nationally regulated maintenance and inspection systems. This paper describes the background, objectives, development method, and features of the Maintenance Management System and Maintenance History Management System that make effective use of information technology to promote safer and more efficient maintenance work at large-scale nuclear power plants. (author)

Changing R&D models in research-based pharmaceutical companies.

Science.gov (United States)

Schuhmacher, Alexander; Gassmann, Oliver; Hinder, Markus

2016-04-27

New drugs serving unmet medical needs are one of the key value drivers of research-based pharmaceutical companies. The efficiency of research and development (R&D), defined as the successful approval and launch of new medicines (output) in the rate of the monetary investments required for R&D (input), has declined since decades. We aimed to identify, analyze and describe the factors that impact the R&D efficiency. Based on publicly available information, we reviewed the R&D models of major research-based pharmaceutical companies and analyzed the key challenges and success factors of a sustainable R&D output. We calculated that the R&D efficiencies of major research-based pharmaceutical companies were in the range of USD 3.2-32.3 billion (2006-2014). As these numbers challenge the model of an innovation-driven pharmaceutical industry, we analyzed the concepts that companies are following to increase their R&D efficiencies: (A) Activities to reduce portfolio and project risk, (B) activities to reduce R&D costs, and (C) activities to increase the innovation potential. While category A comprises measures such as portfolio management and licensing, measures grouped in category B are outsourcing and risk-sharing in late-stage development. Companies made diverse steps to increase their innovation potential and open innovation, exemplified by open source, innovation centers, or crowdsourcing, plays a key role in doing so. In conclusion, research-based pharmaceutical companies need to be aware of the key factors, which impact the rate of innovation, R&D cost and probability of success. Depending on their company strategy and their R&D set-up they can opt for one of the following open innovators: knowledge creator, knowledge integrator or knowledge leverager.

Organisational Memories in Project-Based Companies: An Autopoietic View

Science.gov (United States)

Koskinen, Kaj U.

2010-01-01

Purpose: The purpose of this paper is to describe project-based companies' knowledge production and memory development with the help of autopoietic epistemology. Design/methodology/approach: The discussion first defines the concept of a project-based company. Then the discussion deals with the two epistemological assumptions, namely cognitivist…

Justice perceptions of performance management practices in a company in the chemical industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Thanasagree Govender

2015-11-01

Full Text Available The sustainability of corporations globally is becoming increasingly problematic. Combined with the unique challenges of an operating entity, this could potentially expose the profitability of sustainable businesses on a daily basis. The purpose of this study is to evaluate employees’ justice perceptions of performance management practices in a company in the chemical industry. The population includes all the employees in the chemical industry that was used in this study. A total of 140 questionnaires were issued to all the employees in an organisation which had undergone a performance appraisal and 102 respondents completed the surveys, giving a response rate of 72 per cent. A cross-sectional survey design was used in this study. The justice perceptions were measured according to an existing framework developed by Thurston and McNall (2010. The framework is founded on a hypothesised four-factor model constructed according to theories on organisational justice. The employees of the organisation in the chemical sector were involved in this study. Descriptive statistical analyses were used to measure perceptions of justice based on theories on organisational justice. The measuring instrument used was based on recognised models and theories. The study supports the construct validity of the measuring instrument and the reliability of the scales used. The justice constructs were used to identify specific items in the performance management practice that required improvement. The implications of the results are that continual interventions are required if employee commitment and productivity levels are to improve, resulting in a positive impact on business performance. Significant differences in perceptions by demographic groups were reported and discussed. This study explored the importance of understanding justice perceptions of performance management practices as an enabler for sustained business performance. Further, the study confirmed that

Chemical ecology of insect-plant interactions: ecological significance of plant secondary metabolites.

Science.gov (United States)

Nishida, Ritsuo

2014-01-01

Plants produce a diverse array of secondary metabolites as chemical barriers against herbivores. Many phytophagous insects are highly adapted to these allelochemicals and use such unique substances as the specific host-finding cues, defensive substances of their own, and even as sex pheromones or their precursors by selectively sensing, incorporating, and/or processing these phytochemicals. Insects also serve as pollinators often effectively guided by specific floral fragrances. This review demonstrates the ecological significance of such plant secondary metabolites in the highly diverse interactions between insects and plants.

Chemical Composition and Seasonality of Aromatic Mediterranean Plant Species by NMR-Based Metabolomics.

Science.gov (United States)

Scognamiglio, Monica; D'Abrosca, Brigida; Esposito, Assunta; Fiorentino, Antonio

2015-01-01

An NMR-based metabolomic approach has been applied to analyse seven aromatic Mediterranean plant species used in traditional cuisine. Based on the ethnobotanical use of these plants, the approach has been employed in order to study the metabolic changes during different seasons. Primary and secondary metabolites have been detected and quantified. Flavonoids (apigenin, quercetin, and kaempferol derivatives) and phenylpropanoid derivatives (e.g., chlorogenic and rosmarinic acid) are the main identified polyphenols. The richness in these metabolites could explain the biological properties ascribed to these plant species.

78 FR 49305 - Luminant Generation Company LLC, Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant, Unit Nos. 1 and 2...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-08-13

... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [Docket Nos. 50-445 and 50-446; NRC-2013-0182] Luminant Generation Company LLC, Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant, Unit Nos. 1 and 2; Application for Amendment to Facility... Operating License Nos. NPF-87 and NPF-89 for the Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant, Unit Nos. 1 and 2...

Management of change: Lessons learned from staff reductions in the chemical process industry

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zwetsloot, G.I.J.M.; Gort, J.; Steijger, N.; Moonen, C.

2007-01-01

Increasing global competition and shareholder pressure are causing major changes in the chemical industry. Over the last decade companies have been continuously improving staff efficiency. As a result, most modern chemical plants can be regarded as lean. Plans to further reduce the number of staff

A sequential-move game for enhancing safety and security cooperation within chemical clusters.

Science.gov (United States)

Pavlova, Yulia; Reniers, Genserik

2011-02-15

The present paper provides a game theoretic analysis of strategic cooperation on safety and security among chemical companies within a chemical industrial cluster. We suggest a two-stage sequential move game between adjacent chemical plants and the so-called Multi-Plant Council (MPC). The MPC is considered in the game as a leader player who makes the first move, and the individual chemical companies are the followers. The MPC's objective is to achieve full cooperation among players through establishing a subsidy system at minimum expense. The rest of the players rationally react to the subsidies proposed by the MPC and play Nash equilibrium. We show that such a case of conflict between safety and security, and social cooperation, belongs to the 'coordination with assurance' class of games, and we explore the role of cluster governance (fulfilled by the MPC) in achieving a full cooperative outcome in domino effects prevention negotiations. The paper proposes an algorithm that can be used by the MPC to develop the subsidy system. Furthermore, a stepwise plan to improve cross-company safety and security management in a chemical industrial cluster is suggested and an illustrative example is provided. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Metabolism of agrochemicals and related environmental chemicals based on cytochrome P450s in mammals and plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Ohkawa, Hideo; Inui, Hideyuki

2015-06-01

A yeast gene expression system originally established for mammalian cytochrome P450 monooxygenase cDNAs was applied to functional analysis of a number of mammalian and plant P450 species, including 11 human P450 species (CYP1A1, CYP1A2, CYP2A6, CYP2B6, CYP2C8, CYP2C9, CYP2C18, CYP2C19, CYP2D6, CYP2E1 and CYP3A4). The human P450 species CYP1A1, CYP1A2, CYP2B6, CYP2C18 and CYP2C19 were identified as P450 species metabolising various agrochemicals and environmental chemicals. CYP2C9 and CYP2E1 specifically metabolised sulfonylurea herbicides and halogenated hydrocarbons respectively. Plant P450 species metabolising phenylurea and sulfonylurea herbicides were also identified mainly as the CYP71 family, although CYP76B1, CYP81B1 and CYP81B2 metabolised phenylurea herbicides. The transgenic plants expressing these mammalian and plant P450 species were applied to herbicide tolerance as well as phytoremediation of agrochemical and environmental chemical residues. The combined use of CYP1A1, CYP2B6 and CYP2C19 belonging to two families and three subfamilies covered a wide variety of herbicide tolerance and phytoremediation of these residues. The use of 2,4-D-and bromoxynil-induced CYP71AH11 in tobacco seemed to enhance herbicide tolerance and selectivity. © 2014 Society of Chemical Industry.

Chemical Composition and Seasonality of Aromatic Mediterranean Plant Species by NMR-Based Metabolomics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Monica Scognamiglio

2015-01-01

Full Text Available An NMR-based metabolomic approach has been applied to analyse seven aromatic Mediterranean plant species used in traditional cuisine. Based on the ethnobotanical use of these plants, the approach has been employed in order to study the metabolic changes during different seasons. Primary and secondary metabolites have been detected and quantified. Flavonoids (apigenin, quercetin, and kaempferol derivatives and phenylpropanoid derivatives (e.g., chlorogenic and rosmarinic acid are the main identified polyphenols. The richness in these metabolites could explain the biological properties ascribed to these plant species.

English Language for the Chemical Plant.

Science.gov (United States)

Mercer County Community Coll., Trenton, NJ.

This document is one of a series of student workbooks developed for workplace skill development courses or workshops by Mercer County Community College (New Jersey) and its partners. Designed for chemical plant employees, the course covers basic English speaking and writing skills needed to communicate effectively at work and outside the…

Piping support load data base for nuclear plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Childress, G.G.

1991-01-01

Nuclear Station Modifications are continuous through the life of a Nuclear Power Plant. The NSM often impacts an existing piping system and its supports. Prior to implementation of the NSM, the modified piping system is qualified and the qualification documented. This manual review process is tedious and an obvious bottleneck to engineering productivity. Collectively, over 100,000 piping supports exist at Duke Power Company's Nuclear Stations. Engineering support must maintain proper documentation of all data for each support. Duke Power Company has designed and developed a mainframe based system that: directly uses Support Load Summary data generated by a piping analysis computer program; streamlines the pipe support evaluation process; easily retrieves As-Built and NSM information for any pipe support from an NSM or AS-BUILT data base; and generated documentation for easy traceability of data to the information source. This paper discusses the design considerations for development of Support Loads Database System (SLDB) and reviews the program functionality through the user menus

EDF's approach to determine specifications for nuclear power plant bulk chemicals

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Basile, Alix; Dijoux, Michel; Le-Calvar, Marc; Gressier, Frederic; Mole, Didier

2012-09-01

Chemical impurities in the primary, secondary and auxiliary nuclear power plants circuits generate risks of corrosion of the fuel cladding, steel and nickel based alloys. The PMUC (Products and Materials Used in plants) organization established by EDF intends to limit this risk by specifying maximum levels of impurities in products and materials used for the operation and maintenance of Nuclear Power Plants (NPPs). Bulk chemicals specifications, applied on primary and secondary circuit chemicals and hydrogen and nitrogen gases, are particularly important to prevent chemical species to be involved in the corrosion of the NPPs materials. The application of EDF specifications should lead to reasonably exclude any risk of degradation of the first and second containment barriers and auxiliary circuits Important to Safety (IPS) by limiting the concentrations of chlorides, fluorides, sulfates... The risk of metal embrittlement by elements with low melting point (mercury, lead...) is also included. For the primary circuit, the specifications intend to exclude the risk of activation of impurities introduced by the bulk chemicals. For the first containment barrier, to reduce the risk of deposits like zeolites, PMUC products specifications set limit values for calcium, magnesium, aluminum and silica. EDF's approach for establishing specifications for bulk chemicals is taking also into account the capacity of industrial production, as well as costs, limitations of analytical control methods (detection limits) and environmental releases issues. This paper aims to explain EDF's approach relative to specifications of impurities in bulk chemicals. Also presented are the various parameters taken into account to determine the maximum pollution levels in the chemicals, the theoretical hypothesis to set the specifications and the calculation method used to verify that the specifications are suitable. (authors)

Innovation Environment in Small Technology-Based Companies

OpenAIRE

Gonçalves Silveira Fiates, Gabriela; Azevedo Fiates, José Eduardo; Ribeiro Serra, Fernando A; Portugal Ferreira, Manuel

2010-01-01

Innovation has been identified as a strategy to achieve competitive advantage, particularly in contexts of change and especially for technology-based companies – TBCs. Although the adoption of innovation strategies is not easy, small companies have an organizational environment more conducive to innovation. This article examines how managers and employees of small TBCs perceive aspects of the internal environment of innovation in the organization (culture, organizational structure, personnel ...

Succinic acid production derived from carbohydrates: An energy and greenhouse gas assessment of a platform chemical toward a bio-based economy

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Cok, B.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/371750679; Tsiropoulos, I.; Roes, A.L.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/303022388; Patel, M.K.|info:eu-repo/dai/nl/18988097X

2014-01-01

Bio-based succinic acid has the potential to become a platform chemical, i.e. a key building block for deriving both commodity and high-value chemicals, which makes it an attractive compound in a bio-based economy. A few companies and industrial consortia have begun to develop its industrial

Family matters: effect of host plant variation in chemical and mechanical defenses on a sequestering specialist herbivore.

Science.gov (United States)

Dimarco, Romina D; Nice, Chris C; Fordyce, James A

2012-11-01

Insect herbivores contend with various plant traits that are presumed to function as feeding deterrents. Paradoxically, some specialist insect herbivores might benefit from some of these plant traits, for example by sequestering plant chemical defenses that herbivores then use as their own defense against natural enemies. Larvae of the butterfly species Battus philenor (L.) (Papilionidae) sequester toxic alkaloids (aristolochic acids) from their Aristolochia host plants, rendering larvae and adults unpalatable to a broad range of predators. We studied the importance of two putative defensive traits in Aristolochia erecta: leaf toughness and aristolochic acid content, and we examined the effect of intra- and interplant chemical variation on the chemical phenotype of B. philenor larvae. It has been proposed that genetic variation for sequestration ability is "invisible to natural selection" because intra- and interindividual variation in host-plant chemistry will largely eliminate a role for herbivore genetic variation in determining an herbivore's chemical phenotype. We found substantial intra- and interplant variation in leaf toughness and in the aristolochic acid chemistry in A. erecta. Based on field observations and laboratory experiments, we showed that first-instar larvae preferentially fed on less tough, younger leaves and avoided tougher, older leaves, and we found no evidence that aristolochic acid content influenced first-instar larval foraging. We found that the majority of variation in the amount of aristolochic acid sequestered by larvae was explained by larval family, not by host-plant aristolochic acid content. Heritable variation for sequestration is the predominant determinant of larval, and likely adult, chemical phenotype. This study shows that for these highly specialized herbivores that sequester chemical defenses, traits that offer mechanical resistance, such as leaf toughness, might be more important determinants of early-instar larval

Chemical plant innovative safety investments decision-support methodology.

Science.gov (United States)

Reniers, G L L; Audenaert, A

2009-01-01

This article examines the extent to which investing in safety during the creation of a new chemical installation proves profitable. The authors propose a management supporting cost-benefit model that identifies and evaluates investments in safety within a chemical company. This innovative model differentiates between serious accidents and less serious accidents, thus providing an authentic image of prevention-related costs and benefits. In classic cost-benefit analyses, which do not make such differentiations, only a rudimentary image of potential profitability resulting from investments in safety is obtained. The resulting management conclusions that can be drawn from such classical analyses are of a very limited nature. The proposed model, however, is applied to a real case study and the proposed investments in safety at an appointed chemical installation are weighed against the estimated hypothetical benefits resulting from the preventive measures to be installed at the installation. In the case-study carried out in question, it would appear that the proposed prevention investments are justified. Such an economic exercise may be very important to chemical corporations trying to (further) improve their safety investments.

Practicing chemical process safety: a look at the layers of protection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanders, Roy E.

2004-01-01

This presentation will review a few public perceptions of safety in chemical plants and refineries, and will compare these plant workplace risks to some of the more traditional occupations. The central theme of this paper is to provide a 'within-the-fence' view of many of the process safety practices that world class plants perform to pro-actively protect people, property, profits as well as the environment. It behooves each chemical plant and refinery to have their story on an image-rich presentation to stress stewardship and process safety. Such a program can assure the company's employees and help convince the community that many layers of safety protection within our plants are effective, and protect all from harm

Plant-beneficial elements status assessment in soil-plant system in the vicinity of a chemical industry complex: shedding light on forage grass safety issues.

Science.gov (United States)

Anjum, Naser A; Duarte, Armando C; Pereira, Eduarda; Ahmad, Iqbal

2015-02-01

Human health is closely linked with soils via plants, grazers, or plant-based products. This study estimated plant-beneficial elements (macronutrients: K, P; secondary macronutrients: Ca, Mg; micronutrients: Mo, Mn, Na, Ni, Se) in both soils and shoots of two forage grass species (Eriophorum angustifolium and Lolium perenne) prevalent in the vicinity of a chemical industry complex (Estarreja, Portugal). Both soils and plants from the chemical industrial areas exhibited differential concentrations of the studied elements. In soils, the role of contamination was evidenced as insignificant in context of its impact on all the tested macro and secondary macronutrients except P, and micronutrients such as Mo and Ni. In forage grass plant shoots, the role of contamination was evidenced as insignificant in relation to its impact on all the tested macro and secondary macronutrients except K. Between the two forage grass plants, high Se-harboring L. perenne cannot be recommended for its use as animal feed.

The role of neutron activation analysis at The Dow Chemical Company

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rigot, W.L.; Buchmann, M.E.; Quinn, T.J.; Romick, J.D.; Yusuf, S.O.

2000-01-01

The role of neutron activation analysis (NAA) at The Dow Chemical Company has not changed significantly since the first operations, which were conducted in July, 1967. That role is threefold; provide results with appropriate precision, accuracy and sensitivity; provide results in a timely manner; and provide results for a reasonable cost. What has changed, are the requirements for satisfying each of the three components of the role. In a business-focused environment, analyses need to be performed faster with better sensitivity and/or precision and be more cost efficient. In order to meet these requirements, operations at The Dow TRIGA Research Reactor are devoted to NAA activities. (author)

Application of Bayesian network and multi-criteria decision analysis to risk-based design of chemical plants

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Khakzad Rostami, N.; Reniers, G.L.L.M.E.

2016-01-01

Fires and explosions in chemical plants are still among the major accidents threatening human lives and causing huge asset losses. Although might not completely be eliminated, the risks of such accidents can be reduced by allocating safety measures, applying inherently safer design (ISD) methods,

The evolution of plant chemical defence - new roles for hydroxynitrile glucosides in Lotus japonicus

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Knudsen, Camilla

Plants are sessile organisms well-known to produce a vast array of chemical compounds of which many are used in chemical defence against herbivores and pathogens. The biosynthesis of these plant chemical defence compounds poses a considerable risk of self-toxicity for the plant itself. Several...... on hydroxynitrile glucoside metabolism in the legume model plant Lotus japonicus. Lotus japonicus produces both cyanogenic and non-cyanogenic hydroxynitrile glucosides as chemical defence compounds. The cyanogenic glucosides linamarin and lotaustralin are stored in the cell vacuole as inactive glycosides and, upon...... function and evolution. Further, it contributes to our understanding of the formation and role of biosynthetic gene clusters in plant chemical defence. The bifurcation in hydroxynitrile glucoside biosynthesis and catabolism observed in Lotus japonicus makes it a very suitable model system to study...

Performance evaluation of the insurance companies based on AHP

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Manhong; Zhu, Kunping

2018-04-01

With the entry of foreign capital, China's insurance industry is under increasing pressure of competition. The performance of a company is the external manifestation of its comprehensive strength. Therefore, the establishment of a scientific evaluation system is of practical significance for the insurance companies. In this paper, based on the financial and non-financial indicators of the companies, the performance evaluation system is constructed by means of the analytic hierarchy process (AHP). In the system, the weights of the indicators which represent the impact on the performance of the companies will be calculated by the process. The evaluation system is beneficial for the companies to realize their own strengths and weaknesses, so as to take steps to enhance the core competitiveness of the companies.

Inventory management of spare parts in an energy company

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guajardo, Mario; Roennqvist, Mikael; Halvorsen, Ann Mari; Kallevik, Svein Inge

2012-06-15

We address a problem of inventory management of spare parts in the context of a large energy company, producer of oil and gas. Spare parts are critical for assuring operational conditions in offshore platforms. About 200,000 different items are held in several inventory plants. The inventory system implemented at the company corresponds to a min-max system. The control parameters are decided based mainly on the expert judgment of the planners. Also, though the inventory plants can in practice be supplied from each other, the inventory planning is performed separately by the plant planners. This is because of different ownership structures where the studied company has the operative responsibility. The company is pursuing a system in which all planners conform to the same inventory management approach and evaluation, as well as being more cost efficient. Our work focuses on supporting this goal. We apply methods to decide the inventory control parameters for this system under a service level constraint. The methodology we use distinguishes unit-size and lot-size demand cases. We perform computational experiments to find control parameters for a sample of items. After the control parameters are found, we use them to explore the impact of risk pooling among the plants and inaccuracy arising from duplicate item codes.(Author)

How insects overcome two-component plant chemical defence: plant β-glucosidases as the main target for herbivore adaptation.

Science.gov (United States)

Pentzold, Stefan; Zagrobelny, Mika; Rook, Fred; Bak, Søren

2014-08-01

Insect herbivory is often restricted by glucosylated plant chemical defence compounds that are activated by plant β-glucosidases to release toxic aglucones upon plant tissue damage. Such two-component plant defences are widespread in the plant kingdom and examples of these classes of compounds are alkaloid, benzoxazinoid, cyanogenic and iridoid glucosides as well as glucosinolates and salicinoids. Conversely, many insects have evolved a diversity of counteradaptations to overcome this type of constitutive chemical defence. Here we discuss that such counter-adaptations occur at different time points, before and during feeding as well as during digestion, and at several levels such as the insects’ feeding behaviour, physiology and metabolism. Insect adaptations frequently circumvent or counteract the activity of the plant β-glucosidases, bioactivating enzymes that are a key element in the plant’s two-component chemical defence. These adaptations include host plant choice, non-disruptive feeding guilds and various physiological adaptations as well as metabolic enzymatic strategies of the insect’s digestive system. Furthermore, insect adaptations often act in combination, may exist in both generalists and specialists, and can act on different classes of defence compounds. We discuss how generalist and specialist insects appear to differ in their ability to use these different types of adaptations: in generalists, adaptations are often inducible, whereas in specialists they are often constitutive. Future studies are suggested to investigate in detail how insect adaptations act in combination to overcome plant chemical defences and to allow ecologically relevant conclusions.

Physical-chemical treatment of rainwater runoff in recovery and recycling companies: lab-scale investigation.

Science.gov (United States)

Blondeel, E; De Wandel, S; Florin, R; Hugelier, S; Chys, M; Depuydt, V; Folens, K; Du Laing, G; Verliefde, A; Van Hulle, S W H

2017-08-10

Scrap material recovery and recycling companies are producing wastewater in which common pollutants (such as COD, nutrients and suspended solids), toxic metals, polyaromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCB) frequently can exceed the discharge limits. Lab-scale optimisation of different possible physical-chemical treatment techniques was performed on the wastewater originating from three different companies in view of further testing at pilot-scale testing and implementation at full-scale. The lab-scale tests demonstrate that sedimentation or hydrocyclone treatment as stand-alone technique cannot be used for proper treatment of this type of wastewater. Dual bed filtration or coagulation/flocculation proved to be more promising with removal efficiencies of about 71-95% (dual bed filtration) and 61-97% (coagulation/flocculation) for the above-mentioned pollutants (metals, PAH and PCB).

Pollution control in oil, gas and chemical plants

CERN Document Server

Bahadori, Alireza

2014-01-01

This unique book covers the fundamental requirements for air, soil, noise and water pollution control in oil and gas refineries, chemical plants, oil terminals, petrochemical plants, and related facilities. Coverage includes design and operational considerations relevant to critical systems such as monitoring of water pollution control, equipment, and engineering techniques as well as engineering/technological methods related to soil, noise and air pollution control. This book also: ·         Covers a diverse list of pollution control strategies important to practitioners, ranging from waste water gathering systems and oil/suspended solids removal to chemical flocculation units, biological treatment, and sludge handling and treatment ·         Provides numerous step-by-step tutorials that orient both entry level and veteran engineers to the essentials of pollution control methods in petroleum and chemical industries ·         Includes a comprehensive glossary providing readers with...

Using Problem Based Learning Methods from Engineering Education in Company Based Development

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Kofoed, Lise B.; Jørgensen, Frances

2007-01-01

This paper discusses how Problem-Based Learning (PBL) methods were used to support a Danish company in its efforts to become more of a 'learning organisation', characterized by sharing of knowledge and experiences. One of the central barriers to organisational learning in this company involved...

Techno-economic evaluation of commercial cogeneration plants for small and medium size companies in the Italian industrial and service sector

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Armanasco, Fabio; Colombo, Luigi Pietro Maria; Lucchini, Andrea; Rossetti, Andrea

2012-01-01

The liberalization of the electricity market and the concern for energy efficiency have resulted in a surge of interest in cogeneration and distributed power generation. In this regard, companies are encouraged to evaluate the opportunity to build their own cogeneration plant. In Italy, the majority of such companies belong to the industrial or service sector; it is small or medium in size and the electric power ranges between 1 ÷ 10 MW. Commercially available gas turbines are the less expensive option for cogeneration. Particular attention has been given to the possibility of combining an organic Rankine cycle (ORC) with gas turbine, to improve the conversion efficiency. Companies have to account for both technical and economical aspects to assess viability of cogeneration. A techno-economic analysis was performed to identify, in the Italian energy market, which users can take advantage of a cogeneration plant aimed to cover at least part of their energy demand. Since electricity and thermal needs change considerably in the same sector, single product categories have been considered in the analysis. Our work shows that in the industrial sector, independent of the product category, cogeneration is a viable option form a techno-economic perspective. - Highlights: ► The best technologies for 1 ÷ 10 MW distributed generation plant are gas turbine and ORC. ► A variety of commercial cogeneration plants is available to meet user needs. ► Cogeneration is a technical and economical advantage for industrial sector companies.

Corrosion surveillance of the chemical decontamination process in Kuosheng nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wang, L.H.

2002-01-01

The Piping Recirculation System (RRS) and reactor water clean-up system (RWCU) of Kuosheng Nuclear Power Plant of Taiwan Power Company were decontaminated by CORD process of Framatome ANP GmbH during the outage at October 2001. This is the first time that CORD process was adopted and applied in Taiwan Nuclear Power Plant. To verify minor corrosion damage and correct process control, the material corrosion condition was monitored during all the stages of the chemical decontamination work. Three kinds of specimen were adopted in this corrosion monitoring, including corrosion coupons for weight loss measurements, electrochemical specimens for on-line corrosion monitoring, and WOL specimens (wedge opening loaded) for stress corrosion evaluation. The measured metal losses from nine coupon materials did not reveal any unexpected or intolerable high corrosion damage from the CORD UV or CORD CS processes. The coupon materials included type 304 stainless steel (SS) with sensitized and as-received thermal history, type 308 weld filler, type CF8 cast SS, nickel base alloy 182 weld filler, Inconel 600, Stellite 6 hard facing alloy, NOREM low cobalt hard facing alloy, and A106B carbon steel (CS). The electrochemical noise (ECN) measurements from three-electrode electrochemical probe precisely depicted the metal corrosion variation with the decontamination process change. Most interestingly, the estimated trend of accumulated metal loss is perfectly corresponding to the total removed activities. The ECN measurements were also used for examining the effect of different SS oxide films pre-formed in NWC and HWC on the decontamination efficiency, and for evaluating the galvanic effect of CS with SS. The existing cracks did not propagate further during the decontamination. The average decontamination factors achieved were 50.8 and 4.2 respectively for RRS and RWCU. (authors)

Innovation Environment in Small Technology-Based Companies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gabriela Gonçalves Silveira Fiates

2010-11-01

Full Text Available Innovation has been identified as a strategy to achieve competitive advantage, particularly in contexts of change and especially for technology-based companies – TBCs. Although the adoption of innovation strategies is not easy, small companies have an organizational environment more conducive to innovation. This article examines how managers and employees of small TBCs perceive aspects of the internal environment of innovation in the organization (culture, organizational structure, personnel and infrastructure and their suitability for the innovation process. This is a qualitative research from a multicase study on five companies located in an incubator. Data were collected through open interviews, using a semi-structured script, with one of the managers and two employees from each company. Data were analyzed from preliminary content analysis. The results showed some discrepancies between the perceptions of managers and employees about the issues investigated and their suitability for the innovation system, as well as between reality and the theoretical basis used.

Atomic Energy of Canada Limited-Chemical Company Annual review of operations, 1980-81

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1981-01-01

Record production of heavy water was achieved: the plants at Glace Bay and Port Hawkesbury, Nova Scotia, produced a total of 560 megagrams. A shipment of 500 Mg was delivered on time to the Wolsung CANDU reactor in Korea. Energy conservation and waste heat utilization programs included the construction of a greenhouse at the Glace Bay site. Long-term protection of the La Prade site is essentially complete. The company has reorganized its marketing and engineering division and assumed a greater international role

76 FR 78545 - Guidance Regarding Foreign Base Company Sales Income

Science.gov (United States)

2011-12-19

... Regarding Foreign Base Company Sales Income AGENCY: Internal Revenue Service (IRS), Treasury. ACTION: Final... provide guidance relating to foreign base company sales income when personal property sold by a controlled... sales income (FBCSI) rules. Written comments were received in response to the notice of proposed...

The Social Construction Of Systems Applications Products (SAP R/3 By Employees Of A South African Chemical Industries Company

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arnold Beyleveld

2005-11-01

Full Text Available Many companies that have implemented an Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP system do not reap the intended benefits of the potential inherent in these systems despite their exorbitant implementation cost. The reasons for this are numerous. This study is aimed at understanding the social impact a Systems Applications Products (SAP R/3 implementation had on the end users of a South African Company in the Chemical Industry. A qualitative process evaluation study was undertaken to obtain a clearer understanding of the underlying organisational cultural factors that emerged from such an implementation. The objective was to provide a framework for companies considering such an implementation to ensure better system productivity and to assist companies already using an ERP solution with continuous improvement.

Competitive intelligence information management and innovation in small technology-based companies

Science.gov (United States)

Tanev, Stoyan

2007-05-01

In this article we examine how (i) company type and (ii) the competitive intelligence information used by small technology-based companies affect their innovation performance. The focus is on the specific information types used and not on the information sources. Information topics are classified in four groups - customers (10), company (9), competitor (11) and industry (12). The sample consists of 45 small new technology-based companies, specialized suppliers, and service companies from a variety of sectors - software, photonics, telecommunications, biomedical engineering and biotech, traditional manufacturing etc. The results suggest that the total number of intelligence information topics companies use to make decisions about innovation is not associated with the number of their new products, processes, services and patents. Therefore the companies in our sample do not seem to have the resources, processes or value systems required to use different competitive intelligence information when making decisions on innovation or may rely more on their own internal logic than on external information. Companies are classified using a Pavitt-like taxonomy. Service companies are considered as a separate company type. This allows for explicitly studying both, the innovative role of new services in product driven companies, and the role of new product development in service companies.

Application of Chemical Genomics to Plant-Bacteria Communication: A High-Throughput System to Identify Novel Molecules Modulating the Induction of Bacterial Virulence Genes by Plant Signals.

Science.gov (United States)

Vandelle, Elodie; Puttilli, Maria Rita; Chini, Andrea; Devescovi, Giulia; Venturi, Vittorio; Polverari, Annalisa

2017-01-01

The life cycle of bacterial phytopathogens consists of a benign epiphytic phase, during which the bacteria grow in the soil or on the plant surface, and a virulent endophytic phase involving the penetration of host defenses and the colonization of plant tissues. Innovative strategies are urgently required to integrate copper treatments that control the epiphytic phase with complementary tools that control the virulent endophytic phase, thus reducing the quantity of chemicals applied to economically and ecologically acceptable levels. Such strategies include targeted treatments that weaken bacterial pathogens, particularly those inhibiting early infection steps rather than tackling established infections. This chapter describes a reporter gene-based chemical genomic high-throughput screen for the induction of bacterial virulence by plant molecules. Specifically, we describe a chemical genomic screening method to identify agonist and antagonist molecules for the induction of targeted bacterial virulence genes by plant extracts, focusing on the experimental controls required to avoid false positives and thus ensuring the results are reliable and reproducible.

Biological and Chemical Aspects of Natural Biflavonoids from Plants: A Brief Review.

Science.gov (United States)

Gontijo, Vanessa Silva; Dos Santos, Marcelo Henrique; Viegas, Claudio

2017-01-01

Biflavonoids belong to a subclass of the plant flavonoids family and are limited to several species in the plant kingdom. In the literature, biflavonoids are extensively reported for their pharmacological properties including anti-inflammatory, antioxidant, inhibitory activity against phospholipase A2 (PLA2) and antiprotozoal activity. These activities have been discovered from the small number of biflavonoid structures that have been investigated, although the natural biflavonoids library is likely to be large. In addition, many medicinal properties and traditional use of plants are attributed to the presence of bioflavonoids among their secondary metabolites. Structurally, biflavonoids are polyphenol compounds comprising of two identical or non-identical flavonflavonoid units joined in a symmetrical or unsymmetrical manner through an alkyl or an alkoxy-based linker of varying length. Due to their chemical and biological importance, several bioprospective phytochemical studies and chemical approaches using coupling and molecular rearrangement strategies have been developed to identify and synthesize new bioactive biflavonoids. In this brief review, we present some basic structural aspects for classification and nomenclature of bioflavonoids and a compilation of the literature data published in the last 7 years, concerning the discovery of new natural biflavonoids of plant origin and their pharmacological and biological properties. Copyright© Bentham Science Publishers; For any queries, please email at epub@benthamscience.org.

Synthesis of Ceramic Protective Coatings for Chemical Plant Parts Operated in Hi-temperature and Corrosive/Erosive Environment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Son, M. C.; Park, J. R.; Hong, K. T.; Seok, H. K.

2005-01-01

Some feasibility studies are conducted to produce an advanced ceramic coating, which reveals superior chemical and mechanical strength, on metal base structure used in chemical plant. This advanced coating on metallic frame can replace ceramic delivery pipe and reaction chamber used in chemical plant, which are operated in hi-temperature and corrosive/erosive environment. An dual spraying is adopted to reduce the residual stress in order to increase the coating thickness and the residual stress is estimated by in-situ manner. Then new methodology is tried to form special coating of yttrium aluminum garnet(YAG), which reveals hi-strength and low-creep rates at hi-temperature, superior anti-corrosion property, hi-stability against Alkali-Vapor corrosion, and so on, on iron base structure. To verify the formation of YAG during thermal spraying, XRD(X ray diffraction) technique was used

Establishment of a Clothing Company in Finland Based on a University Brand Case: LAMK Apparel Company

OpenAIRE

Biliba, Arsenii; Mishchenko, Nikita

2017-01-01

This thesis aims to assist LAMK Apparel Company in its entry into the clothing market, in Finland. Based on country analysis of the two target countries (Russia and Finland), its original business idea is developed together with innovative concepts. Accordingly, the business plan is created to describe an applicable development way for the idea. The authors focus on the process of establishing a clothing company in Finland based on a university brand through the implementation of a business p...

Present development in NO/sub x/ control technology by companies. I

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

1974-12-01

Nitrogen oxides emission from stationary and mobile sources can be controlled chemically or physically by such methods as use of air rich fuel, two-staged combustion, recirculation of exhaust gas, structural improvement of burner, addition of combustion supporting gas, and the use of lower nitrogen containing fuel. A recent study showed that the construction cost of a denitrification plant was comparable to that of a desulfurization plant. Up to 50% reduction of NO/sub x/ formation could be achieved by physical techniques also. The burners of five different companies are compared and all of them have a unique physical improvement for fuel combustion.

75 FR 8753 - Carolina Power & Light Company, Brunswick Steam Electric Plant, Units 1 and 2; Environmental...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-02-25

... Dusenbury of the North Carolina Department of Environment and Natural Resources regarding the environmental... & Light Company, Brunswick Steam Electric Plant, Units 1 and 2; Environmental Assessment and Finding of No... identification of licensing and regulatory actions requiring environmental assessments,'' the NRC prepared an...

Effect of Planting Date and Biological and Chemical Fertilizers on Phenology and Physiological Indices of Peanuts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A Sepehri

2017-06-01

done as a split plot experimental design based on randomized complete block with three replications. Peanut cultivar was Fleury Spanish which was prepared by the Research Center of Guilan. Three planting date included 22 May, 31 May and 10 June were used as main plot and four levels of fertilizers included 50% nitrogen chemical fertilize + nitrogen biofertilizer + complete phosphorus chemical fertilizer, 50% phosphorus chemical fertilizer + phosphorus biofertilizer + complete nitrogen chemical fertilizer, 50% nitrogen chemical fertilizer and 50% phosphorus chemical fertilizer + nitrogen -phosphorus biofertilizers, and 100 % chemical fertilizer were tested as sub plot. In order to evaluate the effect of planting date and various fertilizer application on changes trend of LAI, CGR and TDM, different models (1, 2, 3 were fitted to the data. Statistical analysis was performed using the SAS; ver. 9.1 software and mean comparison was done through Duncan test. Results and Discussion The result of analysis of variance indicated that, the main effects of planting date and biofertilizer for traits such as days to flowering, days to podding, days to maturity were significant at the 1% level. However, their interaction was not significant. For mentioned traits, the 22 May planting date was better than the other planting dates. It seems that in the third planting date, plant flowering was occurred earlier than the first date. High temperature with delayed planting shortened the peanut growing season and it accelerated flowering period. Moreover, complete chemical fertilizers (100% was highest for mentioned traits and combine using of chemical fertilizer and nitrogen + phosphorus biofertilizers had the least difference compared to complete chemical fertilizer. Nitrogen-fixing bacteria help the plant to absorb more nutrients which causes increasing plant growth and the number of lateral branches in plant. Plants inoculated with Pseudomonas illustrated an increase in the amount of

Fate of polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in plant-soil systems: Plant responses to a chemical stress in the root zone

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hoylman, Anne M. [Univ. of Tennessee, Knoxville, TN (United States)

1994-01-01

Under laboratory conditions selected to maximize root uptake, plant tissue distribution of PAH-derived ¹⁴C was largely limited to root tissue of Malilotus alba. These results suggest that plant uptake of PAHs from contaminated soil via roots, and translocation to aboveground plant tissues (stems and leaves), is a limited mechanism for transport into terrestrial food chains. However, these data also indicate that root surface sorption of PAHs may be important for plants grown in soils containing elevated concentration PAHs. Root surface sorption of PAHs may be an important route of exposure for plants in soils containing elevated concentrations of PAHS. Consequently, the root-soil interface may be the site of plant-microbial interactions in response to a chemical stress. In this study, evidence of a shift in carbon allocation to the root zone of plants exposed to phenanthrene and corresponding increases in soil respiration and heterotrophic plate counts provide evidence of a plant-microbial response to a chemical stress. The results of this study establish the importance of the root-soil interface for plants growing in PAH contaminated soil and indicate the existence of plant-microbial interactions in response to a chemical stress. These results may provide new avenues of inquiry for studies of plant toxicology, plant-microbial interactions in the rhizosphere, and environmental fates of soil contaminants. In addition, the utilization of plants to enhance the biodegradation of soil contaminants may require evaluation of plant physiological changes and plant shifts in resource allocation.

The South Manchurian Railway Company and the Mining Industry: The Case of the Fushun Coal Mine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tsu-yu Chen

2015-09-01

Full Text Available Following the Japanese victory over Czarist Russia in the Russo-Japanese War and the signing of the Treaty of Portsmouth in 1905, the southernmost section of the southern branch of the China Far East Railway (Changchun–Port Arthur was transferred to Japanese control. A new, semi-privately held company, the South Manchuria Railway Company (SMR, Mantetsu, was established with 85.6 percent capitalization by the Japanese government and foreign bonds to operate the railroad and to develop settlements (including highways, public health facilities, educational institutions, and industries (coal mines, harbor facilities, electrical power plants, shale oil plants, chemical plants, and restaurants along its route. SMR nonetheless emphasized railway and mining investment. The centerpiece of its mining interests was the Fushun Coal Mine. Starting in 1917, SMR began to prosper, with most profits coming from its coal mines, and it soon spun off subsidiary companies. In this sense, although the factors that influenced development of the Fushun Coal Mine in each period were different, this development still shows continuity of the business management.

Macroevolutionary chemical escalation in an ancient plant-herbivore arms race.

Science.gov (United States)

Becerra, Judith X; Noge, Koji; Venable, D Lawrence

2009-10-27

A central paradigm in the field of plant-herbivore interactions is that the diversity and complexity of secondary compounds in plants have intensified over evolutionary time, resulting in the great variety of secondary products that currently exists. Unfortunately, testing of this proposal has been very limited. We analyzed the volatile chemistry of 70 species of the tropical plant genus Bursera and used a molecular phylogeny to test whether the species' chemical diversity or complexity have escalated. The results confirm that as new species diverged over time they tended to be armed not only with more compounds/species, but also with compounds that could potentially be more difficult for herbivores to adapt to because they belong to an increasing variety of chemical pathways. Overall chemical diversity in the genus also increased, but not as fast as species diversity, possibly because of allopatric species gaining improved defense with compounds that are new locally, but already in existence elsewhere.

Plant uptake of americium, curium, and the chemical analog neodymium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Weimer, W.C.; Laul, J.C.; Kutt, J.C.; Bondietti, E.A.

1977-01-01

The plant uptake from several bulk soils has been determined for neodymium, a chemical analog to the transuranium elements americium and curium, and several other native rare earth elements as well. These investigations have demonstrated that neodymium, which has very similar chemical properties to amercium and curium and should have a similar environmental behavior, does behave indistinguishably under both laboratory and field conditions. The uptake of the weathered or mobile forms of these elements from soils is expected to be governed primarily by their identical oxidation states and nearly identical ionic radii. This hypothesis is strongly supported by the chondritic (primordial) normalized rare earth element patterns in several plants. In these samples, the entire series of rare earth elements behaves as a smooth function of the REE ionic radii, as is also seen in the contiguous soils. This behavior suggests that the plant uptake of other ions with similar chemical properties (i.e., americium and curium) would also be governed by ionic size and charge

Bioadsorption of nickel Mining Company by residual biomass Phyllanthus Orbicularis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ariel Díaz-Puig

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Kinetic parameters for the adsorption of nickel were studied in the waste CalcinationPlant Company Ernesto Che Guevara biomass Phyllanthus orbicularis synthetic and industrial waste Calcination Plant enterprise solutions. The results showed that the major factors influencing the adsorption capacity of the biomass increases with increasing pH and the initial concentration of nickel in the effluent and is reduced by increasing the biomass concentration. Meanwhile, the removal efficiency of residual nickel increases with increasing pH and concentration of biomass and reduced when the initial concentration of nickel in the effluent increases. The adsorption capacity nickel biomass Phyllanthus orbicularis from synthetic solutions and industrial waste Calcination Plant Company Nickel "Comandante Ernesto Che Guevara" was 44,05 and 26,25 mg/g respectively. The adsorption process nickel biomass Phyllanthus orbicularis follows kinetics pseudo-second order and according to the values of free energy of adsorption obtained through model-RadushkevichDubinin was 267,26 kJ/mol, this nature demonstrates that corresponds to a process mediated by chemical adsorption where the formation of stable bonds between the functional groups present in the biomass and the metal ions predominates.

The heavy-minerals plant at Palabora Mining Company

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Van der Spuy, R.C.M.

1982-01-01

The heavy-minerals plant at the Palabora Mining Company treats 25 to 30 kt of new feed daily. The U 3 O 8 value of the ore averages approximately 40 p.p.m. The circuit consists of four stages of upgrading on 68 Reichert cones, followed by a jig and 30 table decks. The paper describes how feed-distribution problems have been overcome and the methods used for monitoring and controlling the cone performance. The adaptation of a standard jig for the recovery of fine minerals is discussed, and a method of table agglomeration, for the recovery of coarse refractory copper sulphide is described. The tables consist of polyurethane-covered fibreglass decks, and their operation is controlled according to measurements of the uranothorianite content of the concentrates and middlings by means of a nuclear scintillation counter. The upgrading ratio of the uranium mineral by gravity concentration is 1000:1, baddeleyite (ZrO 2 ) being recovered as a byproduct [af

The chemical industry - a danger to nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Voigtsberger, P.

1976-01-01

Nuclear power stations could contaminate large areas with radioactivity when destroyed by strong external influences. In Germany, authorities try to cope with this danger firstly by making certain demands on the strength of the reactor shell and secondly by imposing strict safety regulations on dangerous industrial plants in the surroundings of the reactor. In the case of chemical industry, this means: If a chemical plant and a nuclear reactor lie closely together, special stress is given to explosion pretection measures in the form of primary explosion protection, e.g. strong sealing of inflammable gases and liquids handled in the immediate neighbourhood of the reactor. (orig.) [de

75 FR 65514 - Automotive Components Holdings, LLC, A Subsidiary of Ford Motor Company, Saline Plant Division...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-10-25

... DEPARTMENT OF LABOR Employment and Training Administration [TA-W-72,029] Automotive Components Holdings, LLC, A Subsidiary of Ford Motor Company, Saline Plant Division, Saline, MI; Notice of Affirmative Determination Regarding Application for Reconsideration By application sent to this office on April 8, 2010, the...

78 FR 14361 - In the Matter of Luminant Generation Company LLC, Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant, Units 1 and...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-03-05

... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [NRC-2012-0310; Docket Nos. 50-445 and 50-446; License Nos. NPF-87 and NPF-89] In the Matter of Luminant Generation Company LLC, Comanche Peak Nuclear Power Plant, Units... Nuclear Power Plant, Units 1 and 2 (CPNPP), and its Independent Spent Fuel Storage Installation Facility...

Botanical insecticides inspired by plant-herbivore chemical interactions.

Science.gov (United States)

Miresmailli, Saber; Isman, Murray B

2014-01-01

Plants have evolved a plethora of secondary chemicals to protect themselves against herbivores and pathogens, some of which have been used historically for pest management. The extraction methods used by industry render many phytochemicals ineffective as insecticides despite their bioactivity in the natural context. In this review, we examine how plants use their secondary chemicals in nature and compare this with how they are used as insecticides to understand why the efficacy of botanical insecticides can be so variable. If the commercial production of botanical insecticides is to become a viable pest management option, factors such as production cost, resource availability, and extraction and formulation techniques need be considered alongside innovative application technologies to ensure consistent efficacy of botanical insecticides. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Integrated-plant-safety assessment Systematic Evaluation Program. Dresden Nuclear Power Station, Unit 2, Commonwealth Edison Company, Docket No. 50-237

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-10-01

The Systematic Evaluation Program was initiated in February 1977 by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission to review the designs of older operating nuclear reactor plants to reconfirm and document their safety. The review provides: (1) an assessment of how these plants compare with current licensing safety requirements relating to selected issues; (2) a basis for deciding on how these differences should be resolved in an integrated plant review; and (3) a documented evaluation of plant safety. This report documents the review of Dresden Nuclear Generating Station, Unit 2 owned and operated by the Commonwealth Edison Company and located in Grundy County, Illinois. Dresden Unit 2 is one of ten plants reviewed under Phase II of this program, which indicates how 137 topics selected for review under Phase I of the program were addressed. Equipment and procedural changes have been identified as a result of the review. It is expected that this report will be one of the bases in considering the issuance of a full-term operating license in place of the existing provisional operating license

Chemical analysis of plants that poison livestock: Successes, challenges, and opportunities

Science.gov (United States)

Poisonous plants have a devastating impact on the livestock industry, as well as human health. In order to fully understand the effects of poisonous plants, multiple scientific disciplines are required. Chemical analysis of plant secondary compounds is key to identifying the responsible toxins, char...

Compressed air system audit in a chemical company

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Radgen, P. [Fraunhofer ISI, Karlsruhe (Germany)

2005-07-01

This paper describes the results achieved during a compressed air system audit at a chemical company in Switzerland. The aim of the audit conducted in Muttenz at the site of Clariant Schweiz AG was to analyse the installed compressed air system and its operation in order to identify energy and cost saving potentials. Because there was measurement equipment already installed, it was not necessary to install a new meter. Instead the existing data had to be extracted from the controlled system and regrouped for the analysis. Aggregated data for 2003 and 2004 and a set of detailed data acquired in the course of one week were used for the analysis. The audit identified a number of measures to improve the compressed air system, but had to conclude that the saving potentials at this site are below average. The audit included the compressors, the air treatment and air distribution up to production or storage buildings. The saving potential identified was quantified as about 300 000 kWh/a, or 13.3% of the compressed air energy demand. The cost savings were calculated to be around 41 852 Swiss Franks. (orig.)

[INDENA SPA company's patent portfolio of Ginkgo biloba preparation].

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Nan; Guo, Kai; Cheng, Xin-min; Liu, Wei

2015-10-01

INDENA SPA Company in Italy is a multi-national company that produces and sells plant extracts. Based on its own re- search advantages in the field of Ginkgo biloba preparation, the company protects its own products market effectively through building patent portfolio around the patents of its opponent. Based on the multi-angle analysis for patent portfolio of G. biloba preparation from the aspects of application time, legal status, technical development route, and patent portfolio layout, this article provides technical reference on research and development of G. biloba preparation, and the author suggest that Chinese applicants learn techniques and layout experiences of other patents fully to enhance the level of research and patent protection level.

Strategy for seismic upgrading of chemical plant taking productivity as criterion of judgment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oshima, M.; Kase, T.; Yashiro, H.; Fukushima, S.

2005-01-01

Seismic upgrading and modification of existing chemical plant facilities have been performed by means of a procedure of the Seismic Design Code and Guidelines of High-pressure Gas Facilities in Japan. Main purpose of this seismic design code is to ensure public safety at seismic events. From the viewpoints of seismic risk of corporate management, CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) and productivity of the plants are also important for seismic assessment. In this paper, authors proposed strategy for seismic assessment to select appropriate pre-earthquake upgrading and modification considering productivity of plants based on fault tree analysis. This assessment will enable to select weak damage modes and to allocate countermeasure cost optimally to the selected damage modes. (authors)

An agent-based model for energy service companies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robinson, Marguerite; Varga, Liz; Allen, Peter

2015-01-01

Highlights: • An agent-based model for household energy efficiency upgrades is considered. • Energy service companies provide an alternative to traditional utility providers. • Household self-financing is a limiting factor to widespread efficiency upgrading. • Longer term service contracts can lead to reduced household energy costs. • Future energy price increases enable service providers to retain their customer base. - Abstract: The residential housing sector is a major consumer of energy accounting for approximately one third of carbon emissions in the United Kingdom. Achieving a sustainable, low-carbon infrastructure necessitates a reduced and more efficient use of domestic energy supplies. Energy service companies offer an alternative to traditional providers, which supply a single utility product to satisfy the unconstrained demand of end users, and have been identified as a potentially important actor in sustainable future economies. An agent-based model is developed to examine the potential of energy service companies to contribute to the large scale upgrading of household energy efficiency, which would ultimately lead to a more sustainable and secure energy infrastructure. The migration of households towards energy service companies is described by an attractiveness array, through which potential customers can evaluate the future benefits, in terms of household energy costs, of changing provider. It is shown that self-financing is a limiting factor to the widespread upgrading of residential energy efficiency. Greater reductions in household energy costs could be achieved by committing to longer term contracts, allowing upgrade costs to be distributed over greater time intervals. A steadily increasing cost of future energy usage lends an element of stability to the market, with energy service companies displaying the ability to retain customers on contract expiration. The model highlights how a greater focus on the provision of energy services, as

Potential of plant growth promoting rhizobacteria and chemical fertilizers on soil enzymes and plant growth

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nosheen, A.; Bano, A.

2014-01-01

The present investigation deals with the role of Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria and chemical fertilizers alone or in combination on urease, invertase and phosphatase activities of rhizospheric soil and also on general impact on growth of safflower cvv. Thori and Saif-32. The PGPR (Azospirillum brasilense and Azotobacter vinelandii) were applied at 10/sup 6/ cells/mL as seed inoculation prior to sowing. Chemical fertilizers were applied at full (Urea 60 Kg ha/sup -1/ and Diammonium phosphate (DAP) 30 Kg ha/sup -1/), half (Urea 30 Kg ha/sup -1/ and DAP 15 Kg ha/sup -1/) and quarter doses (Urea 15 Kg ha-1 and DAP 7.5 Kg ha/sup -1/) during sowing. The chemical fertilizers and PGPR enhanced urease and invertase activities of soil. Presence of PGPR in combination with quarter and half doses of chemical fertilizers further augmented their effect on soil enzymes activities. The soil phosphatase activity was greater in Azospirillum and Azotobacter in combination with half dose of chemical fertilizers. Maximum increase in leaf melondialdehyde content was recorded in full dose of chemical fertilizers whereas coinoculation treatment exhibited significant reduction in cv. Thori. Half and quarter dose of chemical fertilizers increased the shoot length of safflower whereas maximum increase in leaf protein was recorded in Azotobacter in combination with full dose of chemical fertilizers. Root length was improved by Azospirillum and Azotobacter in combination with quarter dose of chemical fertilizers. Leaf area and chlorophyll contents were significantly improved by Azotobacter in combination with half dose of chemical fertilizers. It is inferred that PGPR can supplement 50 % chemical fertilizers for better plant growth and soil health. (author)

Reducing the attractiveness of chemical plants to terrorist attacks: dehorning rhinos

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Khakzad Rostami, N.

2017-01-01

The terrorist attacks to two French chemical facilities in June and July 2015 raised the flag about the attractiveness of chemical plants to terrorist groups and the imminent risk of similar attacks in western countries. Although the 9/11 terrorist attacks in the US put the security of chemical

The Effects of Property, Plant and Equipment (TAS 16 Standard on Cost of Sales of Manufacturing Companies

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

İlker KIYMETLİ ŞEN

2013-06-01

Full Text Available According to the Turkish Commercial Code that came into force in July 2012, the all capital companies that meet the criteria described by the Council of Ministers are required to be in compliance with accounting and financial reporting standards published by the Public Oversight, Accounting and Auditing Board. There are several differences between the local accounting regulations and the standards in terms of valuation, computation and presentation. These differences also affect the cost of sales of the companies that result in differences in the calculation of costs of goods manufactured. The purpose of this study is to examine and demonstrate the potential effects of the TAS 16 Property, Plant and Equipment on calculations of manufacturing costs and the cost of sales of manufacturing companies.

Practical PRA applications at Consumers Power Company

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Blanchard, D.P.

1985-01-01

Consumers Power Company has completed two probabilistic risk assessments (PRAs), one each at its Big Rock Point and Midland plants and is in the process of performing a third study at its Palisades Plant. Each PRA is summarized briefly in this paper. Each PRA has been used to evaluate specific plant design features and make operating and design recommendations to plant and Company management as well as to the regulator. This paper is a sumary of those issues on which Consumers Power Company has applied PRAs to date. The technique used in applying PRA to these issues has varied as more was learned about the plants from the PRA and about PRA itself. Some issue resolutions involved deriving technical arguments from small parts of the PRA only, such as the logic models or consequence analysis. Still others required use of the entire PRA including sequence quantification, plant and containment response, consequence analysis and eventually cost-benefit evaluation of proposed resolutions. The benefits derived from these analyses have also varied and include not only a perceived reduction in the risks associated with plant operation but also economic benefit to the Company in that cost-effective alternatives to resolving safety issues have been permitted

Probabilistic risk criteria and their application to nuclear chemical plant design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Arthur, T.; Barnes, D.S.; Brown, M.L.; Taig, A.R.; Johnston, B.D.; Hayns, M.

1989-01-01

A nuclear chemical plant safety strategy is presented. The use of risk criteria in design is demonstrated by reference to a particular area of the plant. This involves the application of Probabilistic Risk Assessment (PRA) techniques. Computer programs developed by the UK Atomic Energy Authority (UKAEA) at its Safety and Reliability Directorate (SRD) are used toe valuate and analyze the resultant fault trees. the magnitude of releases are estimated and individual and societal risks determined. The paper concludes that the application of PRA to a nuclear chemical plant can be structured in such a way as to allow a designer to work to quantitative risk targets

Using game theory to improve safety within chemical industrial parks

CERN Document Server

Reniers, Genserik

2013-01-01

Though the game-theoretic approach has been vastly studied and utilized in relation to economics of industrial organizations, it has hardly been used to tackle safety management in multi-plant chemical industrial settings. Using Game Theory for Improving Safety within Chemical Industrial Parks presents an in-depth discussion of game-theoretic modelling which may be applied to improve cross-company prevention and -safety management in a chemical industrial park.   By systematically analyzing game-theoretic models and approaches in relation to managing safety in chemical industrial parks, Using Game Theory for Improving Safety within Chemical Industrial Parks explores the ways game theory can predict the outcome of complex strategic investment decision making processes involving several adjacent chemical plants. A number of game-theoretic decision models are discussed to provide strategic tools for decision-making situations.   Offering clear and straightforward explanations of methodologies, Using Game Theor...

[Effects of Different Modifier Concentrations on Lead-Zinc Tolerance, Subcellular Distribution and Chemical Forms for Four Kinds of Woody Plants].

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Yong-hua; Zhang, Fu-yun; Wu, Xiao-fu; Liang, Xi; Yuan, Si-wen

2015-10-01

Four kinds of lead-zinc tolerant woody plants: Nerium oleander, Koelreuteria paniculata, Paulownia and Boehmeria were used as materials to estimate their enrichment and transferable capacity of lead (Pb) and zinc (Zn) and analyze the subcellular distribution and chemical speciation of Zn and Ph in different parts of plants, under different modifier concentrations (CK group: 100% lead-zinc slag plus a small amount of phosphate fertilizer, improved one: 85% of lead-zinc slag ± 10% peat ± 5% bacterial manure plus a small amount of phosphate fertilizer, improved two: 75% lead-zinc slag ± 20% peat ± 5% bacterial manure ± a small amount of phosphate). Results showed that: (1) The content of Pb, Zn in matrix after planting four kinds of plants was lower than before, no significant difference between improved one and improved two of Nerium oleander and Boehmeria was found, but improved two was better than improved one of Paulownia, while improved one was better than improved two of Koelreuteria paniculata; Four plants had relatively low aboveground enrichment coefficient of Pb and Zn, but had a high transfer coefficient, showed that the appropriate modifier concentration was able to improve the Pb and Zn enrichment and transfer ability of plants. (2) In subcellular distribution, most of Pb and Zn were distributed in plant cell wall components and soluble components while the distribution in cell organelles such as mitochondria, chloroplasts and nucleus component were less. Compared with CK group, two improved group made soluble components of the cell walls of Pb fixation and retention of zinc role in the enhancement. (3) As for the chemical forms of Pb and Zn in plants, the main chemical forms of Pb were hydrochloric acid, sodium chloride and ethanol extractable forms, while other chemical form contents were few, the main chemical forms of Zn were different based on plant type. Compared with CK group, the proportion of the active Pb chemical form in different plant

Conceptual design of SO3 decomposer for thermo-chemical iodine-sulfur process pilot plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akihiro Kanagawa; Seiji Kasahara; Atsuhiko Terada; Shinji Kubo; Ryutaro Hino; Yoshiyuki Kawahara; Masaharu Watabe; Hiroshi Fukui; Kazuo Ishino; Toshio Takahashi

2005-01-01

Thermo-chemical water-splitting cycle is a method to make an effective use of the high temperature nuclear heat for hydrogen production. Japan Atomic Energy Research Institute (JAERI) has been conducting R and D on HTGR and also on thermo-chemical hydrogen production by using a thermo-chemical iodine-sulfur cycle (IS process). Based on the test results and know-how obtained through a bench-scale tests of hydrogen production of about 30 NL/hr, JAERI has a plan to construct a pilot test plant heated by high temperature helium gas, which has a hydrogen production performance of 30 Nm 3 /hr and will be operated under the high pressure up to 2 MPa. One of the key components of the pilot test plant is a SO 3 decomposer under high temperature conditions up to 850 degree C and high pressure up to 2 MPa. In this paper, a concept of the SO 3 decomposer for the pilot test plant fabricated with SiC ceramics, a corrosion-resistant material is investigated. Preliminary analyses on temperature and flow-rate distributions in the SO 3 decomposer and on thermal stress were carried out. A SO 3 decomposer model was experimentally manufactured. (authors)

The importance of the reliability study for the safety operation of chemical plants. Application in heavy water plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dumitrescu, Maria; Lazar, Roxana Elena; Preda, Irina Aida; Stefanescu, Ioan

1999-01-01

Heavy water production in Romania is based on H 2 O-H 2 S isotopic exchange process followed by vacuum isotopic distillation. The heavy water plant are complex chemical systems, characterized by an ensemble of static and dynamic equipment, AMC components, enclosures. Such equipment must have a high degree of reliability, a maximum safety in technological operation and a high availability index. Safety, reliable and economical operation heavy water plants need to maintain the systems and the components at adequate levels of reliability. The paper is a synthesis of the qualitative and quantitative assessment reliability studies for heavy water plants. The operation analysis on subsystems, each subsystems being a well-defined unit, is required by the plant complexity. For each component the reliability indicators were estimated by parametric and non-parametric methods based on the plant operation data. Also, the reliability qualitative and quantitative assessment was done using the fault tree technique. For the dual temperature isotopic exchange plants the results indicate an increase of the MTBF after the first years of operation, illustrating both the operation experience increasing and maintenance improvement. Also a high degree of availability was illustrated by the reliability studies of the vacuum distillation plant. The establishment of the reliability characteristics for heavy water plant represents an important step, a guide for highlighting the elements and process liable to failure being at the same time a planning modality to correlate the control times with the maintenance operations. This is the way to minimise maintenance, control and costs. The main purpose of the reliability study was the safety increase of the plant operation and the support for decision making. (authors)

Integrated-plant-safety assessment Systematic Evaluation program. Millstone Nuclear Power Station, Unit 1, Northeast Nuclear Energy Company, Docket No. 50-245

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-11-01

The Systematic Evaluation Program was initiated in February 1977 to review the designs of older operating nuclear reactor plants to reconfirm and document their safety. The review provides: (1) an assessment of how these plants compare with current licensing safety requirements relating to selected issues, (2) a basis for deciding on how these differences should be resolved in an integrated plant review, and (3) a documented evaluation of plant safety. This report documents the review of the Millstone Nuclear Power Station, Unit 1, operated by Northeast Nuclear Energy Company (located in Waterford, Connecticut). Millstone Nuclear Power Station, Unit 1, is one of ten plants reviewed under Phase II of this program. This report indicates how 137 topics selected for review under Phase I of the program were addressed. Equipment and procedural changes have been identified as a result of the review. It is expected that this report will be one of the bases in considering the issuance of a full-term operating license in place of the existing provisional operating license

Activity-Based Costing Application in an Urban Mass Transport Company

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Popesko Boris

2011-12-01

Full Text Available The purpose of this paper is to provide a basic overview of the application of Activity-Based Costing in an urban mass transport company which operates land public transport via buses and trolleys within the city. The case study was conducted using the Activity-Based Methodology in order to calculate the true cost of individual operations and to measure the profitability of particular transport lines. The case study analysis showed the possible effects of the application of the Activity-Based Costing for an urban mass transport company as well as the limitations of using the ABC methodology in the service industry. With regards to the application of the ABC methodology, the primary limitation of the accuracy of the conclusions is the quality of the non-financial information which had to be gathered throughout the implementation process. A basic limitation of the accurate data acquisition is the nature of the fare system of the transport company which does not allow the identification of the route that is taken by an individual passenger. The study illustrates the technique of ABC in urban mass transport and provides a real company example of information outputs of the ABC system. The users indicated that, the ABC model is very useful for profitability reporting and profit management. Also, the paper shows specific application of the Activity-Based Methodology in conditions of urban mass transport companies with regional specifics.

Gut microbes may facilitate insect herbivory of chemically defended plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Hammer, Tobin J; Bowers, M Deane

2015-09-01

The majority of insect species consume plants, many of which produce chemical toxins that defend their tissues from attack. How then are herbivorous insects able to develop on a potentially poisonous diet? While numerous studies have focused on the biochemical counter-adaptations to plant toxins rooted in the insect genome, a separate body of research has recently emphasized the role of microbial symbionts, particularly those inhabiting the gut, in plant-insect interactions. Here we outline the "gut microbial facilitation hypothesis," which proposes that variation among herbivores in their ability to consume chemically defended plants can be due, in part, to variation in their associated microbial communities. More specifically, different microbes may be differentially able to detoxify compounds toxic to the insect, or be differentially resistant to the potential antimicrobial effects of some compounds. Studies directly addressing this hypothesis are relatively few, but microbe-plant allelochemical interactions have been frequently documented from non-insect systems-such as soil and the human gut-and thus illustrate their potential importance for insect herbivory. We discuss the implications of this hypothesis for insect diversification and coevolution with plants; for example, evolutionary transitions to host plant groups with novel allelochemicals could be initiated by heritable changes to the insect microbiome. Furthermore, the ecological implications extend beyond the plant and insect herbivore to higher trophic levels. Although the hidden nature of microbes and plant allelochemicals make their interactions difficult to detect, recent molecular and experimental techniques should enable research on this neglected, but likely important, aspect of insect-plant biology.

Less power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

TASR

2003-01-01

In the Slovak Republic the number of company power plants decreased as against 2001 by two sources. In present time only 35 companies have their own power plants. The companies Slovnaft, Kappa Sturovo, Slovensky hodvab Senica, Matador Puchov, Maytex Liptovsky MikuIas, Kovohuty Krompachy, Chemko Strazske and some Slovak sugar factories belong to the largest company power plants in force of distributing companies. Installed output of present 35 company sources is 531 MW. The largest of separate power plants as Paroplynovy cyklus Bratislava (218 MW) and VD Zilina (72 MW) belong to independent sources. Total installed output of Slovak sources was 8306 MW in the end of last year

Mortality among flavour and fragrance chemical plant workers in the United States.

Science.gov (United States)

Thomas, T L

1987-01-01

Vital status on 1 January 1981 was determined for a cohort of 1412 white men employed in a flavour and fragrance chemical plant between 1945 and 1965 in order to investigate the risks from fatal diseases among men exposed to multiple chemicals in the manufacture of fragrances, flavours, aroma chemicals, and other organic substances. Cause specific standardised mortality ratios (SMRs) were calculated for the entire study population and for several subsets by likelihood of exposure to chemicals, duration of employment, and year of hire. SMRs for rectal cancer and ischaemic heart disease were raised among white male employees whose jobs were in production, maintenance, laboratory, or other jobs that would involve exposure to multiple chemicals used and produced in the plant. The excess of rectal cancer was confined to employees who had worked as chemical operators and mortality was significantly raised among men who worked for ten or more years. Traces of dioxin were recently found in and around plant buildings that used trichlorophenol in the production of hexachlorophene. The study group was small and had limited power to detect excess risk of rare causes of death; however, no soft tissue sarcomas were observed during the study period. PMID:3689704

[Shiftwork and health--experience from a chemical company].

Science.gov (United States)

Oberlinner, C; Lang, S; Nasterlack, M; Yong, M

2013-03-01

Shiftwork is an essential part of our society. At the same time scientific evaluations demonstrate possible negative effects of shiftwork on the health status of the employees. Against this background we performed different studies to evaluate these effects within the specific shift system in a large chemical site in Germany. METHODS AND STUDY GROUP: To evaluate the impact of the different working times on job-related stress perception and work-life-balance we performed a cross-sectional study with 1494 blue collar workers (825 shift- and 669 day workers). Employees working in the rotating shift system reported lower frequencies of perceived time pressure (p = 0.008), and lower stress levels (p = 0.01), compared to the day workers. No significant difference was found with regard to work-life-balance and other aspects of job-related stress perception within both groups. Against the general opinion and study-results in the past we did not find a negative effect of our shift-system on self-reported stress. These results are in accordance with results of other cohort-studies on the specific shift system within the company demonstrating no difference in the health status of our shift workers compared to day workers. © Georg Thieme Verlag KG Stuttgart · New York.

Soft Sensors: Chemoinformatic Model for Efficient Control and Operation in Chemical Plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Funatsu, Kimito

2016-12-01

Soft sensor is statistical model as an essential tool for controlling pharmaceutical, chemical and industrial plants. I introduce soft sensor, the roles, the applications, the problems and the research examples such as adaptive soft sensor, database monitoring and efficient process control. The use of soft sensor enables chemical industrial plants to be operated more effectively and stably. © 2016 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

76 FR 388 - Southern Nuclear Operating Company; Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, Unit Nos. 1 and 2; Notice...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-01-04

... Operating Company; Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, Unit Nos. 1 and 2; Notice of Consideration of Issuance... Web site http://www.regulations.gov . Because your comments will not be edited to remove any... will not edit their comments to remove any identifying or contact information, and therefore, they...

Improvement of the safety regulations in the management of radioactive waste accumulated in the liquid radioactive waste water basins of the PO 'Majak' (Ozersk), the Siberian Chemical Plant (Seversk) and the Mining-Chemical Plant (Zheleznogorsk)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vishnevski, Y.G.; Kislov, A.I.; Irushkin, V.M.

2002-01-01

One of the most important problems of radiation safety in Russia is the decommissioning of the liquid radioactive waste water basins of the PO 'Majak' (Ozersk), Siberian Chemical Plant (Seversk) and Mining-Chemical Plant (Zheleznogorsk). The liquid radioactive waste water basins were constructed in 1950-1960 for the collection and storage of liquid waste from the radiochemical plants. The potential hazards of the liquid in the radioactive waste water basins are: migration of radionuclides into the soil of the liquid radioactive waste water basin floors; wind-induced carry-over of radionuclides from the liquid radioactive waste water basins; hazards (radiation included) to the environment and population arising in case physical barriers and hydraulic structures are damaged; and criticality hazards. The classification of the liquid radioactive waste water basins were developed based on the collection and analyzes of the information on liquid radioactive waste water basin characteristics and the method of multicriterion expert assessment of potential hazards. Three main directions for the improvement of safety regulation in the management of radioactive waste accumulated in the liquid radioactive waste water basins were defined: 1. Common directions for the improvement of safety regulation in the area of rehabilitation of the territories contaminated with radioactive substances. 2. Common directions for the improvement of safety regulation in the area of rehabilitation of the territories, such as the liquid radioactive waste water basins. 3. Special directions for the regulatory activities in the area of operation and decommissioning of the liquid radioactive waste water basins of the PO 'Majak' (Ozersk), Siberian Chemical Plant (Seversk) and Mining-Chemical Plant (Zheleznogorsk). As a result, concrete recommendations on safety regulation for the management of radioactive waste accumulated in the water basins were developed. (author)

Providing policy information at the local level. [Dow Chemical Co

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Vaughan, H W

1977-01-01

Dow Chemical's approach to plant waste management has enabled the company to conribute to a broader understanding of worldwide environmental problems at no net cost to the company. A Corporate Ecology Council was formed in 1970 in response to public concern over mercury in St. Claire River fish. The Council adopted an environmental policy dedicated to providing quality and leadership in environmental improvement. This was followed by steps to identify and monitor hazardous wastes and to improve waste treatment technology. A group of sub-councils and technology centers was established. The company increased employee responsibilities rather than expand the staff and incorporated environmental performance in the employee evaluation procedure. (DCK)

Model-based plant-wide optimization of large-scale lignocellulosic bioethanol plants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Prunescu, Remus Mihail; Blanke, Mogens; Jakobsen, Jon Geest

2017-01-01

Second generation biorefineries transform lignocellulosic biomass into chemicals with higher added value following a conversion mechanism that consists of: pretreatment, enzymatic hydrolysis, fermentation and purification. The objective of this study is to identify the optimal operational point...... with respect to maximum economic profit of a large scale biorefinery plant using a systematic model-based plantwide optimization methodology. The following key process parameters are identified as decision variables: pretreatment temperature, enzyme dosage in enzymatic hydrolysis, and yeast loading per batch...... in fermentation. The plant is treated in an integrated manner taking into account the interactions and trade-offs between the conversion steps. A sensitivity and uncertainty analysis follows at the optimal solution considering both model and feed parameters. It is found that the optimal point is more sensitive...

INFORMATION SYSTEM SALES OF INDOOR AND OUTDOOR ORNAMENTAL PLANTS-BASED ONLINE

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sutedi Sutedi

2017-05-01

Full Text Available Ornamental plants have fairly high commercial value and much sought after by various circles. The prospect is in the business of ornamental plants can be said very brilliant and profitable. Where is in the business of ornamental plants can bring about advantages not the least. The business struggled with ornamental plants can have very favorable prospects for the long term. There are an awful lot of various kinds of ornamental plants that we can choose to use as ornaments to beautify residential home. The ornamental plants can be used as indoor ornamental plants placed in homes or can also be used as outdoor ornamental plants grown in the garden. Ornamental plants while more popular community-wide information system for ornamental plant however is currently designed specifically and not many people who know the information on price and specs or type of indoor and outdoor ornamental plants so that the need for sales information system of indoor and outdoor ornamental plants-based online. With the sales information system of Indoor and Outdoor ornamental plants-based online is expected to facilitate the customers, business processes that occur in the company's units, unit – units that exist within the system a functioning production units as the unit working on/produce ornamental plants. With the utilization of the system marketing media, promoting, finding new customers, the sales process, recapitulation payment of ornamental plants, control the conditions of stock products, development and delivery of products to customers including convincing the product gets to the customer

The French Electricity Company (EDF) and GEC ALSTHOM have signed the agreement for Chinese Laibin B electric power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1997-01-01

EDF and GEC ALSTHOM together with the government of Chinese Province Guangxi have organized in Pekin on 3 september 1997 a ceremony for signing a BOOT (Build, Own, Operate, Transfer) contract for the Coal Power Plant (2 x 360 MW) at Laibin B. This is the first Chinese BOOT contract in the power domain entirely financed by foreign capital. The two western companies which were retained for this project, following an international call for offers, invest USD 150 million of its own founds in this USD 600 million project. They will hold 60% and 40% of the capital of the company created for this project, respectively. The construction power plant is planned to be completed at the end of 1999 - beginning of 2000. After 15 years of industrial operation the power plant will be transferred to the autonomous government of the Province Guangxi. The communique contains the following 8 files: 1. The Laibin B power plant; 2. Build, Own, Operate, Transfer; 3. The autonomous Guangxi Province; 4. An outline of EDF in China; 5. Profile/activities of GEC ALSTHOM in China; 6. The 'Credit Agricole Indosuez' in China; 7. BZW Barclays PLC; 8. HSBC Investment Banking in China

The thermal oxide reprocessing plant at Sellafield: three years of active operation in the chemical separation plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Philips, C.

1998-01-01

The Thermal Oxide Reprocessing Plant at British Nuclear Fuels' Sellafield site started operating in March 1994 with the shearing of its first irradiated fuel. In January 1995 the Chemical Separation part of the plant commenced processing the irradiated fuel feed solution that had been produced in the previous year by the Head End plant. By the Spring of 1998 over 1400 t of irradiated fuel has been reprocessed in Thorp, and the plant is being steadily and successfully ramped up to its normal operating throughput. The performance of the Thorp Chemical Separation Plant has been excellent, with the solvent extraction contactors performing as predicted by the extensive development programme. In particular the uranium-plutonium separation stage, which received intensive development to deal with the effects of the fission product technetium, has given an overall separation performance well in excess of the minimum flowsheet requirement. Decontamination of the uranium and plutonium products from fission products has in general been better than flowsheet requirements and the solvent extraction equipment has operated stably under the automatic controls developed during the R and D programme. Discharges of contaminants to waste streams have generally been in line with, or better than, expectation. This paper compares with flowsheet predictions a range of the key fission product and transuranic decontamination factors achieved in Thorp, shows how waste stream discharges are a small fraction of Sellafield Site discharge limits, demonstrates how uranium - plutonium separation performance has compared with expectation and summarises the overall performance of the Chemical Separation Plant. (author)

The evolution analysis of listed companies co-holding non-listed financial companies based on two-mode heterogeneous networks

Science.gov (United States)

An, Pengli; Li, Huajiao; Zhou, Jinsheng; Chen, Fan

2017-10-01

Complex network theory is a widely used tool in the empirical research of financial markets. Two-mode and multi-mode networks are new trends and represent new directions in that they can more accurately simulate relationships between entities. In this paper, we use data for Chinese listed companies holding non-listed financial companies over a ten-year period to construct two networks: a two-mode primitive network in which listed companies and non-listed financial companies are considered actors and events, respectively, and a one-mode network that is constructed based on the decreasing-mode method in which listed companies are considered nodes. We analyze the evolution of the listed company co-holding network from several perspectives, including that of the whole network, of information control ability, of implicit relationships, of community division and of small-world characteristics. The results of the analysis indicate that (1) China's developing stock market affects the share-holding condition of listed companies holding non-listed financial companies; (2) the information control ability of co-holding networks is focused on a few listed companies and the implicit relationship of investment preference between listed companies is determined by the co-holding behavior; (3) the community division of the co-holding network is increasingly obvious, as determined by the investment preferences among listed companies; and (4) the small-world characteristics of the co-holding network are increasingly obvious, resulting in reduced communication costs. In this paper, we conduct an evolution analysis and develop an understanding of the factors that influence the listed companies co-holding network. This study will help illuminate research on evolution analysis.

Chemical sensing of plant stress at the ecosystem scale

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

T. Karl

2008-09-01

Full Text Available Significant ecosystem-scale emissions of methylsalicylate (MeSA, a semivolatile plant hormone thought to act as the mobile signal for systemic acquired resistance (SAR, were observed in an agroforest. Our measurements show that plant internal defence mechanisms can be activated in response to temperature stress and are modulated by water availability on large scales. Highest MeSA fluxes (up to 0.25 mg/m²/h were observed after plants experienced ambient night-time temperatures of ~7.5°C followed by a large daytime temperature increase (e.g. up to 22°C. Under these conditions estimated night-time leaf temperatures were as low as ~4.6°C, likely inducing a response to prevent chilling injury. Our observations imply that plant hormones can be a significant component of ecosystem scale volatile organic compound (VOC fluxes (e.g. as high as the total monoterpene (MT flux and therefore contribute to the missing VOC budget. If generalized to other ecosystems and different types of stresses these findings suggest that semivolatile plant hormones have been overlooked by investigations of the impact of biogenic VOCs on aerosol formation events in forested regions. Our observations show that the presence of MeSA in canopy air serves as an early chemical warning signal indicating ecosystem-scale stresses before visible damage becomes apparent. As a chemical metric, ecosystem emission measurements of MeSA in ambient air could therefore support field studies investigating factors that adversely affect plant growth.

Biological effects of plant residues with constrasting chemical compositions on plant and soil under humid tropical conditions

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Tian, G.

1992-01-01

A study on plant residues with contrasting chemical compositions was conducted under laboratory, growth chamber and humid tropical field conditions to understand the function of the soil fauna in the breakdown of plant residues, the cycling of nutrients, in particular nitrogen, and the

Designing and testing a chemical demulsifier dosage controller in a crude oil desalting plant: an artificial Intelligence-Based network approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Alshehri, A.K.; Ricardez-Sandoval, L.A.; Elkamel, A. [Department of Chemical Engineering, University of Waterloo, Waterloo (Canada)

2010-06-15

The aim of this paper is to present an artificial neural network (ANN) controller trained on a historical data set that covers a wide operating range of the fundamental parameters that affect the demulsifier dosage in a crude oil desalting process. The designed controller was tested and implemented on-line in a gas-oil separation plant. The results indicate that the current control strategy overinjects chemical demulsifier into the desalting process whereas the proposed ANN controller predicts a lower demulsifier dosage while keeping the salt content within its specification targets. Since an on-line salt analyzer is not available in the desalting plant, an ANN based on historical measurements of the salt content in the desalting process was also developed. The results show that the predictions made by this ANN controller can be used as an on-line strategy to predict and control the salt concentration in the treated oil. (Abstract Copyright [2010], Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Analysis of chemical constituents in medicinal plants of selected ...

African Journals Online (AJOL)

Analysis of chemical constituents in medicinal plants of selected districts of Pakhtoonkhwa, Pakistan. I Hussain, R Ullah, J Khan, N Khan, M Zahoor, N Ullah, MuR Khattak, FA Khan, A Baseer, M Khurram ...

Safety culture for engineering companies. Licensing and design bases for Cofrentes NPP

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nhorte Gomez, M.D.

1994-01-01

Safety culture must be given higher priority by all organisations. It must not be considered a separate concept, attributable to just one particular organisation, or a single responsible party. It is important to apply this criterion throughout the different phases of a nuclear power plant project (design, construction, commissioning and operation) without becoming isolated or dissociated. Nevertheless, it is absolutely essential to apply and consider it during operation, so to ensure highest possible safety standards. Consideration must also be given to the interfaces and interconnections between the different parties involved in the project (Owner of the NPP, Main Engineering Company, Main Supplier, Regulatory Body, etc) to build a SAFETY CULTURE in a collective and effective way. In applying the safety culture, an engineering company emphasises the following concepts: - Personal dedication and sense of responsibility in all those involved in any activity related to the safety of Nuclear Power Plants. - Clearly defined and readily accessible areas of responsibility and channels of communication - Strict adherence to procedures - Internal review of activities (Design review) (Author)

Host plant invests in growth rather than chemical defense when attacked by a specialist herbivore.

Science.gov (United States)

Arab, Alberto; Trigo, José Roberto

2011-05-01

Plant defensive compounds may be a cost rather than a benefit when plants are attacked by specialist insects that may overcome chemical barriers by strategies such as sequestering plant compounds. Plants may respond to specialist herbivores by compensatory growth rather than chemical defense. To explore the use of defensive chemistry vs. compensatory growth we studied Brugmansia suaveolens (Solanaceae) and the specialist larvae of the ithomiine butterfly Placidina euryanassa, which sequester defensive tropane alkaloids (TAs) from this host plant. We investigated whether the concentration of TAs in B. suaveolens was changed by P. euryanassa damage, and whether plants invest in growth, when damaged by the specialist. Larvae feeding during 24 hr significantly decreased TAs in damaged plants, but they returned to control levels after 15 days without damage. Damaged and undamaged plants did not differ significantly in leaf area after 15 days, indicating compensatory growth. Our results suggest that B. suaveolens responds to herbivory by the specialist P. euryanassa by investing in growth rather than chemical defense.

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi are an alternative to the application of chemical fertilizer in the production of the medicinal and aromatic plant Coriandrum sativum L.

Science.gov (United States)

Oliveira, Rui S; Ma, Ying; Rocha, Inês; Carvalho, Maria F; Vosátka, Miroslav; Freitas, Helena

2016-01-01

The widespread use of agrochemicals is detrimental to the environment and may exert harmful effects on human health. The consumer demand for organic food plants has been increasing. There is thus a rising need for alternatives to agrochemicals that can foster sustainable plant production. The aim of this study was to evaluate the potential use of an arbuscular mycorrhizal (AM) fungus as an alternative to application of chemical fertilizer for improving growth performance of the medicinal and aromatic plant Coriandrum sativum. Plants were inoculated with the AM fungus Rhizophagus irregularis BEG163 and/or supplemented with a commercial chemical fertilizer (Plant Marvel, Nutriculture Bent Special) in agricultural soil. Plant growth, nutrition, and development of AM fungus were assessed. Plants inoculated with R. irregularis and those supplemented with chemical fertilizer displayed significantly improved growth performances when compared with controls. There were no significant differences in total fresh weight between plants inoculated with R. irregularis or those supplemented with chemical fertilizer. Leaf chlorophyll a + b (82%), shoot nitrogen (44%), phosphorus (254%), and potassium (27%) concentrations increased in plants inoculated with R. irregularis compared to controls. Application of chemical fertilizer inhibited root mycorrhizal colonization and the length of the extraradical mycelium of R. irregularis. Inoculation with R. irregularis was equally or more efficient than application of chemical fertilizer in promoting growth and nutrition of C. sativum. AM fungi may thus contribute to improve biologically based production of food plants and reduce the dependence on agrochemicals in agriculture.

Molybdenum and technetium cycle in the environment. Physical chemical evolution and mobility in soils and plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Saas, A.; Denardi, J.L.; Colle, C.; Quinault, J.M.

1980-01-01

Molybdenum 99 and technetium 99 from liquid discharges of base nuclear installations (reactors, reprocessing plants, UF 6 treatment, etc.) can reach the environment via irrigation waters and atmospheric deposits. The contribution to the soil by irrigation results in a physical-chemical transformation, the results of which, in the case of technetium 99, could be volatilization via microbes. The changes in the physical-chemical forms of technetium in different soils reveals the preponderant effect of the initial amount deposited. The determination of the rate of technetium and molybdenum assimilation shows a certain similarity in behaviour; yet the localization of these isotopes is not the same. The transfer of molybdenum and technetium via the root system is different in its intensity; this is mainly due to different physical-chemical forms. Finally, each isotope has an optimum assimilation threshold and a toxicity threshold. The study of the physical-chemical evolution and the mobility in the soil-plant-water table system of these two isotopes shows a new aspect with respect to certain transfer channels to the human being [fr

Exploring the Potential for Using Inexpensive Natural Reagents Extracted from Plants to Teach Chemical Analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Hartwell, Supaporn Kradtap

2012-01-01

A number of scientific articles report on the use of natural extracts from plants as chemical reagents, where the main objective is to present the scientific applications of those natural plant extracts. The author suggests that natural reagents extracted from plants can be used as alternative low cost tools in teaching chemical analysis,…

Value of solar thermal and photovoltaic power plants to Arizona Public Service Company

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Smith, P.A.

1994-01-01

Arizona Public Service Company has performed a study using historical solar radiation and system load data to (1) estimate the effects of six types of solar generation on system reliability, (2) estimate the central station value of each to its system, (3) and to assess the potential of each of those technologies to provide bulk power to its system in the 2000 time frame. Technologies included three solar thermal (central receiver, dish Stirling, and parabolic trough) and three flat plate photovoltaic plants (fixed position, one axis, and two axis tracking)

A knowledge-based computer system for assessing new company names

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Vidal, Rene Victor Valqui; Thorsen, M.

1990-01-01

This paper briefly describes a knowledge-based computer system implemented at the Registry of Companies (E and S), Ministry of Industries in Denmark. The system helps E and S, on receipt of a request for registration of a new or changed company name, to check the name for acceptability. The check...

The use of dynamic capabilities to boost innovation in a Brazilian Chemical Company

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristiane Froehlich

Full Text Available Abstract Dynamic capabilities seek to explain how competitive advantages can be built in rapidly changing environments. This study aims to assess how the application of dynamic capabilities can contribute to the expansion of innovation capabilities. Data was collected on ten semi-structured interviews with executives from a chemical company, and analyzed using qualitative content analysis. Results indicate that the application of dynamic capabilities contributes to the development of innovation capabilities through the consolidation of the first dynamic capability (sensing, which fosters innovation. Sensing can be considered an organizational capability, resulting from the integration between organizational strategies and the innovation practices of the organization as a whole. This study brings the following contributions the need to include a new microfoundation in the sensing capability, which in this study is called ‘processes to manage innovation on a strategic level' and the need to adapt another microfoundation related to the sensing capability, called ‘processes oriented toward collaboration with suppliers to complement and stimulate innovations within the company'. It is suggested that these processes should be reassessed in terms of their potential to generate and complement organizational innovation.

76 FR 30206 - Southern Nuclear Operating Company, Inc., Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, Unit 1 and 2; Notice...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-05-24

... Operating Company, Inc., Vogtle Electric Generating Plant, Unit 1 and 2; Notice of Consideration of Issuance..., http://www.regulations.gov . Because your comments will not be edited to remove any identifying or... received from other persons for submission to the NRC inform those persons that the NRC will not edit their...

Physico-chemical characterization of slag waste coming from GICC thermal power plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Acosta, A.; Aineto, M.; Iglesias, I. [Laboratory of Applied Mineralogy, Universidad de Castilla-La Mancha, Ciudad Real Madrid (Spain); Romero, M.; Rincon, J.Ma. [The Glass-Ceramics Laboratory, Insituto Eduardo Torroja de Ciencias de la Construccion, CSIC, c/Serrano Galvache s/n, 28033, Madrid (Spain)

2001-09-01

The new gas installations of combined cycle (GICC) thermal power plants for production of electricity are more efficient than conventional thermal power plants, but they produce a high quantity of wastes in the form of slags and fly ashes. Nowadays, these by-products are stored within the production plants with, until now, no applications of recycling in other industrial processes. In order to evaluate the capability of these products for recycling in glass and ceramics inductory, an investigation for the full characterization has been made by usual physico-chemical methods such as: chemical analysis, mineralogical analysis by XRD, granulometry, BET, DTA/TG, heating microscopy and SEM/EDX.

Solidification of Savannah River Plant high-level waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Maher, R.; Shafranek, L.F.; Stevens, W.R. III.

1983-01-01

The Department of Energy, in accord with recommendations from the Du Pont Company, has started construction of a Defense Waste Processing Facility (DWPF) at the Savannah River Plant. The facility should be completed by the end of 1988, and full-scale operation should begin in 1990. This facility will immobilize in borosilicate glass the large quantity of high-level radioactive waste now stored at the plant plus the waste to be generated from continued chemical reprocessing operations. The existing wastes at the Savannah River Plant will be completely converted by about 2010. 21 figures

ASSESSING CHEMICAL HAZARDS AT THE PLUTONIUM FINISHING PLANT FOR PLANNING FUTURE DECONTAMINATION AND DECOMMISSIONING

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

HOPKINS, A.M.; KLOS, D.B.; MINETT, M.J.

2007-01-01

This paper documents the fiscal year (FY) 2006 assessment to evaluate potential chemical and radiological hazards associated with vessels and piping in the former plutonium process areas at Hanford's Plutonium Finishing Plant (PFP). Evaluations by PFP engineers as design authorities for specific systems and other subject-matter experts were conducted to identify the chemical hazards associated with transitioning the process areas for the long-term layup of PFP before its eventual final decontamination and decommissioning (D and D). D and D activities in the main process facilities were suspended in September 2005 for a period of between 5 and 10 years. A previous assessment conducted in FY 2003 found that certain activities to mitigate chemical hazards could be deferred safely until the D and D of PFP, which had been scheduled to result in a slab-on-grade condition by 2009. As a result of necessary planning changes, however, D and D activities at PFP will be delayed until after the 2009 time frame. Given the extended project and plant life, it was determined that a review of the plant chemical hazards should be conducted. This review to determine the extended life impact of chemicals is called the ''Plutonium Finishing Plant Chemical Hazards Assessment, FY 2006''. This FY 2006 assessment addresses potential chemical and radiological hazard areas identified by facility personnel and subject-matter experts who reevaluated all the chemical systems (items) from the FY 2003 assessment. This paper provides the results of the FY 2006 chemical hazards assessment and describes the methodology used to assign a hazard ranking to the items reviewed

Removal of pharmaceuticals and personal care products in aquatic plant-based systems: A review

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Dongqing; Gersberg, Richard M.; Ng, Wun Jern; Tan, Soon Keat

2014-01-01

Pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) in the aquatic environment are regarded as emerging contaminants and have attracted increasing concern. The use of aquatic plant-based systems such as constructed wetlands (CWs) for treatment of conventional pollutants has been well documented. However, available research studies on aquatic plant-based systems for PPCP removal are still limited. The removal of PPCPs in CWs often involves a diverse and complex set of physical, chemical and biological processes, which can be affected by the design and operational parameters selected for treatment. This review summarizes the PPCP removal performance in different aquatic plant-based systems. We also review the recent progress made towards a better understanding of the various mechanisms and pathways of PPCP attenuation during such phytoremediation. Additionally, the effect of key CW design characteristics and their interaction with the physico-chemical parameters that may influence the removal of PPCPs in functioning aquatic plant-based systems is discussed. -- Highlights: • Investigation of the removal performance of PPCPs in CW systems. • Investigation of the mechanisms and pathways contributing to PPCP removal in CWs. • Investigation of the effect of CW design parameters on PPCP removal. • Investigation of the correlation between physico-chemical parameters and PPCP removal. -- This review gives an overview of the present state of research on the removal of pharmaceutical and personal care products by means of constructed wetlands

Plant-based culture media: Efficiently support culturing rhizobacteria and correctly mirror their in-situ diversity.

Science.gov (United States)

Youssef, Hanan H; Hamza, Mervat A; Fayez, Mohamed; Mourad, Elhussein F; Saleh, Mohamed Y; Sarhan, Mohamed S; Suker, Ragab M; Eltahlawy, Asmaa A; Nemr, Rahma A; El-Tahan, Mahmod; Ruppel, Silke; Hegazi, Nabil A

2016-03-01

Our previous publications and the data presented here provide evidences on the ability of plant-based culture media to optimize the cultivability of rhizobacteria and to support their recovery from plant-soil environments. Compared to the tested chemically-synthetic culture media (e.g. nutrient agar and N-deficient combined-carbon sources media), slurry homogenates, crude saps, juices and powders of cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica) and succulent plants (Aloe vera and Aloe arborescens) were rich enough to support growth of rhizobacteria. Representative isolates of Enterobacter spp., Klebsiella spp., Bacillus spp. and Azospirillum spp. exhibited good growth on agar plates of such plant-based culture media. Cell growth and biomass production in liquid batch cultures were comparable to those reported with the synthetic culture media. In addition, the tested plant-based culture media efficiently recovered populations of rhizobacteria associated to plant roots. Culturable populations of >10(6)-10(8) cfu g(-1) were recovered from the ecto- and endo-rhizospheres of tested host plants. More than 100 endophytic culture-dependent isolates were secured and subjected to morphophysiological identification. Factor and cluster analyses indicated the unique community structure, on species, genera, class and phyla levels, of the culturable population recovered with plant-based culture media, being distinct from that obtained with the chemically-synthetic culture media. Proteobacteria were the dominant (78.8%) on plant-based agar culture medium compared to only 31% on nutrient agar, while Firmicutes prevailed on nutrient agar (69%) compared to the plant-based agar culture media (18.2%). Bacteroidetes, represented by Chryseobacterium indologenes, was only reported (3%) among the culturable rhizobacteria community of the plant-based agar culture medium.

NutriChem: a systems chemical biology resource to explore the medicinal value of plant-based foods

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Kasper; Panagiotou, Gianni; Kouskoumvekaki, Irene

2015-01-01

million MEDLINE abstracts for information thatlinks plant-based foods with their small moleculecomponents and human disease phenotypes. Nu-triChem contains text-mined data for 18478 pairs of1772 plant-based foods and 7898 phytochemicals,and 6242 pairs of 1066 plant-based foods and 751diseases. In addition......,there is currently no exhaustive resource on thehealth benefits associated to specific dietary inter-ventions, or a resource covering the broad molecu-lar content of food. Here we present the first releaseof NutriChem, available athttp://cbs.dtu.dk/services/NutriChem-1.0, a database generated by text miningof 21...

Fluid physico-chemical properties influence capture and diet in Nepenthes pitcher plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Bazile, Vincent; Le Moguédec, Gilles; Marshall, David J; Gaume, Laurence

2015-03-01

Nepenthes pitcher plants have evolved modified leaves with slippery surfaces and enzymatic fluids that trap and digest prey, faeces and/or plant detritus. Although the fluid's contribution to insect capture is recognized, the physico-chemical properties involved remain underexplored and may vary among species, influencing their diet type. This study investigates the contributions of acidity and viscoelasticity in the fluid's capture efficiency of two ant and two fly species in four Nepenthes species with different nutrition strategies. Four Nepenthes species were studied, namely N. rafflesiana, N. gracilis, N. hemsleyana and N. ampullaria. Fluid was collected from pitchers of varying ages from plants growing in the field and immediately transferred to glass vials, and individual ants (tribe Campotini, Fomicinae) and flies (Calliphora vomitoria and Drosophila melanogaster) were dropped in and observed for 5 min. Water-filled vials were used as controls. Survival and lifetime data were analysed using models applied to right-censored observations. Additional laboratory experiments were carried out in which C. vomitoria flies were immersed in pH-controlled aqueous solutions and observed for 5 min. Pitcher fluid differed among Nepenthes species as regards insect retention capacity and time-to-kill, with differences observed between prey types. Only the fluids of the reputedly insectivorous species were very acidic and/or viscoelastic and retained significantly more insects than the water controls. Viscoelastic fluids were fatal to flies and were able to trap the broadest diversity of insects. Younger viscoelastic fluids showed a better retention ability than older fluids, although with less rapid killing ability, suggesting that a chemical action follows a mechanical one. Insect retention increased exponentially with fluid viscoelasticity, and this happened more abruptly and at a lower threshold for flies compared with ants. Flies were more often retained if they

75 FR 44292 - Northern States Power Company; Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant, Units 1 and 2; Notice of...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-07-28

... and DPR-60] Northern States Power Company; Prairie Island Nuclear Generating Plant, Units 1 and 2... assessment, and behavioral observation) of the unescorted access authorization program when making the... under consideration to determine whether it met the criteria established in NRC Management Directive (MD...

Present situation, current problems and countermeasures to solve them by the material technology group in chemical companies; Kagaku shakai ni okeru sochi zairyo gijutsu no genjo to kadai oyobi sore eno taio

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nakahara, Masao. [Asahi Chemical Industry Corp., Tokyo (Japan). Production Technology Center

1999-05-15

A questionnaire investigation about the present situation, current problems and countermeasure to be discussed with by material technology groups in the eight chemical companies was carried out. It has become clear from the analysis of answers obtained that the roll of material group has been changing under the diminishing construction of new plant and the increased needs of stable and sustainable plant operation. The present major subjects of material groups, which are pointed out in the answers, are such new technological problems as the plant life estimation, the dissemination and handing down of material technology and the upbringing of technology successors. The countermeasures to meet those requirements made clear are such technology developments as a new monitoring system, preparation of database on material technology and closer cooperation with relatied associations. It is hoped for that the findings of this study would lead to further and more detailed indentification of common problems to be solved and development of practical countermeasures therefor. (author)

Westinghouse Electric Company experiences in chemistry on-line monitoring in Eastern European nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balavage, J.

2001-01-01

Westinghouse Electric Company has provided a number of Chemistry On-Line Monitoring (OLM) Systems to Nuclear Power Plants in Eastern Europe. Eleven systems were provided to the Temelin Nuclear Power Plant in the south of the Czech Republic. Four systems were provided to the Russian NPP at Novovoronezh. In addition, a system design was developed for primary side chemistry monitoring for units 5 and 6 of another eastern European VVER. The status of the Temelin OLM systems is discussed including updates to the Temelin designs, and the other Eastern European installations and designs are also described briefly. Some of the problems encountered and lessons learned from these projects are also discussed. (R.P.)

Is an ecosystem services-based approach developed for setting specific protection goals for plant protection products applicable to other chemicals?

Science.gov (United States)

Maltby, Lorraine; Jackson, Mathew; Whale, Graham; Brown, A Ross; Hamer, Mick; Solga, Andreas; Kabouw, Patrick; Woods, Richard; Marshall, Stuart

2017-02-15

Clearly defined protection goals specifying what to protect, where and when, are required for designing scientifically sound risk assessments and effective risk management of chemicals. Environmental protection goals specified in EU legislation are defined in general terms, resulting in uncertainty in how to achieve them. In 2010, the European Food Safety Authority (EFSA) published a framework to identify more specific protection goals based on ecosystem services potentially affected by plant protection products. But how applicable is this framework to chemicals with different emission scenarios and receptor ecosystems? Four case studies used to address this question were: (i) oil refinery waste water exposure in estuarine environments; (ii) oil dispersant exposure in aquatic environments; (iii) down the drain chemicals exposure in a wide range of ecosystems (terrestrial and aquatic); (iv) persistent organic pollutant exposure in remote (pristine) Arctic environments. A four-step process was followed to identify ecosystems and services potentially impacted by chemical emissions and to define specific protection goals. Case studies demonstrated that, in principle, the ecosystem services concept and the EFSA framework can be applied to derive specific protection goals for a broad range of chemical exposure scenarios. By identifying key habitats and ecosystem services of concern, the approach offers the potential for greater spatial and temporal resolution, together with increased environmental relevance, in chemical risk assessments. With modifications including improved clarity on terminology/definitions and further development/refinement of the key concepts, we believe the principles of the EFSA framework could provide a methodical approach to the identification and prioritization of ecosystems, ecosystem services and the service providing units that are most at risk from chemical exposure. Copyright © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights

Plant Materials are Sustainable Substrates Supporting New Technologies of Plant-Only-Based Culture Media for in vitro Culturing of the Plant Microbiota.

Science.gov (United States)

Mourad, Elhussein F; Sarhan, Mohamed S; Daanaa, Hassan-Sibroe A; Abdou, Mennatullah; Morsi, Ahmed T; Abdelfadeel, Mohamed R; Elsawey, Hend; Nemr, Rahma; El-Tahan, Mahmoud; Hamza, Mervat A; Abbas, Mohamed; Youssef, Hanan H; Abdelhadi, Abdelhadi A; Amer, Wafaa M; Fayez, Mohamed; Ruppel, Silke; Hegazi, Nabil A

2018-03-29

In order to improve the culturability and biomass production of rhizobacteria, we previously introduced plant-only-based culture media. We herein attempted to widen the scope of plant materials suitable for the preparation of plant-only-based culture media. We chemically analyzed the refuse of turfgrass, cactus, and clover. They were sufficiently rich to support good in vitro growth by rhizobacteria isolates representing Proteobacteria and Firmicutes. They were also adequate and efficient to produce a cell biomass in liquid batch cultures. These culture media were as sufficient as artificial culture media for the cultivation and recovery of the in situ rhizobacteria of barley (Hordeum murinum L.). Based on culture-dependent (CFU plate counting) and culture-independent analyses (qPCR), mowed turfgrass, in particular, supported the highest culturable population of barley endophytes, representing >16% of the total bacterial number quantified with qPCR. This accurately reflected the endophytic community composition, in terms of diversity indices (S', H', and D') based on PCR-DGGE, and clustered the plant culture media together with the qPCR root populations away from the artificial culture media. Despite the promiscuous nature of the plant materials tested to culture the plant microbiome, our results indicated that plant materials of a homologous nature to the tested host plant, at least at the family level, and/or of the same environment were more likely to be selected. Plant-only-based culture media require further refinements in order to provide selectivity for the in vitro growth of members of the plant microbiome, particularly difficult-to-culture bacteria. This will provide insights into their hidden roles in the environment and support future culturomic studies.

Market-price-based calculation and control of profit contributions in energy supply companies; Marktpreisbasierte Kalkulation und Steuerung von Ergebnisbeitraegen in Energieversorgungsunternehmen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brehme, Annett

2013-08-01

As a result of the liberalisation of the electricity markets starting in the 1990s energy supply companies are confronted with the task of implementing some means of profit centre control along with a suitable risk management system for the business areas production, trade and marketing. Traditionally results accounting and profitability analysis are still done using the cost plus method. However this method does not do justice to the fact that power plant deployment and the marketing department's task of offer pricing have to be geared to wholesale prices. This has led the author to develop a market-price-based calculation and control concept for energy supply companies.

Evaluation of Two Surface Sampling Methods for Microbiological and Chemical Analyses To Assess the Presence of Biofilms in Food Companies.

Science.gov (United States)

Maes, Sharon; Huu, Son Nguyen; Heyndrickx, Marc; Weyenberg, Stephanie van; Steenackers, Hans; Verplaetse, Alex; Vackier, Thijs; Sampers, Imca; Raes, Katleen; Reu, Koen De

2017-12-01

Biofilms are an important source of contamination in food companies, yet the composition of biofilms in practice is still mostly unknown. The chemical and microbiological characterization of surface samples taken after cleaning and disinfection is very important to distinguish free-living bacteria from the attached bacteria in biofilms. In this study, sampling methods that are potentially useful for both chemical and microbiological analyses of surface samples were evaluated. In the manufacturing facilities of eight Belgian food companies, surfaces were sampled after cleaning and disinfection using two sampling methods: the scraper-flocked swab method and the sponge stick method. Microbiological and chemical analyses were performed on these samples to evaluate the suitability of the sampling methods for the quantification of extracellular polymeric substance components and microorganisms originating from biofilms in these facilities. The scraper-flocked swab method was most suitable for chemical analyses of the samples because the material in these swabs did not interfere with determination of the chemical components. For microbiological enumerations, the sponge stick method was slightly but not significantly more effective than the scraper-flocked swab method. In all but one of the facilities, at least 20% of the sampled surfaces had more than 10 2 CFU/100 cm 2 . Proteins were found in 20% of the chemically analyzed surface samples, and carbohydrates and uronic acids were found in 15 and 8% of the samples, respectively. When chemical and microbiological results were combined, 17% of the sampled surfaces were contaminated with both microorganisms and at least one of the analyzed chemical components; thus, these surfaces were characterized as carrying biofilm. Overall, microbiological contamination in the food industry is highly variable by food sector and even within a facility at various sampling points and sampling times.

Initial evaluation of dry storage issues for spent nuclear fuels in wet storage at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guenther, R.J.; Johnson, A.B. Jr.; Lund, A.L.; Gilbert, E.R.

1994-11-01

The Pacific Northwest Laboratory has evaluated the basis for moving selected spent nuclear fuels in the CPP-603 and CPP-666 storage pools at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant from wet to dry interim storage. This work is being conducted for the Lockheed Idaho Technologies Company as part of the effort to determine appropriate conditioning and dry storage requirements for these fuels. These spent fuels are from 22 test reactors and include elements clad with aluminum or stainless steel and a wide variety of fuel materials: UAl x , UAl x -Al and U 3 O 8 -Al cermets, U-5% fissium, UMo, UZrH x , UErZrH, UO 2 -stainless steel cermet, and U 3 O 8 -stainless steel cermet. The study also included declad uranium-zirconium hydride spent fuel stored in the CPP-603 storage pools. The current condition and potential failure mechanisms for these spent fuels were evaluated to determine the impact on conditioning and dry storage requirements. Initial recommendations for conditioning and dry storage requirements are made based on the potential degradation mechanisms and their impacts on moving the spent fuel from wet to dry storage. Areas needing further evaluation are identified

Formerly utilized MED/AEC sites remedial action program. Radiological survey of the Harshaw Chemical Company, Cleveland, Ohio

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wynveen, R.A.; Smith, W.H.; Sholeen, C.M.; Justus, A.L.; Flynn, K.F.

1984-04-01

During the MED/AEC era, the Harshaw Chemical Company processed large quantities of normal uranium to produce both oxide and fluoride compounds. This work was done under contract to MED and its successor, AEC. Records indicated that at the time the AEC contract was terminated, the facility was decontaminated by Harshaw and released from AEC control in 1960. However, a search of AEC records indicated that documentation was insufficient to determine whether the decontamination work was adequate by current guidelines. Hence, a radiological assessment of the site ws initiated in 1976. The entire grounds and all buildings were surveyed using surface survey instruments to detect surface contamination and radiation detectors to determine general radiation levels. Extensive surface contamination was found throughout the site. While the major contamination was found in Plant C, significant levels of contamination also were found in 16 other buildings and at 32 exterior locations. The contaminating material seemed to be normal uranium exclusively. Air samples were taken at numerous indoor locations throughout the site, but no elevated levels of radon were detected. This was as expected since normal uranium has been separated from radium and hence radon levels are very low. Several soil samples were taken from around the site. Analyses of these samples indicated extensive soil contamination, as well as suspected contamination of the river bed in the vicinity of the plant outfall. Scheduled subsurface investigation of the site, as well as of the river bed and sewer system, have not been conducted. Levels of contamination at this site are significantly above guidelines for release of the site for unrestricted use. 57 figures, 7 tables

Complete physico-chemical treatment for coke plant effluents.

Science.gov (United States)

Ghose, M K

2002-03-01

Naturally found coal is converted to coke which is suitable for metallurgical industries. Large quantities of liquid effluents produced contain a large amount of suspended solids, high COD, BOD, phenols, ammonia and other toxic substances which are causing serious pollution problem in the receiving water to which they are discharged. There are a large number of coke plants in the vicinity of Jharia Coal Field (JCF). Characteristics of the effluents have been evaluated. The present effluent treatment systems were found to be inadequate. Physico-chemical treatment has been considered as a suitable option for the treatment of coke plant effluents. Ammonia removal by synthetic zeolite, activated carbon for the removal of bacteria, viruses, refractory organics, etc. were utilized and the results are discussed. A scheme has been proposed for the complete physico-chemical treatment, which can be suitably adopted for the recycling, reuse and safe disposal of the treated effluent. Various unit process and unit operations involved in the treatment system have been discussed. The process may be useful on industrial scale at various sites.

Metabolic Engineering of Chemical Defence Pathways in Plant Disease Control

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rook, Frederik

2016-01-01

on each topic. The chapter reviews the some of the scientific and technical challenges in metabolic engineering and the new possibilities emerging from recent technological developments. It concludes by discussing the outlook for bioengineered chemical defences as part of crop protection strategies, also...... with antimicrobial properties for use in crop protection. It presents an overview of the metabolic engineering efforts made in the area of plant chemical defence. For in-depth information on the characteristics of a specific class of chemical defence compounds, the reader is referred to the specialized reviews...

Effect of corm planting density, organic and chemical fertilizers on formation and phosphorus uptake of saffron (Crocus sativus L. replacement corms during phonological stages

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Hassan Feizi

2015-01-01

Full Text Available Saffron (Crocus sativus L. propagates by replacement corms producing from the mother corm after flowering during each season. In order to investigate the effect of corm planting density, organic and chemical fertilizers on formation and phosphorus uptake of saffron replacement corms during phonological stages, a field experiment was conducted as factorial layout based on randomized complete block design with three replications, at Faculty of Agriculture, Ferdowsi University of Mashhad, Iran, during 2013 and 2014 growing seasons. The experimental treatments were all combination of different levels of planting density (25, 50, 75 and 100 corms per m2 and fertilizer sources (manure 25 t. ha-1, chemical fertilizer (N 150 kg ha-1 + P 75 kg ha-1 and control. Due to different sampling dates of replacement corms during phonological stages (21 November, 21 December, 20 January, 20 April and 21 May, respectively, the experimental data were analyzed as factorial - split in time based on a randomized complete block design. Based on results, the highest number of replacement corms lower than 4 g (5.8 corms per plant were observed in fifth sampling stage and then decreased. In all levels of planting density (25 to 100 corms per m2, the effects of manure on increasing the number, weight and phosphorus content of replacement corms in range of 4.1 to 8 and 8.1 to 12 g per plant were significantly higher than chemical fertilizer. In fifth sampling stage, by applying the manure, the weight and phosphorus content of replacement corms in range of 8.1 to 12 g per plant were significantly increased (approximately twice, as compared to chemical fertilizer. It seems the decrease in saffron yield as result to decreasing the corm planting density can be slightly offset by increasing the percentage of larger corms formation per plant.

15 CFR 714.1 - Annual declaration requirements for plant sites that produce a Schedule 3 chemical in excess of...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... plant sites that produce a Schedule 3 chemical in excess of 30 metric tons. 714.1 Section 714.1 Commerce... SCHEDULE 3 CHEMICALS § 714.1 Annual declaration requirements for plant sites that produce a Schedule 3... in the production of a chemical in any units within the same plant through chemical reaction...

The genetic origins of biosynthesis and light-responsive control of the chemical UV screen of land plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jorgensen, R.

1994-01-01

Most land plants possess the capacity to protect themselves from UV light, and do so by producing pigments that absorb efficiently in the UV-A and UV-B regions of the spectrum while allowing transmission of nearly all photosynthetically useful wavelengths. These UV-absorbing pigments are mainly phenylpropanoids and flavonoids. This chapter summarizes current understanding of the mechanism of UV protection in higher land plants, evaluates the information available from lower land plants and their green-algal relatives, and then considers the possible evolutionary origins of this use of chemical filters for selectively screening UV light from solar radiation. It is proposed that photo control over the biosynthesis of UV-absorbing phenylpropanoids and flavonoids may have evolved in concert with the evolution of the high biosynthetic activity necessary for UV protection. The toxicity of phenylpropanoids and flavonoids has been postulated to have been a barrier to the evolution of an effective chemical UV screen, and that some means for sequestering these compounds and/or for controlling their synthesis probably evolved prior to, or in concert with, the evolution of high rates of biosynthesis. The original photoreceptor and signal transduction system is speculated to have been based on photo isomerization of a phenylpropanoid ester and a pre-existing product feedback mechanism for controlling phenylpropanoid biosynthesis. Understanding the original mechanism for photo control of the chemical UV screen of land plants could be valuable for understanding the adaptability of extant land plants to rising levels of solar UV-B radiation and may suggest genetic strategies for engineering improved UV tolerance in crop plants. (author)

Selection of chemical markers for the quality control of medicinal plants of the genus Cecropia.

Science.gov (United States)

Rivera-Mondragón, Andrés; Ortíz, Orlando O; Bijttebier, Sebastiaan; Vlietinck, Arnold; Apers, Sandra; Pieters, Luc; Caballero-George, Catherina

2017-12-01

Several Cecropia (Cecropiaceae) species are traditionally used in Latin America for the treatment of a variety of diseases including diabetes, arterial hypertension, asthma, bronchitis, anxiety, and inflammation. At present, a number of commercial products based on these plants have been introduced into the market with very little information on methods for guaranteeing their quality and safety. This work proposes potential chemical markers for the quality control of the raw materials of Cecropia obtusifolia Bertol., Cecropia peltata L., Cecropia glaziovii Snethl., Cecropia pachystachya Trécul, and Cecropia hololeuca Miq. The Herbal Chemical Marker Ranking System (Herb MaRS) developed by the National Institute of Complementary Medicine (NICM) at the University of Western Sydney was used for selecting chemical markers for the quality control of selected medicinal species of Cecropia. This review covers the period from 1982 to 2016. Chlorogenic acid, flavonoidal glycosides (orientin, isoorientin, vitexin, isovitexin, and rutin), catechin, epicatechin, procyanidins (B2, B5, and C1), steroids (β-sitosterol), and triterpenoids (α-amyrin, pomolic, tormentic and ursolic acids) were selected as chemical markers for the quality control of the leaves. It is necessary to establish comprehensive standards for guaranteeing quality, safety and efficacy of herbal drugs. The selection of adequate chemical markers for quality control purposes requires a good knowledge about the chemical composition of medicinal plants and their associated biological properties. To the best of our knowledge this review article is the first to address the identification and quantitative determination of the chemical markers for the genus Cecropia.

Aerial radiological survey of the Weldon Spring Chemical Plant (St. Charles, Missouri)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jobst, J.E.

1975-01-01

Of the 27 lines flown over the Weldon Spring Chemical Plant drainage basins, five lines directly over the Plant site show uranium and thorium contamination probably due to Plant operations. Because the survey was done at an altitude of 152m, with a 300-meter line spacing, identification of individual radiation sources on the site is not possible from present data. One additional survey line over a quarry south of the Plant shows uranium contamination due to Plant wastes deposited there

Consequences of plant-chemical diversity for domestic goat food preference in Mediterranean forests

Science.gov (United States)

Baraza, Elena; Hódar, José A.; Zamora, Regino

2009-01-01

The domestic goat, a major herbivore in the Mediterranean basin, has demonstrated a strong ability to adapt its feeding behaviour to the chemical characteristics of food, selecting plants according to their nutritive quality. In this study, we determine some chemical characteristics related to plant nutritional quality and its variability among and within five tree species, these being the main components of the mountain forests of SE Spain, with the aim of determining their influence on food selection by this generalist herbivore. We analyse nitrogen, total phenols, condensed tannins and fibre concentration as an indicator of the nutritive value of the different trees. To determine the preference by the domestic goat, we performed two types of feeding-choice assays, where goats had to select between different species or between branches of the same species but from trees of different nutritional quality. The analysis of the plant nutritional quality showed significant differences in the chemical characteristics between species, and a high variability within species. However, when faced with different tree species, the domestic goat selected some of them but showed striking individual differences between goats. When selecting between trees of the same species, the goats showed no differential selection. This limited effect of chemical plant characteristics, together with the variability in foraging behaviour, resulted in a widespread consumption of diverse plant species, which can potentially modulate the effect of the goat on vegetation composition, and open the way for the conservation of traditional livestock grazing on natural protected areas.

HEPA filter leaching concept validation trials at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chakravartty, A.C.

1995-04-01

The enclosed report documents six New Waste Calcining Facility (NWCF) HEPA filter leaching trials conducted at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant using a filter leaching system to validate the filter leaching treatment concept. The test results show that a modified filter leaching system will be able to successfully remove both hazardous and radiological constituents to RCRA disposal levels. Based on the success of the filter leach trials, the existing leaching system will be modified to provide a safe, simple, effective, and operationally flexible filter leaching system

Design of Technical Support System for Retail Company Based on Cloud

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shao Ping

2017-01-01

Full Text Available With the retail side of the market in China, the sale of electricity companies as a new source of power retail, they participate in the electricity market business. National and local governments subsequently introduced the corresponding policies and rules, the technical support system becomes one of the necessary conditions for the access of the retail company. Retail electricity companies have started the system construction, but has not yet formed a standardized, complete architecture. This paper analyzes the business and data interaction requirements of retail electricity companies, and then designs the functional architecture based on basic application, advanced application and value-added application, and the technical architecture based on “cloud”. On this basis, the paper discusses the selection of private cloud, public cloud and mixed cloud model, and the rationalization suggestion of system construction. Which can provide reference for the construction of the technical support system of the domestic retail enterprises.

Effects of Animal Manures and Chemical Fertilizer on Quantitative and Qualitative Characteristics of Milk Thistle Plant (Silybum marianum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

R Yazdani Biuki

2011-02-01

Full Text Available Abstract Milk Thistle (Silybum marianum is one of the medicinal plants that has many drug properties. In order to evaluate effects of animal manures and chemical fertilizer on yield and yield components of Milk Thistle plant, an experiment was conducted in the Research Farm of Ferdowsi University of Mashhad in year 2008 based on completely randomized block design with three replications and four treatments. The treatments included: control (without any manure or fertilizer, chemical NPK fertilizer, cattle and sheep manures. The characteristics such as number of lateral stem per plant, height of plant, number of inflorescences per plant, inflorescence diameter, number of seeds per capitol, 1000 seed weight, seed yield, biological yield, harvest index, oil percentage, silymarin percentage (active ingredient, silybin percentage, oil yield and silymarin yield were recorded. The results showed that different treatments had no effect on yield components, but had significant effect on oil percentage, silymarin and silybin content of seeds. Cattle manure had more oil (21% and silybin (21.7% compared with other treatments. There was no significant difference in oil and silymarin percentage between control and chemical fertilizer treatments. Cattle manure and sheep manure had minimum percentage of silybin (16.4 and maximum percentage of silymarin (3.1 Compared with other treatments. There were positive correlation between height of plant with seed yield (r=0.86** and inflorescence diameter (r=0.6*, which represents importance of these traits for final yield assessment. There were no positive correlation between seed yield and other yields components. Keywords: Milk Thistle, Quantitative and qualitative characteristics, Animal manures, Medicinal plants

Chemical ecology of insect-plant interactions: ecological significance of plant secondary metabolites.

OpenAIRE

Nishida, Ritsuo

2014-01-01

Plants produce a diverse array of secondary metabolites as chemical barriers against herbivores. Many phytophagous insects are highly adapted to these allelochemicals and use such unique substances as the specific host-finding cues, defensive substances of their own, and even as sex pheromones or their precursors by selectively sensing, incorporating, and/or processing these phytochemicals. Insects also serve as pollinators often effectively guided by specific floral fragrances. This review d...

Nuclear fuel reprocessing deactivation plan for the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant, Revision 1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Patterson, M.W.

1994-10-01

The decision was announced on April 28, 1992 to cease all United States Department of Energy (DOE) reprocessing of nuclear fuels. This decision leads to the deactivation of all fuels dissolution, solvent extraction, krypton gas recovery operations, and product denitration at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant (ICPP). The reprocessing facilities will be converted to a safe and stable shutdown condition awaiting future alternate uses or decontamination and decommissioning (D ampersand D). This ICPP Deactivation Plan includes the scope of work, schedule, costs, and associated staffing levels necessary to achieve a safe and orderly deactivation of reprocessing activities and the Waste Calcining Facility (WCF). Deactivation activities primarily involve shutdown of operating systems and buildings, fissile and hazardous material removal, and related activities. A minimum required level of continued surveillance and maintenance is planned for each facility/process system to ensure necessary environmental, health, and safety margins are maintained and to support ongoing operations for ICPP facilities that are not being deactivated. Management of the ICPP was transferred from Westinghouse Idaho Nuclear Company, Inc. (WINCO) to Lockheed Idaho Technologies Company (LITCO) on October 1, 1994 as part of the INEL consolidated contract. This revision of the deactivation plan (formerly the Nuclear Fuel Reprocessing Phaseout Plan for the ICPP) is being published during the consolidation of the INEL site-wide contract and the information presented here is current as of October 31, 1994. LITCO has adopted the existing plans for the deactivation of ICPP reprocessing facilities and the plans developed under WINCO are still being actively pursued, although the change in management may result in changes which have not yet been identified. Accordingly, the contents of this plan are subject to revision

The aquatic toxicity and chemical forms of coke plant effluent cyanide -- Implications for discharge limits

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garibay, R.; Rupnow, M.; Godwin-Saad, E.; Hall, S.

1995-01-01

Cyanide is present in treated cokemaking process waters at concentrations as high as 8.0 mg/L. In assessing options for managing the discharge of a treated effluent, the development and implementation of discharge limits for cyanide became a critical issue. A study was initiated to evaluate possible alternatives to cyanide permit limits at the US Steel Gary Works Facility. The objectives of the study were to: (1) evaluation the forms of cyanide present in coke plant effluent; (2) determine whether these forms of cyanide are toxic to selected aquatic organisms; (3) compare the aquatic toxicity of various chemical forms of cyanide; (4) identify if the receiving water modifies cyanide bioavailability; and (5) confirm, with respect to water quality-based effluent limits, an appropriate analytical method for monitoring cyanide in a coke plant effluent. The results of aquatic toxicity tests and corresponding analytical data are presented. Toxicity tests were conducted with various pure chemical forms of cyanide as well as whole coke plant effluent (generated from a pilot-scale treatment system). Test species included the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas), rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss), Ceriodaphnia dubia (C. dubia) and Daphnia magna (D. magna). Analytical measurements for cyanide included total, weak acid dissociable, diffusible cyanide and selected metal species of cyanide. The findings presented by the paper are relevant with respect to the application of cyanide water quality criteria for a coke plant effluent discharge, the translation of these water quality-based effluent limits to permit limits, and methods for compliance monitoring for cyanide

Playing Chemical Plant Environmental Protection Games with Historical Monitoring Data.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Zhengqiu; Chen, Bin; Reniers, Genserik; Zhang, Laobing; Qiu, Sihang; Qiu, Xiaogang

2017-09-29

The chemical industry is very important for the world economy and this industrial sector represents a substantial income source for developing countries. However, existing regulations on controlling atmospheric pollutants, and the enforcement of these regulations, often are insufficient in such countries. As a result, the deterioration of surrounding ecosystems and a quality decrease of the atmospheric environment can be observed. Previous works in this domain fail to generate executable and pragmatic solutions for inspection agencies due to practical challenges. In addressing these challenges, we introduce a so-called Chemical Plant Environment Protection Game (CPEP) to generate reasonable schedules of high-accuracy air quality monitoring stations (i.e., daily management plans) for inspection agencies. First, so-called Stackelberg Security Games (SSGs) in conjunction with source estimation methods are applied into this research. Second, high-accuracy air quality monitoring stations as well as gas sensor modules are modeled in the CPEP game. Third, simplified data analysis on the regularly discharging of chemical plants is utilized to construct the CPEP game. Finally, an illustrative case study is used to investigate the effectiveness of the CPEP game, and a realistic case study is conducted to illustrate how the models and algorithms being proposed in this paper, work in daily practice. Results show that playing a CPEP game can reduce operational costs of high-accuracy air quality monitoring stations. Moreover, evidence suggests that playing the game leads to more compliance from the chemical plants towards the inspection agencies. Therefore, the CPEP game is able to assist the environmental protection authorities in daily management work and reduce the potential risks of gaseous pollutants dispersion incidents.

Playing Chemical Plant Environmental Protection Games with Historical Monitoring Data

Science.gov (United States)

Reniers, Genserik; Zhang, Laobing; Qiu, Xiaogang

2017-01-01

The chemical industry is very important for the world economy and this industrial sector represents a substantial income source for developing countries. However, existing regulations on controlling atmospheric pollutants, and the enforcement of these regulations, often are insufficient in such countries. As a result, the deterioration of surrounding ecosystems and a quality decrease of the atmospheric environment can be observed. Previous works in this domain fail to generate executable and pragmatic solutions for inspection agencies due to practical challenges. In addressing these challenges, we introduce a so-called Chemical Plant Environment Protection Game (CPEP) to generate reasonable schedules of high-accuracy air quality monitoring stations (i.e., daily management plans) for inspection agencies. First, so-called Stackelberg Security Games (SSGs) in conjunction with source estimation methods are applied into this research. Second, high-accuracy air quality monitoring stations as well as gas sensor modules are modeled in the CPEP game. Third, simplified data analysis on the regularly discharging of chemical plants is utilized to construct the CPEP game. Finally, an illustrative case study is used to investigate the effectiveness of the CPEP game, and a realistic case study is conducted to illustrate how the models and algorithms being proposed in this paper, work in daily practice. Results show that playing a CPEP game can reduce operational costs of high-accuracy air quality monitoring stations. Moreover, evidence suggests that playing the game leads to more compliance from the chemical plants towards the inspection agencies. Therefore, the CPEP game is able to assist the environmental protection authorities in daily management work and reduce the potential risks of gaseous pollutants dispersion incidents. PMID:28961188

Playing Chemical Plant Environmental Protection Games with Historical Monitoring Data

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhengqiu Zhu

2017-09-01

Full Text Available The chemical industry is very important for the world economy and this industrial sector represents a substantial income source for developing countries. However, existing regulations on controlling atmospheric pollutants, and the enforcement of these regulations, often are insufficient in such countries. As a result, the deterioration of surrounding ecosystems and a quality decrease of the atmospheric environment can be observed. Previous works in this domain fail to generate executable and pragmatic solutions for inspection agencies due to practical challenges. In addressing these challenges, we introduce a so-called Chemical Plant Environment Protection Game (CPEP to generate reasonable schedules of high-accuracy air quality monitoring stations (i.e., daily management plans for inspection agencies. First, so-called Stackelberg Security Games (SSGs in conjunction with source estimation methods are applied into this research. Second, high-accuracy air quality monitoring stations as well as gas sensor modules are modeled in the CPEP game. Third, simplified data analysis on the regularly discharging of chemical plants is utilized to construct the CPEP game. Finally, an illustrative case study is used to investigate the effectiveness of the CPEP game, and a realistic case study is conducted to illustrate how the models and algorithms being proposed in this paper, work in daily practice. Results show that playing a CPEP game can reduce operational costs of high-accuracy air quality monitoring stations. Moreover, evidence suggests that playing the game leads to more compliance from the chemical plants towards the inspection agencies. Therefore, the CPEP game is able to assist the environmental protection authorities in daily management work and reduce the potential risks of gaseous pollutants dispersion incidents.

Seismic vulnerability assessment of chemical plants through probabilistic neural networks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aoki, T.; Ceravolo, R.; De Stefano, A.; Genovese, C.; Sabia, D.

2002-01-01

A chemical industrial plant represents a sensitive presence in a region and, in case of severe damage due to earthquake actions, its impact on social life and environment can be devastating. From the structural point of view, chemical plants count a number of recurrent elements, which are classifiable in a discrete set of typological families (towers, chimneys, cylindrical or spherical or prismatic tanks, pipes etc.). The final aim of this work is to outline a general procedure to be followed in order to assign a seismic vulnerability estimate to each element of the various typological families. In this paper, F.E. simulations allowed to create a training set, which has been used to train a probabilistic neural system. A sample application has concerned the seismic vulnerability of simple spherical tanks

Case examples of chemical plant accidents. What we learn from them?

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nakamura, Masayoshi

2009-01-01

Lessons learned from the JCO Nuclear Criticality Accident of 30 September 1999 in a uranium conversion test plant in Tokai-mura, Japan, are reviewed by referring some pertinent matters from the official report of this accident to remind of the universal characteristics among possible accidents of chemical plants. The paper discusses the responsibility of the establishment or institution to the demand alternation or request change from the client, how to respond to the proposal arising from the factory floor, and the safety control system of every-day maintenance of the factory which are important to prevent accidents in chemical plants. After explaining a background leading to the JCO accident, the author summarizes the lessons as follows: (1) changeable control system, (2) perfect provision of the manual considering the actual condition, and (3) clarification of the roles each played by the managers and the workers are most necessary and important. (S. Ohno)

Plant Sterols: Chemical and Enzymatic Structural Modifications and Effects on Their Cholesterol-Lowering Activity.

Science.gov (United States)

He, Wen-Sen; Zhu, Hanyue; Chen, Zhen-Yu

2018-03-28

Plant sterols have attracted increasing attention due to their excellent cholesterol-lowering activity. However, free plant sterols have some characteristics of low oil solubility, water insolubility, high melting point, and low bioavailability, which greatly limit their application in foods. Numerous studies have been undertaken to modify their chemical structures to improve their chemical and physical properties in meeting the needs of various applications. The present review is to summarize the literature and update the progress on structural modifications of plant sterols in the following aspects: (i) synthesis of plant sterol esters by esterification and transesterification with hydrophobic fatty acids and triacylglycerols to improve their oil solubility, (ii) synthesis of plant sterol derivatives by coupling with various hydrophilic moieties to enhance their water solubility, and (iii) mechanisms by which plant sterols reduce plasma cholesterol and the effect of structural modifications on plasma cholesterol-lowering activity of plant sterols.

Selective chemical binding enhances cesium tolerance in plants through inhibition of cesium uptake.

Science.gov (United States)

Adams, Eri; Chaban, Vitaly; Khandelia, Himanshu; Shin, Ryoung

2015-03-05

High concentrations of cesium (Cs(+)) inhibit plant growth but the detailed mechanisms of Cs(+) uptake, transport and response in plants are not well known. In order to identify small molecules with a capacity to enhance plant tolerance to Cs(+), chemical library screening was performed using Arabidopsis. Of 10,000 chemicals tested, five compounds were confirmed as Cs(+) tolerance enhancers. Further investigation and quantum mechanical modelling revealed that one of these compounds reduced Cs(+) concentrations in plants and that the imidazole moiety of this compound bound specifically to Cs(+). Analysis of the analogous compounds indicated that the structure of the identified compound is important for the effect to be conferred. Taken together, Cs(+) tolerance enhancer isolated here renders plants tolerant to Cs(+) by inhibiting Cs(+) entry into roots via specific binding to the ion thus, for instance, providing a basis for phytostabilisation of radiocesium-contaminated farmland.

Instrumentation for chemical and radiochemical monitoring in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nordmann, F.; Ballard, G.

2009-01-01

This article details the instrumentation implemented in French nuclear power plants for the monitoring of chemical and radiochemical effluents with the aim of limiting their environmental impact. It describes the controls performed with chemical automata for the search for drifts, anomalies or pollution in a given circuit. The operation principles of the different types of chemical automata are explained as well as the manual controls performed on samples manually collected. Content: 1 - general considerations; 2 - objectives of the chemical monitoring: usefulness of continuous monitoring with automata, transmission to control rooms and related actions, redundancy of automata; 3 - instrumentation and explanations for the main circuits: principle of chemical automata monitoring, instrumentation of the main primary circuit, instrumentation of the main secondary circuit, instrumentation of the tertiary circuit, preparation of water makeup (demineralized water), other loops, instrumentation for effluents and environment monitoring, measurement principles of chemical automata, control and maintenance of chemical automata; 4 - manual controls after sampling; 5 - radiochemical monitoring: automatized radiochemical measurements, manual radiochemical measurements; 6 - conclusion

Chemical fractionation of radionuclides and stable elements in aquatic plants of the Yenisei River.

Science.gov (United States)

Bolsunovsky, Alexander

2011-09-01

The Yenisei River is contaminated with artificial radionuclides released by one of the Russian nuclear plants. The aquatic plants growing in the radioactively contaminated parts of the river contain artificial radionuclides. The aim of the study was to investigate accumulation of artificial radionuclides and stable elements by submerged plants of the Yenisei River and estimate the strength of their binding to plant biomass by using a new sequential extraction scheme. The aquatic plants sampled were: Potamogeton lucens, Fontinalis antipyretica, and Batrachium kauffmanii. Gamma-spectrometric analysis of the samples of aquatic plants has revealed more than 20 radionuclides. We also investigated the chemical fractionation of radionuclides and stable elements in the biomass and rated radionuclides and stable elements based on their distribution in biomass. The greatest number of radionuclides strongly bound to biomass cell structures was found for Potamogeton lucens and the smallest for Batrachium kauffmanii. For Fontinalis antipyretica, the number of distribution patterns that were similar for both radioactive isotopes and their stable counterparts was greater than for the other studied species. The transuranic elements (239)Np and (241)Am were found in the intracellular fraction of the biomass, and this suggested their active accumulation by the plants.

Unravelling the mechanisms for plant survival on gypsum soils: an analysis of the chemical composition of gypsum plants from Turkey.

Science.gov (United States)

Bolukbasi, A; Kurt, L; Palacio, S

2016-03-01

Depending on their specificity to gypsum, plants can be classified as gypsophiles (gypsum exclusive) and gypsovags (non-exclusive). The former may further be segregated into wide and narrow gypsophiles, depending on the breadth of their distribution area. Narrow gypsum endemics have a putative similar chemical composition to plants non-exclusive to gypsum (i.e. gypsovags), which may indicate their similar ecological strategy as stress-tolerant plant refugees on gypsum. However, this hypothesis awaits testing in different regions of the world. We compared the chemical composition of four narrow gypsum endemics, one widely distributed gypsophile and six gypsovags from Turkey. Further, we explored the plasticity in chemical composition of Turkish gypsovags growing on high- and low-gypsum content soils. Differences were explored with multivariate analyses (RDA) and mixed models (REML). Narrow gypsum endemics segregated from gypsovags in their chemical composition according to RDAs (mainly due to higher K and ash content in the former). Nevertheless, differences were small and disappeared when different nutrients were analysed individually. All the gypsovags studied accumulated more S and ash when growing on high-gypsum than on low-gypsum soils. Similar to narrow gypsum endemics from other regions of the world, most local gypsum endemics from Turkey show a similar chemical composition to gypsovags. This may indicate a shared ecological strategy as stress-tolerant plants not specifically adapted to gypsum. Nevertheless, the narrow gypsum endemic Gypsophila parva showed a chemical composition typical of gypsum specialists, indicating that various strategies are feasible within narrowly distributed gypsophiles. © 2015 German Botanical Society and The Royal Botanical Society of the Netherlands.

Students Advise Fortune 500 Company: Designing a Problem-Based Learning Community

Science.gov (United States)

Brzovic, Kathy; Matz, S. Irene

2009-01-01

This article describes the process of planning and implementing a problem-based learning community. Business and communication students from a large university in the Western United States competed in teams to solve an authentic business problem posed by a Fortune 500 company. The company's willingness to adopt some of their recommendations…

Risk-based design of process plants with regard to domino effects and land use planning

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khakzad, Nima, E-mail: nkhakzad@gmail.com [Safety and Security Science Group (S3G), Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management, TU Delft, Delft (Netherlands); Reniers, Genserik [Safety and Security Science Group (S3G), Faculty of Technology, Policy and Management, TU Delft, Delft (Netherlands); Antwerp Research Group on Safety and Security (ARGoSS), Faculty of Applied Economics, Universiteit Antwerpen, Antwerp (Belgium); Research Group CEDON, Campus Brussels, KULeuven, Brussels (Belgium)

2015-12-15

Highlights: • A Bayesian network methodology has been developed to estimate the total probability of major accidents in chemical plants. • Total probability of accidents includes the probability of individual accidents and potential domino effects. • The methodology has been extended to calculate on-site and off-site risks. • The results of the risk analysis have been used in a multi-criteria decision analysis technique to risk-based design of chemical plants. - Abstract: Land use planning (LUP) as an effective and crucial safety measure has widely been employed by safety experts and decision makers to mitigate off-site risks posed by major accidents. Accordingly, the concept of LUP in chemical plants has traditionally been considered from two perspectives: (i) land developments around existing chemical plants considering potential off-site risks posed by major accidents and (ii) development of existing chemical plants considering nearby land developments and the level of additional off-site risks the land developments would be exposed to. However, the attempts made to design chemical plants with regard to LUP requirements have been few, most of which have neglected the role of domino effects in risk analysis of major accidents. To overcome the limitations of previous work, first, we developed a Bayesian network methodology to calculate both on-site and off-site risks of major accidents while taking domino effects into account. Second, we combined the results of risk analysis with Analytic Hierarchical Process to design an optimal layout for which the levels of on-site and off-site risks would be minimum.

Management of diabetic complications: a chemical constituents based approach.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Randhir; Kaur, Navpreet; Kishore, Lalit; Gupta, Girish Kumar

2013-10-28

Long term hyperglycemia leads to development of complications associated with diabetes. Diabetic complications are now a global health problem without effective therapeutic approach. Hyperglycemia and oxidative stress are important components for the development of diabetic complications. Over the past few decades, herbal medicines have attracted much attention as potential therapeutic agents in the prevention and treatment of diabetic complications due to their multiple targets and less toxic side effects. This review aims to assess the current available knowledge of medicinal herbs for attenuation and management of diabetic complications and their underlying mechanisms. Bibliographic investigation was carried out by scrutinizing classical text books and peer reviewed papers, consulting worldwide accepted scientific databases (SCOPUS, PUBMED, SCIELO, NISCAIR, Google Scholar) to retrieve available published literature. The inclusion criteria for the selection of plants were based upon all medicinal herbs and their active compounds with attributed potentials in relieving diabetic complications. Moreover, plants which have potential effect in ameliorating oxidative stress in diabetic animals have been included. Overall, 238 articles were reviewed for plant literature and out of the reviewed literature, 127 articles were selected for the study. Various medicinal plants/plant extracts containing flavonoids, alkaloids, phenolic compounds, terpenoids, saponins and phytosterol type chemical constituents were found to be effective in the management of diabetic complications. This effect might be attributed to amelioration of persistent hyperglycemia, oxidative stress and modulation of various metabolic pathways involved in the pathogenesis of diabetic complications. Screening chemical candidate from herbal medicine might be a promising approach for new drug discovery to treat the diabetic complications. There is still a dire need to explore the mechanism of action of

75 FR 75704 - Pacific Gas and Electric Company (Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, Units 1 And 2); Notice of...

Science.gov (United States)

2010-12-06

... NUCLEAR REGULATORY COMMISSION [Docket Nos. 50-275-LR; 50-323-LR] Pacific Gas and Electric Company (Diablo Canyon Nuclear Power Plant, Units 1 And 2); Notice of Appointment of Adjudicatory Employee... Seismologist, Office of Nuclear Material Safety and Safeguards, has been appointed as a Commission adjudicatory...

In vivo chemical and structural analysis of plant cuticular waxes using stimulated Raman scattering microscopy.

Science.gov (United States)

Littlejohn, George R; Mansfield, Jessica C; Parker, David; Lind, Rob; Perfect, Sarah; Seymour, Mark; Smirnoff, Nicholas; Love, John; Moger, Julian

2015-05-01

The cuticle is a ubiquitous, predominantly waxy layer on the aerial parts of higher plants that fulfils a number of essential physiological roles, including regulating evapotranspiration, light reflection, and heat tolerance, control of development, and providing an essential barrier between the organism and environmental agents such as chemicals or some pathogens. The structure and composition of the cuticle are closely associated but are typically investigated separately using a combination of structural imaging and biochemical analysis of extracted waxes. Recently, techniques that combine stain-free imaging and biochemical analysis, including Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy microscopy and coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy microscopy, have been used to investigate the cuticle, but the detection sensitivity is severely limited by the background signals from plant pigments. We present a new method for label-free, in vivo structural and biochemical analysis of plant cuticles based on stimulated Raman scattering (SRS) microscopy. As a proof of principle, we used SRS microscopy to analyze the cuticles from a variety of plants at different times in development. We demonstrate that the SRS virtually eliminates the background interference compared with coherent anti-Stokes Raman spectroscopy imaging and results in label-free, chemically specific confocal images of cuticle architecture with simultaneous characterization of cuticle composition. This innovative use of the SRS spectroscopy may find applications in agrochemical research and development or in studies of wax deposition during leaf development and, as such, represents an important step in the study of higher plant cuticles. © 2015 American Society of Plant Biologists. All Rights Reserved.

Hyperspectral monitoring of chemically sensitive plant sentinels

Science.gov (United States)

Simmons, Danielle A.; Kerekes, John P.; Raqueno, Nina G.

2009-08-01

Automated detection of chemical threats is essential for an early warning of a potential attack. Harnessing plants as bio-sensors allows for distributed sensing without a power supply. Monitoring the bio-sensors requires a specifically tailored hyperspectral system. Tobacco plants have been genetically engineered to de-green when a material of interest (e.g. zinc, TNT) is introduced to their immediate vicinity. The reflectance spectra of the bio-sensors must be accurately characterized during the de-greening process for them to play a role in an effective warning system. Hyperspectral data have been collected under laboratory conditions to determine the key regions in the reflectance spectra associated with the degreening phenomenon. Bio-sensor plants and control (nongenetically engineered) plants were exposed to TNT over the course of two days and their spectra were measured every six hours. Rochester Institute of Technologys Digital Imaging and Remote Sensing Image Generation Model (DIRSIG) was used to simulate detection of de-greened plants in the field. The simulated scene contains a brick school building, sidewalks, trees and the bio-sensors placed at the entrances to the buildings. Trade studies of the bio-sensor monitoring system were also conducted using DIRSIG simulations. System performance was studied as a function of field of view, pixel size, illumination conditions, radiometric noise, spectral waveband dependence and spectral resolution. Preliminary results show that the most significant change in reflectance during the degreening period occurs in the near infrared region.

Demonstration of risk-based approaches to nuclear plant regulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rahn, F.J.; Sursock, J.P.; Darling, S.S.; Oddo, J.M.

1993-01-01

This paper describes generic technical support EPRI is providing to the nuclear power industry relative to its recent initiatives in the area of risk-based regulations (RBR). A risk-based regulatory approach uses probabilistic risk assessment (PRA), or similar techniques, to allocate safety resources commensurate with the risk posed by nuclear plant operations. This approach will reduce O ampersand M costs, and also improve nuclear plant safety. In order to enhance industry, Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) and public confidence in RBR, three things need to be shown: (1) manpower/resource savings are significant for both NRC and industry; (2) the process is doable in a reasonable amount of time; and (3) the process, if uniformly applied, results in demonstrably cheaper power and safer plants. In 1992, EPRI performed a qualitative study of the key RBR issues contributing to high O ampersand M costs. The results are given on Table 1. This study is being followed up by an in-depth quantitative cost/benefit study to focus technical work on producing guidelines/procedures for licensing submittals to NRC. The guidelines/procedures necessarily will be developed from successful demonstration projects such as the Fitzpatrick pilot plant study proposed by the New York Power Authority and other generic applications. This paper presents three examples: two motor operated valve projects performed by QUADREX Energy Services Corporation working with utilities in responding to NRC Generic Letter 89-10, and a third project working with Yankee Atomic Electric Company on service water systems at a plant in its service system. These demonstration projects aim to show the following: (1) the relative ease of putting together a technical case based on RBR concepts; (2) clarity in differentiating the various risk trade-offs, and in communicating overall reductions in risk with NRC; and (3) improved prioritization of NRC directives

Dispatch Method for Independently Owned Hydropower Plants in the Same River Flow

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Slavko Krajcar

2012-09-01

Full Text Available This paper proposes a coexistence model for two independent companies both operating hydropower plants in the same river flow, based on a case study of the Cetina river basin in Croatia. Companies are participants of the day-ahead electricity market. The incumbent company owns the existing hydropower plants and holds concessions for the water. The new company decides to build a pump storage hydropower plant that uses one of the existing reservoirs as its lower reservoir. Meeting reservoir water balance is affected by decisions by both companies which are independently seeking maximal profit. Methods for water use settlement and preventing of spillage are proposed. A mixed-integer linear programming approach is used. Head effects on output power levels are also considered. Existences of dispatches that satisfy both companies are shown.

Use of physical/chemical mutagens in plant breeding program in Vietnam

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tran Duy Quy; Nguyen Huu Dong; Bui Huy Thuy; Le Van Nha; Nguyen Van Bich

2001-01-01

Among more than 1870 new plant varieties formed by mutation breeding in the world, 44 varieties of different plants were formed by Vietnamese scientists. Research on induced mutation in Vietnam started in 1966, was promoted in Agricultural Institute, Cuu Long Delta Rice Research Institute, Institute of Food Crop Research, and Agriculture Universities, and has produced varieties of rice, maize, soybean, peanut, tomato, jujuba, green bean etc using physical and chemical mutagens: Irradiation with gamma rays or neutrons, and use of such chemicals as dimethylsulfate (DMS), diethylsulfate (DES), ethyleneimine (EI), N-nitrosomethylurea (NUM), N-nitrosoethylurea (NEU), and sodium azide (NaN 3 ). In the present report, the results of cytological and genetic effects in M1 plants, the frequency and spectrum of chlorophyll and morphological mutants, the mutants obtained and the genetic nature of the next generation are described, particularly for the case of rice. Radiation dose and dose rate used as mutagens are also reported. (S. Ohno)

Use of physical/chemical mutagens in plant breeding program in Vietnam

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tran Duy Quy; Nguyen Huu Dong; Bui Huy Thuy; Le Van Nha; Nguyen Van Bich [Agricultural Genetics Institute, Hanoi (Viet Nam)

2001-03-01

Among more than 1870 new plant varieties formed by mutation breeding in the world, 44 varieties of different plants were formed by Vietnamese scientists. Research on induced mutation in Vietnam started in 1966, was promoted in Agricultural Institute, Cuu Long Delta Rice Research Institute, Institute of Food Crop Research, and Agriculture Universities, and has produced varieties of rice, maize, soybean, peanut, tomato, jujuba, green bean etc using physical and chemical mutagens: Irradiation with gamma rays or neutrons, and use of such chemicals as dimethylsulfate (DMS), diethylsulfate (DES), ethyleneimine (EI), N-nitrosomethylurea (NUM), N-nitrosoethylurea (NEU), and sodium azide (NaN{sub 3}). In the present report, the results of cytological and genetic effects in M1 plants, the frequency and spectrum of chlorophyll and morphological mutants, the mutants obtained and the genetic nature of the next generation are described, particularly for the case of rice. Radiation dose and dose rate used as mutagens are also reported. (S. Ohno)

[Research progress in chemical communication among insect-resistant genetically modified plants, insect pests and natural enemies].

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Qing-Song; Li, Yun-He; Chen, Xiu-Ping; Peng, Yu-Fa

2014-08-01

Semiochemicals released by plants or insects play an important role in the communication among plants, phytophagous insects and their natural enemies. They thus form a chemical information network which regulates intra- and inter-specific behaviors and sustains the composition and structure of plant and insect communities. The application of insect-resistant genetically modified (IRGM) crops may affect the chemical communication within and among the tritrophic levels, and thus cause disturbances to the biotic community structure and the stability of the farmland ecosystem. This has raised concerns about the environmental safety of IRGM crops and triggered research worldwide. In the current article we provided a brief summary of the chemical communication among plants, herbivores and natural enemies; analyzed the potential of IRGM crops to affect the chemical communication between plants and arthropods and the related mechanisms; and discussed the current research progress and the future prospects in this field. We hope that this will promote the research in this field by Chinese scientists and increase our understanding of the potential effects of growing of IRGM crops on the arthropod community structure.

An Extended Chemical Plant Environmental Protection Game on Addressing Uncertainties of Human Adversaries

Science.gov (United States)

Wang, Rongxiao; Chen, Feiran; Wang, Yiping; Qiu, Xiaogang

2018-01-01

Chemical production activities in industrial districts pose great threats to the surrounding atmospheric environment and human health. Therefore, developing appropriate and intelligent pollution controlling strategies for the management team to monitor chemical production processes is significantly essential in a chemical industrial district. The literature shows that playing a chemical plant environmental protection (CPEP) game can force the chemical plants to be more compliant with environmental protection authorities and reduce the potential risks of hazardous gas dispersion accidents. However, results of the current literature strictly rely on several perfect assumptions which rarely hold in real-world domains, especially when dealing with human adversaries. To address bounded rationality and limited observability in human cognition, the CPEP game is extended to generate robust schedules of inspection resources for inspection agencies. The present paper is innovative on the following contributions: (i) The CPEP model is extended by taking observation frequency and observation cost of adversaries into account, and thus better reflects the industrial reality; (ii) Uncertainties such as attackers with bounded rationality, attackers with limited observation and incomplete information (i.e., the attacker’s parameters) are integrated into the extended CPEP model; (iii) Learning curve theory is employed to determine the attacker’s observability in the game solver. Results in the case study imply that this work improves the decision-making process for environmental protection authorities in practical fields by bringing more rewards to the inspection agencies and by acquiring more compliance from chemical plants. PMID:29584679

An Extended Chemical Plant Environmental Protection Game on Addressing Uncertainties of Human Adversaries.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhu, Zhengqiu; Chen, Bin; Qiu, Sihang; Wang, Rongxiao; Chen, Feiran; Wang, Yiping; Qiu, Xiaogang

2018-03-27

Chemical production activities in industrial districts pose great threats to the surrounding atmospheric environment and human health. Therefore, developing appropriate and intelligent pollution controlling strategies for the management team to monitor chemical production processes is significantly essential in a chemical industrial district. The literature shows that playing a chemical plant environmental protection (CPEP) game can force the chemical plants to be more compliant with environmental protection authorities and reduce the potential risks of hazardous gas dispersion accidents. However, results of the current literature strictly rely on several perfect assumptions which rarely hold in real-world domains, especially when dealing with human adversaries. To address bounded rationality and limited observability in human cognition, the CPEP game is extended to generate robust schedules of inspection resources for inspection agencies. The present paper is innovative on the following contributions: (i) The CPEP model is extended by taking observation frequency and observation cost of adversaries into account, and thus better reflects the industrial reality; (ii) Uncertainties such as attackers with bounded rationality, attackers with limited observation and incomplete information (i.e., the attacker's parameters) are integrated into the extended CPEP model; (iii) Learning curve theory is employed to determine the attacker's observability in the game solver. Results in the case study imply that this work improves the decision-making process for environmental protection authorities in practical fields by bringing more rewards to the inspection agencies and by acquiring more compliance from chemical plants.

An Extended Chemical Plant Environmental Protection Game on Addressing Uncertainties of Human Adversaries

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zhengqiu Zhu

2018-03-01

Full Text Available Chemical production activities in industrial districts pose great threats to the surrounding atmospheric environment and human health. Therefore, developing appropriate and intelligent pollution controlling strategies for the management team to monitor chemical production processes is significantly essential in a chemical industrial district. The literature shows that playing a chemical plant environmental protection (CPEP game can force the chemical plants to be more compliant with environmental protection authorities and reduce the potential risks of hazardous gas dispersion accidents. However, results of the current literature strictly rely on several perfect assumptions which rarely hold in real-world domains, especially when dealing with human adversaries. To address bounded rationality and limited observability in human cognition, the CPEP game is extended to generate robust schedules of inspection resources for inspection agencies. The present paper is innovative on the following contributions: (i The CPEP model is extended by taking observation frequency and observation cost of adversaries into account, and thus better reflects the industrial reality; (ii Uncertainties such as attackers with bounded rationality, attackers with limited observation and incomplete information (i.e., the attacker’s parameters are integrated into the extended CPEP model; (iii Learning curve theory is employed to determine the attacker’s observability in the game solver. Results in the case study imply that this work improves the decision-making process for environmental protection authorities in practical fields by bringing more rewards to the inspection agencies and by acquiring more compliance from chemical plants.

Nuclear utility structure. Use of nuclear service companies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ring, L.E.

1980-01-01

The feasibility of utilities incorporating service companies to construct and maintain nuclear power plants is analyzed. Responsibilities of the service companies and the public opinion of the concept are discussed

Technological innovation capability in Malaysian-owned resource-based manufacturing companies: Early findings

Science.gov (United States)

Razali, Nur Fhathyhah; Mohd Suradi, Nur Riza; Ahmad Shahabuddin, Faridatul Azna; Ismail, Wan Rosmanira; Abidin, Norkisme Zainal; Ahmad, Nor Amalina; Mustafa, Zainol

2013-04-01

This study aims to identify the determinants of technological innovation capability of Malaysian-owned companies in the resources-based manufacturing, to identify the relationship between technological innovation capability (TIC) and technological innovation performance (TIP) for the resource-based manufacturing. Furthermore, this study also aims to identify innovation capability factors that need more emphasis and improvements from the respective authority. The scope of the study covers four industries which are petrochemical industries, pharmaceutical industries, palm oil-based industries and food processing industries which are located in the state of Selangor. Descriptive analysis, correlation analysis and performance capability analysis were used in this study. It was found that, technological innovation capabilities (TIC) for companies in the resource-based manufacturing are moderate. Factors such as policies capability, human resources capability and facilities capability have a positive relationship with the performance of technological innovation (TIP). These findings will help the government in making decisions and better implementation of policies to strengthen the competitiveness of the company, particularly in resource-based manufacturing.

How to deal with financial risk under the life circles of nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chen Shilong

2010-01-01

Nuclear power plants don't necessarily form enterprise boundary, in the background of nuclear power booming, what characteristics of financial risk exist in nuclear power plant, how to deal with such financial risk and how to sustain a stable development of nuclear power ? Based on the enterprise boundary theory of transaction fees, the separate of the nuclear power plant owner, engineering company and operating company comply with the cost-efficient principle. The financial risk of the plant owner come from the cash flow characteristics under different life circles of its nuclear power plants, due to the passivation of the asset structure in the construction and early operation periods, considering the effects of asset structure on financial risk is meaningless. Based on the owners with single reactor or constructing reactors, big-scale investment holding company is needed to conduct professional asset management, and to diversify the financial risk, on the other hand, professional engineering and operation companies can realize the scale and the multi-reactor advantages. (author)

The main chemical safety problems in main process of nuclear fuel reprocessing plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Song Fengli; Zhao Shangui; Liu Xinhua; Zhang Chunlong; Lu Dan; Liu Yuntao; Yang Xiaowei; Wang Shijun

2014-01-01

There are many chemical reactions in the aqueous process of nuclear fuel reprocessing. The reaction conditions and the products are different so that the chemical safety problems are different. In the paper the chemical reactions in the aqueous process of nuclear fuel reprocessing are described and the main chemical safety problems are analyzed. The reference is offered to the design and accident analysis of the nuclear fuel reprocessing plant. (authors)

Safety aspects in a chemical exchange process plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sharma, B.K.

2016-01-01

Based on a chemical exchange process involving solid liquid exchange, studies have been undertaken to enrich 10 B isotope of boron using ion exchange chromatography in which a strong base anion exchange resin in hydroxyl form is equilibrated with boric acid solution in presence of mannitol (a complexing reagent to boric acid) to enhance the acidity and hence the isotopic exchange separation factor for 10 B = 11 B exchange reaction. Using the electrochemical techniques such as pH-metry and conductimetry, the choice of a suitable complexing reagent was made amongst ethylene glycol, propylene glycol, dextrose and mannitol for cost-effective separation of isotopes of boron and monitoring of band movements using these electrochemical techniques. The optimum conditions for the regeneration of strong base anion exchange resins of type-I and type-II were determined for cost-effective separation of isotopes of boron by ion exchange chromatography. The possibility of using unspent alkali content of the effluent was also exploited. Removal of carbonate impurity from Rayon grade caustic lye (used as regenerant after dilution) and recycling of Ba(OH) 2 was studied to avoid waste disposal problems. This process is an industrially viable process. The various safety aspects followed during operation of this plant are described in this paper. (author)

Diagnosing companies in financial difficulty based on the auditor’s report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Robert Zenzerović

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The approach used in this paper expands on existing research that focuses on devising prediction models for companies experiencing financial difficulties and which in turn serves as a criteria-based diagnosis tool for distinguishing healthy companies from those facing seriously financial difficulties. It draws on auditors’ reports on company financial statements that emphasize a company’s ability to continue as a going concern as the main criterion used to distinguish companies experiencing financial difficulties from companies that are not. Two closely-related hypotheses were tested in this paper. First, the authors tested the hypothesis that an auditor’s report accompanied by an explanatory paragraph pointing out issues associated with the going concern assumption is the proper criterion for differentiating companies experiencing financial difficulties from those that are not. Second, the central assumption that is tested relates to a combination of financial ratios whereby authors presume that an appropriate combination of financial ratios is a good analytical tool for distinguishing companies experiencing serious financial difficulties from those that are not. Research results conducted among 191 companies listed on the Zagreb Stock Exchange confirm both hypotheses. The LRA model – a diagnosis tool for identifying companies with financial problems, was also derived using logistic regression analysis. The statistical adequacy and quality of the model was tested using measures like Nagelkerke R2, type 1 and type 2 errors that appear when calculating the classification ability of the model. All measures indicated that model was statistically sufficient and validated its use as a diagnosis tool in recognizing the companies facing financial difficulties.

The knowledge-based off-site emergency response system for a nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ho, L.W.; Loa, W.W.; Wang, C.L.

1987-01-01

A knowledge-based expert system for a nuclear power plant off-site emergency response system is described. The system incorporates the knowledge about the nuclear power plant behaviours, site environment and site geographic factors, etc. The system is developed using Chinshan nuclear power station of Taipower Company, Taiwan, ROC as a representative model. The objectives of developing this system are to provide an automated intelligent system with functions of accident simulation, prediction and with learning capabilities to supplement the actions of the emergency planners and accident managers in order to protect the plant personnel and the surrounding population, and prevent or mitigate property damages resulting from the plant accident. The system is capable of providing local and national authorities with rapid retrieval data from the site characteristics and accident progression. The system can also provide the framework for allocation of available resources and can handle the uncertainties in data and models

Successful phytoremediation of crude-oil contaminated soil at an oil exploration and production company by plants-bacterial synergism.

Science.gov (United States)

Fatima, Kaneez; Imran, Asma; Amin, Imran; Khan, Qaiser M; Afzal, Muhammad

2018-06-07

Phytoremediation is a promising approach for the cleanup of soil contaminated with petroleum hydrocarbons. This study aimed to develop plant-bacterial synergism for the successful remediation of crude oil-contaminated soil. A consortia of three endophytic bacteria was augmented to two grasses, Leptochloa fusca and Brachiaria mutica, grown in oil-contaminated soil (46.8 g oil kg -1 soil) in the vicinity of an oil exploration and production company. Endophytes augmentation improved plant growth, crude oil degradation, and soil health. Maximum oil degradation (80%) was achieved with B. mutica plants augmented with the endophytes and it was significantly (P oil reduction indicates that catabolic gene expression is important for hydrocarbon mineralization. This investigation showed that the use of endophytes with appropriate plant is an effective strategy for the cleanup of oil-contaminated soil under field conditions.

A Reliability-Based Determination of Economic Life of Marine power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Atua, K.

1999-01-01

The reliability-based life approach is utilized. Selective failure modes of marine power plants are used for illustration. A case study of the Egyptian Commercial Fleet owned by the Public Sector Company was analyzed and used to establish a demonstration of the expected economic life based on local operating and maintenance conditions. The data acquired is analyzed and failure trend is derived for each failure mode. Probabilistic techniques are used to randomly generate numbers and times of occurrence of different failure modes. The reliability analysis is performed on the life span expected by the manufacture to predict the total number of failures, dependent failures, and cost of failures. Total expenditure due to random failure and cost of scheduled maintenance together with the annual income are utilized (using the time value of money) to determine the economic life of the plant. Conclusions are derived and recommendations for the enhancement of this work in the future are made

Data base on nuclear power plant dose reduction research projects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Khan, T.A.; Baum, J.W.

1986-10-01

Staff at the ALARA Center of Brookhaven National Laboratory have established a data base of information about current research that is likely to result in lower radiation doses to workers. The data base, concerned primarily with nuclear power generation, is part of a project that the ALARA Center is carrying out for the Nuclear Regulatory Commission. This report describes its current status. A substantial amount of research on reducing occupational exposure is being done in the US and abroad. This research is beginning to have an impact on the collective dose expenditures at nuclear power plants. The collective radiation doses in Europe, Japan, and North America all show downward trends. A large part of the research in the US is either sponsored by the nuclear industry through joint industry organizations such as EPRI and ESEERCO or is done by individual corporations. There is also significant participation by smaller companies. The main emphasis of the research on dose reduction is on engineering approaches aimed at reducing radiation fields or keeping people out of high-exposure areas by using robotics. Effective ALARA programs are also underway at a large number of nuclear plants. Additional attention should be given to non-engineering approaches to dose reduction, which are potentially very useful and cost effective but require quantitative study and analysis based on data from nuclear power plants. 9 refs., 1 fig.

Chemical constituents of selected Sudanese medicinal and aromatic plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burham, B.O.

2007-11-01

Sudanese medicinal and aromatic plants (Alternanthra repens, Ambrosia maritima, Citrus paradisi, Croton zambesicus, Lepidium sativum, Morettia phillaena, Nauclea latifolia, Plectranthus barbatus, Pluchea dioscorides, and Sphaeranthus suaveolens) were analyzed for their chemical composition, mineral contents and secondary constituents. The concentration of manganese, copper, iron, nickel, lead, zinc and potassium in plant samples was performed using x-ray fluorescence spectrometry. The trace elements found in the smallest amount of the investigated plant species are lead, nickel and copper, while high concentration was detected for potassium, iron and manganese. Mn was accumulated with high level in Alternanthra repens species. Potassium was abundant in S. suaveolens and Ambrosia maritima. The values of concentration obtained for all studied elements were compared with published values of reference material, trace elements in Hay (powder) by International Atomic Energy Agency. Phyto chemical analysis of investigated plants was performed for constituents: Flavonoids, saponins, tannins, alkaloids, amino acids and sugars. The methanolic extracts of P.barbatus, C.paradisi, A.repens, N.latifolia, L. sativum and C. zambesicus are found to contain alkaloids. Results of TLC analysis were shown as R f values for saponins, bitter principles, essential oils, flavonoids and alkaloids. Quantification of flavonoids and tannins showed that flavonoid content was highest in case of Alternanthera repens and Sphaeranthus suavertens, whereas the highest tannin content was in case of Nauclea latifolia and Sphaearanthus suavertens. The results suggest that the user of traditional Sudanese crude drugs should be warned of potential danger of heavy metal poisoning because their concentrations seem to be higher than maximum values allowed by health agencies in several countries. This study has provided some biochemical basis for the ethno medical use of extracts from different candidate

Chemical constituents of selected Sudanese medicinal and aromatic plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burham, B O [Atomic Energy Researches Coordination Council, Sudan Academy of Sciences, Khartoum (Sudan)

2007-11-15

Sudanese medicinal and aromatic plants (Alternanthra repens, Ambrosia maritima, Citrus paradisi, Croton zambesicus, Lepidium sativum, Morettia phillaena, Nauclea latifolia, Plectranthus barbatus, Pluchea dioscorides, and Sphaeranthus suaveolens) were analyzed for their chemical composition, mineral contents and secondary constituents. The concentration of manganese, copper, iron, nickel, lead, zinc and potassium in plant samples was performed using x-ray fluorescence spectrometry. The trace elements found in the smallest amount of the investigated plant species are lead, nickel and copper, while high concentration was detected for potassium, iron and manganese. Mn was accumulated with high level in Alternanthra repens species. Potassium was abundant in S. suaveolens and Ambrosia maritima. The values of concentration obtained for all studied elements were compared with published values of reference material, trace elements in Hay (powder) by International Atomic Energy Agency. Phyto chemical analysis of investigated plants was performed for constituents: Flavonoids, saponins, tannins, alkaloids, amino acids and sugars. The methanolic extracts of P.barbatus, C.paradisi, A.repens, N.latifolia, L. sativum and C. zambesicus are found to contain alkaloids. Results of TLC analysis were shown as R{sub f} values for saponins, bitter principles, essential oils, flavonoids and alkaloids. Quantification of flavonoids and tannins showed that flavonoid content was highest in case of Alternanthera repens and Sphaeranthus suavertens, whereas the highest tannin content was in case of Nauclea latifolia and Sphaearanthus suavertens. The results suggest that the user of traditional Sudanese crude drugs should be warned of potential danger of heavy metal poisoning because their concentrations seem to be higher than maximum values allowed by health agencies in several countries. This study has provided some biochemical basis for the ethno medical use of extracts from different candidate

Design of a chemical batch plant : a study of dedicated parallel lines with intermediate storage and the plant performance

OpenAIRE

Verbiest, Floor; Cornelissens, Trijntje; Springael, Johan

2016-01-01

Abstract: Production plants worldwide face huge challenges in satisfying high service levels and outperforming competition. These challenges require appropriate strategic decisions on plant design and production strategies. In this paper, we focus on multiproduct chemical batch plants, which are typically equipped with multiple production lines and intermediate storage tanks. First we extend the existing MI(N) LP design models with the concept of parallel production lines, and optimise the as...

Royal Dutch Petroleum Company annual report 1992

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

1993-01-01

The Royal Dutch Petroleum Company has no operations of its own and virtually the whole of its income derives from its 60% interest in the companies known collectively as the Royal Dutch/Shell Group of Companies; the other 40% is owned by the Shell Transport and Trading Company, p.l.c. The company is engaged in the oil, natural gas, chemicals, coal and metals businesses throughout the world. The annual report summarises the year's results and analyses earnings in each industry segment. Financial statements for the year ended 31 December 1992 are presented. The Group companies' estimated net quantities of crude oil, natural gas and coal are given

Companies closely concerned with the mining industry have a training requirement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Grossekemper, H.J.; Schmidt, B.; Schulenberg, F.

1994-01-01

In view of the serious economic situation the future decisions are extremely difficult for some companies closely concerned with the mining industry. The required orientation of the company towards new markets and new products requires not less, but more training and rethinking in all company divisions: from business management via personnel management to plant organisation and from marketing via development to quality assurance. This is proved by practical examples. An analysis by the ''Training'' working group has produced valuable information on the actual training requirement in the North Rhine-Westphalian engineering industry. It has worked out the concrete situation of the companies closely concerned with the mining industry in North Rhine-Westphalia from the point of view of their own training requirements. It is now the task of each individual company to analyse and reflect its concrete situation against the mirror of the results and to base the specific training requirement on the company aim. (orig.)

Safety management system in a Swiss chemical company

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vouillamoz, R.

1996-01-01

Through the implementation of the fine chemical strategy, i.e. the manufacture of products with a higher value, the Lonza AG was confronted with a drastic increase of complexity in safety and disposal. In this connection, a concept of risk reduction was developed and carried out. This concept is based on 3 different steps: - prevention, - reduction, - provision. The details of these steps are explained here and illustrated with concrete examples. (author) 5 figs., tabs

New maintenance strategy of Tokyo Electric Power Company and Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant for effective ageing management and safe long-term operation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Inagaki, Takeyuki; Yamashita, Norimichi

2009-01-01

Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant is the oldest among three nuclear power plants owned and operated by Tokyo Electric Power Company, which consists of six boiling water reactor units. The commercial operation of Unit 1 was commenced in 1971 (37 years old) and Unit 6 in 1978 (29 years old). Currently ageing degradations of systems, structures and components are managed through maintenance programs, component replacement/refurbishment programs and long-term maintenance plans. The long-term maintenance plans are established through ageing management component replacement/refurbishment programs reviews performed before the 30th year of operation and they are for safe and reliable operation after 30 years (long-term operation). However the past maintenance actions and past component replacement/refurbishment programs were not always proactive and past operational experience and maintenance practices suggest that effective/proactive ageing management programs be introduced in earlier stage of the plant operation. In this circumstance, Tokyo Electric Power Company and Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant are setting up a new maintenance strategy that includes 1) improving the normal maintenance programs by using ageing degradation data, 2) effective use of information on internal/external operational experience and maintenance practices related to ageing, and 3) proactive component/equipment refurbishment programs during a refreshment outage for safe and reliable long-term operation. To accomplish the goal of this strategy, strengthening engineering capability of plant staff members is a crucial required for the plant. The objective of this paper is to briefly explain main results ageing management reviews, past and current significant ageing issues and management programs against them, and the new maintenance strategy established by Tokyo Electric Power Company and Fukushima Dai-ichi Nuclear Power Plant. (author)

Chemical Constituents and Bioactivities of Several Indonesian Plants Typically Used in Jamu.

Science.gov (United States)

Widyowati, Retno; Agil, Mangestuti

2018-01-01

This article reviews the chemical constituents and bioactivities of several Indonesian plants typically used in Jamu prescriptions in Indonesia. Jamu is Indonesia traditional medicine: it consists of either a single ingredient or a mixture of several medicinal plants. One plant family always used in Jamu is Zingiberaceae (ginger), such as Curcuma domestica/C. longa, C. xanthorrhizae, C. heyneana, C. zedoaria, C. aeruginosa, Zingiber aromaticum, Alpinia galanga. We also report other commonly used plant families such as Justicia gendarussa and Cassia siamea, whose activities have been extensively explored by our department.

Initial evaluation of dry storage issues for spent nuclear fuels in wet storage at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Guenther, R J; Johnson, Jr, A B; Lund, A L; Gilbert, E R [and others

1996-07-01

The Pacific Northwest Laboratory has evaluated the basis for moving selected spent nuclear fuels in the CPP-603 and CPP-666 storage pools at the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant from wet to dry interim storage. This work is being conducted for the Lockheed Idaho Technologies Company as part of the effort to determine appropriate conditioning and dry storage requirements for these fuels. These spent fuels are from 22 test reactors and include elements clad with aluminum or stainless steel and a wide variety of fuel materials: UAl{sub x}, UAl{sub x}-Al and U{sub 3}O{sub 8}-Al cermets, U-5% fissium, UMo, UZrH{sub x}, UErZrH, UO{sub 2}-stainless steel cermet, and U{sub 3}O{sub 8}-stainless steel cermet. The study also included declad uranium-zirconium hydride spent fuel stored in the CPP-603 storage pools. The current condition and potential failure mechanisms for these spent fuels were evaluated to determine the impact on conditioning and dry storage requirements. Initial recommendations for conditioning and dry storage requirements are made based on the potential degradation mechanisms and their impacts on moving the spent fuel from wet to dry storage. Areas needing further evaluation are identified.

A fugacity approach for modeling the transport of airborne organic chemicals in an air/plant/soil system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oliver, L.D.; McKone, T.E.

1991-05-01

An important issue facing both public and private agencies is the identification and quantification of exposures by indirect pathways to toxic chemicals released to the atmosphere. With recent public concerns over pesticides such as malathion and alar in foods, greater attention is being given to the process of chemical uptake by plants. Whether chemicals taken up by plants can accumulate and ultimately enter the human food chain are important questions for determining health risks and safe levels of toxic air-pollutant emissions and pesticide application. A number of plant-toxicokinetic, or ''botanicokinetic,'' models have been developed to give estimates of how chemicals are partitioned and transported within plants. In this paper, we provide a brief review of these models, describing their main features and listing some of their advantages and disadvantages. We then describe and demonstrate a five-compartment air/plant/soil model, which builds on and extends the features included in previous models. We apply this model to the steady-state chemical partitioning of perchloroethylene, hexachlorobenzene, and 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin in grass as test cases. We conclude with a discussion of the advantages and limitations of the model

Baseline risk assessment for groundwater operable units at the Chemical Plant Area and the Ordnance Works Area, Weldon Spring, Missouri

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1999-07-14

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Department of the Army (DA) are evaluating conditions in groundwater and springs at the DOE chemical plant area and the DA ordnance works area near Weldon Spring, Missouri. The two areas are located in St. Charles County, about 48 km (30 mi) west of St. Louis. The 88-ha (217-acre) chemical plant area is chemically and radioactively contaminated as a result of uranium-processing activities conducted by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission in the 1950s and 1960s and explosives-production activities conducted by the U.S. Army (Army) in the 1940s. The 6,974-ha (17,232-acre) ordnance works area is primarily chemically contaminated as a result of trinitrotoluene (TNT) and dinitrotoluene (DNT) manufacturing activities during World War II. This baseline risk assessment (BRA) is being conducted as part of the remedial investigation/feasibility study (RUFS) required under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980, as amended. The purpose of the BRA is to evaluate potential human health and ecological impacts from contamination associated with the groundwater operable units (GWOUs) of the chemical plant area and ordnance works area. An RI/FS work plan issued jointly in 1995 by the DOE and DA (DOE 1995) analyzed existing conditions at the GWOUs. The work plan included a conceptual hydrogeological model based on data available when the report was prepared; this model indicated that the aquifer of concern is common to both areas. Hence, to optimize further data collection and interpretation efforts, the DOE and DA have decided to conduct a joint RI/BRA. Characterization data obtained from the chemical plant area wells indicate that uranium is present at levels slightly higher than background, with a few concentrations exceeding the proposed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 20 {micro}g/L (EPA 1996c). Concentrations of other radionuclides (e

Plant management in natural areas: balancing chemical, mechanical, and cultural control methods

Science.gov (United States)

Steven Manning; James. Miller

2011-01-01

After determining the best course of action for control of an invasive plant population, it is important to understand the variety of methods available to the integrated pest management professional. A variety of methods are now widely used in managing invasive plants in natural areas, including chemical, mechanical, and cultural control methods. Once the preferred...

Comparing chemical and biological control strategies for twospotted spider mites (Acari: Tetranychidae) in commercial greenhouse production of bedding plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Opit, George P; Perret, Jamis; Holt, Kiffnie; Nechols, James R; Margolies, David C; Williams, Kimberly A

2009-02-01

Efficacy, costs, and impact on crop salability of various biological and chemical control strategies for Tetranychus urticae Koch (Acari: Tetranychidae) were evaluated on mixed plantings of impatiens, Impatiens wallerana Hook.f (Ericales: Balsaminaceae), and ivy geranium, Pelargonium peltatum (1.) L'Hér. Ex Aiton (Geraniales: Geraniaceae), cultivars in commercial greenhouses. Chemical control consisting of the miticide bifenazate (Floramite) was compared with two biological control strategies using the predatory mite Phytoseiulus persimilis Athias-Henriot (Acari: Phytoseiidae). Treatments were 1) a single, early application of bifenazate; 2) a single, early release of predatory mites at a 1:4 predator:pest ratio based on leaf samples to estimate pest density; 3) a weekly release of predatory mites at numbers based on the area covered by the crop; and 4) an untreated control. T. urticae populations were monitored for 3 wk after the earliest treatment. When plants were ready for market, their salability was estimated. Bifenazate and density-based P. persimilis treatments effectively reduced T. urticae numbers starting 1 wk after plants had been treated, whereas the scheduled, area-based P. persimilis treatment had little or no effect. The percentage of flats that could be sold at the highest market wholesale price ranged from 15 to 33%, 44 to 86%, 84 to 95%, and 92 to 100%, in the control, weekly area-based P. persimilis, bifenazate, and single density-based P. persimilis treatments, respectively. We have shown that in commercial greenhouse production of herbaceous ornamental bedding plants, estimating pest density to determine the appropriate number of predators to release is as effective and offers nearly the same economic benefit as prophylactic use of pesticides.

Alstom's Chemical Looping Combustion Prototype for CO₂ Capture from Existing Pulverized Coal-Fired Power Plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andrus, Jr., Herbert E. [Alstom Power Inc., Windsor, CT (United States); Chiu, John H. [Alstom Power Inc., Windsor, CT (United States); Edberg, Carl D. [Alstom Power Inc., Windsor, CT (United States); Thibeault, Paul R. [Alstom Power Inc., Windsor, CT (United States); Turek, David G. [Alstom Power Inc., Windsor, CT (United States)

2012-09-30

Alstom’s Limestone Chemical Looping (LCL™) process has the potential to capture CO₂ from new and existing coal-fired power plants while maintaining high plant power generation efficiency. This new power plant concept is based on a hybrid combustion- gasification process utilizing high temperature chemical and thermal looping technology. This process could also be potentially configured as a hybrid combustion-gasification process producing a syngas or hydrogen for various applications while also producing a separate stream of CO₂ for use or sequestration. The targets set for this technology is to capture over 90% of the total carbon in the coal at cost of electricity which is less than 20% greater than Conventional PC or CFB units. Previous work with bench scale test and a 65 kWt Process Development Unit Development (PDU) has validated the chemistry required for the chemical looping process and provided for the investigation of the solids transport mechanisms and design requirements. The objective of this project is to continue development of the combustion option of chemical looping (LCL-C™) by designing, building and testing a 3 MWt prototype facility. The prototype includes all of the equipment that is required to operate the chemical looping plant in a fully integrated manner with all major systems in service. Data from the design, construction, and testing will be used to characterize environmental performance, identify and address technical risks, reassess commercial plant economics, and develop design information for a demonstration plant planned to follow the proposed Prototype. A cold flow model of the prototype will be used to predict operating conditions for the prototype and help in operator training. Operation of the prototype will provide operator experience with this new technology and performance data of the LCL-C™ process, which will be applied to the commercial design and economics and plan for a future demonstration

Chemical plant personnel training, Rocky Flats Division, Dow Chemical U.S.A

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haugum, S.E.

1975-01-01

Described are training techniques used to prepare personnel for handling radioactive materials and specialized equipment. A plutonium recovery plant utilizes procedures, equipment, and facilities not normally found in other types of processing. New Chemical Process Operators require a high school degree or equivalent with no training or testing requirements, so training provides a basis for operators to work with various kinds of equipment. A Safety and Work Indoctrination Check Sheet is completed, and 12 major job assignments are studied in depth before new personnel are assigned to production shifts. The training techniques used are audio-visual intermixed with equipment displays, lectures, tours, and on-the-job training. The final goal is to advance operators in a three-year program, to prepare them for job assignments in a new plutonium recovery plant under construction, and for future environmental and energy programs which are being established

Selected bibliography for the extraction of uranium from seawater: chemical process and plant design feasibility study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Binney, S.E.; Polkinghorne, S.T.; Jante, R.R.; Rodman, M.R.; Chen, A.C.T.; Gordon, L.I.

1979-02-01

A selected annotated bibliography of 521 references was prepared as a part of a feasibility study of the extraction of uranium from seawater. For the most part, these references are related to the chemical processes whereby the uranium is removed from the seawater. A companion docment contains a similar bibliography of 471 references related to oceanographic and uranium extraction plant siting considerations, although some of the references are in common. The bibliography was prepared by computer retrieval from Chemical Abstracts, Nuclear Science Abstracts, Energy Data Base, NTIS, and Oceanic Abstracts. References are listed by author, country of author, and selected keywords.

Selected bibliography for the extraction of uranium from seawater: chemical process and plant design feasibility study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Binney, S.E.; Polkinghorne, S.T.; Jante, R.R.; Rodman, M.R.; Chen, A.C.T.; Gordon, L.I.

1979-02-01

A selected annotated bibliography of 521 references was prepared as a part of a feasibility study of the extraction of uranium from seawater. For the most part, these references are related to the chemical processes whereby the uranium is removed from the seawater. A companion docment contains a similar bibliography of 471 references related to oceanographic and uranium extraction plant siting considerations, although some of the references are in common. The bibliography was prepared by computer retrieval from Chemical Abstracts, Nuclear Science Abstracts, Energy Data Base, NTIS, and Oceanic Abstracts. References are listed by author, country of author, and selected keywords

Bioaccumulation and chemical forms of cadmium, copper and lead in aquatic plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

JinZhao Hu

2010-02-01

Full Text Available The cadmium(Cd, copper(Cu and lead(Pb accumulation, as well as their relative content of different chemical forms in Sagittaria sagittifolia L. and Potamogeton crispus L. were determined. The results showed that both the plants had the ability to accumulate large amounts of Cd, Cu and Pb, and they absorbed metals in dose-dependent manners. The roots of S. sagittifolia appeared more sensitive to Cd and Pb than the leaves of P. crispus. The potential of Cu uptake by these two plant tissues was similar. Under the same concentration, the uptake of Cu for both the plants was higher than Pb and Cd, while that of Pb was lowest. The Cd, Cu and Pb existed with various forms in the plants. Cd and Pb were mainly in the NaCl extractable form in S. sagittifolia and P. crispus. The HAc and ethanol extractable Cu were the main forms in the root, whereas the ethanol extractable form was the dominant chemical form in the caulis and bulb of the S. sagittifolia L.

Employee response to a company-sponsored program of colorectal and prostate cancer screening.

Science.gov (United States)

Myers, R E; Vernon, S W; Carpenter, A V; Balshem, A M; Lewis, P G; Wolf, T A; Hilbert, J; DeFonso, L R; Ross, E A

1997-01-01

Studies done in the mid-1970s documented increased risk for respiratory cancer and leukemia among employees in a chemical company manufacturing plant where chloromethyl ethers were used in production from 1948 to 1971. In the late 1980s, the company informed current and former employees about the results of follow-up studies which showed a moderation of risk of respiratory cancer and leukemia. New data showing elevated rates of mortality from colorectal, prostate, bladder, and pancreatic cancer in the population were also reported. Via mailed correspondence, the company made a no-cost program of colorectal and prostate cancer screening available to employees upon request; and information about bladder and pancreatic cancer was made available. Thirteen percent of employees in the population indicated interest in colorectal and prostate cancer screening (response). Thirty-one percent of these responders were screened (adherence). Multivariate analyses showed that education and length of employment in the plant were positively associated with response. Being white was positively associated with response for younger workers; while among older workers being male was positively associated with response. In terms of adherence, we found that older, more highly educated workers were more likely to have a screening examination. Findings indicate that employee participation in workplace-sponsored colorectal and prostate cancer screening can vary according to worker sociodemographic factors and length of employment in areas of potential exposure.

Physical-chemical pretreatment as an option for increased sustainability of municipal wastewater treatment plants

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Mels, A.

2001-01-01

Keywords : municipal wastewater treatment, physical-chemical pretreatment, chemically enhanced primary treatment, organic polymers, environmental sustainability

Most of the currently applied municipal wastewater treatment plants in The Netherlands are

26 CFR 1.954-1 - Foreign base company income.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-04-01

... under the rules of section 951 and thus is subject to current taxation under section 1, 11 or 55 of the... through FP and separately without FP. Based on the facts in the table below, the foreign base company... interest income is from sources within CFC's country of operation, is subject to a $10 income tax therein...

Superfund record of decision (EPA Region 3), Westinghouse Elevator Company Plant, Operable Unit 2, Cumberland Township, Adams County, Gettysburg, PA, March 31, 1995

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1995-04-01

This Record of Decision (ROD) presents the selected remedial action for Operable Unit 2 (Soils) at the Westinghouse Elevator Company Plant Site in Adams County, Pennsylvania. The selected remedy for the soils at the Westinghouse Elevator Plant is No Additional Action for this Operable Unit. The other alternatives evaluated would produce little or no environmental benefit at substantial cost.

Benefits of joint audits of service company and operator personnel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ritchie, R.D.

1991-01-01

Companies operating in the petroleum industry are showing an increasing collective awareness of safety and environmental issues. The objective of management in any organization is to identify potential hazards and develop and implement an action plant to eliminate these hazards. Joint audits between operating companies and service companies have proved an effective means of developing an objective and realistic safety awareness program. Joint audits, unlike external audits, enable both companies to develop, implement and monitor a meaningful safety policy based on factual information. The paper describes the planning, execution and follow up of an in-depth joint audit. Analysis of the audit results generated action plans to correct areas in need of improvement for both the operating and service companies. Of these areas, most could be corrected and resolved within three months while the remainder were targeted for remedial action to be completed within one year. The paper provides a thorough set of guidelines for all stages of a successful joint audit and illustrates, with examples, the operational improvements to be gained from such operator/service-company cooperation

Can phylogeny predict chemical diversity and potential medicinal activity of plants? A case study of Amaryllidaceae

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Rønsted, Nina; Symonds, Matthew R. E.; Birkholm, Trine

2012-01-01

a predictive approach enabling more efficient selection of plants for the development of traditional medicine and lead discovery. However, this relationship has rarely been rigorously tested and the potential predictive power is consequently unknown. Results: We produced a phylogenetic hypothesis......Background: During evolution, plants and other organisms have developed a diversity of chemical defences, leading to the evolution of various groups of specialized metabolites selected for their endogenous biological function. A correlation between phylogeny and biosynthetic pathways could offer...... for the medicinally important plant subfamily Amaryllidoideae (Amaryllidaceae) based on parsimony and Bayesian analysis of nuclear, plastid, and mitochondrial DNA sequences of over 100 species. We tested if alkaloid diversity and activity in bioassays related to the central nervous system are significantly correlated...

Knowledge-based and model-based hybrid methodology for comprehensive waste minimization in electroplating plants

Science.gov (United States)

Luo, Keqin

1999-11-01

The electroplating industry of over 10,000 planting plants nationwide is one of the major waste generators in the industry. Large quantities of wastewater, spent solvents, spent process solutions, and sludge are the major wastes generated daily in plants, which costs the industry tremendously for waste treatment and disposal and hinders the further development of the industry. It becomes, therefore, an urgent need for the industry to identify technically most effective and economically most attractive methodologies and technologies to minimize the waste, while the production competitiveness can be still maintained. This dissertation aims at developing a novel WM methodology using artificial intelligence, fuzzy logic, and fundamental knowledge in chemical engineering, and an intelligent decision support tool. The WM methodology consists of two parts: the heuristic knowledge-based qualitative WM decision analysis and support methodology and fundamental knowledge-based quantitative process analysis methodology for waste reduction. In the former, a large number of WM strategies are represented as fuzzy rules. This becomes the main part of the knowledge base in the decision support tool, WMEP-Advisor. In the latter, various first-principles-based process dynamic models are developed. These models can characterize all three major types of operations in an electroplating plant, i.e., cleaning, rinsing, and plating. This development allows us to perform a thorough process analysis on bath efficiency, chemical consumption, wastewater generation, sludge generation, etc. Additional models are developed for quantifying drag-out and evaporation that are critical for waste reduction. The models are validated through numerous industrial experiments in a typical plating line of an industrial partner. The unique contribution of this research is that it is the first time for the electroplating industry to (i) use systematically available WM strategies, (ii) know quantitatively and

Proposed plan for remedial action at the chemical plant area of the Weldon Spring site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-11-01

This proposed plan addresses the management of contaminated material at the chemical plant area of the Weldon Spring site and nearby properties in St. Charles County, Missouri. The site consists of a chemical plant area and a noncontiguous limestone quarry, both of which are radioactively and chemically contaminated as a result of past processing and disposal activities. Explosives were produced at the chemical plant in the 1940s, and uranium and thorium materials were processed in the 1950s and 1960s. Various liquid, sludge, and solid wastes were disposed of at the Chemical plant area and in the quarry during that time. The Weldon Spring site is listed on the National Priorities List (NPL) of the US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the US Department of Energy (DOE) is conducting cleanup activities at the site under its Environmental Restoration and Waste Management Program. The proposed plan is organized as follows: Chapter 2 presents the history and setting of the Weldon Spring site and briefly describes the contaminated material at the chemical plant area. Chapter 3 defines the scope of the remedial action and its role in the Weldon Spring Site Remedial Action Project. Chapter 4 summarizes the risks associated with possible exposures to site contaminants in the absence of remedial action and identifies proposed cleanup levels for soil. Chapter 5 briefly describes the final alternatives considered for the remedial action. Chapter 6 summarizes the evaluation of final alternatives for managing the contaminated material, identifies the currently preferred alternative, and discusses a possible contingency remedy to provide treatment flexibility. Chapter 7 presents the community's role in this action. Chapter 8 is a list of the references cited in this proposed plan

DEVELOPMENT OF THE REFERENCE MATERIALS PRODUCTION BRANCH IN THE JOINT STOCK COMPANY "THE GULIDOV KRASNOYARSK NON-FERROUS METALS PLANT"

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

K. A. Shatnykh

2015-01-01

Full Text Available The article deals with the development of the branch for the reference materials production in the Joint Stock Company "The Gulidov Krasnoyarsk Non-Ferrous Metals Plant" (JSC "Krastsvetmet". Here the most important workings for reference materials including the work for the London precious metal exchange, current and future works are stated.

Intraspecific chemical diversity among neighbouring plants correlates positively with plant size and herbivore load but negatively with herbivore damage.

Science.gov (United States)

Bustos-Segura, Carlos; Poelman, Erik H; Reichelt, Michael; Gershenzon, Jonathan; Gols, Rieta

2017-01-01

Intraspecific plant diversity can modify the properties of associated arthropod communities and plant fitness. However, it is not well understood which plant traits determine these ecological effects. We explored the effect of intraspecific chemical diversity among neighbouring plants on the associated invertebrate community and plant traits. In a common garden experiment, intraspecific diversity among neighbouring plants was manipulated using three plant populations of wild cabbage that differ in foliar glucosinolates. Plants were larger, harboured more herbivores, but were less damaged when plant diversity was increased. Glucosinolate concentration differentially correlated with generalist and specialist herbivore abundance. Glucosinolate composition correlated with plant damage, while in polycultures, variation in glucosinolate concentrations among neighbouring plants correlated positively with herbivore diversity and negatively with plant damage levels. The results suggest that intraspecific variation in secondary chemistry among neighbouring plants is important in determining the structure of the associated insect community and positively affects plant performance. © 2016 The Authors. Ecology Letters published by CNRS and John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

REMOVAL OF MERCURY FROM CONTAMINATED SOILS AT THE PAVLODAR CHEMICAL PLANT.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

KHRAPUNOV, V. YE.; ISAKOVA, R.A.; LEVINTOV, B.L.; KALB, P.D.; KAMBEROV, I.M.; TREBUKHOV, A.

2004-09-25

Soils beneath and adjacent to the Pavlodar Chemical Plant in Kazakhstan have been contaminated with elemental mercury as a result of chlor alkali processing using mercury cathode cell technology. The work described in this paper was conducted in preparation for a demonstration of a technology to remove the mercury from the contaminated soils using a vacuum assisted thermal distillation process. The process can operate at temperatures from 250-500 C and pressures of 0.13kPa-1.33kPa. Following vaporization, the mercury vapor is cooled, condensed and concentrated back to liquid elemental mercury. It will then be treated using the Sulfur Polymer Stabilization/Solidification process developed at Brookhaven National Laboratory as described in a companion paper at this conference. The overall project objectives include chemical and physical characterization of the contaminated soils, study of the influence of the soil's physical-chemical and hydro dynamical characteristics on process parameters, and laboratory testing to optimize the mercury sublimation rate when heating in vacuum. Based on these laboratory and pilot-scale data, a full-scale production process will be designed for testing. This paper describes the soil characterization. This work is being sponsored by the International Science and Technology Center.

Phenotype-Based Screening of Small Molecules to Modify Plant Cell Walls Using BY-2 Cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Okubo-Kurihara, Emiko; Matsui, Minami

2018-01-01

The plant cell wall is an important and abundant biomass with great potential for use as a modern recyclable resource. For effective utilization of this cellulosic biomass, its ability to degrade efficiently is key point. With the aim of modifying the cell wall to allow easy decomposition, we used chemical biological technology to alter its structure. As a first step toward evaluating the chemicals in the cell wall we employed a phenotype-based approach using high-throughput screening. As the plant cell wall is essential in determining cell morphology, phenotype-based screening is particularly effective in identifying compounds that bring about alterations in the cell wall. For rapid and reproducible screening, tobacco BY-2 cell is an excellent system in which to observe cell morphology. In this chapter, we provide a detailed chemical biological methodology for studying cell morphology using tobacco BY-2 cells.

IMPLEMENTATION OF QUALITATIVE RULES IN COMPANY`S INFORMATION MANAGEMENT

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Anna WOLNOWSKA

2012-07-01

Full Text Available In the article there were presented chosen issues of quality management. Important role of information and work processes in companies were emphasized . Based on eight rules of quality management, TQM standards and ideas of discipline pioneers like Deming, Juran, Crosby and Shewart, author has constructed way of using chosen rules and assumptions to company`s information circulation. Analogy, suggested by author, has not only emphasized importance of information as a company`s resource, but also has pointed to possibility of improving ways of managing this information.

Finnish company interested in Slovak spruce trees

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haluza, I.; Slovak, K.

2005-01-01

Following the large-scale investments by major car plants in Slovakia, another large investment is the subject of negotiations in another sector. One of the largest international paper mills - Finish company, Myllykoski, is interested in Slovakia. Should negotiations be successful, the company would build a cellulose plant in Slovakia. This plant would cost around 500 mil. EUR (19 bill. Slovak crowns) and would process around 600,000 cubic meters of wood a year - about 10% of Slovakian's annual production. Head of the SARIO investment agency, Roman Kuruc, formally confirmed that discussions TREND learned about from potential suppliers of wood were indeed taking place. 'Negotiations are in progress with this company, but no final decision has been taken. As was the case with other major projects in the past, we must compete with neighbouring countries,' said R. Kuruc. But he confirmed that Trend's information regarding the total value of the investment was more or less accurate. Taking into account the volume of coniferous wood available, Poland and the Czech Republic can be considered to be the major competitors of Slovakia. Statements from the Myllykoski Group have been cautious up to now. 'We always take an active approach to seeking new opportunities and so we cannot confirm whether we are looking for new opportunities in Slovakia. What I can confirm is that our company has not made any decision about new investments recently,' said Taru Tuoresmaki from the Secretariat of the President and company Executive Vice-President

Studies on silicone based antifoaming agents to be used in G.S. (Girlder sulfide) heavy water plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delfino, C.A.

1986-01-01

In Girlder sulfide (G.S.) heavy water plants hydrogen sulfide-water systems are inherentely foaming, so the adding of antifoaming materials is of great importance. These may be of high volatility, pyrolizable or chemically unstable in plant operation conditions (water and hydrogen sulfide at 2MPa, up to 230 deg C). Six commercial silicone based antifoaming agents were studied from the point of view of their chemical and thermical stability in order to select the most suitable. (Author) [es

Baseline risk assessment for the groundwater operable units at the Chemical Plant Area and the Ordnance Works Area, Weldon Spring, Missouri

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-01-01

The U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) and the U.S. Department of the Army (DA) are evaluating conditions in groundwater and springs at the DOE chemical plant area and the DA ordnance works area near Weldon Spring, Missouri. The two areas are located in St. Charles County, about 48 km (30 mi) west of St. Louis. The 88-ha (217-acre) chemical plant area is chemically and radioactively contaminated as a result of uranium-processing activities conducted by the U.S. Atomic Energy Commission in the 1950s and 1960s and explosives-production activities conducted by the U.S. Army (Army) in the 1940s. The 6,974-ha (17,232-acre) ordnance works area is primarily chemically contaminated as a result of trinitrotoluene (TNT) and dinitrotoluene (DNT) manufacturing activities during World War II. This baseline risk assessment (BRA) is being conducted as part of the remedial investigation/feasibility study (RUFS) required under the Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation, and Liability Act (CERCLA) of 1980, as amended. The purpose of the BRA is to evaluate potential human health and ecological impacts from contamination associated with the groundwater operable units (GWOUs) of the chemical plant area and ordnance works area. An RI/FS work plan issued jointly in 1995 by the DOE and DA (DOE 1995) analyzed existing conditions at the GWOUs. The work plan included a conceptual hydrogeological model based on data available when the report was prepared; this model indicated that the aquifer of concern is common to both areas. Hence, to optimize further data collection and interpretation efforts, the DOE and DA have decided to conduct a joint RI/BRA. Characterization data obtained from the chemical plant area wells indicate that uranium is present at levels slightly higher than background, with a few concentrations exceeding the proposed U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) maximum contaminant level (MCL) of 20 microg/L (EPA 1996c). Concentrations of other radionuclides (e

Power plant perspectives for sugarcane mills

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bocci, E.; Di Carlo, A.; Marcelo, D.

2009-01-01

Biomass, integral to life, is one of the main energy sources that modern technologies could widely develop, overcoming inefficient and pollutant uses. The sugarcane bagasse is one of the more abundant biomass. Moreover, the fluctuating sugar and energy prices force the sugarcane companies to implement improved power plants. Thanks to a multiyear collaboration between University of Rome and University of Piura and Chiclayo, this paper investigates, starting from the real data of an old sugarcane plant, the energy efficiency of the plant. Furthermore, it explores possible improvements as higher temperature and pressure Rankine cycles and innovative configurations based on gasifier plus hot gas conditioning and gas turbine or molten carbonate fuel cells. Even if the process of sugar extraction from sugarcane and the relative Rankine cycles power plants are well documented in literature, this paper shows that innovative power plant configurations can increase the bagasse-based cogeneration potential. Sugarcane companies can become electricity producers, having convenience in the use of sugarcane leaves and trash (when it is feasible). The worldwide implementation of advanced power plants, answering to a market competition, will improve significantly the renewable electricity produced, reducing CO 2 emissions, and increasing economic and social benefits.

Plant-based solutions for veterinary immunotherapeutics and prophylactics.

Science.gov (United States)

Kolotilin, Igor; Topp, Ed; Cox, Eric; Devriendt, Bert; Conrad, Udo; Joensuu, Jussi; Stöger, Eva; Warzecha, Heribert; McAllister, Tim; Potter, Andrew; McLean, Michael D; Hall, J Christopher; Menassa, Rima

2014-12-31

An alarming increase in emergence of antibiotic resistance among pathogens worldwide has become a serious threat to our ability to treat infectious diseases according to the World Health Organization. Extensive use of antibiotics by livestock producers promotes the spread of new resistant strains, some of zoonotic concern, which increases food-borne illness in humans and causes significant economic burden on healthcare systems. Furthermore, consumer preferences for meat/poultry/fish produced without the use of antibiotics shape today's market demand. So, it is viewed as inevitable by the One Health Initiative that humans need to reduce the use of antibiotics and turn to alternative, improved means to control disease: vaccination and prophylactics. Besides the intense research focused on novel therapeutic molecules, both these strategies rely heavily on the availability of cost-effective, efficient and scalable production platforms which will allow large-volume manufacturing for vaccines, antibodies and other biopharmaceuticals. Within this context, plant-based platforms for production of recombinant therapeutic proteins offer significant advantages over conventional expression systems, including lack of animal pathogens, low production costs, fast turnaround and response times and rapid, nearly-unlimited scalability. Also, because dried leaves and seeds can be stored at room temperature for lengthy periods without loss of recombinant proteins, plant expression systems have the potential to offer lucrative benefits from the development of edible vaccines and prophylactics, as these would not require "cold chain" storage and transportation, and could be administered in mass volumes with minimal processing. Several biotechnology companies currently have developed and adopted plant-based platforms for commercial production of recombinant protein therapeutics. In this manuscript, we outline the challenges in the process of livestock immunization as well as the current

Countermeasure to plant life management of the nuclear power plants out of Japan

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1999-01-01

Some investigations on countermeasure to plant life management of the nuclear power plants were begun since beginning of 1990s under cooperation with Ministry of International Trade and Industry and all electric power companies under consideration of recent state on abroad and at concept of preventive conservation implementation against the plant life management. As a result, the Tokyo Electric Power Company, the Kansai Electric Power Company and the Japan Atomic Power Company settled each program on countermeasure to plant life management of the Fukushima-1 Power Plant, the Mihama-1 Power Plant and the Tsuruga-1 Power Plant, respectively, which were reported to the Atomic Energy Safety Commission to issue on February, 1999, after deliberation in the Adviser Group of Ministry of International Trade and Industry. Such investigations on countermeasure to the plant life management are also conducted out of Japan in parallel to those in Japan, which contain programs reflecting states of operation and maintenance of nuclear power plants and atmosphere around atomic energy in each country. Here were described on some present states of the countermeasures to plant life management in U.S.A., France, Germany, Sweden, England and so forth. (G.K.)

Chemical and Biological Aspects of Extracts from Medicinal Plants with Antidiabetic Effects.

Science.gov (United States)

Gushiken, Lucas F; Beserra, Fernando P; Rozza, Ariane L; Bérgamo, Patrícia L; Bérgamo, Danilo A; Pellizzon, Cláudia H

2016-01-01

Diabetes mellitus is a chronic disease and a leading cause of death in western countries. Despite advancements in the clinical management of the disease, it is not possible to control the late complications of diabetes. The main characteristic feature of diabetes is hyperglycemia, which reflects the deterioration in the use of glucose due to a faulty or poor response to insulin secretion. Alloxan and streptozotocin (STZ) are the chemical tools that are most commonly used to study the disease in rodents. Many plant species have been used in ethnopharmacology or to treat experimentally symptoms of this disease. When evaluated pharmacologically, most of the plants employed as antidiabetic substances have been shown to exhibit hypoglycemic and antihyperglycemic activities, and to contain chemical constituents that may be used as new antidiabetic agents. There are many substances extracted from plants that offer antidiabetic potential, whereas others may result in hypoglycemia as a side effect due to their toxicity, particularly their hepatotoxicity. In this article we present an updated overview of the studies on extracts from medicinal plants, relating the mechanisms of action by which these substances act and the natural principles of antidiabetic activity.

Effect of Plant Growth Promoting Rhizobacteria on Yield and Yield Components of Garlic Medicinal Plant (Allium sativum L. under the Conditions of Different Organic and Chemical Fertilizers Application

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yaser Esmaeilian

2018-03-01

often underestimated. Garlic is easy to grow and can be grown year-round in mild climates. Garlic cloves are used for consumption (raw and cooked or for medicinal purposes. They have a pungent characteristic, spicy flavor that mellows and sweetens considerably with cooking. Materials and Methods: In order to evaluate the effect of biofertilizers and organic and chemical fertilizers on yield and yield components of garlic (Allium sativum L., a split plot experiment based on RCBD with three replications was conducted in 2015-2016 growing seasons, in Gonabad University, Iran. Main plot included different organic and chemical fertilizers (1- vermicompost, 2- cow manure, 3- chemical fertilizer and 4- control and sub plot included plant growth promoting rhizobacteria (nitroxin, biophosphorous and control. In order to determine physic-chemical properties of soil, sampling was performed at the depth of 0 to 30 cm. Before cultivation, 7 and 30 t.ha-1 vermicompost and cow manure were added to the soil, respectively. Nutrient requirement of garlic for nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium from the chemical source was considered 40, 50 and 60 kg.ha-1. For application of biofertilizers, bulblets inoculated with plant growth promoting rhizobacteria for 15 minutes. Distance in and between rows was considered 10 and 20 cm, respectively. Weeds were controlled manually three times. At the end of the growing season, economic yield, biological yield, plant height, shoot dry weight, bulb diameter, bulblet weight per plant, bulblet volume per plant and bulblet number per plant were measured. Analysis of data variance was performed by using SAS software (Ver 9.1. Results and Discussion: The results showed that simple effect of chemical fertilizer on bulb diameter was not significant but combined application of chemical fertilizer and biophosphorous increased bulb diameter as much as 18% compared to control. Combined application of nitroxin and cow manure increased bulblet weight per plant by 41

Dynamic Modeling and Plantwide Control of a Hybrid Power and Chemical Plant: An Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle Coupled with a Methanol Plant

Science.gov (United States)

Robinson, Patrick J.

Gasification has been used in industry on a relatively limited scale for many years, but it is emerging as the premier unit operation in the energy and chemical industries. The switch from expensive and insecure petroleum to solid hydrocarbon sources (coal and biomass) is occurring due to the vast amount of domestic solid resources, national security and global warming issues. Gasification (or partial oxidation) is a vital component of "clean coal" technology. Sulfur and nitrogen emissions can be reduced, overall energy efficiency is increased and carbon dioxide recovery and sequestration are facilitated. Gasification units in an electric power generation plant produce a fuel gas for driving combustion turbines. Gasification units in a chemical plant generate synthesis gas, which can be used to produce a wide spectrum of chemical products. Future plants are predicted to be hybrid power/chemical plants with gasification as the key unit operation. The coupling of an Integrated Gasification Combined Cycle (IGCC) with a methanol plant can handle swings in power demand by diverting hydrogen gas from a combustion turbine and synthesis gas from the gasifier to a methanol plant for the production of an easily-stored, hydrogen-consuming liquid product. An additional control degree of freedom is provided with this hybrid plant, fundamentally improving the controllability of the process. The idea is to base-load the gasifier and use the more responsive gas-phase units to handle disturbances. During the summer days, power demand can fluctuate up to 50% over a 12-hour period. The winter provides a different problem where spikes of power demand can go up 15% within the hour. The following dissertation develops a hybrid IGCC / methanol plant model, validates the steady-state results with a National Energy Technical Laboratory study, and tests a proposed control structure to handle these significant disturbances. All modeling was performed in the widely used chemical process

Integrated Plant Safety Assessment: Systematic Evaluation Program. Yankee Nuclear Power Station, Yankee Atomic Electric Company, Docket No. 50-29. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-06-01

The Systematic Evaluation program was initiated in February 1977 by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission to review the designs of older operating nuclear reactor plants to confirm and document their safety. The review provides: (1) an assessment of how these plants compare with current licensing safety requirements relating to selected issues, (2) a basis for deciding on how these differences should be resolved in an integrated plant review, and (3) a documented evaluation of plant safety. This report documents the review of Yankee Nuclear Power Station, operated by Yankee Atomic Electric Company. The Yankee plant is one of 10 plants reviewed under Phase II of this program. This report indicates how 137 topics selected for review under Phase I of the program were addressed. Equipment and procedural changes have been identified as a result of the review

Integrated Plant Safety Assessment, Systematic Evaluation Program. Yankee Nuclear Power Station, Yankee Atomic Electric Company, Docket No. 50-29. Draft report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1983-02-01

The Systematic Evaluation Program was initiated in February 1977 by the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission to review the designs of older operating nuclear reactor plants to confirm and document their safety. The review provides (1) an assessment of how these plants compare with current licensing safety requirements relating to selected issues, (2) a basis for deciding on how these differences should be resolved in an integrated plant review, and (3) a documented evaluation of plant safety. This report documents the review of Yankee Nuclear Power Station, operated by Yankee Atomic Electric Company. The Yankee plant is one of 10 plants reviewed under Phase II of this program. This report indicates how 137 topics selected for review under Phase I of the program were addressed. Equipment and procedural changes have been identified as a result of the review

AN ONTOLOGY-BASED COMPETENCE MANAGEMENT SYSTEM FOR IT COMPANIES

OpenAIRE

Cristina NICULESCU; Stefan TRAUSAN-MATU

2009-01-01

The paper presents a generic framework of an intelligent information system for competence management based on ontologies for information technology companies. The advantage of using an ontology-based system is the possibility of the identification of new relations among concepts based on inferences starting from the existing knowledge. The inferences may be performed in our approach by a reasoning engine, using classifiers in the Descriptions Logics tab associated with the Protégé ontology e...

Chemical characteristics of waters in Karst Formations at the Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shevenell, L.A.

1994-11-01

Several waste disposal sites are located adjacent to or on a karst aquifer composed of the Cambrian Maynardville Limestone (Cmn) and the Cambrian Copper Ridge Dolomite (Ccr) at the U.S. Department of Energy Oak Ridge Y-12 Plant in Oak Ridge, TN. Highly variable chemical characteristics (i.e., hardness) can indicate that the portion of the aquifer tapped by a particular well is subject to a significant quick-flow component where recharge to the system is rapid and water levels and water quality change rapidly in response to precipitation events. Water zones in wells at the Y-12 Plant that exhibit quick-flow behavior (i.e., high hydraulic conductivity) are identified based on their geochemical characteristics and variability in geochemical parameters, and observations made during drilling of the wells. The chemical data used in this study consist of between one and 20 chemical analyses for each of 102 wells and multipart monitoring zones. Of these 102 water zones, 10 were consistently undersaturated with respect to calcite suggesting active dissolution. Repeat sampling of water zones shows that both supersaturation and undersaturation with respect to dolomite occurs in 46 water zones. Twelve of the zones had partial pressure of CO 2 near atmospheric values suggesting limited interaction between recharge waters and the gases and solids in the vadose zone and aquifer, and hence, relatively short residence times. The preliminary data suggest that the Cmn is composed of a complicated network of interconnected, perhaps anastomosing, cavities. The degree of interconnection between the identified cavities is yet to be determined, although it is expected that there is a significant vertical and lateral interconnection between the cavities located at shallow depths in the Cnm throughout Bear Creek Valley and the Y-12 Plant area

The Technology Roadmap for Plant/Crop-Based Renewable Resources 2020

Science.gov (United States)

2005-01-01

Marta Bourke Calgon Carbon Corporation Joe Bozell National Renewable Energy Laboratory Kyd Brenner Corn Refiners Association Robert Brown Iowa State...Rowe Dow Chemical Company Colin Scanes Iowa State University Tom Schechinger Iron Horse Custom Farming LLC Sharon Shoemaker California Institute of Food

Proposed chemical plant initiated accident scenarios in a sulphur-iodine cycle plant coupled to a pebble bed modular reactor

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brown, N.R.; Revankar, S.T.; Seker, V.; Downar, Th.J.

2010-01-01

In the sulphur-iodine (S-I) cycle nuclear hydrogen generation scheme the chemical plant acts as the heat sink for the very high temperature nuclear reactor (VHTR). Thus, any accident which occurs in the chemical plant must feedback to the nuclear reactor. There are many different types of accidents which can occur in a chemical plant. These accidents include intra-reactor piping failure, inter-reactor piping failure, reaction chamber failure and heat exchanger failure. Since the chemical plant acts as the heat sink for the nuclear reactor, any of these accidents induce a loss-of-heat-sink accident in the nuclear reactor. In this paper, several chemical plant initiated accident scenarios are presented. The following accident scenarios are proposed: i) failure of the Bunsen chemical reactor; ii) product flow failure from either the H 2 SO 4 decomposition section or HI decomposition section; iii) reactant flow failure from either the H 2 SO 4 decomposition section or HI decomposition section; iv) rupture of a reaction chamber. Qualitative analysis of these accident scenarios indicates that each result in either partial or total loss of heat sink accidents for the nuclear reactor. These scenarios are reduced to two types: i) discharge rate limited accidents; ii) discontinuous reaction chamber accidents. A discharge rate limited rupture of the SO 3 decomposition section of the SI cycle is proposed and modelled. Since SO 3 decomposition occurs in the gaseous phase, critical flow out of the rupture is calculated assuming ideal gas behaviour. The accident scenario is modelled using a fully transient control volume model of the S-I cycle coupled to a THERMIX model of a 268 MW pebble bed modular reactor (PBMR-268) and a point kinetics model. The Bird, Stewart and Lightfoot source model for choked gas flows from a pressurised chamber was utilised as a discharge rate model. A discharge coefficient of 0.62 was assumed. Feedback due to the rupture is observed in the nuclear

Effect of biological and chemical preparations on peroxidase activity in leaves of tomato plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yulia Kolomiets

2016-10-01

Full Text Available In terms of treating tomato variety Chaika with chemical preparations with active substances if aluminum phosphate, 570 g/l + phosphorous acid 80 g/,l and mankotseb in concentration of 640 g/kg, the maximum increase in peroxidase activity in leaves of plants was observed in12 hours. In terms of use of biological preparations based on living cells Bacillus subtilis and Azotobacter chroococcum its activity was maximum in 24 hours and ranged from 77.7 to 112.7 un.mg-1•s-1

Petrochemical trends and the chemical company in 2010

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Finley, A.B.

1992-01-01

Some trends discernible in the petrochemical industry in Quebec and world-wide -- cyclicality, increasing globalization, environmental concerns, and a high degree of integration between olefins and derivative production -- were discussed. On a global basis, the incremental feedstock for ethylene production during the 1990s will likely be naphtha and propane. The challenge for Quebec lies in its distance from low-priced olefin feedstocks and its limited petrochemical infrastructure. In practice that means that despite Quebec's well-educated and productive work force, local producers will not have the feedstock advantage that would translate to low-priced natural gas liquids such as ethane, butane and propane. Against this backdrop what would be the agenda of a world-class petrochemical company in Quebec? This author's prescription called for a clear company vision that would include an appropriate business focus and downstream integration, the development of the required core competencies and strategies, with emphasis on low-cost feedstock acquisition, feedstock flexibility, maximum by-product values, and super-efficient manufacturing. 9 figs

Chemical inducible promotor used to obtain transgenic plants with a silent marker

Science.gov (United States)

Chua, Nam-Hai; Aoyama, Takashi

2000-01-01

A chemically inducible promoter is described which may be used to transform plants with genes which are easily regulatable by adding plants or plant cells to a medium containing an inducer of the promoter or by removing the plants or plant cells from such medium. The promoter described is one which is inducible by a glucocorticoid which is not endogenous to plants. Such promoters may be used with a variety of genes such as ipt or knotted1 to induce shoot formation in the presence of a glucocorticoid. The promoter may also be used with antibiotic or herbicide resistance genes which are then regulatable by the presence or absence of inducer rather than being constitutive. Other examples of genes which may be placed under the control of the inducible promoter are also presented.

Technical safety appraisal of the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1992-05-01

On June 27, 1989, Secretary of Energy, Admiral James D. Watkins, US Navy (Retired), announced a 10-point initiative to strengthen environment, safety, and health (ES ampersand H) programs and waste management operations in the Department of Energy (DOE). One of the initiatives involved conducting independent Tiger Team Assessments (TTA) at DOE operating facilities. A TTA of the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory (INEL) was performed during June and July 1991. Technical Safety Appraisals (TSA) were conducted in conjunction with the TTA as its Safety and Health portion. However, because of operational constraints the the Idaho Chemical Processing Plant (ICPP), operated for the DOE by Westinghouse Idaho Nuclear Company, Inc. (WINCO), was not included in the Safety and Health Subteam assessment at that time. This TSA, conducted April 12 - May 8, 1992, was performed by the DOE Office of Performance Assessment to complete the normal scope of the Safety and Health portion of the Tiger Team Assessment of the Idaho National Engineering Laboratory. The purpose of TSAs is to evaluate and strengthen DOE operations by verifying contractor compliance with DOE Orders, to assure that lessons learned from commercial operations are incorporated into facility operations, and to stimulate and encourage pursuit of excellence; thus, the appraisal addresses more issues than would be addressed in a strictly compliance-oriented appraisal. A total of 139 Performance Objectives have been addressed by this appraisal in 19 subject areas. These 19 areas are: organization and administration, quality verification, operations, maintenance, training and certification, auxiliary systems, emergency preparedness, technical support, packaging and transportation, nuclear criticality safety, safety/security interface, experimental activities, site/facility safety review, radiological protection, worker safety and health compliance, personnel protection, fire protection, medical services and natural

A company-wide activity to grow safety culture in a maintenance department of nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukui, Hirokazu; Sugiman, Toshio

2008-01-01

This study aims to conduct a field survey to collect specific instances of 'learning activity' that would help develop a safety culture in a maintenance department of nuclear power plant, with 'activity theory' as a theoretical base, and to derive a conceptual model that portrays these instances as part of comprehensive organizational activities. First, the field survey found instances where an accident that occurred a few years ago provided momentum; a company-wide activity is being implemented in order to fulfill the requests of field workers so that their requests for improvements are positively honored and budgets are allocated to measures designed to accommodate these requests. This paper calls this company-wide activity 'an activity to materialize the requests for improvements in the workplace' and considers it to be a typical instance of learning activity. Second, the field survey found that, in the workplace under discussion, a daily meeting was held in a unique way and a study session was conducted frequently and regularly. Last, we came up with a conceptual model for the entire aspect of organizational activities in which we could position the above instances as well as the results of our past field surveys. This model conceptualizes organizational activities from the two aspects of 'learning activity (primary learning activity)' and 'management activity) and characterizes an activity that would transform the existing organizational activities into ones that could not be even predicted as 'secondary learning activity'. 'An activity to materialize the requests for improvement in the workplace' was taken as falling under the category of secondary learning activity. (author)

77 FR 42722 - Berry Petroleum Company; Supplemental Notice That Initial Market-Based Rate Filing Includes...

Science.gov (United States)

2012-07-20

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. ER12-2233-000] Berry Petroleum Company; Supplemental Notice That Initial Market-Based Rate Filing Includes Request for Blanket... Petroleum Company's application for market-based rate authority, with an accompanying rate schedule, noting...

Activity-based Management of Logistic Costs in a Manufacturing Company: A Case of Increased Visibility of Logistics Costs in a Slovenian Paper Manufacturing Company

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Julijana Krajnc

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Both the transparent reporting of logistics costs and the related accounting of their cost drivers present a significant factor for the successful management of material flows and the related logistics activities in production companies. These costs, which are mainly reported as part of overhead (indirect costs in such companies, usually remain hidden or are not explicitly visible when the traditional method of accounting is applied. The aim of this research is to create a model of activity-based accounting of logistics costs in a production company, and to test its efficiency in the disclosure of logistics costs compared with traditional cost accounting. The application of the model in a production company shows that an activity-based approach discloses as much as 108% more logistics costs at the level of a group of products than the traditional cost-accounting approach. Further, detailed information on logistics costs obtained in this way enables their more efficient management. Key words: logistics costs; activity-based costing; cost allocation; cost visibility; cost management

Information management systems improve advanced plant design

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Turk, R.S.; Serafin, S.A.; Leckley, J.B.

1994-01-01

Computer-aided engineering tools are proving invaluable in both the design and operation of nuclear power plants. ABB Combustion Engineering's Advanced Light Water Reactor (ALWR) features a computerized Information Management System (IMS) as an integral part of the design. The System 80+IMS represents the most powerful information management tool for Nuclear Power Plants commercially available today. Developed by Duke Power Company specifically for use by nuclear power plant owner operators, the IMS consists of appropriate hardware and software to manage and control information flow for all plant related work or tasks in a systematic, consistent, coordinated and informative manner. A significant feature of this IMS is that it is primarily based on plant data. The principal design tool, PASCE (Plant Application and Systems from Combustion Engineering), is comprised of intelligent databases that describe the design and from which accurate plant drawings are created. Additionally the IMS includes, at its hub, a relational database management system and an associated document management system. The data-based approach and applications associated with the IMS were developed, and have proven highly effective, for plant modifications, configuration management, and operations and maintenance applications at Duke Power Company's operating nuclear plants. This paper presents its major features and benefits. 4 refs

Ecological and health risk-based characterization of agricultural soils contaminated with polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons in the vicinity of a chemical plant in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Geng; Niu, Junjie; Guo, Wenjiong; An, Xiangsheng; Zhao, Long

2016-11-01

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) from chemical plants can cause serious pollution of surrounding agricultural soils. A comprehensive study of agricultural soils was conducted in the vicinity of a chemical plant in China to characterize the soil PAH concentration, as well as their composition and sources. Human health and a screening-level ecological risk assessment were conducted for PAH contamination in agricultural soils. The results showed that the total concentrations of 16 priority PAHs ranged from 250.49 to 9387.26 ng g(-1), with an average of 2780.42 ng g(-1). High molecular weight PAHs (four to six rings) were the dominant component, accounting for more than 60% of all PAHs. Principal component analysis (PCA) and positive matrix factorization model (PMF) suggested that diesel emissions, coal combustion, coke ovens, and fuel combustion and gasoline emissions were the main sources of PAHs in agricultural soils. The ecological risk assessment results based on the effects range-low (ERL), the effects range-median (ERM), and the ecological screening levels (ESL) indicated that the exposure to ∑PAH16 was >ERL, >ERM, and ≥ERL and ESL at 78.1% of the soil sampling stations, and could induce biological effects in mammals. The Bapeq concentrations posed a potential carcinogenic risk to humans. Further risk management and control of soil PAHs in these agricultural soils is required to ensure the safety of the biocoenosis and human health. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Sabotage at Nuclear Power Plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Purvis, James W.

1999-07-21

Recently there has been a noted worldwide increase in violent actions including attempted sabotage at nuclear power plants. Several organizations, such as the International Atomic Energy Agency and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, have guidelines, recommendations, and formal threat- and risk-assessment processes for the protection of nuclear assets. Other examples are the former Defense Special Weapons Agency, which used a risk-assessment model to evaluate force-protection security requirements for terrorist incidents at DOD military bases. The US DOE uses a graded approach to protect its assets based on risk and vulnerability assessments. The Federal Aviation Administration and Federal Bureau of Investigation conduct joint threat and vulnerability assessments on high-risk US airports. Several private companies under contract to government agencies use formal risk-assessment models and methods to identify security requirements. The purpose of this paper is to survey these methods and present an overview of all potential types of sabotage at nuclear power plants. The paper discusses emerging threats and current methods of choice for sabotage--especially vehicle bombs and chemical attacks. Potential consequences of sabotage acts, including economic and political; not just those that may result in unacceptable radiological exposure to the public, are also discussed. Applicability of risk-assessment methods and mitigation techniques are also presented.

Sabotage at Nuclear Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Purvis, James W.

1999-01-01

Recently there has been a noted worldwide increase in violent actions including attempted sabotage at nuclear power plants. Several organizations, such as the International Atomic Energy Agency and the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission, have guidelines, recommendations, and formal threat- and risk-assessment processes for the protection of nuclear assets. Other examples are the former Defense Special Weapons Agency, which used a risk-assessment model to evaluate force-protection security requirements for terrorist incidents at DOD military bases. The US DOE uses a graded approach to protect its assets based on risk and vulnerability assessments. The Federal Aviation Administration and Federal Bureau of Investigation conduct joint threat and vulnerability assessments on high-risk US airports. Several private companies under contract to government agencies use formal risk-assessment models and methods to identify security requirements. The purpose of this paper is to survey these methods and present an overview of all potential types of sabotage at nuclear power plants. The paper discusses emerging threats and current methods of choice for sabotage--especially vehicle bombs and chemical attacks. Potential consequences of sabotage acts, including economic and political; not just those that may result in unacceptable radiological exposure to the public, are also discussed. Applicability of risk-assessment methods and mitigation techniques are also presented

Soft X-ray induced chemical modification of polysaccharides in vascular plant cell walls

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cody, George D.; Brandes, Jay; Jacobsen, Chris; Wirick, Susan

2009-01-01

Scanning transmission X-ray microscopy and micro carbon X-ray Absorption Near Edge Spectroscopy (C-XANES) can provide quantitative information regarding the distribution of the biopolymers cellulose, hemicellulose, and lignin in vascular plant cell walls. In the case of angiosperms, flowering plants, C-XANES may also be able to distinguish variations in lignin monomer distributions throughout the cell wall. Polysaccharides are susceptible to soft X-ray irradiation induced chemical transformations that may complicate spectral analysis. The stability of a model polysaccharide, cellulose acetate, to variable doses of soft X-rays under conditions optimized for high quality C-XANES spectroscopy was investigated. The primary chemical effect of soft X-ray irradiation on cellulose acetate involves mass loss coincident with de-acetylation. A lesser amount of vinyl ketone formation also occurs. Reduction in irradiation dose via defocusing does enable high quality pristine spectra to be obtained. Radiation induced chemical modification studies of oak cell wall reveals that cellulose and hemicellulose are less labile to chemical modification than cellulose acetate. Strategies for obtaining pristine C-XANES spectra of polysaccharides are presented.

REASONS FOR TECHNOLOGY-BASED COMPANIES CONTEMPLATED BY THE FIRST COMPANY PROGRAM TO SEEK ISO 9001:2008 CERTIFICATION

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eduardo Gomes Salgado

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The search for implementation of Quality Management Systems aims to continuously improve their results. Thus, for the services and/or products offered to convey trust and credibility, they must be designed within appropriate norms and standards. In this sense, this study seeks to assess the reasons that induce incubated technology-based companies to seek adequacy of their quality management system to the NBR ISO 9001:2008 standard. Through an exploratory survey in twenty-six incubated technology-based companies, a twelve-question questionnaire proposed by Bhuiyan and Alam (2005 was applied. After analyzing the data, it is concluded that the reasons for adequacy of QMS to the NBR ISO 9001:2008 standard are: competitive advantage over competitors; consultant´s approach for implementation; improvement in product quality; and government funding for ISO 9001 certification.  It is found that the consultant´s approach stands out as a strong reason for seeking the adequacy of QMS to the NBR ISO 9001 standard.

Risk profile of microbiological and chemical contamination in the production chain of nine horticultural products for fresh consumption of a group of agricultural companies in the Costa Rican Central Valley

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Guillermo Vargas Hernández

2015-11-01

Full Text Available The risk of microbiological or chemical contamination was determined in each of the processes of the production system of produce for fresh consumption, in a population of 164 agricultural companies in the central valley of Costa Rica. The risk quantification was calculated using the responses to a 46-item survey conducted with the managers of the companies included in the study. The responses to the 46 items were grouped according to the production process; the risk contamination calculation formula validated by the authors in another study was used to obtain the risk value per process. The microbiological or chemical contamination risk results were calculated for the land preparation and planting process, cultural management of the crop, human factor performing the cultural management of the crop, phytosanitary control, harvesting, packaging, and the human factor involved in packaging. The risk analysis results indicate that the human factor participating in the packaging obtains the highest risk rating, followed by the cultural management of the crop and, in third place, by the harvesting process. In all processes where the risk was quantified, the results showed values close to or greater than 50 in a 0 to 100 risk scale. These results should alert producers and consumers of produce for fresh consumption in the analyzed population. The effect of the buyer on the packaging risk values was also observed; when the producers are supermarket chain suppliers the risk values are lower as compared to those of producers who are not supermarket chain suppliers.

76 FR 12726 - Tropicana Manufacturing Company, Inc.; Supplemental Notice That Initial Market-Based Rate Filing...

Science.gov (United States)

2011-03-08

... . To facilitate electronic service, persons with Internet access who will eFile a document and/or be... Manufacturing Company, Inc.; Supplemental Notice That Initial Market-Based Rate Filing Includes Request for... Tropicana Manufacturing Company, Inc.'s application for market-based rate authority, with an accompanying...

The influence of the chemical form of technetium on its uptake by plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loon, L.R. van; Desmet, G.M.; Cremers, A.

1986-01-01

Spinach plants, grown on a Steiner nutrient solution containing TcO 4 - at different concentrations, show a linear relationship between the concentration in the nutrient solution and the amount of Tc in the plant (concentration range O Bq/ml-58 Bq/ml). When Tc is added to the plants as a Tc-cysteine complex, less amounts of Tc are present in the plants. The Tc present in the plants is mainly due to the uptake of TcO 4 - , formed by reoxidation of the Tc-cysteine complex in the nutrient solution. Plant tissue analysis together with a mathematical analysis of the uptake, show some evidences for TcO 4 - as the most important chemical form of Tc taken up by the plants. (author)

Exudate Chemical Profiles Derived from Lespedeza and Other Tallgrass Prairie Plant Species

Science.gov (United States)

2017-05-01

Chemical Profiles Derived from Lespedeza and Other Tall- grass Prairie Plant Species. ERDC TN-17-1. Vicksburg, MS: U.S. Army Engineer Re- search and...200-1-52. Washington, DC: U.S. Army Corps of Engineers Headquarters, Civil Works. https://www.wbdg.org/ffc/army-coe/public-works-technical-bulletins...ERDC TN-17-1 May 2017 Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. Exudate Chemical Profiles Derived from Lespedeza and Other

Nano-cellulose biopolymer based nano-biofilm biomaterial using plant biomass: An innovative plant biomaterial dataset

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A.B.M. Sharif hossain

2018-04-01

Full Text Available The nano-cellulose derived nano-biofilm keeps a magnificent role in medical, biomedical, bioengineering and pharmaceutical industries. Plant biomaterial is naturally organic and biodegradable. This study has been highlighted as one of the strategy introducing biomass based nano-bioplastic (nanobiofilm to solve dependency on petroleum and environment pollution because of non-degradable plastic. The data study was carried out to investigate the nano-biopolymer (nanocellulose based nano-biofilm data from corn leaf biomass coming after bioprocess technology without chemicals. Corn leaf biomass was used to produce biodegradable nano-bioplastic for medical and biomedical and other industrial uses. Data on water absorption, odor, pH, cellulose content, shape and firmness, color coating and tensile strength test have been exhibited under standardization of ASTM (American standard for testing and materials. Moreover, the chemical elements of nanobiofilm like K+, CO3−−, Cl−, Na+ showed standard data using the EN (166. Keywords: Nanocellulose, Nanobiofilm, Nanobioplastic, Biodegradable, Corn leaf

Quantitative valuation of platform technology based intangibles companies

OpenAIRE

Achleitner, Ann-Kristin; Nathusius, Eva; Schraml, Stephanie

2007-01-01

In the course of raising external equity, e.g. from venture capitalists, a quantitative valuation is usually required for entrepreneurial ventures. This paper examines the challenges of quantitatively valuing platform technology based entrepreneurial ventures. The distinct characteristics of such companies pose specific requirements on the applicability of quantitative valuation methods. The entrepreneur can choose from a wide range of potential commercialization strategies to pursue in the c...

Advancements in mass spectrometry for biological samples: Protein chemical cross-linking and metabolite analysis of plant tissues

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Klein, Adam [Iowa State Univ., Ames, IA (United States)

2015-01-01

This thesis presents work on advancements and applications of methodology for the analysis of biological samples using mass spectrometry. Included in this work are improvements to chemical cross-linking mass spectrometry (CXMS) for the study of protein structures and mass spectrometry imaging and quantitative analysis to study plant metabolites. Applications include using matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization-mass spectrometry imaging (MALDI-MSI) to further explore metabolic heterogeneity in plant tissues and chemical interactions at the interface between plants and pests. Additional work was focused on developing liquid chromatography-mass spectrometry (LC-MS) methods to investigate metabolites associated with plant-pest interactions.

Chemical inducible promoter used to obtain transgenic plants with a silent marker

Science.gov (United States)

Aoyama, Takashi; Zuo, Jianru; Chua, Nam-Hai

2004-08-31

A chemically inducible promoter is described that may be used to transform plants, including tobacco and lettuce, with genes which are easily regulatable by adding the plants or plant cells to a medium containing an inducer of the promoter or by removing the plants or plant cells from such medium. The promoter described is one that is inducible by a glucocorticoid which is not endogenous to plants. Such promoters may be used with a variety of genes such as ipt or knotted1 to induce shoot formation in the presence of a glucocorticoid. The promoter may also be used with antibiotic or herbicide resistance genes which are then regulatable by the presence or absence of inducer rather than being constitutive. Other examples of genes which may be placed under the control of the inducible promoter are also presented.

EVALUATION OF THE RESIZING OF THE WASTE TREATMENT PLANT OF THE TEXTILE COMPANY "DESEMBARCO DEL GRANMA", SANTA CLARA

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Isabel Cabrera Estrada

2015-10-01

Full Text Available The increase of the sewage is a serious global problem. The objective of this work is to make an technical, economic and environmental evaluation of the resizing of the plant for the treatment of waste water from the textile company "Desembarco del Granma", in Santa Clara and to offer a proposal to improve the functioning of the same company, specifically with its process of biological treatment using activated sludge. As a preliminary step, using experimental techniques, the characteristics of the tributary and the effluent from the system were evaluated. COD values higher than 90 mg/L showed adverse implications for the body receiver and an apparent inability of the system to remove organic matter to the levels required. The recalculation of the parameters of design/operation of the plant for the current conditions of the tributary was made. It is obtained that these parameters are not within the recommended values and finally, it was proposed and evaluated the increased to 50 and 75 % of the volume of the aeration tank and the commissioning of two or three of the air vents. With the expansion of the plant's capacity will be achieve a treatment that allows the effluent meet established standards for dumping and therefore avoids damage to the environment and the payment of fines for these concepts. The economic indicators NPV, IRR and PBP calculated, demonstrate the acceptability of the investment required to implement the modifications. All this together proves that the project is deployable.

78 FR 49508 - Tesoro Refining & Marketing Company LLC; Supplemental Notice That Initial Market-Based Rate...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-08-14

... Refining & Marketing Company LLC; Supplemental Notice That Initial Market-Based Rate Filing Includes... proceeding of Tesoro Refining & Marketing Company LLC's application for market-based rate authority, with an... of protests and interventions in lieu of paper, using the FERC Online links at http://www.ferc.gov...

78 FR 16262 - Tesoro Refining & Marketing Company LLC; Supplemental Notice That Initial Market-Based Rate...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-03-14

... Refining & Marketing Company LLC; Supplemental Notice That Initial Market-Based Rate Filing Includes... proceeding, of Tesoro Refining & Marketing Company LLC's application for market- based rate authority, with... submission of protests and interventions in lieu of paper, using the FERC Online links at http://www.ferc.gov...

Improvement of chemical control in the water-steam cycle of thermal power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rajakovic-Ognjanovic, Vladana N.; Zivojinovic, Dragana Z.; Grgur, Branimir N.; Rajakovic, Ljubinka V.

2011-01-01

A more effective chemical control in the water-steam cycle (WSC) of thermal power plants (TPP) is proposed in this paper. Minimization of corrosion effects by the production of ultra pure water and its strict control is the basis of all the investigated processes. The research involved the analysis of water samples in the WSC through key water quality parameters and by the most convenient analytical tools. The necessity for the stricter chemical control is demonstrated through a concrete example of the TPP Nikola Tesla, Serbia. After a thorough analysis of the chemical control system of the WSC, diagnostic and control parameters were chosen for continuous systematic measurements. Sodium and chloride ions were recognized as the ions which indicate the corrosion potential of the water and give insight into the proper production and maintenance of water within the WSC. Chemical transformations of crucial corrosion elements, iron and silica, were considered and related to their quantitative values. - Research highlights: → The more effective chemical control in the water-steam cycle of thermal power plant Nikola Tesla, Serbia. → In chemical control the diagnostic and control parameters were optimized and introduced for the systematic measurements in the water-steam cycle. → Sodium and chloride ions were recognized as ions which indicate corrosion potential of water and give insight to proper function of production and maintenance of water within water-team cycle. → Chemical transformations of crucial corrosion elements, iron and silica are considered and related with their quantitative values.

Chemical cleaning the service water system at a nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brice, T.O.; Glover, W.A.

1994-01-01

Chemical cleaning a large cooling water system in a nuclear power plant presented many unique problems. The selection, qualification, and performance of the cleaning process were done using a phased approach. The piping was inspected to determine the extent of the problem. Deposit samples were removed from the service water system pipe and tested in the laboratory to determine the most effective cleaning solvent for deposit removal. An engineering study was performed to define the design parameters required to implement the system-wide chemical cleaning

Melter operation results in chemical test at Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kanehira, Norio; Yoshioka, Masahiro; Muramoto, Hitoshi; Oba, Takaaki; Takahashi, Yuji

2005-01-01

Chemical Test of the glass melter system of the Vitrification Facility at Rokkasho Reprocessing Plant (RRP) was performed. In this test, basic performance of heating-up of the melter, melting glass, pouring glass was confirmed using simulated materials. Through these tests and operation of all modes, good results were gained, and training of operators was completed. (author)

Hybrid Combustion-Gasification Chemical Looping

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Herbert Andrus; Gregory Burns; John Chiu; Gregory Lijedahl; Peter Stromberg; Paul Thibeault

2009-01-07

For the past several years Alstom Power Inc. (Alstom), a leading world-wide power system manufacturer and supplier, has been in the initial stages of developing an entirely new, ultra-clean, low cost, high efficiency power plant for the global power market. This new power plant concept is based on a hybrid combustion-gasification process utilizing high temperature chemical and thermal looping technology The process consists of the oxidation, reduction, carbonation, and calcination of calcium-based compounds, which chemically react with coal, biomass, or opportunity fuels in two chemical loops and one thermal loop. The chemical and thermal looping technology can be alternatively configured as (i) a combustion-based steam power plant with CO{sub 2} capture, (ii) a hybrid combustion-gasification process producing a syngas for gas turbines or fuel cells, or (iii) an integrated hybrid combustion-gasification process producing hydrogen for gas turbines, fuel cells or other hydrogen based applications while also producing a separate stream of CO{sub 2} for use or sequestration. In its most advanced configuration, this new concept offers the promise to become the technology link from today's Rankine cycle steam power plants to tomorrow's advanced energy plants. The objective of this work is to develop and verify the high temperature chemical and thermal looping process concept at a small-scale pilot facility in order to enable AL to design, construct and demonstrate a pre-commercial, prototype version of this advanced system. In support of this objective, Alstom and DOE started a multi-year program, under this contract. Before the contract started, in a preliminary phase (Phase 0) Alstom funded and built the required small-scale pilot facility (Process Development Unit, PDU) at its Power Plant Laboratories in Windsor, Connecticut. Construction was completed in calendar year 2003. The objective for Phase I was to develop the indirect combustion loop with CO{sub 2

Plant cell wall sugars: sweeteners for a bio-based economy.

Science.gov (United States)

Van de Wouwer, Dorien; Boerjan, Wout; Vanholme, Bartel

2018-02-12

Global warming and the consequent climate change is one of the major environmental challenges we are facing today. The driving force behind the rise in temperature is our fossil-based economy, which releases massive amounts of the greenhouse gas carbon dioxide into the atmosphere. In order to reduce greenhouse gas emission, we need to scale down our dependency on fossil resources, implying that we need other sources for energy and chemicals to feed our economy. Here, plants have an important role to play; by means of photosynthesis, plants capture solar energy to split water and fix carbon derived from atmospheric carbon dioxide. A significant fraction of the fixed carbon ends up as polysaccharides in the plant cell wall. Fermentable sugars derived from cell wall polysaccharides form an ideal carbon source for the production of bio-platform molecules. However, a major limiting factor in the use of plant biomass as feedstock for the bio-based economy is the complexity of the plant cell wall and its recalcitrance towards deconstruction. To facilitate the release of fermentable sugars during downstream biomass processing, the composition and structure of the cell wall can be engineered. Different strategies to reduce cell wall recalcitrance will be described in this review. The ultimate goal is to obtain a tailor-made biomass, derived from plants with a cell wall optimized for particular industrial or agricultural applications, without affecting plant growth and development. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.

Piercing of corporate veil of nuclear companies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Frenz, Walter

2015-01-01

The Federal Ministry of Economics plans that the nuclear companies with all their assets to cover disposal costs can be used where a power plant operator is governed by its parent company, hence the latter Capital or voting majority of the operators holding or these passes; To date, the parent company is liable only limited and not more than five years after the end of the domination of one Subsidiary, oparating a power plant. In this way, prevents ultimately the public sector and thus the Taxpayers have to pay for the long-term consequences of the use of nuclear energy. Until now ensured paragraph 303 AktG a group law Secondary liability the parent companies of the operating company in the case of of termination of the control and profit transfer agreements is very limited for the nuclear liabilities, namely in two ways: The claim is only focused on the backup performance and not at the expense of acquisition and Moreover, according to the case law limited of five years after its foundation; for the area of transformation law comparable rules are valid. thereby the dismantling of a nuclear power station takes just already for 20 years and a final repository is expected before 2050 not be available. [de

Phenotypic and biochemical profile changes in calendula (Calendula officinalis L.) plants treated with two chemical mutagenesis.

Science.gov (United States)

El-Nashar, Y I; Asrar, A A

2016-05-06

Chemical mutagenesis is an efficient tool used in mutation-breeding programs to improve the vital characters of the floricultural crops. This study aimed to estimate the effects of different concentrations of two chemical mutagens; sodium azide (SA) and diethyl sulfate (DES). The vegetative growth and flowering characteristics in two generations (M1 and M2) of calendula plants were investigated. Seeds were treated with five different concentrations of SA and DES (at the same rates) of 1000, 2000, 3000, 4000, and 5000 ppm, in addition to a control treatment of 0 ppm. Results showed that lower concentrations of SA mutagen had significant effects on seed germination percentage, plant height, leaf area, plant fresh weight, flowering date, inflorescence diameter, and gas-exchange measurements in plants of both generations. Calendula plants tended to flower earlier under low mutagen concentrations (1000 ppm), whereas higher concentrations delayed flowering significantly. Positive results on seed germination, plant height, number of branches, plant fresh weight, and leaf area were observed in the M2-generation at lower concentrations of SA (1000 ppm), as well as at 4000 ppm DES on number of leaves and inflorescences. The highest total soluble protein was detected at the concentrations of 1000 ppm SA and 2000 ppm DES. DES showed higher average of acid phosphatase activity than SA. Results indicated that lower concentrations of SA and DES mutagens had positive effects on seed germination percentage, plant height, leaf area, plant fresh weight, flowering date, inflorescence diameter, and gas-exchange measurements. Thus, lower mutagen concentrations could be recommended for better floral and physio-chemical performance.

Activity-Based Costing Using Multicriteria Drivers: An Accounting Proposal to Boost Companies Toward Sustainability

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Heitor F. Marinho Neto

2018-05-01

Full Text Available Recognizing that natural environment is reaching its maximum limits in providing resources and diluting the waste generated by human production systems, efforts toward more sustainable production systems are mandatory to secure the development of future generations. For this purpose, changing the productivity model adopted by companies that are almost exclusively rooted on circulating money to generate profit, named business as usual, is an important issue. In this sense, an alternative would be establishing the relationship of stocks and flows of energy, material, and information with environmental, economic and social outcomes, thus resulting in new accounting approaches. This work aims to propose an activity-based costing (ABC based on multicriteria drivers including economic, emissions, and emergy (with an “m” values. The proposed ABC costing allocates each one of the multicriteria drivers into a specific part of the sustainability conceptual model, in an attempt to embrace a holistic perspective and allow for a sustainable-based decision, rather than considering purely economic drivers. The goal programming (GP method is considered so as to support a decision based on multicriteria aspects. Results show that the proposed accounting approach known as ABCsustain allows for decisions toward a company's sustainability by acting on both the amount and kind of a company's product that should be managed, as well as on the effective increase of a specific company's activity or process. The proposed ABCsustain could make the insertion of environmental issues into companies strategic planning more effective. It is expected that environmental issues go beyond a simple diagnoses and begin to be considered as action in factum in the companies' decisions toward achieving a more sustainable world system.

Advanced ecological and economical power plant technology based on CFB combustion

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samant, G.; Hirschfelder, H.

1993-01-01

The scenario of the power plant industry is worldwide affected by one important issue, namely the stringent and steadily increasing environment regulations. Fluidized bed boilers, based on Circulating Fluidized Bed (CFB) technology with in-situ emission control, and improved economics as well as with proven record of high efficiency and reliability meets the ecological, economical and technical requirements. It should be noted that in addition to their attractive performance, regarding efficiency and pollution control, coal fired CFB boilers have been successfully introduced not only in power plant industry, but also in other industrial units such as chemical plants, automobile industry, paper mills, cement, etc. The experience gained to date confirms the advantages and also the reliability of this technology. (author)

A mathematical basis for plant patterning derived from physico-chemical phenomena.

Science.gov (United States)

Beleyur, Thejasvi; Abdul Kareem, Valiya Kadavu; Shaji, Anil; Prasad, Kalika

2013-04-01

The position of leaves and flowers along the stem axis generates a specific pattern, known as phyllotaxis. A growing body of evidence emerging from recent computational modeling and experimental studies suggests that regulators controlling phyllotaxis are chemical, e.g. the plant growth hormone auxin and its dynamic accumulation pattern by polar auxin transport, and physical, e.g. mechanical properties of the cell. Here we present comprehensive views on how chemical and physical properties of cells regulate the pattern of leaf initiation. We further compare different computational modeling studies to understand their scope in reproducing the observed patterns. Despite a plethora of experimental studies on phyllotaxis, understanding of molecular mechanisms of pattern initiation in plants remains fragmentary. Live imaging of growth dynamics and physicochemical properties at the shoot apex of mutants displaying stable changes from one pattern to another should provide mechanistic insights into organ initiation patterns. Copyright © 2013 WILEY Periodicals, Inc.

Carbide process picked for Chinese polyethylene plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Alperowicz, N.

1993-01-01

Union Carbide (Danbury, CT) is set to sign up its eighth polyethylene (PE) license in China. The company has been selected to supply its Unipol technology to Jilin Chemical Industrial Corp. (JCIC) for a 100,000-m.t./year linear low-density PE (LLDPE) plant at Jilin. The plant will form part of a $2-billion petrochemical complex, based on a 300,000-m.t./year ethylene unit awarded to a consortium made up of Samsung Engineering (Seoul) and Linde. A 10,000-m.t./year butene-1 unit will also be built. Toyo Engineering, Snamprogetti, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, and Linde are competing for the contract to supply the LLDPE plant. The signing is expected this spring. Two contenders are vying to supply an 80,000-m.t./year phenol plant for JCIC. They are Mitsui Engineering, offering the Mitsui Petrochemical process, and Chisso, with UOP technology. Four Unipol process PE plants are under construction in China and three are in operation. At Guangzhou, Toyo Engineering is building a 100,000-m.t./year plant, due onstream in 1995, while Snamprogetti is to finish construction of two plants in the same year at Zhonguyan (120,000 m.t./year) and at Maoming (140,000 m.t./year). The Daquing Design Institute is responsible for the engineering of a 60,000-m.t./year Unipol process PE plant, expected onstream early in 1995. Existing Unipol process PE plants are located in Qilu (60,000 m.t./year LLDPE and 120,000 m.t./year HDPE) and at Taching (60,000 m.t./year HDPE)

Pilot plant SERSE: Description and results of the experimental tests under treatment of simulated chemical liquid waste

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calle, C.; Gili, M.; Luce, A.; Marrocchelli, A.; Pietrelli, L.; Troiani, F.

1989-11-01

The chemical processes for the selective separation of the actinides and long lived fission products from aged liquid wastes is described. The SERSE pilot plant is a cold facility which has been designed, by ENEA, for the engineering scale demonstration of the chemical separation processes. The experimental tests carried out in the plant are described and the results confirm the laboratory data. (author)

Safety evaluation report: related to the operation of Perry Nuclear Power Plant, Units 1 and 2, Docket Nos. 50-440 and 50-441, Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-08-01

Supplement No. 1 to the Safety Evaluation Report on the application filed by the Cleveland Electric Illuminating Company on behalf of itself and as agent for the Duquesne Light Company, the Ohio Edison Company, the Pennsylvania Power Company, and the Toledo Edison Company (the Central Area Power Coordination Group, CAPCO), as applicants and owners, for a license to operate the Perry Nuclear Power Plant, Units 1 and 2 (Docket Nos. 50-440 and 441). The facility is located near Lake Erie in Lake County, Ohio. This supplement has been prepared by the Office of Nuclear Reactor Regulation of the US Nuclear Regulatory Commission and reports the status of certain items that had not been resolved at the time of publication of the Safety Evaluation Report

Assesing the Effectiveness of Joint Companies in Russia: Industry-Specific Features

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Elena Anatolyevna Fedorova

2015-06-01

Full Text Available The paper evaluates the effectiveness of joint and domestic companies using ROA (operational efficiency and DEA (technical efficiency methodologies. The technical efficiency was estimated in two ways: according to the classical scheme and taking into account spillover effects. The study was based on statements of Russian companies (23 567 joint enterprises and 14 653 companies without FDI for the period of 2008-2012. The authors used RusLana resource to get following information: balance sheets, profit and loss statements, capital structure, number of employees and regional affiliation. The study found that joint companies usually operate more effectively than domestic ones. The authors also conclude that the crisis has not caused severe damages to the average effectiveness by industries. More than that, Russian economy has positive horizontal and vertical FDI spillover effects which increase as time goes by. In 2012 the most efficient joint companies (in terms of technical efficiency belonged to the following industries: coke and petroleum production, chemical industry and metallurgy. The most ineffective ones included following: wholesale and retail trade, machinery and equipment production and agriculture

Vicher: A Virtual Reality Based Educational Module for Chemical Reaction Engineering.

Science.gov (United States)

Bell, John T.; Fogler, H. Scott

1996-01-01

A virtual reality application for undergraduate chemical kinetics and reactor design education, Vicher (Virtual Chemical Reaction Model) was originally designed to simulate a portion of a modern chemical plant. Vicher now consists of two programs: Vicher I that models catalyst deactivation and Vicher II that models nonisothermal effects in…

Impacts of fire, fire-fighting chemicals and post-fire stabilization techniques on the soil-plant system

OpenAIRE

Fernández Fernández, María

2017-01-01

Forest fires, as well as fire-fighting chemicals, greatly affect the soil-plant system causing vegetation loss, alterations of soil properties and nutrient losses through volatilization, leaching and erosion. Soil recovery after fires depends on the regeneration of the vegetation cover, which protects the soil and prevents erosion. Fire-fighting chemicals contain compounds potentially toxic for plants and soil organisms, and thus their use might hamper the regeneration of burnt ecosystems. In...

Design and construction of solidification and dewatering facility at Alabama Power Company's Farley Nuclear Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Farnsworth, P.

1988-01-01

The approximate total cost of the structure and supporting piping systems is estimated to be 4.1 million dollars. Total dose savings per year could be as high as 70 man Rem for resin processing alone. The ability to store refueling equipment, process contaminated oils, load and unload trucks and containers regardless of weather conditions and support repair work on equipment greatly enhances the cost effectiveness of the project. It will take at least one year of operation of the facility to accurately assess the true cost savings to Alabama Power Company. The morale factor for the Waste and Decon Group has escalated measurably due to the dose reduction to our personnel. Plant and company management are well pleased due to the possibility of a spill or release to the environment has been eliminated which was on intangible cost. Facility construction has been completed as of this date and resin transfer anticipated within the next few days. Some of the problems encountered in planning and constructing this solidification and dewatering facility are presented. A safety evaluation for the facility is included in the appendix

Environmental impact assessment. Ajka Mining and Power Company

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sipkema, Arjan; De Visser, Petra

1994-01-01

An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a public document which evaluates the impact of a new company or a new project on the environment and it also lays out the possible alternatives. The present EIA was worked out to get an insight into the polluting effects of the Ajka Mining and Power Company in Ajka, Hungary and to understand what hinders the abatement of the pollution. The Ajka coal has a high sulphur content and is slightly radioactive. The Power Plant is situated in the neighborhood of the town Ajka and the wind usually blows the releases in the direction of the town. The radioactive sludge is also stored at the border of the town and its radioactivity exceeds the limit set for the Paks Power Plant (in Hungary). Alternatives for the present technology are explored. Nil-condensation and/or energy conservation seem to be the best alternatives. Theoretically, the Regional Environmental Inspectorate is responsible for all survey of pollution, which they monitor with their own equipment, with data obtained from the company or from other monitoring companies. However, the pollution of the Ajka Mining and Power Company is not completely monitored. (authors)

Chemical Weed Control Increases Survival and Growth in Hardwood Plantings

Science.gov (United States)

Gayne G. Erdmann

1967-01-01

In a plantation of four hardwood species on a silt loam soil planted to 1-0 stock, 4 pounds of active atrazine or simazine controlled weeds effectively without injuring the trees. Chemical weed control was better on plowed and disked ground than on unprepared ground. Yellow-poplar and white ash grew faster on prepared ground. Black walnut and red oak did not respond...

Fitness-for-service and decisions for petroleum and chemical equipment. PVP-Volume 315

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Prager, M.; Becht, C. IV; Depadova, T.A.; Okazaki, M.; Onyewuenyi, O.A.; Smith, J.P.; Takezono, S.; Weingart, L.J.; Yagi, K.

1995-01-01

This volume is part of a series of publications intended to present the technical foundation for broadly accepted practices to establish the mechanical integrity of equipment in service. A focal point for this activity has been a Materials Properties Council program on fitness-for-service (FSS) reported in earlier PVP volumes. Work reported here covers the full range of equipment of interest to petroleum and chemical companies from LNG to creep service and provides a snapshot of current Codes, methods, concerns, and problems. It encompasses crack-like flaws and local thinning situations, welds, clad vessels, storage tanks, and pressure vessels. The work in progress is only a start, and the papers herein should be viewed as part of the process of validating the techniques used. While most of the applications are to petroleum refineries and natural gas processing plants, some papers deal with fossil-fuel power plants, nuclear power plants, synthetic fuels refineries, and materials for high-temperature applications. Papers have been processed separately for inclusion on the data base

Defesas químicas de plantas: fitoalexinas Chemical defense of plants: phytoalexins

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Márcia Regina Braga

1987-01-01

Full Text Available A resistência de plantas ao ataque de microorganismos causadores de doenças relaciona-se à presença de barreiras físicas e (juímicas de defesa. Dentre as barreiras químicas destacam-se as fitoalexinas, substâncias fungitoxicas sintetizadas de novo pelas plantas principalmente após a invasão ou o contato de seus tecidos com microorganismos, Essas substâncias englobam vários grupos compostos naturais tais como terpenos, isoflavonóides e poliacetilenos e seu acúmulo pode ser induzido por organismos vivos, seus produtos (elíciadores ou ainda agentes químicos, como sais de metais pesados, ou físicos (congelamento, luz U.U.. Alguns aspectos abordados nesta revisão são: a ocorrência de fitoalexinas em angiospermas, a relação entre sua natureza química e o grupo taxonômico das plantas que as produzem, a sua ação sobre organismos pró e eucarióticos. São descritas também os fatores que interferem nas respostas das plantas aos agentes indutores e as técnicas usuais para a indução e detecção de fitoalexinas. O papel dos eliciadores na indução da sâitese de fitoalexinas e o mecanismo pelo qual exercem sua função indutora são discutidos. Nesse contexto está incluída a teoria das oligossacarinas, fragmentos de parede celular que parecem controlar não só a resposta de defesa em plantas mas também outros fenômenos fisiológicos em plantas.Chemical defense of plants: phytoalexins - This review describes the concept of phytoalexins as a chemical defense of plants against microorganisms as well as a response of plants to chemical or physical agents. The current information on phytoalexins is presented, regarding the following aspects: occurrence in angiosperms; relation-snips between chemical composition and taxonomy; toxicity; factors affecting plant response; techniques for induction and detection of phytoalexins; role of elicitors and mechanisms of action. The latter includes the oligosaccharins-fragments of cell

Feeding on Host Plants with Different Concentrations and Structures of Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids Impacts the Chemical-Defense Effectiveness of a Specialist Herbivore.

Science.gov (United States)

Martins, Carlos H Z; Cunha, Beatriz P; Solferini, Vera N; Trigo, José R

2015-01-01

Sequestration of chemical defenses from host plants is a strategy widely used by herbivorous insects to avoid predation. Larvae of the arctiine moth Utetheisa ornatrix feeding on unripe seeds and leaves of many species of Crotalaria (Leguminosae) sequester N-oxides of pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs) from these host plants, and transfer them to adults through the pupal stage. PAs confer protection against predation on all life stages of U. ornatrix. As U. ornatrix also uses other Crotalaria species as host plants, we evaluated whether the PA chemical defense against predation is independent of host plant use. We fed larvae from hatching to pupation with either leaves or seeds of one of eight Crotalaria species (C. incana, C. juncea, C. micans, C. ochroleuca, C. pallida, C. paulina, C. spectabilis, and C. vitellina), and tested if adults were preyed upon or released by the orb-weaving spider Nephila clavipes. We found that the protection against the spider was more effective in adults whose larvae fed on seeds, which had a higher PA concentration than leaves. The exceptions were adults from larvae fed on C. paulina, C. spectabilis and C. vitellina leaves, which showed high PA concentrations. With respect to the PA profile, we describe for the first time insect-PAs in U. ornatrix. These PAs, biosynthesized from the necine base retronecine of plant origin, or monocrotaline- and senecionine-type PAs sequestered from host plants, were equally active in moth chemical defense, in a dose-dependent manner. These results are also partially explained by host plant phylogeny, since PAs of the host plants do have a phylogenetic signal (clades with high and low PA concentrations in leaves) which is reflected in the adult defense.

Feeding on Host Plants with Different Concentrations and Structures of Pyrrolizidine Alkaloids Impacts the Chemical-Defense Effectiveness of a Specialist Herbivore.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Carlos H Z Martins

Full Text Available Sequestration of chemical defenses from host plants is a strategy widely used by herbivorous insects to avoid predation. Larvae of the arctiine moth Utetheisa ornatrix feeding on unripe seeds and leaves of many species of Crotalaria (Leguminosae sequester N-oxides of pyrrolizidine alkaloids (PAs from these host plants, and transfer them to adults through the pupal stage. PAs confer protection against predation on all life stages of U. ornatrix. As U. ornatrix also uses other Crotalaria species as host plants, we evaluated whether the PA chemical defense against predation is independent of host plant use. We fed larvae from hatching to pupation with either leaves or seeds of one of eight Crotalaria species (C. incana, C. juncea, C. micans, C. ochroleuca, C. pallida, C. paulina, C. spectabilis, and C. vitellina, and tested if adults were preyed upon or released by the orb-weaving spider Nephila clavipes. We found that the protection against the spider was more effective in adults whose larvae fed on seeds, which had a higher PA concentration than leaves. The exceptions were adults from larvae fed on C. paulina, C. spectabilis and C. vitellina leaves, which showed high PA concentrations. With respect to the PA profile, we describe for the first time insect-PAs in U. ornatrix. These PAs, biosynthesized from the necine base retronecine of plant origin, or monocrotaline- and senecionine-type PAs sequestered from host plants, were equally active in moth chemical defense, in a dose-dependent manner. These results are also partially explained by host plant phylogeny, since PAs of the host plants do have a phylogenetic signal (clades with high and low PA concentrations in leaves which is reflected in the adult defense.

The CEA-Industrie Group of Companies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-01-01

The 1988 financial and technological status of the CEA-Industry Group of Companies is summarized. The activities, technological innovations, and areas of development perspectives of the CEA-Industry Group of Companies, chiefly concentrated in fields relating to nuclear energy, are described. The principal business sectors of the group involve nuclear fuel cycle, nuclear plants and maintenance, computer applications and life science. Some activities of the group are extended to management, construction and financial fields

Trace Detection of Organophosphorus Chemical Warfare Agents in Wastewater and Plants by Luminescent UIO-67(Hf) and Evaluating the Bioaccumulation of Organophosphorus Chemical Warfare Agents.

Science.gov (United States)

Lian, Xiao; Yan, Bing

2018-05-02

Organophosphorus chemical warfare agents (OPCWAs) are a group of organic pollutants characterized by high toxicity and chemical stability, and they are very difficult to be degraded. The trace quality of OPCWAs in water and food will cause great harm to the human body. Therefore, the detection of OPCWAs is a difficult challenge, which has become the research hotspot over the world. In this work, a Hf-based luminescent metal-organic framework (Eu@1) is prepared, and the reactivity of Hf 12 results in a methanephosphonic acid (MPA)-induced luminescence quenching and the charge transfer from MPA to Hf(IV) and generated exciplexes which are responsible for this quenching effect. The excellent performance of Eu@1 in the detection of MPA, with its finer selectivity, high sensitivity (LOD = 0.4 ppm), and large linear range (10 -7 to 10 -3 M), is encouraging for application in wastewater detection. Importantly, MPA is a pollutant that can be absorbed by plants and causes the bioaccumulation effect, and thus, the detection of MPA in real plant samples is a purposeful topic. Eu@1 also achieved satisfactory results in actual plant sample testing, and the bioaccumulation of MPA in onions, turnips, and cabbages is determined via our sensor. This fabricated detector provides a feasible path for the detection of ppm-level OPCWAs in a complex environment, which will help humans to avoid OPCWA-contaminated foods.

Karrikins Identified in Biochars Indicate Post-Fire Chemical Cues Can Influence Community Diversity and Plant Development.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jitka Kochanek

Full Text Available Karrikins are smoke-derived compounds that provide strong chemical cues to stimulate seed germination and seedling growth. The recent discovery in Arabidopsis that the karrikin perception system may be present throughout angiosperms implies a fundamental plant function. Here, we identify the most potent karrikin, karrikinolide (KAR1, in biochars and determine its role in species unique plant responses.Biochars were prepared by three distinct commercial-scale pyrolysis technologies using systematically selected source material and their chemical properties, including karrikinolide, were quantified. Dose-response assays determined the effects of biochar on seed germination for two model species that require karrikinolide to break dormancy (Solanum orbiculatum, Brassica tourneforttii and on seedling growth using two species that display plasticity to karrikins, biochar and phytotoxins (Lactuca sativa, Lycopersicon esculentum. Multivariate analysis examined relationships between biochar properties and the plant phenotype.Results showed that karrikin abundant biochars stimulated dormant seed germination and seedling growth via mechanisms analogous to post-fire chemical cues. The individual species response was associated with its sensitivity to karrikinolide and inhibitory compounds within the biochars. These findings are critical for understanding why biochar influences community composition and plant physiology uniquely for different species and reaffirms that future pyrolysis technologies promise by-products that concomitantly sequester carbon and enhance plant growth for ecological and broader plant related applications.

Plant Species Rather Than Climate Greatly Alters the Temporal Pattern of Litter Chemical Composition During Long-Term Decomposition

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Yongfu; Chen, Na; Harmon, Mark E.; Li, Yuan; Cao, Xiaoyan; Chappell, Mark A.; Mao, Jingdong

2015-10-01

A feedback between decomposition and litter chemical composition occurs with decomposition altering composition that in turn influences the decomposition rate. Elucidating the temporal pattern of chemical composition is vital to understand this feedback, but the effects of plant species and climate on chemical changes remain poorly understood, especially over multiple years. In a 10-year decomposition experiment with litter of four species (Acer saccharum, Drypetes glauca, Pinus resinosa, and Thuja plicata) from four sites that range from the arctic to tropics, we determined the abundance of 11 litter chemical constituents that were grouped into waxes, carbohydrates, lignin/tannins, and proteins/peptides using advanced 13C solid-state NMR techniques. Decomposition generally led to an enrichment of waxes and a depletion of carbohydrates, whereas the changes of other chemical constituents were inconsistent. Inconsistent convergence in chemical compositions during decomposition was observed among different litter species across a range of site conditions, whereas one litter species converged under different climate conditions. Our data clearly demonstrate that plant species rather than climate greatly alters the temporal pattern of litter chemical composition, suggesting the decomposition-chemistry feedback varies among different plant species.

78 FR 62615 - Healthy Planet Partners Energy Company, LLC; Supplemental Notice that Initial Market-Based Rate...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-10-22

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. ER14-96-000] Healthy Planet Partners Energy Company, LLC; Supplemental Notice that Initial Market-Based Rate Filing Includes Request... of Healthy Planet Partners Energy Company, LLC's application for market- based rate authority, with...

78 FR 28835 - Salton Sea Power Generation Company; Supplemental Notice That Initial Market-Based Rate Filing...

Science.gov (United States)

2013-05-16

... DEPARTMENT OF ENERGY Federal Energy Regulatory Commission [Docket No. ER13-1271-000] Salton Sea Power Generation Company; Supplemental Notice That Initial Market-Based Rate Filing Includes Request for... Salton Sea Power Generation Company's application for market-based rate authority, with an accompanying...

Knowledge and knowledge bases in the learning process og polish companies

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Lorentzen, Anne

2003-01-01

strategies of which are analysed and compared. These strategies have much in common and can be seen as quite successful. Some common problems also exist in relation to mismatches within and between the different knowledge bases. The differences are none the less interesting to consider. They are due......The paper deals with the learning and innovation strategies of manufacturing companies in the economies of transformation. The point of departure is the development of a theoretical framework dealing innovation, knowledge and learning. The case is two manufacturing companies in Poland, the learning...