Biodiversity as a multidimensional construct: a review, framework and case study of herbivory's impact on plant biodiversity

Science.gov (United States)

Naeem, S.; Prager, Case; Weeks, Brian; Varga, Alex; Flynn, Dan F. B.; Griffin, Kevin; Muscarella, Robert; Palmer, Matthew; Wood, Stephen; Schuster, William

2016-01-01

Biodiversity is inherently multidimensional, encompassing taxonomic, functional, phylogenetic, genetic, landscape and many other elements of variability of life on the Earth. However, this fundamental principle of multidimensionality is rarely applied in research aimed at understanding biodiversity's value to ecosystem functions and the services they provide. This oversight means that our current understanding of the ecological and environmental consequences of biodiversity loss is limited primarily to what unidimensional studies have revealed. To address this issue, we review the literature, develop a conceptual framework for multidimensional biodiversity research based on this review and provide a case study to explore the framework. Our case study specifically examines how herbivory by whitetail deer (Odocoileus virginianus) alters the multidimensional influence of biodiversity on understory plant cover at Black Rock Forest, New York. Using three biodiversity dimensions (taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity) to explore our framework, we found that herbivory alters biodiversity's multidimensional influence on plant cover; an effect not observable through a unidimensional approach. Although our review, framework and case study illustrate the advantages of multidimensional over unidimensional approaches, they also illustrate the statistical and empirical challenges such work entails. Meeting these challenges, however, where data and resources permit, will be important if we are to better understand and manage the consequences we face as biodiversity continues to decline in the foreseeable future. PMID:27928041

Biodiversity as a multidimensional construct: a review, framework and case study of herbivory's impact on plant biodiversity.

Science.gov (United States)

Naeem, S; Prager, Case; Weeks, Brian; Varga, Alex; Flynn, Dan F B; Griffin, Kevin; Muscarella, Robert; Palmer, Matthew; Wood, Stephen; Schuster, William

2016-12-14

Biodiversity is inherently multidimensional, encompassing taxonomic, functional, phylogenetic, genetic, landscape and many other elements of variability of life on the Earth. However, this fundamental principle of multidimensionality is rarely applied in research aimed at understanding biodiversity's value to ecosystem functions and the services they provide. This oversight means that our current understanding of the ecological and environmental consequences of biodiversity loss is limited primarily to what unidimensional studies have revealed. To address this issue, we review the literature, develop a conceptual framework for multidimensional biodiversity research based on this review and provide a case study to explore the framework. Our case study specifically examines how herbivory by whitetail deer (Odocoileus virginianus) alters the multidimensional influence of biodiversity on understory plant cover at Black Rock Forest, New York. Using three biodiversity dimensions (taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity) to explore our framework, we found that herbivory alters biodiversity's multidimensional influence on plant cover; an effect not observable through a unidimensional approach. Although our review, framework and case study illustrate the advantages of multidimensional over unidimensional approaches, they also illustrate the statistical and empirical challenges such work entails. Meeting these challenges, however, where data and resources permit, will be important if we are to better understand and manage the consequences we face as biodiversity continues to decline in the foreseeable future. © 2016 The Authors.

Two Legionnaires' disease cases associated with industrial waste water treatment plants: a case report

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Putus Tuula

2010-12-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Finnish and Swedish waste water systems used by the forest industry were found to be exceptionally heavily contaminated with legionellae in 2005. Case presentation We report two cases of severe pneumonia in employees working at two separate mills in Finland in 2006. Legionella serological and urinary antigen tests were used to diagnose Legionnaires' disease in the symptomatic employees, who had worked at, or close to, waste water treatment plants. Since the findings indicated a Legionella infection, the waste water and home water systems were studied in more detail. The antibody response and Legionella urinary antigen finding of Case A indicated that the infection had been caused by Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1. Case A had been exposed to legionellae while installing a pump into a post-clarification basin at the waste water treatment plant of mill A. Both the water and sludge in the basin contained high concentrations of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 1, in addition to serogroups 3 and 13. Case B was working 200 meters downwind from a waste water treatment plant, which had an active sludge basin and cooling towers. The antibody response indicated that his disease was due to Legionella pneumophila serogroup 2. The cooling tower was the only site at the waste water treatment plant yielding that serogroup, though water in the active sludge basin yielded abundant growth of Legionella pneumophila serogroup 5 and Legionella rubrilucens. Both workers recovered from the disease. Conclusion These are the first reported cases of Legionnaires' disease in Finland associated with industrial waste water systems.

Fossil fuel-fired power generation. Case studies of recently constructed coal- and gas-fired plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Henderson, C. [IEA Clean Coal Centre, London (United Kingdom)

2007-10-23

To meet future energy demand growth and replace older or inefficient units, a large number of fossil fuel-fired plants will be required to be built worldwide in the next decade. Yet CO{sub 2} emissions from fossil-fired power generation are a major contributor to climate change. As a result, new plants must be designed and operated at highest efficiency both to reduce CO{sub 2} emissions and to facilitate deployment of CO{sub 2} capture and storage in the future. The series of case studies in this report, which respond to a request to the IEA from the G8 Summit in July 2005, were conducted to illustrate what efficiency is achieved now in modern plants in different parts of the world using different grades of fossil fuels. The plants were selected from different geographical areas, because local factors influence attainable efficiency. The case studies include pulverized coal combustion (PCC) with both subcritical and supercritical (very high pressure and temperature) steam turbine cycles, a review of current and future applications of coal-fuelled integrated gasification combined cycle plants (IGCC), and a case study of a natural gas fired combined cycle plant to facilitate comparisons. The results of these analyses show that the technologies for high efficiency (low CO{sub 2} emission) and very low conventional pollutant emissions (particulates, SO{sub 2}, NOx) from fossil fuel-fired power generation are available now through PCC, IGCC or NGCC at commercially acceptable cost. This report contains comprehensive technical and indicative cost information for modern fossil fuel-fired plants that was previously unavailable. It serves as a valuable sourcebook for policy makers and technical decision makers contemplating decisions to build new fossil fuel-fired power generation plants.

Improving the biological nitrogen removal process in pharmaceutical wastewater treatment plants: a case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Torrijos, M; Carrera, J; Lafuente, J

2004-04-01

The Biological Nitrogen Removal (BNR) process of some pharmaceutical wastewater treatment plants has important operational problems. This study shows that, in order to solve these problems, the design of industrial BNR processes should start by analysing three key parameters: the characteristics of the wastewater load, the determination of the maximum TKN removal rate and the detection of toxic or inhibitory compounds in the wastewater. A case study of this analysis in pharmaceutical wastewater is presented here. In this case, the conventional TKN analytical method does not make an accurate characterisation of the wastewater load because it measures a concentration of 100 mg TKN l(-1) whereas the real concentration, determined with a modified TKN analytical method, is 150-500 mg TKN l(-1). Also, the TKN removal of the treatment system is insufficient in some periods because it falls below legal requirements. This problem might be a consequence of the wrong characterisation of wastewater during the design process. The maximum TKN removal at 27 degrees C (24 mg N g VSS(-1) d(-1) or 197 mg N l(-1) d(-1)) was evaluated in a pilot-scale plant. This value is six times greater than the average NLR applied in the full-scale plant. Finally, some of the components of the wastewater, such as p-phenylenediamine, might have inhibitory or toxic effects on the biological process. P-phenylenediamine causes a large decrease in the nitrification rate. This effect was determined by respirometry. This methodology shows that the effect is mainly inhibitory with a contact time of 30 min and if the contact time is longer, 14 hours, a toxic effect is observed.

Plant Engineering and Construction System with Knowledge Management: A Case Study in NPP Construction in Hitachi-GE NE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mochida, T.; Hamamoto, M.; Nakamitsu, N.

2016-01-01

Full text: Hitachi-GE Nuclear Energy, Ltd. (HGNE) has more than 40 years BWR plants construction experience. The company continues to develop plant engineering system and plant construction systems based on the experience and the lessons learned. Currently, these systems are integrated in a variety of knowledge bases using the latest information technology (IT). Their performance is continuously validated in the recent NPP constructions. Typical examples are shown as case studies for knowledge management. These plant engineering and construction management systems are essential to achieve the on-time and on-budget-goals in NPP construction projects. (author

Efficiency of an emissions payment system for nitrogen in sewage treatment plants - a case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Malmaeus, J Mikael; Ek, Mats; Åmand, Linda; Roth, Susanna; Baresel, Christian; Olshammar, Mikael

2015-05-01

An emissions payment system for nitrogen in Swedish sewage treatment plants (STPs) was evaluated using a semi-empirical approach. The system was based on a tariff levied on each unit of nitrogen emitted by STPs, and profitable measures to reduce nitrogen emissions were identified for twenty municipal STPs. This was done through direct involvement with the plant personnel and the results were scaled up to cover all treatment plants larger than 2000 person equivalents in the Swedish tributary areas of the Kattegat and the Baltic Proper. The sum of costs and nitrogen reductions were compared with an assumed command-and-control regulation requiring all STPs to obtain 80% total nitrogen reduction in their effluents. Costs for the latter case were estimated using a database containing standard estimates for reduction costs by six specified measures. For both cases a total reduction target of 3000 tonnes of nitrogen was set. We did not find that the emissions payment system was more efficient in terms of total reduction costs, although some practical and administrative advantages could be identified. Our results emphasize the need to evaluate the performance of policy instruments on a case-by-case basis since the theoretical efficiency is not always reflected in practice. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Occurrence of plant sensitivity among patients of photodermatoses: A control-matched study of 156 cases from New Delhi

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kar Hemanta

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Background: Photodermatitis is an abnormal response to ultraviolet radiation (UVR. The photoallergic contact dermatitis caused by plant allergens is a serious cause of morbidity in India. Airborne contact dermatitis is the classical presentation of plant-induced dermatosis, which may become difficult to differentiate from chronic actinic dermatitis in chronic cases. The rapid growth of parthenium weed in India and its ill effects on the population make it important to detect all cases of parthenium sensitivity, which in some cases might simulate photodermatitis. Aims: This study aims to detect the occurrence of plant sensitivity and photosensitivity in idiopathic-acquired photodermatoses, airborne contact dermatitis and general population taken as controls. Methods: One hundred and fifty six consecutive patients suffering from polymorphic light eruption (PMLE, chronic actinic dermatitis (CAD and airborne contact dermatitis (ABCD were enrolled in the study over a period of three years (June 2004 to May 2007. An equal number of age and sex matched healthy subjects were enrolled in the study as controls. All the patients were subjected to detailed history taking, clinical examination and histopathological examination for diagnosis. Patch and photopatch testing were perfomed in all the patients and healthy controls for detection of allergic and photoallergic reactions to parthenium, xanthium and chrysanthemum plant antigens and control antigens. Results: Out of 156 patients enrolled in the study, 78 (50% had CAD, 67 (42.9% had PMLE and 11 (7.05% had ABCD. The occurrence of parthenium/xanthium allergy and photoallergy, either to parthenium or both was most commonly found in ABCD (72.7%, followed by CAD (32%. In PMLE 4.5% cases showed photoallergy. Only 1.9% in the control group showed sensitivity to parthenium and xanthium. Conclusion: This study indicates that parthenium (and possibly xanthium may act as important environmental factors in the

Alarm management in gas pipeline plant: a case study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Araujo, Juliano; Lima, Marcelo; Leitao, Gustavo; Guedes, Luiz Affonso [Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Norte (UFRN), Natal, RN (Brazil); Branco, Nicolau; Coelho, Robson; Elias, Gustavo Passos; Nunes, Marcelo [Transportadora Brasileira Gasoduto Bolivia-Brasil (TBG), Rio de Janeiro, RJ (Brazil)

2009-07-01

In order to improve the requirements of industrial processes, many decision support systems have been introduced in recent years. In this context, the alarm management systems have great relevance. On the other hand, the informatics revolution allowed a great increase of information concerning the operation of the industrial processes. Currently, process operators handle an excessive number of about 1.500 alarms per day. Thus, this overdose of information implies in the discredit of alarms. Then, in order to improve the operation activities of industrial processes, it is mandatory to incorporate procedures to evaluate and rationalize alarms. Since the EMMUA191 Standard is the reference guide to alarm management, but it does not specify how to execute an alarm management procedure, in this paper, a systematic procedure to evaluate alarms configurations in industrial processes is proposed. This procedure is in line with EMMUA191 and is composed by the following steps: to use statistics analyses to identify problematic alarms, such as occurrence, intermittency, correlation, and flooding calculation; to indicate problematic alarm group; and to propose a set of actions to be implemented. To validate our proposal, we present a case study in a gas pipeline plant using the BR-AlarmExpert software. (author)

Marginal costs of water savings from cooling system retrofits: a case study for Texas power plants

Science.gov (United States)

Loew, Aviva; Jaramillo, Paulina; Zhai, Haibo

2016-10-01

The water demands of power plant cooling systems may strain water supply and make power generation vulnerable to water scarcity. Cooling systems range in their rates of water use, capital investment, and annual costs. Using Texas as a case study, we examined the cost of retrofitting existing coal and natural gas combined-cycle (NGCC) power plants with alternative cooling systems, either wet recirculating towers or air-cooled condensers for dry cooling. We applied a power plant assessment tool to model existing power plants in terms of their key plant attributes and site-specific meteorological conditions and then estimated operation characteristics of retrofitted plants and retrofit costs. We determined the anticipated annual reductions in water withdrawals and the cost-per-gallon of water saved by retrofits in both deterministic and probabilistic forms. The results demonstrate that replacing once-through cooling at coal-fired power plants with wet recirculating towers has the lowest cost per reduced water withdrawals, on average. The average marginal cost of water withdrawal savings for dry-cooling retrofits at coal-fired plants is approximately 0.68 cents per gallon, while the marginal recirculating retrofit cost is 0.008 cents per gallon. For NGCC plants, the average marginal costs of water withdrawal savings for dry-cooling and recirculating towers are 1.78 and 0.037 cents per gallon, respectively.

Purchasing and supply quality management in a power plant : a case study

OpenAIRE

2012-01-01

M. Ing. This research study aims at presenting the management of quality problem issues that often result from procured items in a power plant. The motivation for carrying out this research was an unacceptable risk of undesirable impact on plant availability, or operating costs that arises from quality problem issues of procured items in a particular power plant. In this dissertation, the author aims to provide an overview of quality management and procurement management, by focusing on ho...

Optimization-based methodology for wastewater treatment plant synthesis – a full scale retrofitting case study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Bozkurt, Hande; Gernaey, Krist; Sin, Gürkan

2015-01-01

Existing wastewater treatment plants (WWTP) need retrofitting in order to better handle changes in the wastewater flow and composition, reduce operational costs as well as meet newer and stricter regulatory standards on the effluent discharge limits. In this study, we use an optimization based...... technologies. The superstructure optimization problem is formulated as a Mixed Integer (non)Linear Programming problem and solved for different scenarios - represented by different objective functions and constraint definitions. A full-scale domestic wastewater treatment plant (265,000 PE) is used as a case...... framework to manage the multi-criteria WWTP design/retrofit problem for domestic wastewater treatment. The design space (i.e. alternative treatment technologies) is represented in a superstructure, which is coupled with a database containing data for both performance and economics of the novel alternative...

Studies in biological excretion of inhaled plutonium in the case of a few occupational workers in a fuel reprocessing plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hedge, A.G.; Chandramouli, S.; Iyer, R.S.; Bhat, I.S.

1992-01-01

A power reactor fuel reprocessing plant is in operation at Tarapur. The various processes involved in the plant are: fuel rod cutting, dissolution in nitric acid, separation of plutonium, and handling of separated plutonium. The chemical form of plutonium could be nitrate, TBP complex, or oxide depending upon the nature of the process involved. Possible internal exposure to plant personnel occurs mainly by inhalation and occasionally through a contaminated wound. Occupational workers are regularly monitored for internal contamination by urinary excretion analysis as well as by in-vivo lung counting. This paper presents a follow-up study of plutonium elimination in four inhalation exposure cases. (author) 8 refs.; 6 figs

Rural nutrition interventions with indigenous plant foods - a case study of vitamin A deficiency in Malawi

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Babu S.C.

2000-01-01

Full Text Available Identification, propagation, and introduction of a nutritionally rich, indigenous plant species in the existing cropping system are presented in this paper as a method of rural nutrition intervention. A case study of Moringa (Moringa oleifera Lam., Moringaceae, which is a common tree in Malawi and one of the richest sources of vitamin A and vitamin C compared to the commonly consumed vegetables is presented to address the problem of vitamin A deficiency. After a brief review of the prevalence of vitamin A deficiency and the efforts to reduce its incidence in Malawi, Moringa is suggested as a potential solution to the problem. A framework for designing nutrition intervention with Moringa is described for actual implementation. It is argued that attempts to identify, document, and encourage the utilization of nutrient-rich indigenous plants could be cost-effective, and a sustainable method of improving the nutritional status of local populations.

Rock cavity construction of a nuclear power plant: a case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Loken, P.C.; Bakke, J.; Gloersen, I.

1979-01-01

The major findings of a comprehensive study of the major aspects of rock cavity construction of a large nuclear power plant are: (1) current technology is adequate for the realization of such construction; (2) a method for estimating the probability of rock fallout and gross cavity instability is presently not available; (3) certain design modifications and amplifications must be made to prevent dependent failures; (4) no significant reduction in the immediate radiological effects of Class 9 accidents will result unless special design measures are made for this purpose; (5) the vulnerability of the plant to certain external effects is significantly reduced; (6) the total time for the realization of such construction will be significantly longer than that for a traditionally constructed plant; and (7) the extra cost will be substantial

Exploring the nature of science through courage and purpose: a case study of Nikolai Vavilov and plant biodiversity.

Science.gov (United States)

Cohen, Joel I; Loskutov, Igor G

2016-01-01

Historical biographies facilitate teaching the 'nature of science'. This case study focuses on how Nikolai Vavilov's unrelenting sense of purpose, courage, and charismatic personality was maintained during violent revolutionary change in Russia. The rediscovery of Gregor Mendel's laws of inheritance provided Vavilov with a scientific foundation for crop improvement, this foundation was later bolstered by Vavilov's personal drive to conserve plant biodiversity. As he advanced theories and pragmatic approaches for genetic improvement and conservation of plants, political leaders in Russian came to reject Mendel's principles and eventually Vavilov's work. This rejection occurred because Joseph Stalin was desperate for a quick remedy to the famine and suffering from forced collective agriculture. Vavilov's work continued, modernizing Russian crop research while inspiring other scientists to save seeds stored in the world's first gene bank. Three themes illustrating the nature of science help examine Vavilov's life: explaining natural phenomena, uncompromising human endeavor, and revising scientific knowledge. The case study concludes with four questions to stimulate student inquiry and self-guided research. They also deepen student understanding of Vavilov's personal sacrifices to ensure use and conservation of plant biodiversity.

Manufacturing economics of plant-made biologics: case studies in therapeutic and industrial enzymes.

Science.gov (United States)

Tusé, Daniel; Tu, Tiffany; McDonald, Karen A

2014-01-01

Production of recombinant biologics in plants has received considerable attention as an alternative platform to traditional microbial and animal cell culture. Industrially relevant features of plant systems include proper eukaryotic protein processing, inherent safety due to lack of adventitious agents, more facile scalability, faster production (transient systems), and potentially lower costs. Lower manufacturing cost has been widely claimed as an intuitive feature of the platform by the plant-made biologics community, even though cost information resides within a few private companies and studies accurately documenting such an advantage have been lacking. We present two technoeconomic case studies representing plant-made enzymes for diverse applications: human butyrylcholinesterase produced indoors for use as a medical countermeasure and cellulases produced in the field for the conversion of cellulosic biomass into ethanol as a fuel extender. Production economics were modeled based on results reported with the latest-generation expression technologies on Nicotiana host plants. We evaluated process unit operations and calculated bulk active and per-dose or per-unit costs using SuperPro Designer modeling software. Our analyses indicate that substantial cost advantages over alternative platforms can be achieved with plant systems, but these advantages are molecule/product-specific and depend on the relative cost-efficiencies of alternative sources of the same product.

Manufacturing Economics of Plant-Made Biologics: Case Studies in Therapeutic and Industrial Enzymes

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Daniel Tusé

2014-01-01

Full Text Available Production of recombinant biologics in plants has received considerable attention as an alternative platform to traditional microbial and animal cell culture. Industrially relevant features of plant systems include proper eukaryotic protein processing, inherent safety due to lack of adventitious agents, more facile scalability, faster production (transient systems, and potentially lower costs. Lower manufacturing cost has been widely claimed as an intuitive feature of the platform by the plant-made biologics community, even though cost information resides within a few private companies and studies accurately documenting such an advantage have been lacking. We present two technoeconomic case studies representing plant-made enzymes for diverse applications: human butyrylcholinesterase produced indoors for use as a medical countermeasure and cellulases produced in the field for the conversion of cellulosic biomass into ethanol as a fuel extender. Production economics were modeled based on results reported with the latest-generation expression technologies on Nicotiana host plants. We evaluated process unit operations and calculated bulk active and per-dose or per-unit costs using SuperPro Designer modeling software. Our analyses indicate that substantial cost advantages over alternative platforms can be achieved with plant systems, but these advantages are molecule/product-specific and depend on the relative cost-efficiencies of alternative sources of the same product.

Case-control study of lung cancer among workers at a uranium processing plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cookfair, D.L.

1982-01-01

The purpose of this case-control study was to investigate the relationship between exposure to radiation resulting from the inhalation of uranium dust and the dust of uranium-bearing compounds and death due to lung cancer. Cases and controls were chosen from a cohort of white male workers employed at one uranium processing plant during World War II. The 330 cases consisted of all lung cancer deaths occurring in the cohort between 1943 and 1973. Level of exposure to radiation and other potential workplace carcinogens was determined for each worker using process manuals, industrial hygiene reports, air monitoring data and individual work histories. Smoking status and information regarding medical variables was determined from employee medical records. Cumulative radiation lung dose among study population members ranged from 0 to 75 rads. Data were analyzed using Mantel-Haenszel stratified analysis and logistic regression. Relative risk was found to increase with increasing level of lung dose exposure even after controlling for age, smoking status and other workplace exposures, but only for those who were over the age of 44 when first exposed. A statistically significant excess in risk was found for men in this hire age group with a cumulative lung dose of 20 rads or more. The risk associated with the overall work environment was also investigated using a summary measure of total workplace exposure called chemical rank. A similar relationship existed between chemical rank and lung cancer to that found for cumulative lung dose and lung cancer

Comparing Two Operating Configurations in a Full-Scale Arsenic Removal Plant. Case Study: Guatemala

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sofía E. Garrido Hoyos

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The present study was conducted in Naranjo County located in the municipality of Mixco, Guatemala. The water supply source comes from two wells with a maximum flow of 25.24 and 33.44 L·s−1. The main problem with this source is the high arsenic concentration—between 0.1341 and 0.1671 mg·L−1. The aim of this study was to conduct laboratory tests, basic engineering and supervision of the construction and evaluation of an operations plant using two configurations, A (low-rate sedimentation and ceramic filter and B (high-rate sedimentation and clinoptilolite filter, to remove arsenic present in water for human use and consumption. This plant supplies water to Naranjo County in Mixco, Guatemala (5000 inhabitants. First, a laboratory Jar Test was performed to evaluate arsenic removal efficiency. And second, a conventional clarification plant was then built (design flow: 25.24 L·s−1. The best results were achieved with configuration B, with the following reagents and dosage as defined by the laboratory tests: 10 mg L−1 ferric chloride as coagulant; 1.8 mg·L−1 CH-polyfocal as flocculant and 0.4 mg L−1 MIT03 as color removal; 1 mg L−1 sodium hypochlorite as oxidant and adjusting pH to ≈7.0 with sodium hydroxide. Once the plant began operating, the efficiency of the treatment process was evaluated. The maximum elimination efficiencies were obtained 100% for turbidity (0 UTN, 89.54% (3.66 UPt-Co for color and 96.80% (0.005 mg L−1 for arsenic, values that comply with Guatemalan standards. For this case, the relation between Fe(III dosage/mg and As(V removal was 1:46.

Case studies in residual use and energy conservation at wastewater treatment plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stewart, D. [Science Applications International Corp., Los Altos, CA (United States)

1995-06-01

The US Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the National Renewable Energy Laboratory (NREL) for the US Department of Energy (DOE) funded a study to document energy conservation activities and their effects on operation costs, regulatory compliance, and process optimization at several wastewater treatment plants (WWTPS). The purpose of this report is to review the efforts of wastewater treatment Facilities that use residuals as fuels. Case histories are presented for facilities that have taken measures to reduce energy consumption during wastewater treatment. Most of the WWTPs discussed in this report have retrofitted existing facilities to achieve energy conservation. The case studies of energy conservation measures found no effects on the facilities` ability to comply with NPDES permits. Indeed, energy conservation activities enhance environmental compliance in several ways.

Fatigue damage in nuclear power plants: cases study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Goltrant, O.; Thebault, Y.

2001-01-01

Some fatigue cracks have been detected on nuclear power plants components. Generally they appears under local solicitations not correctly predicted. Two cases are presented in this paper to illustrate the problem: the pitting during mechanical fatigue where the stresses are induced by the pumps vibrations or by fluid flow; the mixing zones of RRA circuit (N4 bearing) where the stresses are induced by the flow of different temperature fluids. The examination allowed the identification of the cracking origin and the development of corrective solutions. (A.L.B.)

Nuclear power plant site selection: a case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lugasi, Y.; Mehrez, A.; Sinuany-Stern, Z.

1985-01-01

Selecting the site for a nuclear power plant involves the evaluation of numerous criteria and the professional judgment of various experts. The Israel Atomic Energy Commission has been concerned with the problem of selecting a site for a nuclear power station. Previous studies have been performed by the commission to identify potential sites. There were initial screenings where potential sites were chosen according to various minimal criteria and international standards. Only sites that met all the criteria were chosen. A study was made to find the most preferred site among the potential sites that met all the criteria. Two mathematical approaches were used: Keeney's multiattribute utility function and Saaty's eigenvalue prioritization technique. Both models ranked the same site as the most desirable; however, the models differed in their ranking of the other sites

Adaptive transgenerational plasticity in plants: case studies, mechanisms, and implications for natural populations

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jacob J. Herman

2011-12-01

Full Text Available Plants respond to environmental conditions not only by plastic changes to their own development and physiology, but also by altering the phenotypes expressed by their offspring. This transgenerational plasticity was initially considered to entail only negative effects of stressful parental environments, such as production of smaller seeds by resource- or temperature-stressed parent plants, and was therefore viewed as environmental noise. Recent evolutionary ecology studies have shown that in some cases, these inherited environmental effects can include specific growth adjustments that are functionally adaptive to the parental conditions that induced them, which can range from contrasting states of controlled laboratory environments to the complex habitat variation encountered by natural plant populations. Preliminary findings suggest that adaptive transgenerational effects can be transmitted by means of diverse mechanisms including changes to seed provisioning and biochemistry, and epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation that can persist across multiple generations. These non-genetically inherited adaptations can influence the ecological breadth and evolutionary dynamics of plant taxa and promote the spread of invasive plants. Interdisciplinary studies that join mechanistic and evolutionary ecology approaches will be an important source of future insights.

Adaptive transgenerational plasticity in plants: case studies, mechanisms, and implications for natural populations.

Science.gov (United States)

Herman, Jacob J; Sultan, Sonia E

2011-01-01

Plants respond to environmental conditions not only by plastic changes to their own development and physiology, but also by altering the phenotypes expressed by their offspring. This transgenerational plasticity was initially considered to entail only negative effects of stressful parental environments, such as production of smaller seeds by resource- or temperature-stressed parent plants, and was therefore viewed as environmental noise. Recent evolutionary ecology studies have shown that in some cases, these inherited environmental effects can include specific growth adjustments that are functionally adaptive to the parental conditions that induced them, which can range from contrasting states of controlled laboratory environments to the complex habitat variation encountered by natural plant populations. Preliminary findings suggest that adaptive transgenerational effects can be transmitted by means of diverse mechanisms including changes to seed provisioning and biochemistry, and epigenetic modifications such as DNA methylation that can persist across multiple generations. These non-genetically inherited adaptations can influence the ecological breadth and evolutionary dynamics of plant taxa and promote the spread of invasive plants. Interdisciplinary studies that join mechanistic and evolutionary ecology approaches will be an important source of future insights.

Efficiency analysis of hydroelectric generating plants: A case study for Portugal

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barros, Carlos Pestana

2008-01-01

This paper estimates changes in total productivity, breaking this down into technically efficient change and technological change, by means of data envelopment analysis (DEA) applied to the hydroelectric energy generating plants of EDP - the Portugal Electricity Company. The aim of this procedure is to seek out those best practices that will lead to improved performance in the energy market. We rank the plants according to their change in total productivity for the period 2001-2004, concluding that some plants experienced productivity growth while others experienced a decrease in productivity. The implications arising from the study are that EDP should adopt an internal benchmark management procedure in order to evaluate the relative position of each hydroelectric generating plant and to adopt managerial strategies designed to catch up with the frontier of 'best practices'. As the frontier is shifting along the time, constant efforts are needed in this respect along the time. (author)

Virtual control desk for operators training: a case study for a nuclear power plant simulator

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aghina, Mauricio Alves da Cunha e

2009-03-01

Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) is a facility for electrical energy generation. Because of its high degree of complexity and very rigid norms of security it is extremely necessary that operators are very well trained for the NPP operation. A mistaken operation by a human operator may cause a shutdown of the NPP, incurring in a huge economical damage for the owner and for the population in the case of a electric net black out. To reduce the possibility of a mistaken operation, the NPP usually have a full scope simulator of the plant's control room, which is the physical copy of the original control room. The control of this simulator is a computer program that can generate the equal functioning of the normal one or some scenarios of accidents to train the operators in many abnormal conditions of the plant. A physical copy of the control room has a high cost for its construction, not only of its facilities but also for its physical components. The proposal of this work is to present a project of a virtual simulator with the modeling in 3D stereo of a control room of a given nuclear plant with the same operation functions of the original simulator. This virtual simulator will have a lower cost and serves for pretraining of operators with the intention of making them familiar to the original control room. (author)

Integrating NRDA and CERCLA environmental evaluations at the Rocky Flats Plant: A case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Knudsen, T.L.

1993-01-01

The purpose of this paper is to briefly review cleanup regulations in reference to natural resource liability, protection, and restoration; to present a case study on the Rocky Flats Plant (RFP) showing how this DOE facility is approaching the task of integrating the ecological assessment/impact portion of three major regulatory mandates: Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA), Comprehensive Environmental Response, Compensation and Liability Act (CERCLA), and the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) with the Natural Resource Damage Assessment (NRDA) regulations using a flow chart depicting RCRA/CERCLA interim and final actions; to present what has and has not worked at the RFP; and, finally to suggest some technical strategies when planning for remediation and restoration in the NRD process that should be considered

Loss-of-benefits analysis for nuclear power plant shutdowns: methodology and illustrative case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Peerenboom, J.P.; Buehring, W.A.; Guziel, K.A.

1983-11-01

A framework for loss-of-benefits analysis and a taxomony for identifying and categorizing the effects of nuclear power plant shutdowns or accidents are presented. The framework consists of three fundamental steps: (1) characterizing the shutdown; (2) identifying benefits lost as a result of the shutdown; and (3) quantifying effects. A decision analysis approach to regulatory decision making is presented that explicitly considers the loss of benefits. A case study of a hypothetical reactor shutdown illustrates one key loss of benefits: net replacement energy costs (i.e., change in production costs). Sensitivity studies investigate the responsiveness of case study results to changes in nuclear capacity factor, load growth, fuel price escalation, and discount rate. The effects of multiple reactor shutdowns on production costs are also described

Distribution strategy: : A case study of Plantui Oy

OpenAIRE

Korpinen, Sakari; Siltala, Roope

2015-01-01

Distribution strategy: A case study of Plantui Oy Year 2015 Pages 57 Plantui is a Finnish start-up company focusing on enabling customers to grow plants at home. Plantui operates in the field of design and food tech. Plantui’s product offering consists of the Smart Garden, a device in which the plants are grown. Another product which Plantui offers to its customers is the plant capsules from which the plants are grown, with the help of the Smart Garden device. Plantui’s selling propos...

Base case industrial reprocessing plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1978-11-01

This paper briefly describes an industrial scale plant for reprocessing thermal oxide fuel. This description was used as a base case by the Group for their later assessments and for comparing actual national plans for reprocessing plants. The plant described uses the Purex process and assumes an annual throughput of 1000 t/U. The maintenance, safety and safeguards philosophy is described. An indication of the construction schedule and capital and operating costs is also given

To Stretch the Boundary of Secondary Metabolite Production in Plant Cell-Based Bioprocessing: Anthocyanin as a Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wei Zhang

2004-01-01

Full Text Available Plant cells and tissue cultures hold great promise for controlled production of a myriad of useful secondary metabolites on demand. The current yield and productivity cannot fulfill the commercial goal of a plant cell-based bioprocess for the production of most secondary metabolites. In order to stretch the boundary, recent advances, new directions and opportunities in plant cell-based bioprocessing, have been critically examined for the 10 years from 1992 to 2002. A review of the literature indicated that most of the R&D work was devoted predominantly to studies at an empirical level. A rational approach to molecular plant cell bioprocessing based on the fundamental understanding of metabolic pathways and their regulations is urgently required to stimulate further advances; however, the strategies and technical framework are still being developed. It is the aim of this review to take a step forward in framing workable strategies and technologies for molecular plant cell-based bioprocessing. Using anthocyanin biosynthesis as a case study, an integrated postgenomic approach has been proposed. This combines the functional analysis of metabolic pathways for biosynthesis of a particular metabolite from profiling of gene expression and protein expression to metabolic profiling. A global correlation not only can thus be established at the three molecular levels, but also places emphasis on the interactions between primary metabolism and secondary metabolism; between competing and/or complimentary pathways; and between biosynthetic and post-biosynthetic events.

Management of arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi by growing petunia hybrida (l.) mill. as an ornamental plant in saudi arabia - a case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Qarawi, A.A.; Mridha, M.A.U.; Alghamdi, O.M.

2014-01-01

Arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) regarded as ubiquitous soil fungi which help in improving plant growth under harsh conditions. Petunia hybrida is one of the most favorite ornamental plants growing all over the Riyadh city of Saudi Arabia. In the present study, we would like to highlight the Petunia as a mycotrophic plant for the management of mycorrhizal fungi under field conditions. Roots along with rhizosphere soils of P. hybrida were collected from various sites in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia to study AM colonization and biodiversity of AMF. The data obtained in this study indicated that P. hybrida is a very highly mycotrophic plants, and all the samples produced very high colonization with mycelium, vesicles, coiled hyphae and arbuscules. The significant variation was found with the occurrence of mycelium and vesicles among the locations but in case of arbuscules more or less same range of occurrence was found. Only different species of Glomus were observed in all the locations. Glomus showed diversity in all the locations as indicated by the Shanon Diversity Index. As the P. hybrida is a highly mycotrophic plant, so this plant may be grown under harsh condition of Saudi Arabia to manage the plant growth under different stresses viz., water stress, saline soils and heavy metal toxicity conditions. (author)

Evaluation of Power Generation Efficiency of Cascade Hydropower Plants: A Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jiahua Wei

2013-02-01

Full Text Available Effective utilization of scarce water resources has presented a significant challenge to respond to the needs created by rapid economic growth in China. In this study, the efficiency of the joint operation of the Three Gorges and Gezhouba cascade hydropower plants in terms of power generation was evaluated on the basis of a precise simulation-optimization technique. The joint operation conditions of the Three Gorges and Gezhouba hydropower plants between 2004 and 2010 were utilized in this research in order to investigate the major factors that could affect power output of the cascade complex. The results showed that the current power output of the Three Gorges and Gezhouba cascade complex had already reached around 90% of the maximum theoretical value. Compared to other influencing factors evaluated in this study, the accuracy of hydrological forecasts and flood control levels can have significant impact on the power generating efficiency, whereas the navigation has a minor influence. This research provides a solid quantitative-based methodology to assess the operation efficiency of cascade hydropower plants, and more importantly, proposes potential methods that could improve the operation efficiency of cascade hydropower plants.

Studies in training nuclear plant personnel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamlin, K.W.

1987-01-01

One of the lessons learned from the Three Mile Island (TMI) accident was that the nuclear industry was ineffective in learning from previous events at other plants. As training programs and methods have improved since TMI, the nuclear industry has searched for effective methods to teach the lessons learned from industry events. The case study method has great potential as a solution. By reviewing actual plant events in detail, trainees can be challenged with solving actual problems. When used in a seminar or discussion format, these case studies also help trainees compare their decision-making processes with other trainees, the instructor, and the personnel involved in the actual case study event

Case studies on the feasibility of the transient analysis system STAR in German nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Buettner, W.E.; Felkel, L.; Zapp, A.

1984-01-01

On the basis of distubances which actually have occurred in German nuclear power plants a case-study has been performed to evaluate the feasibility of the computer-based disturbance analysis system STAR. By means of a compact plant simulator the disturbances collected have been remodelled and anlysed, on-line, with the disturbance analysis system STAR. In the last phase of the project experiments have been performed with reactor operators to get their reaction to, and opinion on, computerbased-operator aids. (orig.) [de

Estimating population exposure to power plant emissions using CALPUFF: a case study in Beijing, China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ying Zhou; Levy, J.I. [Harvard School of Public Health, Boston, MA (United States); Hammitt, J.K.; Evans, J.S. [Harvard Center for Risk Analysis, Boston, MA (United States)

2003-02-01

Epidemiological studies have shown a significant association between ambient particulate matter (PM) exposures and increased mortality and morbidity risk. Power plants are significant emitters of precursor gases of fine particulate matter. To evaluate the public health risk posed by power plants, it is necessary to evaluate population exposure to different pollutants. The concept of intake fraction (the fraction of a pollutant emitted that is eventually inhaled or ingested by a population) has been proposed to provide a simple summary measure of the relationship between emissions and exposure. Currently available intake fraction estimates from developing countries used models that look only at the near field impacts, which may not capture the full impact of a pollution source. This case study demonstrated how the intake fraction of power plant emissions in China can be calculated using a detailed long-range atmospheric dispersion model-CALPUFF. We found that the intake fraction of primary fine particles is roughly on the order of 10{sup -5}, while the intake fractions of sulfur dioxide, sulfate and nitrate are on the order of 10{sup -6}. These estimates are an order of magnitude higher than the US estimates. We also tested how sensitive the results were to key assumptions within the model. The size distribution of primary particles has a large impact on the intake fraction for primary particles while the background ammonia concentration is an important factor influencing the intake fraction of nitrate. The background ozone concentration has a moderate impact on the intake fraction of sulfate and nitrate. Our analysis shows that this approach is applicable to a developing country and it provides reasonable population exposure estimates. (author)

Estimating population exposure to power plant emissions using CALPUFF: a case study in Beijing, China

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhou, Y.; Levy, J.I.; Hammitt, J.K.; Evans, J.S. [Harvard University, Boston, MA (USA). School of Public Health, Landmark Center

2003-02-01

Power plants are significant emitters of precursor gases of fine particulate matter. To evaluate the public health risk posed by power plants, it is necessary to evaluate population exposure to different pollutants. The concept of intake fraction (the fraction of a pollutant emitted that is eventually inhaled or ingested by a population) has been proposed to provide a simple summary measure of the relationship between emissions and exposure. Currently available intake fraction estimates from developing countries used models that look only at the near field impacts, which may not capture the full impact of a pollution source. This case study demonstrated how the intake fraction of power plant emissions in China can be calculated using a detailed long-range atmospheric dispersion model, CALPUFF. It was found that the intake fraction of primary fine particles is roughly on the order of 10{sup -5}, while the intake fractions of sulfur dioxide, sulfate and nitrate are on the order of 10{sup -6}. These estimates are an order of magnitude higher than the US estimates. The authors also tested how sensitive the results were to key assumptions within the model. The size distribution of primary particles has a large impact on the intake fraction for primary particles while the background ammonia concentration is an important factor influencing the intake fraction of nitrate. The background ozone concentration has a moderate impact on the intake fraction of sulfate and nitrate.

A method for under-sampled ecological network data analysis: plant-pollination as case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peter B. Sorensen

2012-01-01

Full Text Available In this paper, we develop a method, termed the Interaction Distribution (ID method, for analysis of quantitative ecological network data. In many cases, quantitative network data sets are under-sampled, i.e. many interactions are poorly sampled or remain unobserved. Hence, the output of statistical analyses may fail to differentiate between patterns that are statistical artefacts and those which are real characteristics of ecological networks. The ID method can support assessment and inference of under-sampled ecological network data. In the current paper, we illustrate and discuss the ID method based on the properties of plant-animal pollination data sets of flower visitation frequencies. However, the ID method may be applied to other types of ecological networks. The method can supplement existing network analyses based on two definitions of the underlying probabilities for each combination of pollinator and plant species: (1, pi,j: the probability for a visit made by the i’th pollinator species to take place on the j’th plant species; (2, qi,j: the probability for a visit received by the j’th plant species to be made by the i’th pollinator. The method applies the Dirichlet distribution to estimate these two probabilities, based on a given empirical data set. The estimated mean values for pi,j and qi,j reflect the relative differences between recorded numbers of visits for different pollinator and plant species, and the estimated uncertainty of pi,j and qi,j decreases with higher numbers of recorded visits.

Location and sizing of a plant stack: Design study using CFD

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petrangeli, Gianni

2011-01-01

Highlights: → The paper is a test of applicability of CFD Codes to a nuclear plant stack. → Six cases are studied and comparison is made with common methods. → A comparison with field test data is made. → The study shows that CFD Codes are adequate even in presence of complicated building arrangements. - Abstract: The effect of the presence of a stack on the ground level concentration of emissions near the plant is to significantly decrease the concentrations (in practical cases of interest, by a factor of 5-10), while the presence of nearby plant buildings is to partly eliminate this beneficial effect due to the effect of the building wake. The author of this paper believes that the practical methods currently used for the evaluation of ground concentrations in these cases deserve some improvement. One line of development here suggested is the use of Computer Fluid Dynamics (CFD) codes. The author believes that presently available Code Packages in this field are sufficiently accurate. A number of case studies are presented in this paper, with the aim of encouraging the use of these rather simple methods of study. Moreover, a comparison of calculation results with a field test results confirms also the quantitative reliability of the calculation method here proposed. The main conclusions of this exercise could be the following: -The use of CFD Computer Codes seems suitable for atmospheric dispersion calculations of interest to the nuclear plant designer and safety analyst; in particular, for design studies aimed at the definition of nuclear plant and stack arrangements, the result of this exercise seem to indicate that the methods here used are completely suitable for the comparison of various solutions. -The use of CFD codes may avoid wrong decisions, like the elimination of a stack in the design of a nuclear plant; excessive and detrimental over-conservatism can also be avoided. -When adequate guidance is provided, as this paper attempts to do (), the CFD

The Pinellas Plant RCRA facility investigation - A case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kilbury, Richard; Keshian, Berg; Farley, Dwain; Meyer, David; Ingle, David; Biedermann, Charles

1992-01-01

Under the direction of the U.S. Department of Energy Albuquerque Field Office Environmental Restoration Program, a Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Facility Investigation (RFI) was completed at the Pinellas Plant to fulfill requirements of the Hazardous and Solid Waste Amendments of 1984 (HSWA) permit issued on February 9, 1990 by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). This RFI addressed potential contaminant releases and environmental conditions at 15 solid waste management units (SWMUs). The RFI characterization program began in April 1990 and was completed in May 1991. The scope of RFI data collection activities is presented in the Pinellas Plant RFI Workplan issued in May 1990 and approved by EPA on April 16, 1991. An RFI Report was submitted to EPA on September 1, 1991. This paper presents a summary of RFI results and conclusions. Primary environmental concerns at the Pinellas Plant are emphasized. (author)

A fast prediction of plant behaviour in the steam generator tube rupture accident at Mihama unit 2 using a similar case

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gofuku, Akio; Tanaka, Yutaka; Numoto, Atsushi; Yoshikawa, Hidekazu.

1996-01-01

It is important to predict fast and accurately future trend of behaviour of a nuclear power plant in an emergency situation. The case-based reasoning is a strong tool for this purpose because it solves a problem by effectively using past similar cases. This study investigates the applicability of the case-based reasoning as a fast prediction technique of plant behaviour. This paper discusses a prediction of initial plant behaviour in the steam generator tube rupture accident happened at the Mihama nuclear power plant unit 2 by using the behaviour data of an accident of the same type happened at Prairie Island nuclear power plant unit 1. The prediction results coincide well with the reported plant behaviour although there are several important differences in the detailed plant specifications and operator actions between the two SGTR accidents. (author)

Intelligent method of plant dynamics behavior estimation by effectively applying similar cases

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gofuku, Akio; Numoto, Atsushi; Yoshikawa, Hidekazu

1994-01-01

In order to accomplish efficient execution of a dynamic simulation of engineering systems, it is important to construct suitable mathematical models for the simulation. In the construction of the mathematical models, it is necessary to estimate the system's behavior to suppose the phenomena which are needed to be modeled. The case-based reasoning is considered to be a powerful tool to estimate the outline of system's behavior because we often estimate it from the similar cases which are stored as our experience or in literature. In this study, the technique based on similar cases is investigated to estimate the outline of time-responses of several important variables of pressurized water reactor (PWR) plants at a small break loss of coolant accident (SBLOCA). The registered cases in case base are gathered from various reports and the authors' numerical simulations related with SBLOCA of PWR plants. The functions to use in the case retrieval are formed from the characteristic features of SBLOCA of PWR plants. On the other hand, the rules to use in the case refinement are obtained from the qualitative and quantitative consideration of plants' behaviors of the cases in the case base. The applicability of the technique is discussed by two simple estimation trials of plant behavior. (author)

Reliability analysis of mining equipment: A case study of a crushing plant at Jajarm Bauxite Mine in Iran

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Barabady, Javad; Kumar, Uday

2008-01-01

The performance of mining machines depends on the reliability of the equipment used, the operating environment, the maintenance efficiency, the operation process, the technical expertise of the miners, etc. As the size and complexity of mining equipments continue to increase, the implications of equipment failure become ever more critical. Therefore, reliability analysis is required to identify the bottlenecks in the system and to find the components or subsystems with low reliability for a given designed performance. It is important to select a suitable method for data collection as well as for reliability analysis. This paper presents a case study describing reliability and availability analysis of the crushing plant number 3 at Jajarm Bauxite Mine in Iran. In this study, the crushing plant number 3 is divided into six subsystems. The parameters of some probability distributions, such as Weibull, Exponential, and Lognormal distributions have been estimated by using ReliaSoft's Weibull++6 software. The results of the analysis show that the conveyer subsystem and secondary screen subsystem are critical from a reliability point of view, and the secondary crusher subsystem and conveyer subsystem are critical from an availability point of view. The study also shows that the reliability analysis is very useful for deciding maintenance intervals

Management and Motivations to Manage “Wild” Food Plants. A Case Study in a Mestizo Village in the Amazon Deforestation Frontier

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gisella S. Cruz-Garcia

2017-10-01

Full Text Available Human management of anthropogenic environments and species is tightly linked to the ecology and evolution of plants gathered by humans. This is certainly the case for wild food plants, which exist on a continuum of human management. Given alarming deforestation rates, wild food plant gathering is increasingly occurring in anthropogenic ecosystems, where farmers actively manage these species in order to ensure their availability and access. This study was conducted in a mestizo village in the Peruvian Amazon deforestation frontier, with the objective of documenting the management practices, including the human-induced movement of wild food plant species across the forest-agriculture landscape, and the motivations that farmers have to manage them using a qualitative ethnobotanical approach. The results of focus group discussions showed that 67% of the 30 “wild” food plant species reported for the village were managed, and almost all plants that were managed have been transplanted. The strongest flow of transplanted material was from forest to agricultural field (11 species, followed by market to field (five species, and field to home garden (four species. Farmers argued that the main reason for transplanting “wild” food plants was to have them closer to home, because they perceived that the abundance of 77% of these species decreased in the last years. Conversely, the most important reason for not transplanting a “wild” plant was the long time it takes to grow, stated for 67% of the species that have not been transplanted. Remarkably, more than half (57% of the “wild” food plant species, including 76% of the species that are managed, have been classified as weeds by scientific literature. Finally, the “wild” food plant species were classified in six mutually exclusive groups according to management form and perceived abundance. The study concluded that “wild” food plant management, including management of species classified

Ambient temperature effects on gas turbine power plant: A case study in Iran

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gorji, M.; Fouladi, F.

2007-01-01

Actual thermal efficiency, electric-power output, fuel-air ratio and specific fuel consumption (SFC) vary according to the ambient conditions. The amount of these variations greatly affects those parameters as well as the plant incomes. In this paper the effect of ambient temperature as a seasonal variation on a gas power plant has been numerically studied. For this purpose, the gas turbine model and different climate seasonal variations of Ray in Iran are considered in this study. For the model, by using average monthly temperature data of the region, the different effective parameters were compared to those in standard design conditions. The results show that ambient temperature increase will decrease thermal efficiency, electric-power out put and fuel-air ratio of the gas turbine plant whereas increases the specific fuel consumption

Biogas plants site selection integrating Multicriteria Decision Aid methods and GIS techniques: A case study in a Portuguese region

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Silva, Sandra; Alçada-Almeida, Luís; Dias, Luís C.

2014-01-01

This work addresses the problem of determining the most suitable sites for locating biogas plants using dairy manure as feedstock, specifically in the Entre-Douro-e-Minho Region in Portugal. A Multicriteria Spatial Decision Support System is developed to tackle this complex multicriteria decision-making problem, involving constraints and many environmental, economic, safety, and social factors. The approach followed combines the use of a Geographic Information System (GIS) to manage and process spatial information with the flexibility of Multicriteria Decision Aid (MCDA) to assess factual information (e.g. soil type, slope, infrastructures) with more subjective information (e.g. expert opinion). The MCDA method used is ELECTRE TRI, an outranking-type method that yields a classification of the possible alternatives. The results of the performed analysis show that the use of ELECTRE TRI is suitable to address real-world problems of land suitability, leading towards a flexible and integrated assessment. - Highlights: • We present a spatial multi-criteria methodology to decide biogas plants siting. • Methodology combines ELECTRE TRI with GIS for spatial analysis. • Constraints and environmental, economic and social factors have been identified. • The methodology is illustrated with application to a case study in the EDM Region. • A suitability map was generated, identifying the most suitable biogas plant locations

Shamir secret sharing scheme with dynamic access structure (SSSDAS). Case study on nuclear power plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Thiyagarajan, P.; Thandra, Prasanth Kumar; Rajan, J.; Satyamurthy, S.A.V. [Indira Gandhi Centre for Atomic Research (IGCAR), Kalpakkam (India). Computer Div.; Aghila, G. [National Institute of Technology, Karaikal (India). Dept. of Computer Science and Engineering

2015-05-15

In recent years, due to the sophistication offered by the Internet, strategic organizations like nuclear power plants are linked to the outside world communication through the Internet. The entry of outside world communication into strategic organization (nuclear power plant) increases the hacker's attempts to crack its security and to trace any information which is being sent among the top level officials. Information security system in nuclear power plant is very crucial as even small loophole in the security system will lead to a major disaster. Recent cyber attacks in nuclear power plant provoked information security professionals to look deeply into the information security aspects of strategic organizations (nuclear power plant). In these lines, Shamir secret sharing scheme with dynamic access structure (SSSDAS) is proposed in the paper which provides enhanced security by providing dynamic access structure for each node in different hierarchies. The SSSDAS algorithm can be applied to any strategic organizations with hierarchical structures. In this paper the possible scenarios where SSSDAS algorithm can be applied to nuclear power plant is explained as a case study. The proposed SSSDAS scheme identifies the wrong shares, if any, used for reconstruction of the secret. The SSSDAS scheme also address the three major security parameters namely confidentiality, authentication and integrity.

Shamir secret sharing scheme with dynamic access structure (SSSDAS). Case study on nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thiyagarajan, P.; Thandra, Prasanth Kumar; Rajan, J.; Satyamurthy, S.A.V.; Aghila, G.

2015-01-01

In recent years, due to the sophistication offered by the Internet, strategic organizations like nuclear power plants are linked to the outside world communication through the Internet. The entry of outside world communication into strategic organization (nuclear power plant) increases the hacker's attempts to crack its security and to trace any information which is being sent among the top level officials. Information security system in nuclear power plant is very crucial as even small loophole in the security system will lead to a major disaster. Recent cyber attacks in nuclear power plant provoked information security professionals to look deeply into the information security aspects of strategic organizations (nuclear power plant). In these lines, Shamir secret sharing scheme with dynamic access structure (SSSDAS) is proposed in the paper which provides enhanced security by providing dynamic access structure for each node in different hierarchies. The SSSDAS algorithm can be applied to any strategic organizations with hierarchical structures. In this paper the possible scenarios where SSSDAS algorithm can be applied to nuclear power plant is explained as a case study. The proposed SSSDAS scheme identifies the wrong shares, if any, used for reconstruction of the secret. The SSSDAS scheme also address the three major security parameters namely confidentiality, authentication and integrity.

An extreme case of plant-insect codiversification

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Cruaud, Astrid; Rønsted, Nina; Chanterasuwan, Bhanumas

2012-01-01

It is thought that speciation in phytophagous insects is often due to colonization of novel host plants, because radiations of plant and insect lineages are typically asynchronous. Recent phylogenetic comparisons have supported this model of diversification for both insect herbivores...... and specialized pollinators. An exceptional case where contemporaneous plant-insect diversification might be expected is the obligate mutualism between fig trees (Ficus species, Moraceae) and their pollinating wasps (Agaonidae, Hymenoptera). The ubiquity and ecological significance of this mutualism in tropical...... for this study. We also developed a new analytical tool, Jane 2, for event-based phylogenetic reconciliation analysis of very large data sets. Separate Bayesian phylogenetic analyses for figs and fig wasps under relaxed molecular clock assumptions indicate Cretaceous diversification of crown groups...

Ecological implications of reduced pollen deposition in alpine plants: a case study using a dominant cushion plant species.

Science.gov (United States)

Reid, Anya; Hooper, Robyn; Molenda, Olivia; Lortie, Christopher J

2014-01-01

The reproductive assurance hypothesis states that self-incompatible female plants must produce twice the number of seeds relative to their self-compatible hermaphroditic counterparts to persist in gynodioecious populations. This is a viable life-history strategy, provided that pollination rates are sufficiently high. However, reduced pollination rates in alpine plants are likely due to climate induced plant-pollinator mismatches and general declines in pollinators. Using a gynodioecious population of the dominant plant Silene acaulis (Caryophyllaceae), we tested the reproductive assurance hypothesis and also the stress gradient hypothesis with a series of pollinator exclusion trials and extensive measurements of subsequent reproductive output (gender ratio, plant size, percent fruit-set, fruit weight, seeds per fruit, total seeds, seed weight, and seed germination). The reproductive assurance hypothesis was supported with female plants being more sensitive to and less likely to be viable under reductions in pollination rates. These findings are the first to show that the stress gradient hypothesis is also supported under a gradient of pollen supply instead of environmental limitations. Beneficiary abundance was negatively correlated to percent fruit-set under current pollen supply, but became positive under reduced pollen supply suggesting that there are important plant-plant-pollinator interactions related to reproduction in these alpine plant species.

ED-WAVE tool design approach: Case of a textile wastewater treatment plant in Blantyre, Malawi

Science.gov (United States)

Chipofya, V.; Kraslawski, A.; Avramenko, Y.

The ED-WAVE tool is a PC based package for imparting training on wastewater treatment technologies. The system consists of four modules viz. Reference Library, Process Builder, Case Study Manager, and Treatment Adviser. The principles of case-based design and case-based reasoning as applied in the ED-WAVE tool are utilised in this paper to evaluate the design approach of the wastewater treatment plant at Mapeto David Whitehead & Sons (MDW&S) textile and garments factory, Blantyre, Malawi. The case being compared with MDW&S in the ED-WAVE tool is Textile Case 4 in Sri Lanka (2003). Equalisation, coagulation and rotating biological contactors is the sequencing of treatment units at Textile Case 4 in Sri Lanka. Screening, oxidation ditches and sedimentation is the sequencing of treatment units at MDW&S textile and garments factory. The study suggests that aerobic biological treatment is necessary in the treatment of wastewater from a textile and garments factory. MDW&S incorporates a sedimentation process which is necessary for the removal of settleable matter before the effluent is discharged to the municipal wastewater treatment plant. The study confirmed the practical use of the ED-WAVE tool in the design of wastewater treatment systems, where after encountering a new situation; already collected decision scenarios (cases) are invoked and modified in order to arrive at a particular design alternative. What is necessary, however, is to appropriately modify the case arrived at through the Case Study Manager in order to come up with a design appropriate to the local situation taking into account technical, socio-economic and environmental aspects.

Permitting a biomass-fired power plant in California -- A case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reisman, J.I.; Needham, G.A.

1995-01-01

This paper describes the process of preparing an air permit application for a proposed biomass-fired power plant. The plant is designed to produce a net electric power output of 16 megawatts (MW) for sale to Pacific Gas and Electric Company. The biomass fuel will consist of urban wood waste, construction wood waste, and waste from agricultural products, such as tree prunings and fruit pits. The site is located in an industrial park in Soledad, California

Comprehensive Evidence-Based Assessment and Prioritization of Potential Antidiabetic Medicinal Plants: A Case Study from Canadian Eastern James Bay Cree Traditional Medicine

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pierre S. Haddad

2012-01-01

Full Text Available Canadian Aboriginals, like others globally, suffer from disproportionately high rates of diabetes. A comprehensive evidence-based approach was therefore developed to study potential antidiabetic medicinal plants stemming from Canadian Aboriginal Traditional Medicine to provide culturally adapted complementary and alternative treatment options. Key elements of pathophysiology of diabetes and of related contemporary drug therapy are presented to highlight relevant cellular and molecular targets for medicinal plants. Potential antidiabetic plants were identified using a novel ethnobotanical method based on a set of diabetes symptoms. The most promising species were screened for primary (glucose-lowering and secondary (toxicity, drug interactions, complications antidiabetic activity by using a comprehensive platform of in vitro cell-based and cell-free bioassays. The most active species were studied further for their mechanism of action and their active principles identified though bioassay-guided fractionation. Biological activity of key species was confirmed in animal models of diabetes. These in vitro and in vivo findings are the basis for evidence-based prioritization of antidiabetic plants. In parallel, plants were also prioritized by Cree Elders and healers according to their Traditional Medicine paradigm. This case study highlights the convergence of modern science and Traditional Medicine while providing a model that can be adapted to other Aboriginal realities worldwide.

DNA barcoding for biosecurity: case studies from the UK plant protection program.

Science.gov (United States)

Hodgetts, Jennifer; Ostojá-Starzewski, Jozef C; Prior, Thomas; Lawson, Rebecca; Hall, Jayne; Boonham, Neil

2016-11-01

Since its conception, DNA barcoding has seen a rapid uptake within the research community. Nevertheless, as with many new scientific tools, progression towards the point of routine deployment within diagnostic laboratories has been slow. In this paper, we discuss the application of DNA barcoding in the Defra plant health diagnostic laboratories, where DNA barcoding is used primarily for the identification of invertebrate pests. We present a series of case studies that demonstrate the successful application of DNA barcoding but also reveal some potential limitations to expanded use. The regulated plant pest, Bursephalenchus xylophilus, and one of its vectors, Monochamus alternatus, were found in dining chairs. Some traded wood products are potentially high risk, allowing the movement of longhorn beetles; Trichoferus campestris, Leptura quadrifasciata, and Trichoferus holosericeus were found in a wooden cutlery tray, a railway sleeper, and a dining chair, respectively. An outbreak of Meloidogyne fallax was identified in Allium ampeloprasum and in three weed species. Reference sequences for UK native psyllids were generated to enable the development of rapid diagnostics to be used for monitoring following the release of Aphalara itadori as a biological control agent for Fallopia japonica.

A new approach to preparing safety cases for existing nuclear plant (COSR)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rice, S.A.; Buchan, A.B.

2000-01-01

BNFL is committed to achieving world class safety performance, through a process of continuously reviewing and improving its safety practices. In the mid 1990s, as part of this process, the company began to develop a new type of safety case, for existing non-reactor nuclear plants, called the continued operation safety report (COSR). Following a significant amount of development work from experts within BNFL and important contributions from its regulators, the first approved COSR was recently completed and submitted to the Nuclear Installations Inspectorate. The COSR aims to provide a visibly integrated safety and engineering case for the adequacy of continued operation of a nuclear facility. It achieves this by identifying the main plant structures, systems and components that have a safety function and provides the appropriate supporting engineering substantiation. The COSR aims to explore plant safety and identify worthwhile improvements. The document also aims to be reader-friendly by focusing on the main safety issues. It is therefore a slim safety summary which provides operators, safety specialists and regulators with an overview and introduction into the broader, more detailed safety case. This paper provides an overview of the COSR and its production process, describing the safety case improvements that have been made by comparing it to its predecessor, the fully developed safety case. The paper also illustrates the benefits of the COSR by providing current examples of its application on existing BNFL plant. Finally, the paper describes ongoing development work aimed at further improving the COSR and its production process. (author)

Case study on chemical plant accidents for flow-sheet design of the HTTR-IS system

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Homma, Hiroyuki; Sato, Hiroyuki; Kasahara, Seiji; Hara, Teruo; Kato, Ryoma; Sakaba, Nariaki; Ohashi, Hirofumi

2007-02-01

At the present time, we are alarmed by depletion of fossil energy and adverse effect of rapid increase in fossil fuel burning on environment such as climate changes and acid rain, because our lives depend still heavily upon fossil energy. It is thus widely recognized that hydrogen is one of important future energy carriers in which it is used without emission of carbon dioxide greenhouse gas and atmospheric pollutants and that hydrogen demand will increase greatly as fuel cells are developed and applied widely in the near future. To meet massive demand of hydrogen, hydrogen production from water utilizing nuclear, especially by thermochemical water-splitting Iodine-Sulphur (IS) process utilizing heat from High-Temperature Gas-cooled Reactors (HTGRs), offers one of the most attractive zero-emission energy strategies and the only one practical on a substantial scale. However, to establish a technology based for the HTGR hydrogen production by the IS process, we should close several technology gaps through R and D with the High-Temperature Engineering Test Reactor (HTTR), which is the only Japanese HTGR built and operated at the Oarai Research and Development Centre of Japan Atomic Energy Agency (JAEA). We have launched design studies of the IS process hydrogen production system coupled with the HTTR (HTTR-IS system) to demonstrate HTGR hydrogen production. In designing the HTTR-IS system, it is necessary to consider preventive and breakdown maintenance against accidents occurred in the IS process as a chemical plant. This report describes case study on chemical plant accidents relating to the IS process plant and shows a proposal of accident protection measures based on above case study, which is necessary for flow-sheet design of the HTTR-IS system. (author)

Sea change under climate change: case studies in rare plant conservation from the dynamic San Francisco Estuary

Science.gov (United States)

We present case studies supporting management of two rare plant species in tidal wetlands of the San Francisco Estuary. For an annual hemiparasite, we used demographic analyses to identify factors to enhance population establishment, survivorship and fitness, and to compare reintroduced with natura...

Economic analysis of power generation from parabolic trough solar thermal plants for the Mediterranean region. A case study for the island of Cyprus

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Poullikkas, Andreas

2009-01-01

In this work a feasibility study is carried out in order to investigate whether the installation of a parabolic trough solar thermal technology for power generation in the Mediterranean region is economically feasible. The case study takes into account the available solar potential for Cyprus, as well as all available data concerning current renewable energy sources policy of the Cyprus Government, including the relevant feed-in tariff. In order to identify the least cost feasible option for the installation of the parabolic trough solar thermal plant a parametric cost-benefit analysis is carried out by varying parameters, such as, parabolic trough solar thermal plant capacity, parabolic trough solar thermal capital investment, operating hours, carbon dioxide emission trading system price, etc. For all above cases the electricity unit cost or benefit before tax, as well as after tax cash flow, net present value, internal rate of return and payback period are calculated. The results indicate that under certain conditions such projects can be profitable. (author)

RAM investigation of coal-fired thermal power plants: A case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

D. Bose

2012-04-01

Full Text Available Continuous generation of electricity of a power plant depends on the higher availability of its components/equipments. Higher availability of the components/equipments is inherently associated with their higher reliability and maintainability. This paper investigates the reliability, availability and maintainability (RAM characteristics of a 210 MW coal-fired thermal power plant (Unit-2 from a thermal power station in eastern region of India. Critical mechanical subsystems with respect to failure frequency, reliability and maintainability are identified for taking necessary measures for enhancing availability of the power plant and the results are compared with Unit-1 of the same Power Station. Reliability-based preventive maintenance intervals (PMIs at various reliability levels of the subsystems are estimated also for performing their preventive maintenance (PM. The present paper highlights that in the Unit-2, Economizer (ECO & Furnace Wall Tube (FWT exhibits lower reliability as compared to the other subsystems and Economizer (ECO & Baffle Wall Tube (BWT demands more improvement in maintainability. Further, it has been observed that FSH followed Decreasing Failure Rate (DFR and Economizer (ECO is the most critical subsystem for both the plants. RAM analysis is very much effective in finding critical subsystems and deciding their preventive maintenance program for improving availability of the power plant as well as the power supply.

Exergetic and Parametric Study of a Solar Aided Coal-Fired Power Plant

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eric Hu

2013-03-01

Full Text Available A solar-aided coal-fired power plant realizes the integration of a fossil fuel (coal or gas and clean energy (solar. In this paper, a conventional 600 MW coal-fired power plant and a 600 MW solar-aided coal-fired power plant have been taken as the study case to understand the merits of solar-aided power generation (SAPG technology. The plants in the case study have been analyzed by using the First and Second Laws of Thermodynamics principles. The solar irradiation and load ratio have been considered in the analysis. We conclude that if the solar irradiation was 925 W/m2 and load ratio of the SAPG plant was 100%, the exergy efficiency would be 44.54% and the energy efficiency of the plant (46.35%. It was found that in the SAPG plant the largest exergy loss was from the boiler, which accounted for about 76.74% of the total loss. When the load ratio of the unit remains at 100%, and the solar irradiation varies from 500 W/m2 to 1,100 W/m2, the coal savings would be in the range of 8.6 g/kWh to 15.8 g/kWh. If the solar irradiation were kept at 925 W/m2 while the load ratio of the plant changed from 30% to 100%, the coal savings could be in the range of 11.99 g/kWh to 13.75 g/kWh.

Implementation of PV plants in Spain: a case study

OpenAIRE

Diez Mediavilla, Montserrat; Alonso Tristán, Cristina; Rodríguez Amigo, María del Carmen; Garcia Calderon, Teofilo

2010-01-01

The implementation process of a photovoltaic system and its connection to the national grid in Spain is examined from an economic, an administrative and a legal standpoint. In the first place, this case study describes the solar farm, and it goes on to examine the economic aspects of electricity production, its associated costs, and relevant grants and financial subsidies. Finally, problems related to the administration of the project and the issuing of permits by local and regional authoriti...

Feasibility study for the partial conversion of a hydropower plant into a pumped-storage power plant: a case study of hydroelectric power plant La Barca (Asturias, Spain

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

E. Antuña Yudego

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Renewable energy sources have reported an unprecedented increase of global installed renewable power capacity. Against the advantages provided by this renewable power generation technology it should be taken into account an important issue: these intermittent energy sources supply a fluctuating output which is difficult to manage. Pumped-storage hydro power plants reappear in these circumstances as an efficient form of energy storage which allows to use reserves when necessary, enabling power generation output to cover continuously this energy demand. The present paper shows a simplified feasibility study of the partial conversion of hydropower plant La Barca, in Asturias, into a reversible storage through the development of an algorithm to simulate its operation according to electricity market prices. For this purpose, the operation in the deviation management market is considered and the technical modifications required for the conversion are shown. The estimation of costs and incomes present a feasible scenario.

[Plant poisoning cases in Turkey].

Science.gov (United States)

Oztekin-Mat, A

1994-01-01

In Turkey, the majority of the population live in rural areas where they use wild plants as food and medicine. The confusion of an edible plant with a poisonous one give rise to serious poisoning which may even result in death. The incidence of plant poisoning in Turkey is about 6% and especially high among children between ages of 2 and 11 living in rural areas. The number of species that cause poisoning is around twenty and Hyoscyamus niger (Solanaceae), Colchicum species (Liliaceae), Conium maculatum (Umbelliferae) and Prunus species (Rosaceae) are the most important. Mushroom poisoning is more frequent in spring and fall. The main reasons are their widespread usage as food and the inexperience of the gatherers in distinguishing the edibles from the poisonous. Amanita phalloides, A. verna, A. muscaria, A. pantherina are responsible for severe cases of poisoning.

In-situ metallography for damage assessment and life extension in power plants- a few case studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raghu, N.; Muralidharan, N.G.; Jayakumar, T.; Kasiviswanathan, K.V.

1996-01-01

In-service inspection of components in power plants is necessary for damage assessment, life prediction and extension. The useful life of some of the components like pipelines are most crucial in case they are exposed to the conditions of high temperature and pressure. Periodic inservice inspection by means of non-destructive testing to obtain information on damage assessment is carried out as a routine and mandatory procedure. During these inspections, only reduction in localised and uniform wall thickness are measured. However, the microstructural degradation due to both normal and abnormal temperatures occurring conditions are not revealed by conventional non-destructive test methods during this routine inspection. For life prediction and extension programme, the information on microstructural degradation is essential and the same can be studies in an effective manner through in-situ metallography technique. (author)

A multiple-compartment model for biokinetics studies in plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garcia, Fermin; Pietrobron, Flavio; Fonseca, Agnes M.F.; Mol, Anderson W.; Rodriguez, Oscar; Guzman, Fernando

2001-01-01

In the present work is used the system of linear equations based in the general Assimakopoulos's GMCM model , for the development of a new method that will determine the flow's parameters and transfer coefficients in plants. The need of mathematical models to quantify the penetration of a trace substance in animals and plants, has often been stressed in the literature. Usually, in radiological environment studies, it is used the mean value of contaminant concentrations on whole or edible part plant body, without taking in account vegetable physiology regularities. In this work concepts and mathematical formulation of a Vegetable Multi-compartment Model (VMCM), taking into account the plant's physiology regularities is presented. The model based in general ideas of the GMCM , and statistical Square Minimum Method STATFLUX is proposed to use in inverse sense: the experimental time dependence of concentration in each compartment, should be input, and the parameters should be determined from this data in a statistical approach. The case of Uranium metabolism is discussed. (author)

Implementation of PV plants in Spain: A case study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Diez-Mediavilla, M.; Alonso-Tristan, C. [Dpto. Ingenieria Electromecanica, Escuela Politecnica Superior. Universidad de Burgos, Avda. Cantabria s/n, 09006 Burgos (Spain); Rodriguez-Amigo, M.C.; Garcia-Calderon, T. [Dpto. Matematicas y Computacion Escuela Politecnica Superior. Universidad de Burgos, Avda. Cantabria s/n, 09006 Burgos (Spain)

2010-05-15

The implementation process of a photovoltaic system and its connection to the national grid in Spain is examined from an economic, an administrative and a legal standpoint. In the first place, this case study describes the solar farm, and it goes on to examine the economic aspects of electricity production, its associated costs, and relevant grants and financial subsidies. Finally, problems related to the administration of the project and the issuing of permits by local and regional authorities are discussed. (author)

Design and sampling plan optimization for RT-qPCR experiments in plants: a case study in blueberry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jose V Die

2016-03-01

Full Text Available The qPCR assay has become a routine technology in plant biotechnology and agricultural research. It is unlikely to be technically improved, but there are still challenges which center around minimizing the variability in results and transparency when reporting technical data in support of the conclusions of a study. There are a number of aspects of the pre- and post-assay workflow that contribute to variability of results. Here, through the study of the introduction of error in qPCR measurements at different stages of the workflow, we describe the most important causes of technical variability in a case study using blueberry. In this study, we found that the stage for which increasing the number of replicates would be the most beneficial depends on the tissue used. For example, we would recommend the use of more RT replicates when working with leaf tissue, while the use of more sampling (RNA extraction replicates would be recommended when working with stems or fruits to obtain the most optimal results. The use of more qPCR replicates provides the least benefit as it is the most reproducible step. By knowing the distribution of error over an entire experiment and the costs at each step, we have developed a script to identify the optimal sampling plan within the limits of a given budget. These findings should help plant scientists improve the design of qPCR experiments and refine their laboratory practices in order to conduct qPCR assays in a more reliable-manner to produce more consistent and reproducible data.

CAN PALYNOLOGY CONTRIBUTE TO PLANT DIVERSITY CONSERVATION ACTIVITIES? THE WETLAND PLANTS IN SOUTHERN PO PLAIN AS A CASE STUDY.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

F. Buldrini

2013-04-01

Full Text Available The vegetation of the Po Plain has long been modified by natural and human factors. The present plant landscape is almost entirely anthropogenic. Many hydro-hygrophilous species, quite common until a few decades ago, are now very rare and in danger of extinction, so conservation programmes are necessary for their protection and maintenance. It is known that the former vegetation can be reconstructed thanks to palynological data, but assessing the real presence of a given species is not always possible. This work aims to understand whether palynology can give information about the presence and identification of hydro-hygrophilous species, supporting the classical flora analyses commonly conducted on herbarium data. In some cases, these species are well characterized from a morphopalynological and phytogeographical viewpoint: the plant occurrence may be suggested even by pollen findings in surface-samples. Discovering the presence of some of these species by pollen morphotypes offers a real opportunity to gear the reintroduction/reinforcing programmes, but ecological analysis will obviously be essential to ascertain the real suitability of the chosen sites, according to the ecological requirements of the species. Our analysis refers to wetlands of the southern Po plain within the Modena Province, where detailed palynological data about present and historical local flora were available.

Study on VDI-2048 for Plant Efficiency Calculation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Hanseol; Heo, Gyunyoung

2014-01-01

It is a representative example when main steam mass flow of a steam generator is measured lower than main feedwater mass flow of outlet, or when efficiency of low pressure turbine is analyzed excessively low or exceeds 100 percent. Therefore, we need to obtain measured data minimizing uncertainty to calculate thermal efficiency as exactly as possible. In calculating the efficiency of an Nuclear Power Plant(NPP), measurement uncertainty is the most difficult to be solved technically and data reconciliation methodology is one method of ensuring to minimize uncertainty. In this paper, the case study on previous nuclear power plants was carried out by using redundancy of measured data from measuring instrument for plant operation, so as to calculate nuclear power plant efficiency accurately. As explain above, we performed the case study on data reconciliation methodology by using measurement redundancy and physical redundancy. The former comes up because of installing multiple measuring instruments for plant operation, and the latter is acquired based on the physical association like the first law of thermodynamics (the law of conservation of mass and energy). Through this case study, we got the reconciled data, which satisfies the constraint and minimizes data uncertainty measured in the nuclear power plant secondary system at the same time. The expected effects from data reconciliation methodology provided in VDI-2048, are considered totally four. First, this method can contribute to monitoring on-line efficiency in the operating nuclear power plant. Second, it can also improve the reliability of calculated results, minimizing the measurement uncertainty

Industrial DSM in a deregulated European electricity market - a case study of 11 plants in Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trygg, Louise; Karlsson, B.G.

2005-01-01

In 2004 Sweden will become part of a common European electricity market. This implies that the price of electricity in Swedish will adapt to a higher European electricity price due to the increase in cross-border trading. Swedish plant is characterized as more electricity-intensive than plant on the European continent, and this, in combination with a higher European electricity price will lead to a precarious scenario. This paper studies the energy use of 11 plants in the municipality of Oskarshamn in Sweden. The aim is to show how these plants can reduce their electricity use to adapt to a European level. We have found that the plants could reduce their use of electricity by 48% and their use of energy by 40%. In a European perspective, where coal-condensing power is assumed to be the marginal production that alters as the electricity demand changes, the decrease in the use of electricity in this study leads to a reduction in global emissions of carbon dioxide of 69,000 tonne a year. Electricity generated in Sweden emits very low emissions of carbon dioxide and have thus consequently very low external cost. The freed capacity in Sweden could therefore replace electricity generated with higher external cost and as a result lower the total external cost in Europe. The emissions from the saved electricity could also be valuable within the EU emissions trading scheme, if the emissions calculation is done assuming the marginal electricity is fossil fuel based

Abandoned seasonal livestock migration reflected by plant functional traits: A case study in Kyrgyz rangelands

Science.gov (United States)

Hoppe, Franziska; Zhusui Kyzy, Taalaigul; Usupbaev, Adilet; Schickoff, Udo

2017-04-01

At least 30% of Kyrgyz pasture areas are considered to be subject to vegetation and soil degradation. Since animal husbandry is the economic basis to sustain people's livelihoods, rangeland degradation presents a threat for the majority of the population. Recently, the usage of plant functional traits as a powerful tool for the characterization of vegetation dynamics in response to anthropogenic and natural disturbances has been put forward. Grazing is one of the most severe disturbances on vegetation, which concerns equally the loss of area and biomass. Because grazing is both depending on and affecting plant functional traits, important insights can be generated, based on this codependency. We hypothesized that the contrasting grazing intensity of summer and winter pastures is reflected by the chosen traits. We used traits such as plant height, flowering start, growth form as well as SLA (Specific Leaf Area) and LMA (Leaf Mass per Area). Based on former phytosociological classification of the main pasture types (summer and winter pastures), community structure and the traits of dominant plant species were analyzed. Our results showed that on winter pastures grazing decreased plant height and SLA and favored plants with an earlier flowering start as well as rosette plants and ascending plants. We conclude that the study of trait composition in relation to anthropogenic disturbances can provide important insights into the mechanism of plant response to grazing in high-altitude rangelands.

A study on the optimization of plant life extension and decommissioning for the improvement of economy in nuclear power plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shin, Jae In; Jung, K. J.; Chung, U. S.; Baik, S. T.; Park, S. K.; Lee, D. G.; Kim, H. R.; Park, B. Y

2000-01-01

Fundamentals on the plan, the national policy, the safety securities for the life extension of the nuclear power plant was established from the domestic/abroad documents and case studies in relation with the life extension and decommissioning of the nuclear power plant. Concerning the decommissioning of the nuclear power plant, the management according to decommissioning stages was analyzed by the investigation of the domestic/abroad standard of the decommissioning (decontamination. dismantling) technology and regulation. Moreover, the study on the cost estimation method has been carried out for the decommissioning of the nuclear power plant. (author)

Environmental costs and benefits case study: nuclear power plant. Quantification and economic valuation of selected environmental impacts/effects. Final report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1984-02-01

This case study is an application, to a nuclear power plant, of the methodology for quantifying environmental costs and benefits, contained in the regional energy plan, adopted in April, 1983, by the Northwest Power Planning Council, pursuant to Public Law 96-501.The study is based on plant number 2 of the Washington Public Power Supply System (WNP-2), currently nearing completion on the Hanford Nuclear Reservation in eastern Washington State. This report describes and documents efforts to quantify and estimate monetary values for the following seven areas of environmental effects: radiation/health effects, socioeconomic/infrastructure effects, consumptive use of water, psychological/health effects (fear/stress), waste management, nuclear power plant accidents, and decommissioning costs. 103 references

Impact of an Engineering Case Study in a High School Pre-Engineering Course

Science.gov (United States)

Rutz, Eugene; Shafer, Michelle

2011-01-01

Students at an all-girls high school who were enrolled in an introduction to engineering course were presented an engineering case study to determine if the case study affected their attitudes toward engineering and their abilities to solve engineering problems. A case study on power plants was implemented during a unit on electrical engineering.…

Cases of corrosion in power plant components at NTPC

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sanyal, S.K.; Bhakta, U.C.; Sinha, Ashwini

2000-01-01

Power plants are one of the major industries suffering from severe corrosion problems resulting in substantial losses. The problem is becoming more prominent as the plants are getting older. NTPC as the leading power utility with very good performance track record, had been conscious of the menace of corrosion prevailing in the industry and had established a Research and Development Centre to cater to applied O and M needs of the plants. A specialized group has been involved in studying the corrosion related problems and recommending suitable cost effective solutions to such problems. The present paper aims at discussing various corrosion related analysis carried out at the Research and Development Centre of NTPC and the remedial measures suggested. The paper also describes some of the case studies of corrosion related failures with recommendations given for preventing such failures in future. (author)

Compressed Air System Enhancement Increases Efficiency and Provides Energy Savings at a Circuit Board Manufacturer (Sanmina Plant, Oswego, New York): Office of Industrial Technologies (OIT) BestPractices Technical Case Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wogsland, J.

2001-01-01

This case study is one in a series on industrial firms who are implementing energy efficient technologies and system improvements into their manufacturing processes. This case study documents the activities, savings, and lessons learned on the circuit board manufacturer (Sanmina Plant) project

A case study of printing industry plant layout for effective production

Science.gov (United States)

Viswajit, T.; Teja, T. Ravi; Deepthi, Y. P.

2017-07-01

This paper presents the overall picture of the processes happening in printing industry. This research is aimed to improve the plant layout of existing plant. The travel time was reduced by relocating machinery. Relocation is based on systematic layout planning (SLP). The complete process of raw material entering the industry to dispatching of finished product is shown in 3-D Flow diagram. The process happening in each floor explained in detail using Flow Process chart. Travel time is reduced by 25% after modifying existing plant layout.

How do plant communities and flower visitors relate? A case study of semi-natural xerothermic grasslands

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Damian Chmura

2013-06-01

Full Text Available The paper examines the relationships between the species composition of flower visitors and plants in the semi-natural xerothermic grasslands in southern and central Poland. Thirty 10 × 10 m permanent plots were laid out in total, mainly in nature reserves. The vegetation units studied were classified according to the Braun-Blanquet system; these were phytocoenoses of the Festuco-Brometea classes Inuletum ensifoliae, Adonido-Brachypodietum pinnati and the transitional plant community. Entomological research was performed using the Pollard method within the same plots. A particular site was visited only once and different sites were studied between April and August 2008. We applied, among others, co-correspondence-analysis Co-CA, detrended correspondence analysis (DCA and redundancy analysis (RDA to investigate the co-occurrence patterns of plants and flower visitors and their biotopic requirements. We found that the species composition of flower visitors cannot be predicted by floristic composition when the duration of the study is restricted to one day (but under similar weather conditions; however, there is a positive relationship between the species richness of insects and plants and a positive relationship between the number of plant species and the abundance of flower visitors. The Ellenberg moisture index and the cover of meadow species significantly explained the species composition of insects. The three various vegetation units and five dominant xerothermic species, i.e. Adonis vernalis, Anemone sylvestris, Inula ensifolia, Linum hirsutum and Carlina onopordifolia that were studied across time differed in the species richness of insects. Our results demonstrate that possible patterns in the species composition and the assembly rules of flower visitors are not apparent when the Pollard method is applied. Based on the data obtained using this method, the flower visiting assemblages seem not to be driven by competition and they primarily

Optimizing the Utility Power of a Geothermal Power Plant using Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) (Case Study: Sibayak Geothermal Power Plant)

Science.gov (United States)

Sinaga, R. H. M.; Manik, Y.

2018-03-01

Sibayak Geothermal Power Plant (SGPP) is one of the plants being developed by Pertamina Geothermal Energy (PGE) at the upstream phase. At the downstream phase, State - owned Electricity Company (PLN) through PT. Dizamatra Powerindo is the developer. The gross capacity of the power plant is 13.3 MW, consisting 1 unit of Monoblock (2 MW) developed by PGE and 2 units (2×5.65 MW) operated through Energy Sales Contract by PLN. During the development phase of a geothermal power plant, there is a chance to reduce the utility power in order to increase the overall plant efficiency. Reducing the utility power can be attempted by utilizing the wet bulb temperature fluctuation. In this study, a modeling process is developed by using Engineering Equation Solver (EES) software version 9.430. The possibility of energy saving is indicated by condenser pressure changes as a result of wet bulb temperature fluctuation. The result of this study indicates that the change of condenser pressure is about 50.8% on the constant liquid/gas (L/G) condition of the wet bulb temperature of 15°C to 25°C. Further result indicates that in this power plant, Cooling Tower Fan (CTF) is the facility that has the greatest utility load, followed by Hot Well Pump (HWP). The saving of the greatest utility load is applied trough Variable Frequency Drive (VFD) instrumentation. The result of this modeling has been validated by actual operations data (log sheet). The developed model has also been reviewed trough Specific Steam Consumption (SSC), resulting that constant L/G condition allows the optimum condition on of the wet bulb temperature of 15°C to 25°C.

Permitting a tire-derived fuel system : a case study : Lafarge's Bath Plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Cumming, R. [Lafarge North America, Herndon, VA (United States)

2006-07-01

Details of a proposed automated tire-derived fuel (TDF) system for an Ontario cement plant using mid-kiln technology were presented. The TDF system will replace approximately 20 per cent of the coal currently used by the cement plant. TDF is a proven technology that is gaining wider acceptance in both North America and Europe. Recent European Union (EU) rulings have placed energy recovery from waste high within the waste management hierarchy. In order to obtain a permit to operate the TDF system in Ontario, owners of the cement plant were obliged to hold preliminary engineering sessions in addition to informal sessions, comment periods and government reviews. The plant is required to meet emission and operational standards and the Industry Emission Reduction Program regardless of the fuel type it uses. Issues complicating the permitting process included the public perception that TDF will result in higher air emissions. However, statistics from other plants using TDF have demonstrated that TDF lowers nitrogen oxide (NO{sub x}) emissions compared to coal NO{sub x} emissions, and using TDF may result in fewer uncontained tire fires that pollute the atmosphere. The cement plant will use an electrostatic precipitator that is currently seen as the best available technology for controlling TDF emissions. Continuous emission monitoring will take place, and stack testing will be required when introducing alternative fuels. In order to engage with the public, the cement plant has promised to have a live, public display of emission levels, and has agreed to be monitored by a citizen's watch committee. A 2 year demonstration period will be established once TDF has been introduced, and annual reporting requirements will be fulfilled. It was concluded that the cement plant's emission standards will be stricter than any other cement plant in Ontario when TDF is introduced. refs., tabs., figs.

Organisational culture in maintenance. A case study at Olkiluoto nuclear power plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Reiman, T.; Oedewald, P.

2004-05-01

In the publication an assessment of organisational culture in a maintenance organisation is described in detail. The assessment is based on the Contextual Assessment of Organisational Culture (CAOC) methodology developed at VTT. On the basis of the results the development needs of the maintenance work are discussed. The case study was conducted at the maintenance unit of TVO's Olkiluoto nuclear power plant. The research consisted of three phases: characterisation of the maintenance culture (with interviews, survey, group working and a feedback seminar), assessment of the cultural features, and two development seminars for the entire maintenance unit on the basis of the assessment results. Results showed that the personnel were committed to their tasks and they perceive their work as highly meaningful. The personnel were able to perceive very well how their tasks contribute to the organisational goals. Most of the workers were also very proud of their plant and their own proficiency. General job satisfaction was quite good. Low sense of control, weak sense of solidarity and a perceived lack of positive feedback were experienced as the most negative aspects of the culture. Perceived lack of sufficient resources and an unequal distribution of labour were experienced as lowering the sense of control and causing work stress. The work itself was experienced as quite routine-like and the personnel had difficulties in identifying any challenging aspects in their own tasks. Know-how and responsibility are the central aspects that are emphasised in the artefacts (management talk, procedures etc.) of the culture. Nevertheless, it was not always clear what was meant by 'responsibility' or 'responsible behavior'. Despite the obscurity of the concept of responsibility at TVO and the cultural emphasis on certainty, safety and carefulness were considered as values of utmost importance in the organisation. Cohesiveness values were perceived to be quite low, and improvements to them

A case study of the relative effects of power plant nitrogen oxides and sulfur dioxide emission reductions on atmospheric nitrogen deposition.

Science.gov (United States)

Vijayaraghavan, Krish; Seigneur, Christian; Bronson, Rochelle; Chen, Shu-Yun; Karamchandani, Prakash; Walters, Justin T; Jansen, John J; Brandmeyer, Jo Ellen; Knipping, Eladio M

2010-03-01

The contrasting effects of point source nitrogen oxides (NOx) and sulfur dioxide (SO2) air emission reductions on regional atmospheric nitrogen deposition are analyzed for the case study of a coal-fired power plant in the southeastern United States. The effect of potential emission reductions at the plant on nitrogen deposition to Escambia Bay and its watershed on the Florida-Alabama border is simulated using the three-dimensional Eulerian Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) model. A method to quantify the relative and individual effects of NOx versus SO2 controls on nitrogen deposition using air quality modeling results obtained from the simultaneous application of NOx and SO2 emission controls is presented and discussed using the results from CMAQ simulations conducted with NOx-only and SO2-only emission reductions; the method applies only to cases in which ambient inorganic nitrate is present mostly in the gas phase; that is, in the form of gaseous nitric acid (HNO3). In such instances, the individual effects of NOx and SO2 controls on nitrogen deposition can be approximated by the effects of combined NOx + SO2 controls on the deposition of NOy, (the sum of oxidized nitrogen species) and reduced nitrogen species (NHx), respectively. The benefit of controls at the plant in terms of the decrease in nitrogen deposition to Escambia Bay and watershed is less than 6% of the overall benefit due to regional Clean Air Interstate Rule (CAIR) controls.

Atmospheric NH3 as plant nutrient: A case study with Brassica oleracea

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Castro, Ana; Stulen, Ineke; De Kok, Luit J.

2008-01-01

Nutrient-sufficient and nitrate- or sulfate-deprived plants of Brassica oleracea L. were exposed to 4 μl l -1 NH 3 (2.8 mg m -3 ), and effects on biomass production and allocation, N-compounds and root morphology investigated. Nitrate-deprived plants were able to transfer to atmospheric NH 3 as nitrogen source, but biomass allocation in favor of the root was not changed by exposure to NH 3 . NH 3 reduced the difference in total root length between nitrate-sufficient and nitrate-deprived plants, and increased the specific root length in the latter. The internal N status, therefore, might be involved in controlling root length in B. oleracea. Root surface area, volume and diameter were unaffected by both nitrate deprivation and NH 3 exposure. In sulfate-deprived plants an inhibitory effect of NH 3 on root morphological parameters was observed. These plants, therefore, might be more susceptible to atmospheric NH 3 than nitrate-deprived plants. The relevance of the present data under field conditions is discussed. - Atmospheric NH 3 can serve as sole N source for Brassica oleracea, but does not change root biomass allocation in nitrate-deprived plants

The Case of the "Tainted" Taco Shells: A Case Study on Genetically Modified Foods

Science.gov (United States)

Taylor, Ann T. S.

2004-01-01

This case study introduces students to the use of genetically modified foods. Students learn how genetically modified plants are made, and then they read primary literature papers to evaluate the environmental, economic, and health issues. (Contains 2 figures.)

Motor Assembly Plant Saves$85,000 with Compressed Air System Improvements (Bodine Electric's Chicago Facility): Office of Industrial Technologies (OIT) BestPractices Technical Case Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wogsland, J.

2001-01-01

This case study is one in a series on industrial firms who are implementing energy efficient technologies and system improvements into their manufacturing processes. This case study documents the activities, savings, and lessons learned on the Bodine Electric motor assembly plant project

Business case uncertainty of power plants in future energy systems with wind power

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Brouwer, Anne Sjoerd; Broek, Machteld van den; Özdemir, Özge; Koutstaal, Paul; Faaij, André

2016-01-01

The European power sector is transforming due to climate policies and an increased deployment of intermittent RES. The sector will require thermal power plants for the decades to come, but their business cases are (negatively) affected by this transformation. This study presents a novel tool to quantify the effect of policy, price and project-related uncertainties on power plant business cases. This tool can support policymakers in stimulating necessary investments in new thermal generation capacity. We find that these investments are currently unsound (power plants recoup on average –12% to 59% of their initial investment). Future climate policy, i.e. the CO_2 price, has a very strong impact on business cases (affects the profitability by 5–40%-points). The impact of the deployment of wind power is average (2–8%-point difference between 10% and 21% wind penetration). Variations in annual wind power production barely affect the profitability (variation of ±1%-point). To stimulate new investments, policymakers should first decrease the uncertainty in business cases caused by policy. Durable climate policy is especially important. Also, policies to increase the profits of thermal power plants should be carefully considered and implemented. This combined approach will reduce the revenue gap that needs to be bridged by supportive policies. - Highlights: • The operation of thermal power plants is affected by CO_2 prices and wind power. • A new tool quantifies the effect of their uncertainty on power plant profitability. • New power plants are unprofitable and show a large spread in expected profits. • Uncertain future climate policy is a key factor in all business cases (±56% change). • Increasing wind power penetration (10–21%) decreases profitability by 14%.

Transcriptional profiling approaches to understanding how plants regulate growth and defence: a case study illustrated by analysis of the role of vitamin C.

Science.gov (United States)

Foyer, Christine H; Kiddle, Guy; Verrier, Paul

2007-01-01

In this chapter, basic technical aspects concerning the design of DNA microarray experiments are discussed including sample preparation, hybridisation conditions and statistical significance of the acquired data are detailed. Given that microarrays are perhaps the most used tool in plant systems biology there is much experience in the pitfalls in using them. Herein important considerations are presented for both the experimental biologists and data analyst in order to maximise the utility of these resources. Finally a case study using the analysis of vitamin C deficient plants is presented to illustrate the power of this approach in enhancing comprehension of important and complex biological functions.

Pollinator networks, alien species and the conservation of rare plants: Trinia glauca as a case study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Carvalheiro, L.G.; Barbosa, E.R.; Memmott, J.

2008-01-01

1. Despite the essential role of pollination in the maintenance of many rare plant species, conservation management plans rarely consider the service of pollination. 2. This study identifies the main pollinators of a rare English plant species, Trinia glauca (Apiaceae), and provides recommendations

Probabilistic seismic safety assessment of a CANDU 6 nuclear power plant including ambient vibration tests: Case study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Nour, Ali [Hydro Québec, Montréal, Québec H2L4P5 (Canada); École Polytechnique de Montréal, Montréal, Québec H3C3A7 (Canada); Cherfaoui, Abdelhalim; Gocevski, Vladimir [Hydro Québec, Montréal, Québec H2L4P5 (Canada); Léger, Pierre [École Polytechnique de Montréal, Montréal, Québec H3C3A7 (Canada)

2016-08-01

Highlights: • In this case study, the seismic PSA methodology adopted for a CANDU 6 is presented. • Ambient vibrations testing to calibrate a 3D FEM and to reduce uncertainties is performed. • Procedure for the development of FRS for the RB considering wave incoherency effect is proposed. • Seismic fragility analysis for the RB is presented. - Abstract: Following the 2011 Fukushima Daiichi nuclear accident in Japan there is a worldwide interest in reducing uncertainties in seismic safety assessment of existing nuclear power plant (NPP). Within the scope of a Canadian refurbishment project of a CANDU 6 (NPP) put in service in 1983, structures and equipment must sustain a new seismic demand characterised by the uniform hazard spectrum (UHS) obtained from a site specific study defined for a return period of 1/10,000 years. This UHS exhibits larger spectral ordinates in the high-frequency range than those used in design. To reduce modeling uncertainties as part of a seismic probabilistic safety assessment (PSA), Hydro-Québec developed a procedure using ambient vibrations testing to calibrate a detailed 3D finite element model (FEM) of the containment and reactor building (RB). This calibrated FE model is then used for generating floor response spectra (FRS) based on ground motion time histories compatible with the UHS. Seismic fragility analyses of the reactor building (RB) and structural components are also performed in the context of a case study. Because the RB is founded on a large circular raft, it is possible to consider the effect of the seismic wave incoherency to filter out the high-frequency content, mainly above 10 Hz, using the incoherency transfer function (ITF) method. This allows reducing significantly the non-necessary conservatism in resulting FRS, an important issue for an existing NPP. The proposed case study, and related methodology using ambient vibration testing, is particularly useful to engineers involved in seismic re-evaluation of

Wastewater Sludge Stabilization Using Lime A Case Study of West Ahwaz Wastewater Treatment Plant

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mehdi Farzadkia

2009-01-01

Full Text Available Lime stabilization is a chemical method used for wastewater sludge stabilization. It is capable of decreasing large quantities of pathogens and of preventing microbial degradation of sludge organic materials. The main objective of the present experimental research was to investigate stabilization of the sludge from west Ahwaz wastewater treatment plant by lime addition and to control if the microbial quality of this sludge conforms to the USEPA standards for sludge reuse and safe disposal. The study was carried out on a pilot scale in 5 stages over a period of 12 months (July 2005 to June 2006 at west Ahwaz wastewater treatment plant laboratory using raw sludge. For the purposes of this study, a 30-liter reactor was commissioned and loaded with sludge and appropriate quantities of hydrated lime were added based on the solid waste percent. The parameters used to determine stabilization efficiency were pH, Total Coliform, Fecal Coliform, and parasite eggs. The results showed that lime addition at a ratio of 265g Ca(OH2/kg. ds was the optimum level for sludge stabilization in westAhwazwastewater treatment plant, which is acceptable from both economic and technical viewpoints. The method is capable of achieving class B but never satisfied class A of USEPA standards.

The implications of ritual practices and ritual plant uses on nature conservation: a case study among the Naxi in Yunnan Province, Southwest China.

Science.gov (United States)

Geng, Yanfei; Hu, Guoxiong; Ranjitkar, Sailesh; Shi, Yinxian; Zhang, Yu; Wang, Yuhua

2017-10-25

Conservation of biodiversity is primary important of today's critically vulnerable environment. Efficient conservation can be possible only with the long-term participation and understanding of the communities. Ritual beliefs of the indigenous people are one of the important tools to understand the local communities and aid the nature conservation. In this paper, we documented contemporary ritual practices and ritual plant uses among the Naxi people and discussed the importance of traditional knowledge on ritual practice in the conservation of plants in the mountains presenting a case study of the Dongba culture. This study was carried out from July in 2013 to July in 2014. To document and analyze the present state of the ritual plant used by the Naxi people we conducted an ethnobotanical survey. We interviewed local people including Dongba priests using the semi-structured questionnaire. During the field study, we participated in the local religious activities to witness the use of different plants in ritual activities of the Naxi people. We interviewed twenty-two key informants and eleven of them were male. All the specimens of documented species were collected and deposited at the herbarium of Kunming Institute of Botany. The survey results revealed the Naxi people possessed sound knowledge of the traditional ritual plants and great diversity of plants used in many of Naxi rituals and festivals. From the survey, we documented 32 ritual plant species belonging to 24 genera of 17 families used in various ritual activities. The ritual plants were grouped into two categories, namely those burned as incense, and those used for decoration. The incense plants like Olea europaea subsp. cuspidata and Pistacia weinmanniifolia were probably promising natural aromatic resource. Plants of genus Quercus were the most frequently used species. The places for ritual activities were diverse, such as the incense burners inside and outside the house and sacred trees at the

Study on actions for social acceptance of a nuclear power plant incident/accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kotani, Fumio; Tsukada, Tetsuya; Hiramoto, Mitsuru; Nishimura, Naoyuki

1998-01-01

When an incident/accident has occurred, dealing technically with it in an appropriate way is essential for social acceptance. One of the most important actions that are expected from the plant representative is to provide, without delay, each of the concerned authorities and organizations with full information concerning the incident/accident, while necessary technical measures are being implemented. While the importance of socially dealing with the incident/accident is widely recognized, up to now there have been no attempts to study previous incidents/accidents cases from the social sciences viewpoint. Therefore, in the present study is a case study of the incident/accident that occurred in 1991 at the No.2 Unit of the Mihama Nuclear Plant of Kansai Power Co., Ltd.. The data used in the present study is based on intensive interview of the staff involved in this incident/accident. The purpose of the study was to shed light on the conditions necessary for maintaining and improving the skill of the plant representative when dealing with social response in case of an incident/accident. The results of the present study has led to a fuller recognition of the importance of the following factors: On the personal level: 1) recognition of personal accountability, 2) complete disclosure of information concerning the incident/accident. On the organizational level: 1) acceptance of different approaches and viewpoints, 2) promoting risk-taking behavior, 3) top management's vision and commitment to providing a social response. (author)

Solar plants, environmental degradation and local socioeconomic contexts: A case study in a Mediterranean country

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Delfanti, Lavinia; Colantoni, Andrea; Recanatesi, Fabio; Bencardino, Massimiliano; Sateriano, Adele; Zambon, Ilaria; Salvati, Luca

2016-01-01

Photovoltaic plants developed on rural land are becoming a common infrastructure in the Mediterranean region and may contribute, at least indirectly, to various forms of environmental degradation including landscape deterioration, land take, soil degradation and loss in traditional cropland and biodiversity. Our study illustrates a procedure estimating (i) the extension of ground-mounted photovoltaic fields at the municipal scale in Italy and (ii) inferring the socioeconomic profile of the Italian municipalities experiencing different expansion rates of ground-mounted photovoltaic fields over the last years (2007-2014). The procedure was based on diachronic information derived from official data sources integrated into a geographical decision support system. Our results indicate that the surface area of ground-mounted photovoltaic fields into rural land grew continuously in Italy between 2007 and 2014 with positive and increasing growth rates observed during 2007-2011 and positive but slightly decreasing growth rates over 2012-2014, as a result of market saturation and policies containing the diffusion of solar plants on greenfields. We found important differences in the density of ground-mounted solar plants between northern and southern Italian municipalities. We identified accessible rural municipalities in southern Italy with intermediate population density and large availability of non-urban land as the most exposed to the diffusion of solar plants on greenfields in the last decade. Our approach is a promising tool to estimate changes in the use of land driven by the expansion of photovoltaic fields into rural land.

Solar plants, environmental degradation and local socioeconomic contexts: A case study in a Mediterranean country

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Delfanti, Lavinia [University of Viterbo, Department DAFNE, Via S. Camillo De Lellis snc, I-11100, Viterbo (Italy); Colantoni, Andrea, E-mail: colantoni@unitus.it [University of Viterbo, Department DAFNE, Via S. Camillo De Lellis snc, I-11100, Viterbo (Italy); Recanatesi, Fabio [University of Viterbo, Department DAFNE, Via S. Camillo De Lellis snc, I-11100, Viterbo (Italy); Bencardino, Massimiliano [University of Salerno, Department of Political, Social and Communication Sciences, Via Giovanni Paolo II 132, I-84084 Fisciano (Italy); Sateriano, Adele [Via A. Di Tullio 40, I-00136, Rome (Italy); Zambon, Ilaria [University of Viterbo, Department DAFNE, Via S. Camillo De Lellis snc, I-11100, Viterbo (Italy); Salvati, Luca, E-mail: luca.salvati@crea.gov.it [Council for Agricultural Research and Economics (CREA-RPS), Via della Navicella 2-4, I-00184, Rome (Italy)

2016-11-15

Photovoltaic plants developed on rural land are becoming a common infrastructure in the Mediterranean region and may contribute, at least indirectly, to various forms of environmental degradation including landscape deterioration, land take, soil degradation and loss in traditional cropland and biodiversity. Our study illustrates a procedure estimating (i) the extension of ground-mounted photovoltaic fields at the municipal scale in Italy and (ii) inferring the socioeconomic profile of the Italian municipalities experiencing different expansion rates of ground-mounted photovoltaic fields over the last years (2007-2014). The procedure was based on diachronic information derived from official data sources integrated into a geographical decision support system. Our results indicate that the surface area of ground-mounted photovoltaic fields into rural land grew continuously in Italy between 2007 and 2014 with positive and increasing growth rates observed during 2007-2011 and positive but slightly decreasing growth rates over 2012-2014, as a result of market saturation and policies containing the diffusion of solar plants on greenfields. We found important differences in the density of ground-mounted solar plants between northern and southern Italian municipalities. We identified accessible rural municipalities in southern Italy with intermediate population density and large availability of non-urban land as the most exposed to the diffusion of solar plants on greenfields in the last decade. Our approach is a promising tool to estimate changes in the use of land driven by the expansion of photovoltaic fields into rural land.

Development of PCR for WWTP based on a case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Del Borghi, A.; Gallo, M.; Strazza, C.; Gaggero, P.L.

2009-01-01

In order to apply the Environmental Product Declaration (EPD) to products or services, specific rules (PCR, Product Category Rules) have to be issued to ensure comparability among different declarations within the same service group. The aim of the present study is to describe the reasons leading to each choice in the development of PCR applied to collecting and treatment service of municipal wastewater and to evaluate, through life cycle analysis (LCA), their influence on the potential environmental impact of a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), analysed as a case study. Specific data were collected during the year 2003 from an Italian active sludge treatment plant with separate wastewater and sludge treatment lines. The life-cycle approach applied to the case study shows that LCA represents an environmental management tool able both to communicate environmental information by the Type 3. environmental label EPD, and to look for different scenarios that can improve the environmental performance of the Collecting and Treatment Service of Municipal Wastewater. [it

Industrial wastewater minimization using water pinch analysis: a case study on an old textile plant.

Science.gov (United States)

Ujang, Z; Wong, C L; Manan, Z A

2002-01-01

Industrial wastewater minimization can be conducted using four main strategies: (i) reuse; (ii) regeneration-reuse; (iii) regeneration-recycling; and (iv) process changes. This study is concerned with (i) and (ii) to investigate the most suitable approach to wastewater minimization for an old textile industry plant. A systematic water networks design using water pinch analysis (WPA) was developed to minimize the water usage and wastewater generation for the textile plant. COD was chosen as the main parameter. An integrated design method has been applied, which brings the engineering insight using WPA that can determine the minimum flowrate of the water usage and then minimize the water consumption and wastewater generation as well. The overall result of this study shows that WPA has been effectively applied using both reuse and regeneration-reuse strategies for the old textile industry plant, and reduced the operating cost by 16% and 50% respectively.

Risk assessment of groundwater environmental contamination: a case study of a karst site for the construction of a fossil power plant.

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Fuming; Yi, Shuping; Ma, Haiyi; Huang, Junyi; Tang, Yukun; Qin, Jianbo; Zhou, Wan-Huan

2017-12-20

This paper presents a demonstration of an integrated risk assessment and site investigation for groundwater contamination through a case study, in which the geologic and hydrogeological feature of the site and the blueprint of the fossil power plant (FPP) were closely analyzed. Predictions for groundwater contamination in case of accidents were performed by groundwater modeling system (GMS) and modular three-dimensional multispecies transport model (MT3DMS). Results indicate that the studied site area presents a semi-isolated hydrogeological unit with multiplicity in stratum lithology, the main aquifers at the site are consisted of the filled karst development layer with a thickness between 6.0 and 40.0 m. The poor permeability of the vadose zone at the FPP significantly restricted the infiltration of contaminants through the vadose zone to the subsurface. The limited influence of rarely isotropic porous karstified carbonate rocks on the groundwater flow system premised the simulate scenarios of plume migration. Analysis of the present groundwater chemistry manifested that that the groundwater at the site and the local area are of the HCO 3 -Ca, HCO 3 , and SO 4 -Ca types. A few of the water samples were contaminated by coliform bacteria and ammonia nitrogen as a result of the local cultivation. Prediction results indicate that the impact of normal construction and operation processes on the groundwater environment is negligible. However, groundwater may be partly contaminated within a certain period in the area of leakage from the diesel tanks, the industrial wastewater pool, and the cooling tower water tank in case of accidents. On a positive note, none of the plumes would reach the local sensitive areas for groundwater using. Finally, an anti-seepage scheme and a monitoring program are proposed to safeguard the groundwater protection. The integrated method of the site investigation and risk assessment used in this case study can facilitate the protection of

Case study on the use of PSA methods: Determining safety importance of systems and components at nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-04-01

This case study emphasizes the step of probabilistic safety assessment (PSA) regarding identification of systems and components important to nuclear plant safety. An importance analysis involves combining information that is both qualitative and probabilistic in nature to generate a numerical ranking to determine the system and/or component failures that dominate the risk. Such a ranking can suggest where hardware, software, human factors and component design changes can be implemented to improve plant safety. Examples of using ranking methodology are described. A qualitative ranking criteria is discussed for components and systems that are not included in a PSA. 18 refs, 7 figs, 18 tabs

DNA barcoding for species identification from dried and powdered plant parts: a case study with authentication of the raw drug market samples of Sida cordifolia.

Science.gov (United States)

Vassou, Sophie Lorraine; Kusuma, G; Parani, Madasamy

2015-03-15

The majority of the plant materials used in herbal medicine is procured from the markets in the form of dried or powdered plant parts. It is essential to use authentic plant materials to derive the benefits of herbal medicine. However, establishing the identity of these plant materials by conventional taxonomy is extremely difficult. Here we report a case study in which the species identification of the market samples of Sida cordifolia was done by DNA barcoding. As a prelude to species identification by DNA barcoding, 13 species of Sida were collected, and a reference DNA barcode library was developed using rbcL, matK, psbA-trnH and ITS2 markers. Based on the intra-species and inter-species divergence observed, psbA-trnH and ITS2 were found to be the best two-marker combination for species identification of the market samples. The study showed that none of the market samples belonged to the authentic species, S. cordifolia. Seventy-six per cent of the market samples belonged to other species of Sida. The predominant one was Sida acuta (36%) followed by S. spinosa (20%), S. alnifolia (12%), S. scabrida (4%) and S. ravii (4%). Such substitutions may not only fail to give the expected therapeutic effect, but may also give undesirable effects as in case of S. acuta which contains a 6-fold higher amount of ephedrine compared to the roots of S. cordifolia. The remaining 24% of the samples were from other genera such as Abutilon sp. (8%), Ixonanthes sp., Terminalia sp., Fagonia sp., and Tephrosia sp. (4% each). This observation is in contrast to the belief that medicinal plants are generally substituted or adulterated with closely related species. The current study strongly suggests that the raw drug market samples of herbal medicines need to be properly authenticated before use, and DNA barcoding has been found to be suitable for this purpose. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Effects of Amended Sewage Sludge Application on Yield and Heavy Metal Uptake of Barley: A Case Study of Ahvaz Sewage Treatment Plant

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mostafa Chorom

2007-06-01

Full Text Available One aspect of sewage sludge application as an organic fertilizer on agricultural farms is environmental pollution concerns such as heavy metals uptake by plants. The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of amended sewage sludge application on yield and heavy metal uptake of Barley. This study was carried out over a period of barley growth with two treatments of sewage sludge (50 and 100 ton/ha and control treatment with four replicates arranged in a randomized complete block design. Plant samples were taken at three intervals (50, 90, and 180 days after sowing. The samples were prepared for measuring nutrients and heavy metals in stem, leaf, straw, and grain. Results of plant analysis showed that application of sewage sludge increased nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium and cadmium in vegetative parts compared to control. Grain analysis showed that application of sewage sludge significantly increased nitrogen, phosphorous, potassium, iron, and zinc. Grass yield significantly increased in the plot treated with 100 ton/ha sewage sludge. Grain yield in the two treatments significantly increased. The results revealed that the sewage sludge increased heavy metals uptake by plants but still below standard levels. It is, therefore, necessary to use the quantities of the elements introduced into soil and absorbed by plants in order to determine the toxicity level for each metal taking into account factors such as plant and soil types as well as environmental conditions. This information can then be used to determine sludge application quantities in each case. Meanwhile, sludge application may only be recommended for irrigated crops receiving adequate irrigation water due to its salinity. Moreover, it cannot be recommended for irrigated crops directly consumed by man.

Hydrocarbon storage caverns overhaul: A case study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

McDougall, N. [Bayer Inc., Sarnia, ON (Canada)

1998-09-01

Case studies of four hydrocarbon storage cavern overhauls by Bayer Inc., of Sarnia during the period 1993 to 1997 were reviewed and the lessons learned were discussed. Discussions included inspection requirements for each of the caverns, the logistics and planning plant production around the cavern outages, site and cavern preparation, including removal of the casing slips from the well heads. It was emphasized that cavern overhauls can be expensive operations, unless preceded by proper planning. The largest variable cost is likely to be rig time at about $ 2,000 per day. Planning for the unexpected with thoughtful contingencies can reduce costs and avoid expensive delays.

Knowledge of medicinal plants and their uses among secondary and grammar school students: A case study from Slovenia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Strgar Jelka

2013-01-01

Full Text Available The use of medicinal plants has been decreasing gradually. Our main objective was to determine whether young people today are still familiar with medicinal plants, and whether traditional knowledge, which forms part of the cultural heritage, has been lost or is still being passed on to new generations. In our study, we found that the majority of 19-year-olds used medicinal plants occasionally. They mostly buy dried plants or products based on medicinal plants; they rarely grew plants themselves. Their general knowledge concerning the use and effects of using these plants was not satisfactory. Students were only able to identify correctly a few medicinal plants, and most were not able to recognize poisonous plants. It was proposed that more time in school should be devoted to this topic because pupils did show interest in medicinal plants. This could be in the form of an elective module in the frame of an open curriculum that would also include growing plants in a school garden.

Using plant functional traits to guide restoration: A case study in California coastal grassland

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sandel, Brody Steven; Corbin, Jeffrey; Krupa, Monica

2011-01-01

Restoration ecology can benefit greatly from developments in trait-based ecology that enable improved predictions of how the composition of plant communities will respond to changes in environmental conditions. Plant functional traits can be used to guide the restoration of degraded habitats...... generally from the treatments. Carbon addition led to large intraspecific trait shifts, with individuals in C addition plots having smaller, denser leaves and shorter stature. Species' trait plasticity, however, was not related to the community composition response to C addition.   Our study indicates...

The comparision of a basic and a dual-pressure ORC (Organic Rankine Cycle): Geothermal Power Plant Velika Ciglena case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Guzović, Zvonimir; Rašković, Predrag; Blatarić, Zoran

2014-01-01

In the Republic of Croatia there is some medium temperature geothermal fields (between 100 and 180 °C) by means of which it is possible to produce electricity. However, only recently concrete initiatives for the construction of geothermal power plants have been started. In previous papers, the possible cycles for geothermal fields in the Republic of Croatia are proposed: ORC (Organic Rankine Cycle) and Kalina cycle. Also for the most prospective geothermal fields, energy and exergy analysis for the proposed cycles are performed, on the basis of which the most suitable cycle is proposed. It is ORC which in all cases has better both the thermal efficiency (the First Law efficiency) and the exergy efficiency (the Second Law efficiency). With aim to further improving of geothermal energy utilization in this paper the replacement of a basic ORC with a dual-pressure ORC is analysed. A dual-pressure cycle reduces the thermodynamic losses incurred in the geothermal water-working fluid heat exchangers of the basic ORC, which arise through the heat transfer process across a large temperature difference. The dual-pressure cycle maintains a closer match between the geothermal water cooling curve and the working fluid heating/boiling curve and these losses can be reduced. Now, on the example of the most prospective geothermal field, Velika Ciglena (175 °C), energy and exergy analysis for the proposed the dual-pressure cycle are performed. As a conclusion, in case of Geothermal Power Plant Velika Ciglena, a dual-pressure ORC has slightly lower thermal efficiency (13.96% vs. 14.1%) but considerably higher both exergy efficiency (65% vs. 52%) and net power (6371 kW vs. 5270 kW). - Highlights: • In Croatia there are several medium temperature geothermal sources (100–180 °C). • Electricity production is possible in binary plants with ORC (Organic Rankine Cycle) or with the Kalina cycle. • In all cases ORC has better thermodynamic characteristics than Kalina cycle. �

Case study - Czechoslovakia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kovar, P.

1986-01-01

In the lecture Case Study - Czechoslovakia with the sub-title 'Unified System of Personnel Preparation for Nuclear Programme in Czechoslovakia' the actual status and the current experience of NPP personnel training and preparation in Czechoslovakia are introduced. The above mentioned training system is presented and demonstrated by the story of a proxy person who is going to become shift engineer in a nuclear power plant in Czechoslovakia. (orig./HP)

Institutional total energy case studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wulfinghoff, D.

1979-07-01

Profiles of three total energy systems in institutional settings are provided in this report. The plants are those of Franciscan Hospital, a 384-bed facility in Rock Island, Illinois; Franklin Foundation Hospital, a 100-bed hospital in Franklin, Louisiana; and the North American Air Defense Command Cheyenne Mountain Complex, a military installation near Colorado Springs, Colorado. The case studies include descriptions of plant components and configurations, operation and maintenance procedures, reliability, relationships to public utilities, staffing, economic efficiency, and factors contributing to success.

Evolutionary responses of native plant species to invasive plants : a review

OpenAIRE

Oduor, Ayub M. O.

2013-01-01

Strong competition from invasive plant species often leads to declines in abundances and may,in certain cases, cause localized extinctions of native plant species. Nevertheless, studies have shown that certain populations of native plant species can co-exist with invasive plant species, suggesting the possibility of adaptive evolutionary responses of those populations to the invasive plants. Empirical inference of evolutionary responses of the native plant species to invasive plants has invol...

Case study of the effects of public safety regulation on the construction costs of coal-fired and nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Morris, C.D.

1987-01-01

Regulations intended to reduce the number of accidents at nuclear plants and the discharge of sulfur and particulate wastes at coal-fired power plants have become an important cause of construction cost escalation. Measuring the costs of these regulatory interventions is a difficult research task. The three-unit Bruce Mansfield coal-fired plant and the two-unit Beaver Valley nuclear power station located in Shippingport, Pennsylvania, provide a unique opportunity for a case study of the costs of regulation in the construction of both kinds of plants. The units of each plant were built sequentially over a period of intensifying regulation. The method used to measure the costs of public safety regulation in the construction of each kind of plant is to determine the connections between the issuances of the regulatory agencies (EPA and NRC) and cost escalations of succeeding units. The small cost escalations of the Mansfield 3 unit, in comparison to the massive costs of the Beaver Valley 2 unit, suggest that the design and construction of new coal-fired plants are not disrupted by regulatory interventions nearly as extensively as are nuclear units. Certain technical features of Beaver Valley 2, especially its small size and a design that is identical to the first unit's, further contribute to its cost escalations

Distribution pathways of hexachlorocyclohexane isomers in a soil-plant-air system. A case study with Cynara scolymus L. and Erica sp. plants grown in a contaminated site

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Calvelo Pereira, R.; Monterroso, C.; Macias, F.; Camps-Arbestain, M.

2008-01-01

This study focuses on the main routes of distribution and accumulation of different hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) isomers (mainly α-, β-, γ- and δ-HCH) in a soil-plant-air system. A field assay was carried out with two plant species, Cynara scolymus L. and Erica sp., which were planted either: (i) directly in the HCH-contaminated soil; or (ii) in pots filled with uncontaminated soil, which were placed in the HCH-contaminated soil. Both plant species accumulated HCH in their tissues, with relatively higher accumulation in above-ground biomass than in roots. The β-HCH isomer was the main isomer in all plant tissues. Adsorption of HCH by the roots from contaminated soil (soil → root pathway) and adsorption through the aerial biomass from either the surrounding air, following volatilization of the contaminant (soil → air → shoot pathway), and/or contact with air-suspended particles contaminated with HCH (soil particles → shoot pathway) were the main mechanisms of accumulation. These results may have important implications for the use of plants for reducing the transfer of contaminants via the atmosphere. - Hexachlorocyclohexane isomers are preferentially accumulated in above-ground tissues of plants grown in a heavily contaminated site

Evaluating the effects of herbicide drift on nontarget terrestrial plants: A case study with mesotrione.

Science.gov (United States)

Brain, Richard A; Perine, Jeff; Cooke, Catriona; Ellis, Clare Butler; Harrington, Paul; Lane, Andrew; O'Sullivan, Christine; Ledson, Mark

2017-09-01

Nature of exposure is a fundamental driver in nontarget terrestrial plant risk assessment for pesticides; consequently a novel study was designed to generate field-based drift exposure and evaluate corresponding biological effects of the herbicide mesotrione. The approach used a combination of US guideline drift reduction technology and vegetative vigor approaches. In each of 3 independent replicate spray application trials, 10 pots each of lettuce and tomato were placed at distances of 10, 20, 30, 40, and 50 ft (∼3, 6, 9, 12, and 15 m) from the downwind edge of the spray boom. Each application was conducted using a commercial 60-ft (18-m) boom sprayer fitted with TeeJet ® Technologies TTI110025 nozzles, with a nominal application rate of 0.2 lb a.i./A (224 g a.i./ha). The environmental conditions required by the protocol (air temperature 10-30 °C and wind perpendicular to the swath (±30°) blowing toward the plants at a mean wind speed of ≥10 mph [≥4.5 m/s] measured at 2.0 m above the ground) were met for each application. Following exposure, plants were transferred to a greenhouse for the 21-d vegetative vigor phase of the study. Symptoms of phytotoxicity and plant height were assessed at 7, 14, and 21 d after treatment. On completion of the 21-d after treatment assessment, all plants were harvested and dried in an oven to determine shoot dry weight. The biological data indicated that no statistically significant effects were observed at a distance of 30 ft (∼9 m) from mesotrione drift at wind speeds of ≥10 mph (10.9-12.4 mph); this endpoint (30 ft) is defined as the no observed effects distance (NOED). Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:2465-2475. © 2017 SETAC. © 2017 SETAC.

Plant-Based Lunch at Work: Effects on Nutrient Intake, Environmental Impact and Tastiness—A Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mirjam E. van de Kamp

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The aim of this study was to determine the environmental impact, nutrient intake, appreciation and tastiness of three buffet-style lunches served at the workplace, consisting of (1 animal-based foods; (2 plant-based foods; and (3 both animal-based and plant-based foods. Employees of the National Institute for Public Health and the Environment in the Netherlands participated in the study. Participants scored the lunch for appreciation and tastiness (scores from 1 to 10. Greenhouse gas (GHG emissions and land use associated with foods consumed were calculated using life cycle assessments. Nutrient intake was calculated using food composition data. The results show that both the plant-based and the combination lunch received higher scores for tastiness than the animal-based lunch. GHG emissions and land use were lowest for the plant-based lunch and highest for the animal-based lunch. The combination lunch was associated with increased fiber and decreased saturated fat intake compared to the animal-based lunch, but also lead to increased energy intake. The plant-based lunch did not increase energy intake, while increasing fiber intake and decreasing sodium (salt and saturated fat intakes. These initial results show that plant-based lunches have the potential to improve nutrient intake and tastiness while reducing environmental impact. Additional research in this field is worthwhile.

Effect of uranium concentrations on plant growth - a control study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Verma, P.C.; Hegde, A.G.; Arey, N.C.

2010-01-01

This paper presents the details of pot culture experiments carried out to study the migration of uranium in soil to plant system. The effect of varying concentration and chemical forms of uranium on shoot and root length, shoot and root weight, leaf area, water potential, chlorophyll contents, soluble protein, total phenol etc. of two test crops were studied. In case of barley crop, the effect of uranium on seed yield and modulation were also studied. 100% germination could be achieved respectively after a period of 36 hours and 28 hours in uranyl acetate and uranyl nitrate in case of cowpea, whereas it is and 48 hours and 24 hours respectively for barley crop. Higher doses of uranium retarded both the speed as well as germination of seeds for tested crops

A case study of economic incentives and local citizens' attitudes toward hosting a nuclear power plant in Japan: Impacts of the Fukushima accident

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kato, Takaaki; Takahara, Shogo; Nishikawa, Masashi; Homma, Toshimitsu

2013-01-01

The attitude of local communities near a nuclear power plant (NPP) is a key factor in nuclear policy decision making in Japan. This case study compared local citizens' attitudes in 2010 and 2011 toward the benefits and drawbacks of hosting Kashiwazaki–Kariwa NPP. The Fukushima accident occurred in this period. After the accident, benefit recognition of utility bill refunds clearly declined, while that of public facilities did not, suggesting the influence of a bribery effect. The negative shift of attitudes about hosting the NPP after the accident was more modest in Kariwa Village, which saw a large expansion of social welfare programs, than in the other two areas, which lacked such a budget expansion. Policy implications of these results regarding the provision of economic incentives in NPP host areas after the Fukushima accident were discussed. - Highlights: • The Fukushima accident shocked Japan's nuclear policy. • Citizens' attitudes toward incentives of hosting a nuclear power plant surveyed. • More citizens thought negatively about incentives after the Fukushima accident. • The bribery effect, mode and amount of incentives affected citizens' attitudes

Distribution management by means of cutoff order size: a case study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

R. Nass; R. Dekker (Rommert); W. van Sonderen-Huisman

1997-01-01

textabstractWe present a case study on physical distribution management for a production company in Western Europe. The company delivers finished goods both from distribution centers and directly from plants to its customers. The lead time from distribution centres is shorter, but higher costs are

Distribution pathways of hexachlorocyclohexane isomers in a soil-plant-air system. A case study with Cynara scolymus L. and Erica sp. plants grown in a contaminated site.

Science.gov (United States)

Pereira, R Calvelo; Monterroso, C; Macías, F; Camps-Arbestain, M

2008-09-01

This study focuses on the main routes of distribution and accumulation of different hexachlorocyclohexane (HCH) isomers (mainly alpha-, beta-, gamma- and delta-HCH) in a soil-plant-air system. A field assay was carried out with two plant species, Cynara scolymus L. and Erica sp., which were planted either: (i) directly in the HCH-contaminated soil; or (ii) in pots filled with uncontaminated soil, which were placed in the HCH-contaminated soil. Both plant species accumulated HCH in their tissues, with relatively higher accumulation in above-ground biomass than in roots. The beta-HCH isomer was the main isomer in all plant tissues. Adsorption of HCH by the roots from contaminated soil (soil-->root pathway) and adsorption through the aerial biomass from either the surrounding air, following volatilization of the contaminant (soil-->air-->shoot pathway), and/or contact with air-suspended particles contaminated with HCH (soil particles-->shoot pathway) were the main mechanisms of accumulation. These results may have important implications for the use of plants for reducing the transfer of contaminants via the atmosphere.

Life Cycle Assessment of Producing Electricity in Thailand: A Case Study of Natural Gas Power Plant

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Usapein Parnuwat

2017-01-01

Full Text Available Environmental impacts from natural gas power plant in Thailand was investigated in this study. The objective was to identify the hotspot of environmental impact from electricity production and the allocation of emissions from power plant was studied. All stressors to environment were collected for annual natural gas power plant operation. The allocation of environmental load between electricity and steam was done by WRI/WBCSD method. Based on the annual power plant operation, the highest of environmental impact was fuel combustion, followed by natural gas extraction, and chemical reagent. After allocation, the result found that 1 kWh of electricity generated 0.425 kgCO2eq and 1 ton of steam generated 225 kgCO2eq. When compared based on 1GJ of energy product, the result showed that the environmental impact of electricity is higher than steam product. To improve the environmental performance, it should be focused on the fuel combustion, for example, increasing the efficiency of gas turbine, and using low sulphur content of natural gas. This result can be used as guideline for stakeholder who engage with the environmental impact from power plant; furthermore, it can be useful for policy maker to understand the allocation method between electricity and steam products.

A Study on Evaluation Issues of Real-Time Operating System in Nuclear Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kim, Y. M.; Jeong, C. H.; Koh, J. S.

2006-01-01

Control applications such as aircraft, robotics and nuclear power plant have to maintain a very high level of safety, typically defined as the avoidance of unplanned events resulting in hazard. These applications usually operate with hard real-time operating system (RTOS). In this case, hard RTOS software should be reliable and safe. RTOS used in safety-critical I and C system is the base software for the purpose of satisfying the real-time constraints. So, careful evaluation of its safety and functionality is very important. In this paper, we present the case study for RTOSs used in real nuclear power plants (NPP), and suggest the evaluation approach for the RTOS

A Study on Evaluation Issues of Real-Time Operating System in Nuclear Power Plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kim, Y. M.; Jeong, C. H.; Koh, J. S. [Korea Institute of Nuclear Safety, Taejon (Korea, Republic of)

2006-07-01

Control applications such as aircraft, robotics and nuclear power plant have to maintain a very high level of safety, typically defined as the avoidance of unplanned events resulting in hazard. These applications usually operate with hard real-time operating system (RTOS). In this case, hard RTOS software should be reliable and safe. RTOS used in safety-critical I and C system is the base software for the purpose of satisfying the real-time constraints. So, careful evaluation of its safety and functionality is very important. In this paper, we present the case study for RTOSs used in real nuclear power plants (NPP), and suggest the evaluation approach for the RTOS.

Horticulture hybrid cultivars and exotic plant invasion: A case study of Wisteria (Fabaceae)

Science.gov (United States)

J.L. Trusty; B.G. Lockaby; W.C. Zipperer; L.R. Goertzen

2008-01-01

Ornamental plant horticulture has had a long history in the USA, beginning with the first botanical garden started by John Bartram in Philadelphia in 1728 (Hedrick, 1988). From this modest start, the nursery and horticulture business in the USA was flourishing by the early 19th century. The growth and sale of useful and attractive plant species inspired American plant...

The acceptability of community leaders in establishing a nuclear power plant in Thailand: a case study of Chumphon province

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aukaravarothai, A.

1998-01-01

Acceptability of community leaders regarding the establishment of a nuclear power plant in Amphoe Pathiu of Chumphon Province in studied. The objectives are to investigate the level of understanding, the attitudes of acceptance and the possible benefits the community expects from the establishment of a nuclear power plant in the province. The study method involved interviewing the selected 118 community leaders and then applying the statistical method to analysis their responses and obtain a general description of the acceptability. The Chi-quire method was used to test the hypothesis at the confidence levels of 95% and 99%. The results revealed that 88.1% of the respondents were male and 11.9% were female, 88.2% have lived there permanently, 39.8% were university graduates and 48.3% are government officials, 48.3% were acceptable about the establishment of the nuclear power plant, 54.2% were not acceptable and 29.7% were ambiguous because they were afraid and uncertain about the safety of the power plant. In the acceptable group there was no correlation between the responses and the general Background of the respondents, i.e. age, occupation, education and field of study. However, in the unacceptable and ambiguous groups, a correlation was found between their responses and general background. This could be due to an information drive in the community prior to this study

A Study on Estimating the Next Failure Time of Compressor Equipment in an Offshore Plant

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SangJe Cho

2016-01-01

Full Text Available The offshore plant equipment usually has a long life cycle. During its O&M (Operation and Maintenance phase, since the accidental occurrence of offshore plant equipment causes catastrophic damage, it is necessary to make more efforts for managing critical offshore equipment. Nowadays, due to the emerging ICTs (Information Communication Technologies, it is possible to send health monitoring information to administrator of an offshore plant, which leads to much concern on CBM (Condition-Based Maintenance. This study introduces three approaches for predicting the next failure time of offshore plant equipment (gas compressor with case studies, which are based on finite state continuous time Markov model, linear regression method, and their hybrid model.

A NEPA follow-up study of DOE loan guarantee fuel ethanol plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hunsaker, D.B. Jr.; Eddlemon, G.K.; Miller, R.L.; Webb, J.W.

1989-04-01

This study was implemented to examine and characterize the actual environmental impacts of three fuel ethanol plants constructed under the US Department of Energy, Office of Alcohol Fuels Loan Guarantee Program, and to compare actual impacts with those predicted about six years ago in environmental assessments (EAs) prepared for these facilities. The objective of the program, established under the Energy Security Act of 1980, was to conserve petroleum resources by promoting the use of fuel ethanol in motor vehicles. The plants were designed to produce fuel-grade ethanol for blending with gasoline and reflect differentfeedstocks, processes, fuel sources, and site locations. Although two of the facilities as constructed differed substantially from those assessed previously, actual environmental impacts generally occurred in the areas predicted by the EAs. Major impacts not anticipated include odor from air emissions, effects of wastewater discharge on operation of a municipal sewage treatment plant, possible classification of treated wastewater from a molasses-based process as a nuisance, and habitat losses from both vegetation removal and unforeseen construction of barge terminals. In all cases, impacts were judged to be not significantn the final outcome, either because plant management (or other involved parties) took corrective action or because the resources affected in these particular cases were not important. Mitigation measures reliedon in the EAs to limit adverse impacts to insignificant levels were implemented and were required by permit condition, law, or regulation. Future follow-up studies would benefit from the availability of ambientmonitoring data to more thoroughly characterize actual impacts

Using ProModel as a simulation tools to assist plant layout design and planning: Case study plastic packaging factory

OpenAIRE

Pochamarn Tearwattanarattikal; Suwadee Namphacharoen; Chonthicha Chamrasporn

2008-01-01

This study is about the application of a Simulation Model to assist decision making on expanding capacity and plant layout design and planning. The plant layout design concept is performed first to create the physical layouts then the simulation model used to test the capability of plant to meet various demand forecast scena. The study employed ProModel package as a tool, using the model to compare the performances in term of % utilization, characteristics of WIP and ability to meet due date....

The Distribution of Microalgae in a Stabilization Pond System of a Domestic Wastewater Treatment Plant in a Tropical Environment (Case Study: Bojongsoang Wastewater Treatment Plant

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Herto Dwi Ariesyady

2016-02-01

Full Text Available The Bojongsoang Wastewater Treatment Plant (WWTP serves to treat domestic wastewater originating from Bandung City, West Java, Indonesia. An abundant amount of nutrients as a result of waste decomposition increases the number of microalgae populations present in the pond of the wastewater treatment plant, thereby causing a population explosion of microalgae, also called algal blooming. In a stabilization pond system, the presence of algal blooming is not desirable because it can decrease wastewater treatment performance. More knowledge about the relationship between the nutrients concentration and algae blooming conditions, such as microalgae diversity, is needed to control and maintain the performance of the wastewater treatment plant. Therefore this study was conducted, in order to reveal the diversity of microalgae in the stabilization pond system and its relationship with the water characteristics of the comprising ponds. The results showed that the water quality in the stabilization pond system of Bojongsoang WWTP supported rapid growth of microalgae, where most rapid microbial growth occurred in the anaerobic pond. The microalgae diversity in the stabilization ponds was very high, with various morphologies, probably affiliated with blue-green algae, green algae, cryptophytes, dinoflagellates and diatoms. This study has successfully produced information on microalgae diversity and abundance profiles in a stabilization pond system.

Feasibility study on environmental improvement and energy conservation of a mercury/diaphram cell chlor-alkali plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2001-03-01

In relation to facilities of Azerchimia, state concern, in Sumgait City, Azerbaijan, an investigational study was conducted of the project for energy conservation and greenhouse effect gas emission reduction by converting the caustic soda plant from the mercury process to the ion exchange process. The facilities of Azerchimia are badly superannuated and consume much more electric power than those in the newest technology. Moreover, the soil pollution by the plant using the mercury process is becoming a big problem. By carrying out this project, energy conservation can be achieved by reducing the amount of purchased power from thermal power plants outside. As a result of the study, the amount of the fuel used at the power plant was reduced to 40,700 toe/y. And, the amount of greenhouse effect gas emission was reduced to 131,000 t-CO2/y. In the study of the profitability, the internal earning rate of investment after tax was 8.6% and the internal earning rate of fund was 40% in the case of soft loans. In the case of commercial loans, however, they were 8.6% and 9.4%, respectively, which indicated that the materialization of the project was low. (NEDO)

Universal Plant DNA Barcode Loci May Not Work in Complex Groups: A Case Study with Indian Berberis Species

Science.gov (United States)

Roy, Sribash; Tyagi, Antariksh; Shukla, Virendra; Kumar, Anil; Singh, Uma M.; Chaudhary, Lal Babu; Datt, Bhaskar; Bag, Sumit K.; Singh, Pradhyumna K.; Nair, Narayanan K.; Husain, Tariq; Tuli, Rakesh

2010-01-01

Background The concept of DNA barcoding for species identification has gained considerable momentum in animals because of fairly successful species identification using cytochrome oxidase I (COI). In plants, matK and rbcL have been proposed as standard barcodes. However, barcoding in complex genera is a challenging task. Methodology and Principal Findings We investigated the species discriminatory power of four reportedly most promising plant DNA barcoding loci (one from nuclear genome- ITS, and three from plastid genome- trnH-psbA, rbcL and matK) in species of Indian Berberis L. (Berberidaceae) and two other genera, Ficus L. (Moraceae) and Gossypium L. (Malvaceae). Berberis species were delineated using morphological characters. These characters resulted in a well resolved species tree. Applying both nucleotide distance and nucleotide character-based approaches, we found that none of the loci, either singly or in combinations, could discriminate the species of Berberis. ITS resolved all the tested species of Ficus and Gossypium and trnH-psbA resolved 82% of the tested species in Ficus. The highly regarded matK and rbcL could not resolve all the species. Finally, we employed amplified fragment length polymorphism test in species of Berberis to determine their relationships. Using ten primer pair combinations in AFLP, the data demonstrated incomplete species resolution. Further, AFLP analysis showed that there was a tendency of the Berberis accessions to cluster according to their geographic origin rather than species affiliation. Conclusions/Significance We reconfirm the earlier reports that the concept of universal barcode in plants may not work in a number of genera. Our results also suggest that the matK and rbcL, recommended as universal barcode loci for plants, may not work in all the genera of land plants. Morphological, geographical and molecular data analyses of Indian species of Berberis suggest probable reticulate evolution and thus barcode markers may

Universal plant DNA barcode loci may not work in complex groups: a case study with Indian berberis species.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Sribash Roy

Full Text Available BACKGROUND: The concept of DNA barcoding for species identification has gained considerable momentum in animals because of fairly successful species identification using cytochrome oxidase I (COI. In plants, matK and rbcL have been proposed as standard barcodes. However, barcoding in complex genera is a challenging task. METHODOLOGY AND PRINCIPAL FINDINGS: We investigated the species discriminatory power of four reportedly most promising plant DNA barcoding loci (one from nuclear genome--ITS, and three from plastid genome--trnH-psbA, rbcL and matK in species of Indian Berberis L. (Berberidaceae and two other genera, Ficus L. (Moraceae and Gossypium L. (Malvaceae. Berberis species were delineated using morphological characters. These characters resulted in a well resolved species tree. Applying both nucleotide distance and nucleotide character-based approaches, we found that none of the loci, either singly or in combinations, could discriminate the species of Berberis. ITS resolved all the tested species of Ficus and Gossypium and trnH-psbA resolved 82% of the tested species in Ficus. The highly regarded matK and rbcL could not resolve all the species. Finally, we employed amplified fragment length polymorphism test in species of Berberis to determine their relationships. Using ten primer pair combinations in AFLP, the data demonstrated incomplete species resolution. Further, AFLP analysis showed that there was a tendency of the Berberis accessions to cluster according to their geographic origin rather than species affiliation. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE: We reconfirm the earlier reports that the concept of universal barcode in plants may not work in a number of genera. Our results also suggest that the matK and rbcL, recommended as universal barcode loci for plants, may not work in all the genera of land plants. Morphological, geographical and molecular data analyses of Indian species of Berberis suggest probable reticulate evolution and thus

Water conservation by 3 R's - case histories of Heavy Water Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Agarwal, A.K.; Hiremath, S.C.

2005-01-01

The basics of water conservation revolve around three R's of Reduce, Recycle, and Reuse. The Heavy Water Plants are an excellent example of water savings, and these case studies will be of interest to the chemical industry. The issues involved with water conservation and re-use in different Heavy Water Plants are of different nature. In H 2 S-H 2 O process plants the water consumption has been substantially decreased as compared to the design water needs. To quote the figures HWP (Kota) was designed to consume 2280 m 3 /hr water, which included 453 m 3 /hr water as feed for deuterium extraction. Today the plant operates with only 1250 m 3 /hr water while processing 500 m 3 /hr feed; and is headed to decrease the total water consumption to 700 m 3 /hr. Similarly at HWP (Manuguru) the design had provided 5600 m 3 /hr water consumption, which is today operating with only 1750 m 3 /hr and poised to operate with 1600 m 3 /hr. The issues of water conservation in Ammonia Hydrogen exchange plants have an additional dimension since water losses mean direct loss of heavy water production. In adjoining ammonia plants deuterium shifts to steam in the reformer and shift converter, and this excess steam is condensed as rich condensate. It becomes incumbent on the fertilizer plant to maintain a tight discipline for conserving and re-using the rich condensate so that deuterium concentration in the synthesis gas is maintained. Efforts are also underway to utilize rich condensate of GSFC in the newly developed technology of water ammonia exchange at HWP (Baroda) and we are targeting 20% production gains by implementation of this scheme and with no increase in the pollution load. These case histories will be of interest to Chemical Process Industry. (author)

Thermoeconomic studies applied to maintenance of power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carvalho, F.R.; Horta Nogueira, L.A.

1996-01-01

The thermoeconomic method is an important tool aiming to improve maintenance activities in steam power plants, becoming possible to share the irreversibilities costs to each equipment, as boilers, turbines and heat exchangers. Furthermore, the effects related to changes in operational and design parameters can be studied in a detailed way, evaluating the local and distributed effects. In this work, after a brief review of power plant maintenance costs concepts and values, one address a methodology for maintenance costs estimation and develops a case study of thermoeconomics of a hypothetical plant, presenting the exergy flows, exergy losses and maintenance costs distribution. Also is presented an evaluation of exergoeconomic maintenance cost, evaluating their significance, at equipment level, related to overall maintenance cost, aiming to help the maintenance activities planning. 10 refs, 3 figs, 12 tabs

Assessing the economic aspects of biogas plants. A case study in rural Bangladesh

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mahmud, Md Shultan

2012-01-01

Energy crisis has become one of the most concerning issues throughout the world including emerging developing country like Bangladesh. Scientific community has unequivocally agreed that renewable energy is the only solution to face this challenge. A number of researches on renewable energy (e.g., solar, wind, hydro energy and biogas) have been carried out in Bangladesh. So far, biogas and solar energy has been proved to be the best alternative to meet the daily energy demand. However, Bangladesh could achieve more success with biogas in rural areas if socioeconomic, technical and regulatory issues were addressed appropriately. This study analyzed not only these factors but also (i) the present situation of the biogas production, (ii) ways to improve the efficiency and economic benefits of small-scale or farm-scale biogas production, (iii) existing problem associated with small-scale/farms-scale biogas production, (iv) reason behind not using and not using of biogas by the people nearby the user of biogas, (v) economic benefits of small biogas plants and (vi) the ways to improve efficiency by intervening feed stock quality and composition of the small-scale/farms-scale biogas plants.

Assessing the economic aspects of biogas plants. A case study in rural Bangladesh

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Mahmud, Md Shultan

2012-07-01

Energy crisis has become one of the most concerning issues throughout the world including emerging developing country like Bangladesh. Scientific community has unequivocally agreed that renewable energy is the only solution to face this challenge. A number of researches on renewable energy (e.g., solar, wind, hydro energy and biogas) have been carried out in Bangladesh. So far, biogas and solar energy has been proved to be the best alternative to meet the daily energy demand. However, Bangladesh could achieve more success with biogas in rural areas if socioeconomic, technical and regulatory issues were addressed appropriately. This study analyzed not only these factors but also (i) the present situation of the biogas production, (ii) ways to improve the efficiency and economic benefits of small-scale or farm-scale biogas production, (iii) existing problem associated with small-scale/farms-scale biogas production, (iv) reason behind not using and not using of biogas by the people nearby the user of biogas, (v) economic benefits of small biogas plants and (vi) the ways to improve efficiency by intervening feed stock quality and composition of the small-scale/farms-scale biogas plants.

Medicinal plants used with Thai Traditional Medicine in modern healthcare services: a case study in Kabchoeng Hospital, Surin Province, Thailand.

Science.gov (United States)

Chotchoungchatchai, Somtanuek; Saralamp, Promchit; Jenjittikul, Thaya; Pornsiripongse, Saowapa; Prathanturarug, Sompop

2012-05-07

Thai Traditional Medicine (TTM) is available in many modern hospitals in Thailand. However, there have been difficulties in integrating TTM, particularly the practices of the use of herbal medicines, into modern healthcare services. Kabchoeng Hospital is one hospital that has been able to overcome these difficulties. Thus, this study aimed to document the successful utilization of herbal medicine at Kabchoeng Hospital. The documentation focused on both the knowledge of medicinal plants and the success factors that facilitated the utilization of herbal medicine in the context of a modern hospital in Thailand. Kabchoeng Hospital was intentionally selected for this case study. Participatory observation was used for the data collection. There were six groups of key informants: three applied Thai Traditional Medicine practitioners (ATTMPs), a pharmacist, two physicians, two folk healers, the head of an herbal cultivation and collection group, and 190 patients. The plant specimens were collected and identified based on the botanical literature and a comparison with authentic specimens; these identifications were assisted by microscopic and thin layer chromatography (TLC) techniques. Eighty-nine medicinal plants were used for the herbal preparations. The ATTMPs used these plants to prepare 29 standard herbal preparations and occasional extemporaneous preparations. Moreover, in this hospital, seven herbal preparations were purchased from herbal medicine manufacturers. In total, 36 preparations were used for 10 groups of symptoms, such as the treatment of respiratory system disorders, musculo-skeletal system disorders, and digestive system disorders. Four success factors that facilitated the utilization of herbal medicine at Kabchoeng Hospital were determined. These factors included a proper understanding of the uses of herbal medicines, the successful integration of the modern and TTM healthcare teams, the support of an herbal cultivation and collection group, and the

Environmental implications of electricity purchase from independent power producers: a case study from Thailand

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Rabin Shrestha; Ram M Shrestha

2003-01-01

This paper analyses the effect on the environment of electricity purchase from independent power producers (IPPs) in the case of Thailand. The environmental implication is evaluated in terms of the net change in emission of air pollutants with electricity purchase from IPPs by a utility. The main finding of the study is that electricity purchase from a non-dispatchable IPP plant based on coal-fired generation would increase the net emissions compared with that without the purchase from IPPs. The study also shows that the lower plant factor of the IPP plant would also increase the emission of air pollutants. Furthermore, with non-dispatchable IPP plants, the total emission of air pollutants would increase, whereas with dispatchable IPP plants the total emission would decrease with the level of electricity purchases. (author)

Asháninka medicinal plants: a case study from the native community of Bajo Quimiriki, Junín, Peru

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Luziatelli Gaia

2010-08-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The Asháninka Native Community Bajo Quimiriki, District Pichanaki, Junín, Peru, is located only 4 km from a larger urban area and is dissected by a major road. Therefore the loss of traditional knowledge is a main concern of the local headman and inhabitants. The present study assesses the state of traditional medicinal plant knowledge in the community and compares the local pharmacopoeia with the one from a related ethnic group. Methods Fieldwork was conducted between July and September 2007. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews, collection of medicinal plants in the homegardens, forest walks, a walk along the river banks, participant observation, informal conversation, cross check through voucher specimens and a focus group interview with children. Results Four-hundred and two medicinal plants, mainly herbs, were indicated by the informants. The most important families in terms of taxa were Asteraceae, Araceae, Rubiaceae, Euphorbiaceae, Solanaceae and Piperaceae. Eighty-four percent of the medicinal plants were wild and 63% were collected from the forest. Exotics accounted to only 2% of the medicinal plants. Problems related to the dermal system, digestive system, and cultural belief system represented 57% of all the medicinal applications. Some traditional healers received non-indigenous customers, using their knowledge as a source of income. Age and gender were significantly correlated to medicinal plant knowledge. Children knew the medicinal plants almost exclusively by their Spanish names. Sixteen percent of the medicinal plants found in this community were also reported among the Yanesha of the Pasco Region. Conclusions Despite the vicinity to a city, knowledge on medicinal plants and cultural beliefs are still abundant in this Asháninka Native Community and the medicinal plants are still available in the surroundings. Nevertheless, the use of Spanish names for the medicinal plants and the shift of

Evolutionary responses of native plant species to invasive plants: a review.

Science.gov (United States)

Oduor, Ayub M O

2013-12-01

Strong competition from invasive plant species often leads to declines in abundances and may, in certain cases, cause localized extinctions of native plant species. Nevertheless, studies have shown that certain populations of native plant species can co-exist with invasive plant species,suggesting the possibility of adaptive evolutionary responses of those populations to the invasive plants. Empirical inference of evolutionary responses of the native plant species to invasive plants has involved experiments comparing two conspecific groups of native plants for differences in expression of growth/reproductive traits: populations that have experienced competition from the invasive plant species (i.e. experienced natives) versus populations with no known history of interactions with the invasive plant species (i.e. naıve natives). Here, I employ a meta-analysis to obtain a general pattern of inferred evolutionary responses of native plant species from 53 such studies. In general, the experienced natives had significantly higher growth/reproductive performances than naıve natives, when grown with or without competition from invasive plants.While the current results indicate that certain populations of native plant species could potentially adapt evolutionarily to invasive plant species, the ecological and evolutionary mechanisms that probably underlie such evolutionary responses remain unexplored and should be the focus of future studies.

Management Index Systems and Energy Efficiency Diagnosis Model for Power Plant: Cases in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jing-Min Wang

2016-01-01

Full Text Available In recent years, the energy efficiency of thermal power plant largely contributes to that of the industry. A thorough understanding of influencing factors, as well as the establishment of scientific and comprehensive diagnosis model, plays a key role in the operational efficiency and competitiveness for the thermal power plant. Referring to domestic and abroad researches towards energy efficiency management, based on Cloud model and data envelopment analysis (DEA model, a qualitative and quantitative index system and a comprehensive diagnostic model (CDM are construed. To testify rationality and usability of CDM, case studies of large-scaled Chinese thermal power plants have been conducted. In this case, CDM excavates such qualitative factors as technology, management, and so forth. The results shows that, compared with conventional model, which only considered production running parameters, the CDM bears better adaption to reality. It can provide entities with efficient instruments for energy efficiency diagnosis.

To what extent are medicinal plants shared between country home gardens and urban ones? A case study from Misiones, Argentina.

Science.gov (United States)

Furlan, Violeta; Kujawska, Monika; Hilgert, Norma Ines; Pochettino, María Lelia

2016-09-01

Context Worldwide ethnobotanical research has shown the importance of home gardens as sources of medicinal plants. These resources are worthy of further study in the Argentinean Atlantic Forest due to the richness of medicinal flora and their importance for local people. Objective We studied richness, composition, cultural importance and medicinal uses of plants in home gardens of rural, semirural and urban areas in the Iguazú Department (Misiones, Argentina). Our hypothesis claims that people living in different environments have a similar array of medicinal plants in their gardens and they use them in a similar way. Materials and methods The analysis was based on 76 interviews and plant inventories of home gardens. During guided walks in gardens, voucher specimens were collected. To analyse composition, Simpson similarity index was applied and a new index was proposed to measure culturally salient species. Results All the environments had similar species composition with species differing in less than 30% of them. The most culturally salient taxa were Mentha spicata L. (Lamiaceae), in rural, Artemisia absinthium L. (Asteraceae), in semirural, and Aloe maculata All. (Xanthorrhoeaceae), in urban areas. The body systems treated with medicinal plants were similar across study sites. Discussion The results suggest a "core repertoire" of medicinal plants and a widespread exchange of plants among local population. The cultural importance index informs us about plant adaptability, based on the efficacy and the versatility of medicinal resources. Conclusion In this changing context where mobility and migrations constitute everyday life, medicinal plants in home gardens are part of local healthcare sovereignty.

New classification of operators' human errors at overseas nuclear power plants and preparation of easy-to-use case sheets

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Takagawa, Kenichi

2004-01-01

At nuclear power plants, plant operators examine other human error cases, including those that occurred at other plants, so that they can learn from such experiences and avoid making similar errors again. Although there is little data available on errors made at domestic plants, nuclear operators in foreign countries are reporting even minor irregularities and signs of faults, and a large amount of data on human errors at overseas plants could be collected and examined. However, these overseas data have not been used effectively because most of them are poorly organized or not properly classified and are often hard to understand. Accordingly, we carried out a study on the cases of human errors at overseas power plants in order to help plant personnel clearly understand overseas experiences and avoid repeating similar errors, The study produced the following results, which were put to use at nuclear power plants and other facilities. (1) ''One-Point-Advice'' refers to a practice where a leader gives pieces of advice to his team of operators in order to prevent human errors before starting work. Based on this practice and those used in the aviation industry, we have developed a new method of classifying human errors that consists of four basic actions and three applied actions. (2) We used this new classification method to classify human errors made by operators at overseas nuclear power plants. The results show that the most frequent errors caused not by operators themselves but due to insufficient team monitoring, for which superiors and/or their colleagues were responsible. We therefore analyzed and classified possible factors contributing to insufficient team monitoring, and demonstrated that the frequent errors have also occurred at domestic power plants. (3) Using the new classification formula, we prepared a human error case sheets that is easy for plant personnel to understand. The sheets are designed to make data more understandable and easier to remember

Optimal sizing of utility-scale photovoltaic power generation complementarily operating with hydropower: A case study of the world’s largest hydro-photovoltaic plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fang, Wei; Huang, Qiang; Huang, Shengzhi; Yang, Jie; Meng, Erhao; Li, Yunyun

2017-01-01

Highlights: • Feasibility of complementary hydro-photovoltaic operation across the world is revealed. • Three scenarios of the novel operation mode are proposed to satisfy different load demand. • A method for optimally sizing a utility-scale photovoltaic plant is developed by maximizing the net revenue during lifetime. • The influence of complementary hydro-photovoltaic operation upon water resources allocation is investigated. - Abstract: The high variability of solar energy makes utility-scale photovoltaic power generation confront huge challenges to penetrate into power system. In this paper, the complementary hydro-photovoltaic operation is explored, aiming at improving the power quality of photovoltaic and promoting the integration of photovoltaic into the system. First, solar-rich and hydro-rich regions across the world are revealed, which are suitable for implementing the complementary hydro-photovoltaic operation. Then, three practical scenarios of the novel operation mode are proposed for better satisfying different types of load demand. Moreover, a method for optimal sizing of a photovoltaic plant integrated into a hydropower plant is developed by maximizing the net revenue during lifetime. Longyangxia complementary hydro-photovoltaic project, the current world’s largest hydro-photovoltaic power plant, is selected as a case study and its optimal photovoltaic capacities of different scenarios are calculated. Results indicate that hydropower installed capacity and annual solar curtailment rate play crucial roles in the size optimization of a photovoltaic plant and complementary hydro-photovoltaic operation exerts little adverse effect upon the water resources allocation of Longyangxia reservoir. The novel operation mode not only improves the penetration of utility-scale photovoltaic power generation but also can provide a valuable reference for the large-scale utilization of other kinds of renewable energy worldwide.

Simulation analysis of capacity and performance improvement in wastewater treatment plants: Case study of Alexandria eastern plant

Science.gov (United States)

Moursy, Aly; Sorour, Mohamed T.; Moustafa, Medhat; Elbarqi, Walid; Fayd, Mai; Elreedy, Ahmed

2018-05-01

This study concerns the upgrading of a real domestic wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) supported by simulation. The main aims of this work are to: (1) decide between two technologies to improve WWTP capacity and its nitrogen removal efficiency; membrane bioreactor (MBR) and integrated fixed film activated sludge (IFAS), and (2) perform a cost estimation analysis for the two proposed solutions. The model used was calibrated based on data from the existing WWTP, namely, Eastern plant and located in Alexandria, Egypt. The activated sludge model No. 1 (ASM1) was considered in the model analysis by GPS-X 7 software. Steady-state analysis revealed that high performances corresponded to high compliance with Egyptian standards were achieved by the two techniques; however, MBR was better. Nonetheless, the two systems showed poor nitrogen removal efficiency according to the current situation, which reveals that the plant needs a modification to add an anaerobic treatment unit before the aerobic zone.

Impact of coal-fired thermal power plant emissions on surrounding vegetative environment: a case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Soni, D.K.; Senger, C.B.S.

1993-01-01

Vegetative system around the thermal power plants are exposed to perpetual emissions of particulates as well as gaseous pollutants in various forms and nature. These emissions evidently are reflected in plant responses. In order to assess the response of natural flora of this region, 2 plant species, that is Mangifera indica and Holarrhina artidysentrica and certain pollution sensitive parameter, such as leaf area, pH of wash water of foliage and sugar content of the leaves were identified for this study. It was observed that the pH of wash solution of leaves was close to neutral in upstream locations and in polluted zone pH was acidic. Leaf area was higher in least polluted zone and lower in more polluted locations. Dust deposition on leaves was observed be lower in upstream locations and higher in influenced areas. Sugar variations in leaves showed negative impact in affected areas. (author). 9 refs., 5 tabs

Studies on human factors in nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tsukuda, H.; Miyaoka, S.

1988-01-01

In order to raise the reliability and safety of nuclear power plants to the highest possible level, improvements to the mechanical system alone are not sufficient. Human factors must be systematically analysed and the causes and mechanisms of human error clarified to allow the development of countermeasures that will reduce error as much as possible. The paper introduces research in two areas, fundamental clarification of human behavioural, physiological and psychological characteristics to aid in the development of preventive measures for reducing error, and studies involving analysis of actual cases of accidents and failures related to man along with development of countermeasures to prevent the recurrence of such cases. The paper especially considers the latter area. The Human Performance Evaluation System (HPES) developed by the Institute of Nuclear Power Operations (INPO) in the USA was applied on a trial basis to 31 recent accidents and failures at Japanese nuclear power plants. The effectiveness of and possible improvement to HPES were considered. Also, cases that were not directly linked to accidents or failures were analysed using a method developed independently in Japan using data collected from a survey of approximately 3,000 power plant personnel. Fundamental research on human behaviour, physiology and psychology are also introduced. (author). 4 figs

Lowered risk of nasopharyngeal carcinoma and intake of plant vitamin, fresh fish, green tea and coffee: a case-control study in Taiwan.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Wan-Lun Hsu

Full Text Available A case-control study was conducted to evaluate the role of adult diet on nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC in Taiwan.A total of 375 incident NPC cases and 327 controls matched to the cases on sex, age, and residence were recruited between July 1991 and December 1994. A structured questionnaire inquiring complete dietary history, socio-demographic characteristics, and other potential confounding factors was used in the personal interview. Unconditional logistic regression analysis was used to estimate multivariate-adjusted odds ratio (OR(adj with 95% confidence interval (CI after accounting for known risk factors.Fresh fish (OR(adj, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.38-0.83 for the highest vs. lowest tertile of intake, green tea (OR(adj, 0.61; 95% CI, 0.40-0.91 for drinking ≥1 times/week vs. never and coffee (OR(adj, 0.56; 95% CI, 0.37-0.85 for drinking ≥0.5 times/week vs. never were inversely associated with the NPC risk. No association with NPC risk was observed for the intake of meats, salted fish, fresh vegetables, fruits and milk. Intake of vitamin A from plant sources was associated with a decreased NPC risk (OR(adj, 0.62; 95% CI, 0.41-0.94 for the highest vs. lowest tertile.The study findings suggest that certain adult dietary patterns might protect against the development of NPC.

Parametric study of prospective early commercial OCMHD power plants /PSPEC/

Science.gov (United States)

Marston, C. H.; Bender, D. J.; Hnat, J. G.; Dellinger, T. C.

1980-06-01

The paper presents a parametric study conducted to obtain the performance, economics, natural resource requirements, and environmental impact of moderate technology MHD/steam power plants that do not require development of direct-fired high-temperature air heaters. The study was divided into three base cases, each with a reference case and parametric variations. The case using recuperative air preheat in the range of 1000 F to 1300 F, combined with O2 enrichment to 42% by volume has been selected for conceptual design.

Calculating the Efficiency of Steam Boilers Based on Its Most Effecting Factors: A Case Study

OpenAIRE

Nabil M. Muhaisen; Rajab Abdullah Hokoma

2012-01-01

This paper is concerned with calculating boiler efficiency as one of the most important types of performance measurements in any steam power plant. That has a key role in determining the overall effectiveness of the whole system within the power station. For this calculation, a Visual-Basic program was developed, and a steam power plant known as El-Khmus power plant, Libya was selected as a case study. The calculation of the boiler efficiency was applied by using heating ...

Environmental arsenic exposure from a coal-burning power plant as a potential risk factor for nonmelanoma skin carcinoma: Results from a case-control study in the district of Prievidza, Slovakia

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pesch, B.; Ranft, U.; Jakubis, P.; Nieuwenhuijsen, M.J.; Hergemoller, A.; Unfried, K.; Jakubis, M.; Miskovic, P.; Keegan, T. [University of Dusseldorf, Dusseldorf (Germany)

2002-05-01

To investigate the risk of arsenic exposure from a coal-burning power plant in Slovakia on nonmelanoma skin cancer (NMSC) development, a 1996-1999 population-based case-control study was conducted with 264 cases and 286 controls. Exposure assessment was based on residential history and annual emissions (Asres1, Asres2) and on nutritional habits and arsenic content in food (Asnut1, Asnut2). Asres1 was assessed as a function of the distance of places of residence to the plant. Asres2 additionally considered workplace locations. Asnut1 was used to calculate arsenic uptake by weighting food frequencies with arsenic concentrations and annual consumption of food items. Asnut2 additionally considered consumption of local products. Age- and gender-adjusted risk estimates for NMSC in the highest exposure category (90th vs. 30th percentile) were 1.90 (95% confidence interval (CI): 1.39, 2.60) for Asres1, 1.90 (95% CI: 1.38, 2.62) for Asres2, 1.19 (95% CI: 0.64, 2.12) for Asnut1, and 1.83 (95% CI: 0.98, 3.43) for Asnut2. No interaction was found between arsenic exposure and dietary and residential data. Other plant emissions could have confounded the distance-based exposure variables. Consumption of contaminated vegetables and fruits could be confounded by the protective effects of such a diet. Nevertheless, the authors found an excess NMSC risk for environmental arsenic exposure.

Ergonomic development work: co-education as a support for user participation at a car assembly plant. A case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Garmer, K; Dahlman, S; Sperling, L

1995-12-01

This study deals with the design, trials and evaluation of a co-education programme at the Volvo Uddevalla plant in Sweden. Involving operators, manufacturing engineers and managers, the programme served as a support for the creation of a participatory ergonomics process, intended for continuous use at the plant. It consisted of a basic ergonomics knowledge package, and a dialogue model defining the roles and relations of actors involved. As a practical part of the programme, trial development projects were also carried out by the participants. The main and long term objective of the project was to start the participants cooperating in a continuous change and development process on the shop-floor. The outcome of the co-education programme was evaluated immediately after the first two regular courses, and, as a longterm follow-up, after seven subsequent courses shortly after the closing of the Uddevalla plant. The co-education programme was shown to be successful. Later on, the expertize of both operators and manufacturing engineers became obvious to everyone at the plant, and the cooperation between operators and manufacturing engineers increased steadily. The main conclusion drawn was that the co-education programme is a good starting point for a process of participation and industrial change work. However, in order to get a permanent impact, the whole organization must nurse and nourish the further development, and implementation of the process.

Changes in ecosystem services associated with planting structures of cropland: A case study in Minle County in China

Science.gov (United States)

Liu, Yaqun; Song, Wei; Mu, Fengyun

2017-12-01

The cropland ecosystem provides essential direct and indirect products and services to mankind such as food, fiber, biodiversity and soil conservation. A change of crop planting structure can change the ecosystem services of cropland by affecting land use type. In recent years, under the influence of regional comparative advantage and consumer demand changes, the crop planting structure in China has changed rapidly. However, there is still a lack of deep understanding on the effect of such a change in planting structure on the ecosystem services of cropland. Therefore, this research selected Minle County in the Heihe River Basin, which has small scattered croplands and a complex planting structure, as a study area. Based on the key time phase and optimal threshold of the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) data of the Thematic Mapper and Enhanced Thematic Mapper Plus (TM/ETM+) images, this study used the decision tree algorithm to classify and extract the crop planting structure in Minle County in 2007 and 2012 and to analyze the changes in its temporal and spatial patterns. Then, the market value method was adopted to estimate the effect of the change in crop planting structure on the ecosystem services of the cropland. From 2007 to 2012, the planting area of corn and rapeseed in Minle County increased by 5.86 × 103 ha and 5.10 × 103 ha, respectively. Conversely, the planting area of wheat and barley was reduced by 3.26 × 103 ha and 6.34 × 103 ha, respectively. These changes directly caused the increase of the ecosystem services value of corn and rapeseed by 1062.82 × 104 USD and 842.54 × 104 USD, respectively. The resulting reduction in the ecosystem services value of wheat and barley was 488.24 × 104 USD and 828.29 × 104 USD, respectively. Besides, the total ecosystem services value of cropland increased by 1564.98 × 104 USD. Further analysis found that the change in the crop planting structure caused an increase in the ecosystem services

A framework for siting and dispatch of emerging energy resources to realize environmental and health benefits: Case study on peaker power plant displacement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Krieger, Elena M.; Casey, Joan A.; Shonkoff, Seth B.C.

2016-01-01

Emerging grid resources such as energy storage and demand response have the potential to provide numerous environmental and societal benefits, but are primarily sited and operated to provide grid-specific services without optimizing these co-benefits. We present a four-metric framework to identify priority regions to deploy and dispatch these technologies to displace marginal grid air emissions with high environmental and health impacts. To the standard metrics of total mass and rate of air pollutant emissions we add location and time, to prioritize emission displacement near densely populated areas with poor air quality, especially at times when air pollutant concentrations exceed regulatory standards. We illustrate our framework with a case study using storage, demand response, and other technologies to displace peaker power plants, the highest-rate marginal emitters on the California grid. We combine spatial-temporal data on plant electricity generation, air quality standard exceedance days, and population characteristics available from environmental justice screening tool CalEnviroScreen 2.0 to determine where emissions reductions may have the greatest marginal benefit. This screening approach can inform grid siting decisions, such as storage in lieu of peaker plants in high impact regions, or dispatch protocol, such as triggering demand response instead of peaker plants on poor air quality days. - Highlights: •We develop a health and environmental framework for siting clean energy resources. •Metrics include total mass, time, rate and location of displaced marginal emissions. •Emission displacement is prioritized near dense populations on poor air quality days. •We apply our framework to the displacement of peaker power plant generation in CA. •We identify optimal places and times to site and dispatch storage and demand response.

Use of medicinal plants for human health in Udzungwa Mountains Forests: a case study of New Dabaga Ulongambi Forest Reserve, Tanzania.

Science.gov (United States)

Kitula, Rukia A

2007-01-26

The dependence of local people on plant medicine from natural forests has a long tradition in Tanzania and is becoming increasingly popular among rural and urban communities due to among others increase in living costs. The study on utilization of medicinal plants for meeting heath care needs was carried out between March 2001 and March 2002 in New Dabaga Ulongambi Forest Reserve, Tanzania. The study aimed at generating necessary data for the Udzungwa Mountains Forest Management project to draft sound Joint Forest Management plans. Specific objectives of the study among others were to assess knowledge associated with utilization of medicinal plants for health care needs as well as factors associated in using plant medicines in the study area. A questionnaire survey, market survey and literature review were used to collect information. Tools used for data analysis were Statistical Packages for Social Science and content analysis. A total of 45 plant species were documented curing about 22 human diseases. Medicinal plants were readily available throughout the year and plentiful in the forest reserve. Roots and leaves were the plant parts harvested for medicinal purposes. Processing of plant medicines involved boiling, pounding, soaking in water and chewing. Distance to health facility, income level of the household and beliefs contributed to the use of plant medicines. The study concluded that medicinal plants play an important role in providing primary health care to the rural communities. It is recommended that in achieving joint forest management (JFM), villagers adjacent to the forest reserve should be sensitised on the importance of JFM through seminars, workshops, drama, school songs or video show. During the development of a joint draft management plan, villagers as an informal institution must define their priority needs of use of parts of the forest in collaboration with the Udzungwa Mountains Forest Management project.

Wild plant food in agricultural environments: a study of occurrence, management, and gathering rights in Northeast Thailand.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Price, L.L.

1997-01-01

This article examines the gathering of wild plant foods in agricultural environments and utilizes research conducted among rice cultivators in northeast Thailand as the case study. The management of wild food plants and gathering rights on agricultural land are closely linked to women's roles as

The importance of cultural factors in the distribution of medicinal plant knowledge: a case study in four Basque regions.

Science.gov (United States)

Menendez-Baceta, Gorka; Aceituno-Mata, Laura; Reyes-García, Victoria; Tardío, Javier; Salpeteur, Matthieu; Pardo-de-Santayana, Manuel

2015-02-23

Previous research suggests that the use of medicinal plants by a given group is mainly driven by biological variables such as the chemical composition or the ecological distribution of plants. However, other studies highlight the importance of cultural aspects such as the curative meaning given to a plant, beliefs, religion or the historical context. Such aspects could play an important role in the use, diffusion or even in the effectiveness of a plant remedy. Fieldwork consisted of 233 orally consented semi-structured interviews with 178 informants about medicinal uses of plants. Interviews were conducted in four historically and geographycally delimited regions of Alava and Biscay with similar environmental conditions but different sociolinguistic backgrounds: two regions were Basque- and two Spanish-speaking. Data were structured in use-reports. A Between Class Analysis was conducted to assess the intercultural and intracultural variability of medicinal plants knowledge. The results show the existence of four clearly different medicinal ethnofloras. While the four ethnofloras share remedies widely distributed through the territory, each of them also includes remedies that are only shared among closely related communities. The ecological availability and chemical composition of the plants may explain why there are widely used plant remedies. On the contrary, the distribution of the locally shared remedies matches up with the cultural heterogeneity of the territory, so cultural factors, such as, language, social networks or the meaning response of the plants seem to explain the use of many traditional plant remedies. In Addition, we also found that Basque speaking territories show higher knowledge levels than Spanish speaking territories. In this sense, the development and reinforcement of Basque identity by Basque nationalism seems to have contributed to maintain the traditional knowledge in the Basque speaking regions. Despite the fact that pharmacological

Design of community biogas plant for cooking and lighting from cowdung (a proposal case study)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Mekki, Ibtisam I.

1999-01-01

A calculation design for community biogas plant was proposed for a village in Sudan consisting 100 families, each consisting of 6 persons (adult). Two children are equivalent to one person. Based on the requirement for cooking and lighting, the community biogas plant is deigned for production of total biogas of 360 m-3 gas per day. This volume of the gas will be produced from total dung per day of 6000kg. This amount of dung will expect to obtained from 600 cows. The actual digester volume equal to 60.5m-3. The layout of the plant was designed of two identical plants, each consisted of 3 digester, i.e. 6digesters will be needed.(Author)

A Study of the Status of Use of Drug Plants and Its Related Factors

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Reza Heidarifar

2013-09-01

Full Text Available Background and Objectives: Herbal medicine as a type of complementary medicine has long been used by different societies. The studies of the last two decades have indicated the growing use of drug plants in the world, sometimes without consulting a physician and with no knowledge about their side-effects. This study was done with the aim of determining the status of use of drug plants and its related factors in Qom city. Methods: This descriptive cross-sectional study was done on 372 people of Qom city in 2012, using convenience sampling. The data were collected through a questionnaire that its validity and reliability had been confirmed. The data were analyzed via frequency tables, chi 2, Mann-Whitney and Fisher’s tests. Significance level was considered p<0.05. Results: In this study, 35.48% and 11.55% of participants had used drug plants for treatment and prevention, respectively. The most cases of consumption belonged to abdominal pain (48.4%, cold (42.2% and sore throat (35.8%, and the most used plants were mint (72.3%, Sisymbrium irio (65.1% and cinnamon (62.9%. The most important reason of use of drug plants were fewer side-effects (51.1% and better results (39.9% compared to chemical medicine. Among studied variables, a statistically significant relationship was observed between gender and the amount of using drug plants (p=0.01. Conclusion: Concerning the results of this study, the most reason of using drug plants was their fewer side-effects compared to chemical drugs. So, it is necessary to give accurate information, at the society level, about their side-effects and possible interactions.

Vernacular dominance in folk taxonomy: a case study of ethnospecies in medicinal plant trade in Tanzania.

Science.gov (United States)

Otieno, Joseph; Abihudi, Siri; Veldman, Sarina; Nahashon, Michael; van Andel, Tinde; de Boer, Hugo J

2015-02-19

Medicinal plants are traded as products with vernacular names, but these folk taxonomies do not always correspond one-to-one with scientific plant names. These local species entities can be defined as ethnospecies and can match, under-differentiate or over-differentiate as compared to scientific species. Identification of plant species in trade is further complicated by the processed state of the product, substitution and adulteration. In countries like Tanzania, an additional dimension to mapping folk taxonomies on scientific names is added by the multitude of ethnicities and languages of the plant collectors, traders and consumers. This study aims to elucidate the relations between the most common vernacular names and the ethnicity of the individual traders among the medicinal plant markets in Dar es Salaam and Tanga regions in Tanzania, with the aim of understanding the dynamics of vernacular names in plant trade. A total of 90 respondents were interviewed in local markets using semi-structured interviews. The ethnicity of each respondent was recorded, as well as the language of each ethnospecies mentioned during the interviews. Voucher collections and reference literature were used to match ethnospecies across languages. At each market, the language of the majority of the vendors dominates the names for medicinal products. The dominant vendors often represent the major ethnic groups of that region. Independent of their ethnicity, vendors offer their products in the dominant language of the specific region without apparently leading to any confusion or species mismatching. Middlemen, traders and vendors adapt their folk classifications to those of the ethnic groups of the region where they conduct their trade, and to the ethnicity of their main customers. The names in the language of the traders are not forgotten, but relegated in favor of the more salient names of the dominant tribe.

Environmental management and business profitability - a case study of NPCIL

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wagh, P.M.; Singh, Jitendra

2002-01-01

Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited (NPCIL) is responsible for the design, construction, commissioning and operation of nuclear power plants in India for electricity generation. NPCIL presently has fourteen units in commercial operation. Over the last few years, the performance of Indian nuclear power plants have registered a marked improvement. This has been achieved through sustained and systematic efforts to upgrade all aspects of the plant activities on one hand and on the other, development and implementation of latest tools, techniques and management systems to further enhance their effectiveness. In addition, development and implementation of International Standards on Environmental, Safety and Quality Management have been institutionalized for continual improvement. WANO (World Association of Nuclear Operators) Peer Reviews are also being conducted. The present paper is an attempt to present a case study of Nuclear Power Corporation of India Limited in view of the changing perceptions on environmental management and overall business plan. (author)

Approach to operational mine planning: Case study Tamnava West

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Stevanović Dejan R.

2014-01-01

Full Text Available In contemporary mining industry is very difficult to achieve production targets and profit without investing effort in detailed excavation planning. It is especially true for deposits with complex geological structure and production technology, as is the case for many coal mines in Serbia. The majority of coal production is used for generation of electricity in power plant. This fact is the main reason why production objectives of coal mine and power plant are strongly connected. Due to the fluctuation of the coal quality, operational mine planning (as a part of coal homogenization process, is of critical importance for managing successful coal quality control and meeting criteria of power plant. This paper investigates advantage of proper operational planning on coal quality control process and overall production performance. For better understanding case study is conducted on open pit Tamnava West field. Successful operational mine planning is almost impossible without use of modern software packages. For that reason in presented case study operational mine planning is done with Minex software.

Using a plant health system framework to assess plant clinic performance in Uganda

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Danielsen, Solveig; Matsiko, Frank B.

2016-01-01

and expand, new analytical frameworks and tools are needed to identify factors influencing performance of services and systems in specific contexts, and to guide interventions. In this paper we apply a plant health system framework to assess plant clinic performance, using Uganda as a case study...... factors, influenced by basic operational and financial concerns, inter-institutional relations and public sector policies. Overall, there was a fairly close match between the plant health system attributes and plant clinic performance, suggesting that the framework can help explain system functioning....... A comparative study of plant clinics was carried out between July 2010 and September 2011 in the 12 districts where plant clinics were operating at that time. The framework enabled us to organise multiple issues and identify key features that affected the plant clinics. Clinic performance was, among other...

Determining significance in social impact assessments (SIA) by applying both technical and participatory approaches: Methodology development and application in a case study of the concentrated solar power plant NOORO I in Morocco

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Terrapon-Pfaff, Julia; Fink, Thomas; Viebahn, Peter; Jamea, El Mostafa

2017-01-01

One of the main objectives of impact assessments is to identify potentially significant impacts. However, determining this significance has received very limited attention as a procedural step in social impact assessments. Consequently, only limited research and documentation exists on approaches, survey tools and evaluation methods, especially with regard to participatory approaches and combined participatory-technical approaches. This study aims to address this research gap by developing and applying a joined participatory and technical impact significance evaluation. The approach is applied in a case study which analysed the livelihood impacts of the large-scale concentrated solar power plant NOOR O I in Ouarzazate, Morocco. The analysis shows that although different approaches and significance criteria must be applied when involving both local stakeholders and experts, the linked analysis offers more robust results and an improved basis for decision-making. Furthermore, it was observed in the case study that impacts affecting the social, cultural and political spheres were more often considered significant than impacts affecting the physical and material livelihood dimensions. Regarding sustainability assessments of large-scale renewable energy plants, these findings underline the importance (as for other large-scale infrastructure developments) of placing greater emphasis on the inclusion of social aspects in impact assessments. - Highlights: •Significance evaluation in social impact assessments lacks participatory aspects. •Combined participatory and technical impact significance evaluation developed •Application in a case study to analyse the livelihood impacts of a CSP plant •Involvement of local stakeholders and technical experts results in robust findings. •Social, cultural and political issues are often more relevant than material aspects.

BioFleet case studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2007-01-01

These six case studies examined the use of different biodiesel blends as fuel supply sources for businesses in British Columbia (BC). In the first case study, 6 municipalities participated in a pilot program designed to compare the performance of biodiesel and diesel fuels. Each municipality operated 2 base vehicles running on conventional diesel along with 2 similar vehicles which used biodiesel. Real time emissions tests and analyses of the vehicles using biodiesel were also conducted by 2 of the participating municipalities. All municipalities participating in the study agreed to purchase significant volumes of biodiesel. The second case study described a pilot study conducted by the City of Vancouver's equipment services branch in 2004. As a result of the study, the city now has over 530 types of equipment that use biodiesel. The third case study described a program designed by TSI Terminals in Vancouver to assess the emission reduction impact of using biodiesel at its port facility. Six different pieces of equipment were used to confirm that biodiesel could be used throughout the terminal. Test results confirmed that biodiesel blends could be used to reduce emissions. Overall emissions were reduced by 30 per cent. The fourth case study described a waste renderer that used a fleet of 36 trucks to deliver raw products to its plants. The company made the decision to use only biodiesel for its entire fleet of trucks. Since July 2005, the company has logged over 1.7 million km using biodiesel blends. The fifth case study described a salmon hatchery that switched from diesel to biodiesel in order to reduce emissions. The biodiesel blends are used to fuel the hatchery's 2 diesel generators. The hatchery has reduced emissions of greenhouse gases (GHGs) by an estimated 1800 tonnes annually. The sixth case study described how the Township of Langley has started using biodiesel for its entire fleet of of approximately 250 pieces of equipment. The township has not

Analysis of energy-efficiency opportunities for the cement industry in Shandong Province, China: A case study of 16 cement plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hasanbeigi, Ali; Price, Lynn; Lu, Hongyou [China Energy Group, Energy Analysis Department, Environmental Energy Technologies Division, Ernest Orlando Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory, 1 Cyclotron Road, MS 90R4000, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Lan, Wang [China Building Materials Academy, Guanzhuang, Chaoyang District, Beijing, Post code 100024 (China)

2010-08-15

In this study, 16 cement plants with New Suspension Preheater and pre-calciner (NSP) kiln were surveyed. Plant energy use was compared to both domestic (Chinese) and international best practice using the Benchmarking and Energy Saving Tool for Cement (BEST-Cement). This benchmarking exercise indicated an average technical potential primary energy savings of 12% would be possible if the surveyed plants operated at domestic best practice levels in terms of energy use per ton of cement produced. Average technical potential primary energy savings of 23% would be realized if the plants operated at international best practice levels. Then, using the bottom-up Electricity Conservation Supply Curve (ECSC) model, the cost-effective electricity efficiency potential for the 16 studied cement plants in 2008 is estimated to be 373 gigawatt-hours (GWh), and total technical electricity-saving potential is 915 GWh, which accounts for 16 and 40% of total electricity use in the studied plants in 2008, respectively. The Fuel Conservation Supply Curve (FCSC) model shows the total technical fuel efficiency potential equal to 7949 terajoules (TJ), accounting for 8% of total fuel used in the studied cement plants in 2008. All the fuel efficiency potential is shown to be cost effective. (author)

A study of a small nuclear power plant system for district heating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Imamura, Mitsuru; Sato, Kotaro; Narabayashi, Tadashi; Shimazu, Yoichiro; Tsuji, Masashi

2008-01-01

We have studied nuclear power plant for district heating. Already some towns and villages in Hokkaido have requested small reactor for district heating. Using existing technology allows us to shorten development period and to keep a lid on development cost. We decided to develop new reactor based on 'MUTSU' reactor technology. 'MUTSU' had already proved its safety. And 'MUTSU' reactor was boron free reactor. It allows plant system to become more compact and simple. And load following capability by core reactivity become bigger. It means to reduce control rod movement. It leads to dependability enhancement. We calculated burn-up calculation of erbium addition fuel. In the result the core life became about 10 years. In the district heating system, there are not only district heating but also snow melting with warm water. It uses steam condenser's heat, which are only discharged now. This small plant has passive safety system. It is natural cooling of containment vessel. In case of loss of coolant accident, decay heat can remove by natural convection air cooling after 6 hours. Decay heat within 6 hours can remove by evaporative heat transfer of pool on containment vessel. (author)

Heat integration in multipurpose batch plants using a robust scheduling framework

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Seid, ER

2014-07-01

Full Text Available This case study was taken from the petro- chemical plant by Kallrath [46] and used as a benchmark problem in the scheduling environment for multipurpose batch plants. We adapted this case study to incorporate energy integration. The recipe representa- tion...

Aquatic vascular plants as handicraft: a case study in southern Brazil

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Mabel R. Báez-Lizarazo

2017-11-01

Full Text Available ABSTRACT This study aimed to evaluate knowledge about and the usage and importance of aquatic vascular plants (AVPs in the production of handicrafts by communities on the north coast of the state of Rio Grande do Sul in southern Brazil. The snowball technique was employed to locate people who use and have knowledge regarding the use of AVPs for handicrafts. Data were collected through semi-structured interviews and guided tours with 35 interviewees who were involved in artisanal activity at the time of the study. The data were analyzed using the importance value (IV index and the consensus value for the forms of use (CMU. The Spearman correlation test (rs was employed to determine the correlations of each social variable with the knowledge variables, and Mann-Whitney U tests to verify whether men and women exhibited differences in knowledge. The interviewees cited 16 AVPs that were employed in 17 types of handicrafts, among which the four main species were Schoenoplectus californicus, Typha domingensis, T. latifolia and Androtrichum giganteum. Interviewee age, residence time on site and time working with handicrafts were the main social parameters that described the level of knowledge and use of AVPs. These AVPs reflect cultural knowledge and complement family incomes.

Water Wells Monitoring Using SCADA System for Water Supply Network, Case Study: Water Treatment Plant Urseni, Timis County, Romania

Science.gov (United States)

Adrian-Lucian, Cococeanu; Ioana-Alina, Cretan; Ivona, Cojocinescu Mihaela; Teodor Eugen, Man; Narcis, Pelea George

2017-10-01

The water supply system in Timisoara Municipality is insured with about 25-30 % of the water demand from wells. The underground water headed to the water treatment plant in order to ensure equal distribution and pressure to consumers. The treatment plants used are Urseni and Ronaţ, near Timisoara, in Timis County. In Timisoara groundwater represents an alternative source for water supply and complementary to the surface water source. The present paper presents a case study with proposal and solutions for rehabilitation /equipment /modernization/ automation of water drilling in order to ensure that the entire system can be monitored and controlled remotely through SCADA (Supervisory control and data acquisition) system. The data collected from the field are designed for online efficiency monitoring regarding the energy consumption and water flow intake, performance indicators such as specific energy consumption KW/m3 and also in order to create a hydraulically system of the operating area to track the behavior of aquifers in time regarding the quality and quantity aspects.

ANALYZING THE PROCESS OF PRODUCTION IN LOGISTICS SUGARCANE MILL: A CASE STUDY

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Alexandre Tognoli

2011-06-01

Full Text Available The objective was to present and analyze the physical arrangement of logistics and production process plant in a sugarcane mill, in order to expose the processes involved, analyzing them more deeply and thus collaborate in a more efficient production. The relevance of this presentation is linked to the benefits that the plant and professionals can get through this work, enabling the development of methods and production alternatives. The research method used was case study based on interviews, on-site observation and document analysis, which was very appropriate as it could examine and cross checking. This work will allow a better understanding of the production process of the logistics of the plant in a sugarcane mill and working with suggestions and methods for more efficient production.

Economic Value Approach to Industrial Water Demand Management, A Case Study of Chemical Plants

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

morteza tahami pour zarandi

2017-03-01

Full Text Available Limitations in water supply to meet the increasing demand have encouraged both planners and researchers to focus attention on water demand management, in which such economic tools as the water pricing system play a major role. A fundamental component of the pricing system is the estimation of the economic value of water, which reflects a firm’s maximum affordable water price or the ultimate elasticity of industrial water. The present study was conducted to estimate the economic value of water for basic chemical plants, excluding fertilizers and nitrogen compounds (code 2411, representing the four-digit ISIC industrial codes which account for about 14% of the total industrial water consumption. The econometric method of production function within the framework of panel data and the residual method were used. Data were collected from the Census of medium-sized businesses carried out by the Statistical Center of Iran over the period 1997–2013.  Results showed that one cubic meter of water allocated to the plants surveyed creates a value of 3,7071 Rials, which shows a large gap with the current purchase price of 5685 Rials. Moreover, it was found that the present water prices account for only about 1.3 percent of the total production cost of basic chemicals, excluding fertilizers and nitrogen compounds. It may, thus, be concluded that it is reasonable to increase the present water tariffs and discriminate among the various manufacturing codes by differences in tariffs in order to achieve water demand management goals. Finally, the information emerging from the study may be exploited to improve the revenues earned by water authorities or to carry out feasibility studies of industrial water development projects.

White syndrome on massive corals: A case study in Paiton power plant, East Java

Science.gov (United States)

Muzaki, Farid Kamal; Saptarini, Dian; Riznawati, Aida Efrini

2017-06-01

As a stenothermal organism, coral easily affected by high-temperature cooling water discharged by a power plant into surrounding waters; which may lead to a rapid spread and transmission of coral disease, including White Syndrome. This study aimed to measure the prevalence of WS on massive corals in Paiton Power Plant waters. Research was conductedduring May 2015 at three observation stations; west and east side of water discharge canal (DB and DT) and water intake canal (WI). Observed parameters including ambient environmental variables (sea surface and bottom temperature, salinity, dissolved oxygen/DO, pH, and visibility); the cover of life corals (percent and genera composition) and prevalence of coral disease at 5 m depth. One-way ANOVA (analysis of variance, p=0.05) was performed to test the difference of coral disease prevalence from different observation stations. As the results, Coral coverage percentage in WI (85.75%), DB (60.75%), and DT (40.8%). Prevalence of WS in DB was highest (40.49±2.12% in DB, 13.53±11.5% in DT and 6.44±3.6 %, respectively). It can be assumed that prevalence of White Syndrome in those locations may be correlated to temperature which highest average temperature occurred in DB stations.

Revision of Viable Environmental Monitoring in a Development Pilot Plant Based on Quality Risk Assessment: A Case Study.

Science.gov (United States)

Ziegler, Ildikó; Borbély-Jakab, Judit; Sugó, Lilla; Kovács, Réka J

2017-01-01

In this case study, the principles of quality risk management were applied to review sampling points and monitoring frequencies in the hormonal tableting unit of a formulation development pilot plant. In the cleanroom area, premises of different functions are located. Therefore a general method was established for risk evaluation based on the Hazard Analysis and Critical Control Points (HACCP) method to evaluate these premises (i.e., production area itself and ancillary clean areas) from the point of view of microbial load and state in order to observe whether the existing monitoring program met the emerged advanced monitoring practice. LAY ABSTRACT: In pharmaceutical production, cleanrooms are needed for the manufacturing of final dosage forms of drugs-intended for human or veterinary use-in order to protect the patient's weakened body from further infections. Cleanrooms are premises with a controlled level of contamination that is specified by the number of particles per cubic meter at a specified particle size or number of microorganisms (i.e. microbial count) per surface area. To ensure a low microbial count over time, microorganisms are detected and counted by environmental monitoring methods regularly. It is reasonable to find the easily infected places by risk analysis to make sure the obtained results really represent the state of the whole room. This paper presents a risk analysis method for the optimization of environmental monitoring and verification of the suitability of the method. © PDA, Inc. 2017.

A study on economic power dispatch grid connected PV power plant in educational institutes

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Kuldip; Kumar, M. Narendra; Mishra, Satyasis

2018-04-01

India has main concerns on environment and escalation of fuel prices with respect to diminution of fossil fuel reserves and the major focus on renewable Energy sources for power generation to fulfill the present and future energy demand. Installation of PV power plants in the Educational Institutions has grown up drastically throughout India. More PV power plant are integrated with load and grid through net metering. Therefore, this paper is an analysis of the 75kWp PV plant at chosen buses, considering the need of minimum demand from the grid. The case study is carried out for different generation level throughout the day and year w.r.t load and climate changes, load sharing on grid. The economic dispatch model developed for PV plant integrated with Grid.

Study on optimization of normal plant outage work plan for nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Aoki, Takayuki; Kodama, Noriko; Takase, Kentaro; Miya, Kenzo

2011-01-01

This paper discusses maintenance optimization in maintenance implementation stage following maintenance planning stage in nuclear power plants and proposes a methodology to get an optimum maintenance work plan. As a result of consideration, the followings were obtained. (1) The quantitative evaluation methodology for optimizing maintenance work plan in nuclear power plants was developed. (2) Utilizing the above methodology, a simulation analysis of maintenance work planning for BWR's PLR and RHR systems in a normal plant outage was performed. Maintenance cost calculation in several cases was carried out on the condition of smoothening man loading over the plant outage schedule as much as possible. (3) As a result of the simulation, the economical work plans having a flat man loading over the plant outage schedule were obtained. (author)

Revegetation in abandoned quarries with landfill stabilized waste and gravels: water dynamics and plant growth - a case study

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Cheng-liang; Feng, Jing-jing; Rong, Li-ming; Zhao, Ting-ning

2017-11-01

Large amounts of quarry wastes are produced during quarrying. Though quarry wastes are commonly used in pavement construction and concrete production, in situ utilization during ecological restoration of abandoned quarries has the advantage of simplicity. In this paper, rock fragments 2-3 cm in size were mixed with landfill stabilized waste (LSW) in different proportions (LSW : gravel, RL), which was called LGM. The water content, runoff and plant growth under natural precipitation were monitored for 2 years using a runoff plot experiment. LGM with a low fraction of LSW was compacted to different degrees to achieve an appropriate porosity; water dynamics and plant growth of compacted LGM were studied in a field experiment. The results showed the following: (1) LGM can be used during restoration in abandoned quarries as growing material for plants. (2) RL had a significant effect on the infiltration and water-holding capacity of LGM and thus influenced the retention of precipitation, water condition and plant growth. LGM with RL ranging from 8:1 to 3:7 was suitable for plant growth, and the target species grew best when RL was 5:5. (3) Compaction significantly enhanced water content of LGM with a low RL of 2:8, but leaf water content of plants was lower or unchanged in the more compacted plots. Moderate compaction was beneficial to the survival and growth of Robinia pseudoacacia L. Platycladus orientalis (L.) Franco and Medicago sativa L. were not significantly affected by compaction, and they grew better under a high degree of compaction, which was disadvantageous for the uppermost layer of vegetation.

Adaptive Transgenerational Plasticity in Plants: Case Studies, Mechanisms, and Implications for Natural Populations

OpenAIRE

Herman, Jacob J.; Sultan, Sonia E.

2011-01-01

Plants respond to environmental conditions not only by plastic changes to their own development and physiology, but also by altering the phenotypes expressed by their offspring. This transgenerational plasticity was initially considered to entail only negative effects of stressful parental environments, such as production of smaller seeds by resource- or temperature-stressed parent plants, and was therefore viewed as environmental noise. Recent evolutionary ecology studies have shown that in ...

Indigenous knowledge for plant species diversity: a case study of wild plants' folk names used by the Mongolians in Ejina desert area, Inner Mongolia, P. R. China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Soyolt

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract Folk names of plants are the roots of traditional plant biodiversity knowledge. This paper mainly records and analyses the wild plant folk names of the Mongolians in the Ejina desert area based on a field survey for collection and identification of voucher specimens. The results show that a total of 121 folk names of local plants have correspondence with 93 scientific species which belong to 26 families and 70 genera. The correspondence between plants' Mongol folk names and scientific species may be classified as one to one correspondence, multitude to one correspondence and one to multitude correspondence. The Ejina Mongolian plant folk names were formed on the basis of observations and an understanding of the wild plants growing in their desert environment. The high correspondence between folk names and scientific names shows the scientific meaning of folk botanical nomenclature and classification. It is very useful to take an inventory of biodiversity, especially among the rapid rural appraisal (RRA in studying biodiversity at the community level.

Risk exposures for human ornithosis in a poultry processing plant modified by use of personal protective equipment: an analytical outbreak study.

Science.gov (United States)

Williams, C J; Sillis, M; Fearne, V; Pezzoli, L; Beasley, G; Bracebridge, S; Reacher, M; Nair, P

2013-09-01

Ornithosis outbreaks in poultry processing plants are well-described, but evidence for preventive measures is currently lacking. This study describes a case-control study into an outbreak of ornithosis at a poultry processing plant in the East of England, identified following three employees being admitted to hospital. Workers at the affected plant were recruited via their employer, with exposures assessed using a self-completed questionnaire. Cases were ascertained using serological methods or direct antigen detection in sputum. 63/225 (28%) staff participated, with 10% of participants showing evidence of recent infection. Exposure to the killing/defeathering and automated evisceration areas, and contact with viscera or blood were the main risk factors for infection. Personal protective equipment (goggles and FFP3 masks) reduced the effect of exposure to risk areas and to self-contamination with potentially infectious material. Our study provides some evidence of effectiveness for respiratory protective equipment in poultry processing plants where there is a known and current risk of ornithosis. Further studies are required to confirm this tentative finding, but in the meantime respiratory protective equipment is recommended as a precautionary measure in plants where outbreaks of ornithosis occur.

Statistical Modeling of Large Wind Plant System's Generation - A Case Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sabolic, D.

2014-01-01

This paper presents simplistic, yet very accurate, descriptive statistical models of various static and dynamic parameters of energy output from a large system of wind plants operated by Bonneville Power Administration (BPA), USA. The system's size at the end of 2013 was 4515 MW of installed capacity. The 5-minute readings from the beginning of 2007 to the end of 2013, recorded and published by BPA, were used to derive a number of experimental distributions, which were then used to devise theoretic statistical models with merely one or two parameters. In spite of the simplicity, they reproduced experimental data with great accuracy, which was checked by rigorous tests of goodness-of-fit. Statistical distribution functions were obtained for the following wind generation-related quantities: total generation as percentage of total installed capacity; change in total generation power in 5, 10, 15, 20, 25, 30, 45, and 60 minutes as percentage of total installed capacity; duration of intervals with total generated power, expressed as percentage of total installed capacity, lower than certain pre-specified level. Limitation of total installed wind plant capacity, when it is determined by regulation demand from wind plants, is discussed, too. The models presented here can be utilized in analyses related to power system economics/policy, which is also briefly discussed in the paper. (author).

Management of safety and safety culture in regulatory work - The case of decommissioning of a Swedish plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Svensson, G.; Lekberg, A.

2002-01-01

The case of early closure of one of the units at a plant is one example of a situation where the regulator has to reflect on and choose its role in order to prevent an impairment of the safety culture at the plant. The strategy chosen by the Swedish Nuclear Power Inspectorate is presented and some conclusions are drawn. (author)

Invasive plants as potential food resource for native pollinators: A case study with two invasive species and a generalist bumble bee.

Science.gov (United States)

Drossart, Maxime; Michez, Denis; Vanderplanck, Maryse

2017-11-24

It is now well established that invasive plants may induce drifts in the quantity and/or quality of floral resources. They are then often pointed out as a potential driver of bee decline. However, their impact on bee population remains quite unclear and still controversial, as bee responses are highly variable among species. Here, we compared the amino acid composition of pollen from three native and two invasive plant species included in diets of common pollinators in NW Europe. Moreover, the nutritional intake (i.e., pollen and amino acid intakes) of Bombus terrestris colonies and the pollen foraging behaviour of workers (i.e., visiting rate, number of foraging trips, weight of pollen loads) were considered. We found significant differences in pollen nutrients among the studied species according to the plant invasive behaviour. We also found significant differences in pollen foraging behaviour according to the plant species, from few to several foraging trips carrying small or large pollen loads. Such behavioural differences directly impacted the pollen intake but depended more likely on plant morphology rather than on plant invasive behaviour. These results suggest that common generalist bumble bees might not always suffer from plant invasions, depending on their behavioural plasticity and nutritional requirements.

Reuse of process water in a waste-to-energy plant: An Italian case of study.

Science.gov (United States)

Gardoni, Davide; Catenacci, Arianna; Antonelli, Manuela

2015-09-01

The minimisation of water consumption in waste-to-energy (WtE) plants is an outstanding issue, especially in those regions where water supply is critical and withdrawals come from municipal waterworks. Among the various possible solutions, the most general, simple and effective one is the reuse of process water. This paper discusses the effectiveness of two different reuse options in an Italian WtE plant, starting from the analytical characterisation and the flow-rate measurement of fresh water and process water flows derived from each utility internal to the WtE plant (e.g. cooling, bottom ash quenching, flue gas wet scrubbing). This census allowed identifying the possible direct connections that optimise the reuse scheme, avoiding additional water treatments. The effluent of the physical-chemical wastewater treatment plant (WWTP), located in the WtE plant, was considered not adequate to be directly reused because of the possible deposition of mineral salts and clogging potential associated to residual suspended solids. Nevertheless, to obtain high reduction in water consumption, reverse osmosis should be installed to remove non-metallic ions (Cl(-), SO4(2-)) and residual organic and inorganic pollutants. Two efficient solutions were identified. The first, a simple reuse scheme based on a cascade configuration, allowed 45% reduction in water consumption (from 1.81 to 0.99m(3)tMSW(-1), MSW: Municipal Solid Waste) without specific water treatments. The second solution, a cascade configuration with a recycle based on a reverse osmosis process, allowed 74% reduction in water consumption (from 1.81 to 0.46m(3)tMSW(-1)). The results of the present work show that it is possible to reduce the water consumption, and in turn the wastewater production, reducing at the same time the operating cost of the WtE plant. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

DNA barcoding of Rhodiola (crassulaceae: a case study on a group of recently diversified medicinal plants from the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

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Jian-Qiang Zhang

Full Text Available DNA barcoding, the identification of species using one or a few short standardized DNA sequences, is an important complement to traditional taxonomy. However, there are particular challenges for barcoding plants, especially for species with complex evolutionary histories. We herein evaluated the utility of five candidate sequences - rbcL, matK, trnH-psbA, trnL-F and the internal transcribed spacer (ITS - for barcoding Rhodiola species, a group of high-altitude plants frequently used as adaptogens, hemostatics and tonics in traditional Tibetan medicine. Rhodiola was suggested to have diversified rapidly recently. The genus is thus a good model for testing DNA barcoding strategies for recently diversified medicinal plants. This study analyzed 189 accessions, representing 47 of the 55 recognized Rhodiola species in the Flora of China treatment. Based on intraspecific and interspecific divergence and degree of monophyly statistics, ITS was the best single-locus barcode, resolving 66% of the Rhodiola species. The core combination rbcL+matK resolved only 40.4% of them. Unsurprisingly, the combined use of all five loci provided the highest discrimination power, resolving 80.9% of the species. However, this is weaker than the discrimination power generally reported in barcoding studies of other plant taxa. The observed complications may be due to the recent diversification, incomplete lineage sorting and reticulate evolution of the genus. These processes are common features of numerous plant groups in the high-altitude regions of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau.

Case Study: A Picture Worth a Thousand Words? Making a Case for Video Case Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Pai, Aditi

2014-01-01

A picture, they say, is worth a thousand words. If a mere picture is worth a thousand words, how much more are "moving pictures" or videos worth? The author poses this not merely as a rhetorical question, but because she wishes to make a case for using videos in the traditional case study method. She recommends four main approaches of…

Tracking Legionella in air generated from a biological treatment plant: a case study of the outbreak of legionellosis in Norway

Science.gov (United States)

Blatny, Janet M.; Olsen, Jaran S.; Andreassen, Øyvind; Waagen, Viggo; Reif, Bjørn Anders P.

2011-05-01

Two outbreaks of legionellosis occurred in the Sarpsborg/Fredrikstad region southeast of Norway in 2005 and 2008 where more than 60 exposed individuals were infected and 10 case patients died. The air scrubber at Borregaard, a wood-based chemical factory, was identified as the outbreak source. High concentration levels of Legionella species, including the etiological agent L. pneumophila SG1 was found in the aeration ponds, which belongs to Borregaard's biological treatment plant. Results showed that these ponds were able to generate Legionella-containing aerosols that were transported by the wind as such aerosols were measured up to 200 meters downwind of the pond. Our studies did not detect L. pneumophila SG1 isolates, only L. pneumophila SG4 during the air sampling measurement campaign. Furthermore, the operational conditions of the air scrubber proved to be harsh for Legionella growth as the outbreak L. pneumophila strains were not able to grow at 45ºC and pH8 (conditions during the outbreaks). These results, together, lead us to suggest that the aeration pond should be regarded as the primary amplifier and disseminator of Legionella and L. pneumophila and thereby most likely being the outbreak source.

Plant applications of online corrosion monitoring: CO2 capture amine plant case study

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Kane, R.D.; Srinivasan, S.; Khakharia, P.M.; Goetheer, E.L.V.; Mertens, J.; Vroey, S. de

2015-01-01

Over the past several years, there has been a significant effort to bring corrosion monitoring into the realm of online, real-time management with plant process control technology. As part of this new direction in corrosion monitoring, corrosion data (e.g. information on corrosion rate, measured

Expanding Resilience Indicators: A Case Study on Buffering Capacity Indicator in a Process Plant

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Shirali

2016-03-01

Full Text Available Background The complexity of modern sociotechnical systems has created new challenges for safety, so that traditional approaches are not able to cope with them. Resilience engineering (RE is a good alternative to traditional approaches for safety management, however resilience is still a difficult concept to measure, and indicators such as buffering capacity, flexibility, and so on, which are thought to contribute to it, are undeveloped. Objectives This study aimed at expanding buffering capacity as one of the main indicators in order to facilitate measurement of resilience of a system. Materials and Methods We used the Delphi method in order to identify indicators, and data related to all the indicators were gathered by observation and interview. In this line, 32 of the experienced operators with at least 15 years of operational record were selected for semi-structured interviews. Gathered data was processed by the principal component analysis technique. The results were processed by the Minitab 15 software. Results In this study, 29 factors affecting this indicator were determined using the Delphi method; the scores of all factors were less than the scores of the best practice. On the other hand, the state of this indicator was poor in plant included in the study. Conclusions This was the first study that focused on expanding resilience indicators, and presents a new framework to simplify assessment of resilience and safety of a complex system.

Study on the possible consequences of a severe accident in a Swiss nuclear power plant on the drinking water supply

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ustohalova, Veronika; Kueppers, Christian; Claus, Manuel

2014-01-01

The study on the possible consequences of a severe accident in a Swiss nuclear power plant on the drinking water supply covers the following issues: estimation of possible source terms and radioactive materials release rates, airborne water contamination, water contamination by direct pollution, consequences for the drinking water supply, emergency measures in case of a drinking water contamination, routine surveillance of surface and ground water and improvement possibilities in nuclear power plants.

Dynamic simulation of operating cases and malfunctions of an IGCC power plant system

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Koch, I.; Hannemann, F. [Siemens AG, Power Generation (KWU), Erlangen (Germany); Hoffmann, U. [Technische Univ. Clausthal, Clausthal-Zellerfeld (Germany). Inst. fuer Chemische Verfahrenstechnik

1999-07-01

Fully integrated IGCC plants consist of several units. This novel integration of various plant systems places stiff new requirements on power plant design, as prediction of operating and faulted behavior is made more difficult by many different interactions. This is especially the case for the gas turbine fuel system in an IGCC power plant, as it affects and is affected by all of the other major plant systems. (orig.)

Using ProModel as a simulation tools to assist plant layout design and planning: Case study plastic packaging factory

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Pochamarn Tearwattanarattikal

2008-01-01

Full Text Available This study is about the application of a Simulation Model to assist decision making on expanding capacity and plant layout design and planning. The plant layout design concept is performed first to create the physical layouts then the simulation model used to test the capability of plant to meet various demand forecast scena. The study employed ProModel package as a tool, using the model to compare the performances in term of % utilization, characteristics of WIP and ability to meet due date. The verification and validation stages were perform before running the scenarios. The model runs daily production and then the capacity constraint resources defined by % utilization. The expanding capacity policy can be extra shift-working hours or increasing the number of machines. After expanding capacity solutions are found, the physical layout is selected based on the criterion of space available for WIP and easy flow of material.

Waste-to-energy incineration plants as greenhouse gas reducers: a case study of seven Japanese metropolises.

Science.gov (United States)

Tabata, Tomohiro

2013-11-01

Municipal solid waste (MSW) incineration is a greenhouse gas (GHG) emitter; however, if GHG reductions, achieved by accounting for waste-to-energy, exceed GHG emissions, incineration can be considered as a net GHG reducer. In Japan, only 24.5% of MSW incineration plants perform energy recovery despite 80% of MSW being incinerated; therefore, there is great potential to extract more energy from MSW. In this study, the factors that should be considered to achieve net GHG reductions from incineration were analysed from a life cycle perspective. These considerations were then applied to the energy supply requirements in seven Japanese metropolises. Firstly, the carbon footprints of approximately 1500 incineration plants in Japan were calculated. Then, the incineration plants with negative carbon footprint values were classified as net GHG reducers. Next, the processes that contribute to the carbon footprint were evaluated, and two processes-plastic burning and electricity savings-were found to have the greatest influence. Based on the results, the energy supply requirements were analysed and discussed for seven metropolises (Sapporo, Tokyo, Nagoya, Osaka, Kobe, Takamatsu and Fukuoka) taking into account the energy demands of households. In Kobe, 16.2% of the electricity demand and 25.0% of the hot water demand could be satisfied by incineration to realise a net GHG reducer, although urban design for energy utilisation would be required.

Defense waste solidification studies. Volume 2. Drawing supplement. Savannah River Plant, Project S-1780

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1977-01-01

Volume 2 contains the drawings prepared and used in scoping and estimating the Glass-Form Waste Solidification facilities and the alternative studies cited in the report, the Off-Site Shipping Case, the Decontaminated Salt Storage Case, and a revised Reference Plant (Concrete-Form Waste) Case

Feasibility study on rehabilitation of KESC gas turbine power plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

2001-03-01

As to power generation facilities of Karachi Electric Power Supply Corporation in Karachi (KESC), the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, feasibility study on the rehabilitation was conducted in consideration of the CDM (clean development mechanism) project. In Pakistan, 13 gas turbine power plants started operation at the same time as the time when the power plant studied this time started operation, and therefore it is predicted that they also have the same troubles caused by the aged deterioration. As the rehabilitation project, two cases were proposed: In Case 1, gas turbine and generator are both exchanged, and in Case 2, gas turbine is only exchanged, and generator is reused after repair. The work term is approximately 9 months in both cases. The initial investment is $84 million in Case 1 and $78 million in Case 2. The energy conservation effect per cost is 107 t/y/million yen and 101 t/y/million yen, respectively. Further, the amount of greenhouse effect gas reduction per cost is 330 t-CO2/y/million yen and 313 t-CO2/y/million yen, respectively. The effect of profits can be obtained after the depreciation period since the fuel price is reduced approximately 0.5%. (NEDO)

Hoodia, a case study at CSIR

CSIR Research Space (South Africa)

Maharaj, VJ

2008-11-01

Full Text Available . Research on indigenous plants led to international acclaim, e.g. South African scientists were the first to discover the presence of fluorine- containing plant metabolites, now known to cause photo-sensitisation in sheep. During times... studied the biological effects of extracts of this plant on small laboratory animals, observed that the animals lost their appetite, accompanied by a loss of weight, with no apparent toxic effects. This was 1963 - the first...

The potential of text mining in data integration and network biology for plant research: a case study on Arabidopsis.

Science.gov (United States)

Van Landeghem, Sofie; De Bodt, Stefanie; Drebert, Zuzanna J; Inzé, Dirk; Van de Peer, Yves

2013-03-01

Despite the availability of various data repositories for plant research, a wealth of information currently remains hidden within the biomolecular literature. Text mining provides the necessary means to retrieve these data through automated processing of texts. However, only recently has advanced text mining methodology been implemented with sufficient computational power to process texts at a large scale. In this study, we assess the potential of large-scale text mining for plant biology research in general and for network biology in particular using a state-of-the-art text mining system applied to all PubMed abstracts and PubMed Central full texts. We present extensive evaluation of the textual data for Arabidopsis thaliana, assessing the overall accuracy of this new resource for usage in plant network analyses. Furthermore, we combine text mining information with both protein-protein and regulatory interactions from experimental databases. Clusters of tightly connected genes are delineated from the resulting network, illustrating how such an integrative approach is essential to grasp the current knowledge available for Arabidopsis and to uncover gene information through guilt by association. All large-scale data sets, as well as the manually curated textual data, are made publicly available, hereby stimulating the application of text mining data in future plant biology studies.

Comparative life cycle assessment of biowaste to resource management systems - A Danish case study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Thomsen, Marianne; Seghetta, Michele; Mikkelsen, Mette Hjorth

2017-01-01

Waste to Energy combustion plants currently process most of the organic fraction of the household waste. This study presents an assessment of the environmental performance of an increased circular bioresource management system obtained by reallocating the organic fraction of the household waste...... from combustion (Reference Scenario) to biogas and fertilizer production (Alternative Scenario). The goals defined in the Danish National resource action plan for waste management, i.e. 33% reduction of organic fraction household waste dry weight, is taken as a case study. A comparative life cycle...... assessment of the diverting of the organic fraction of the household waste away from a Waste to Energy combustion plant towards sludge- and manure-based biogas plants in North Zealand (Denmark) shows a net increase in renewable electricity production of 39% at the expense of a reduction in heat production...

Decision support system for the optimal location of electrical and electronic waste treatment plants: A case study in Greece

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Achillas, Ch.; Vlachokostas, Ch.; Moussiopoulos, N.; Banias, G.

2010-01-01

Environmentally sound end-of-life management of Electrical and Electronic Equipment has been realised as a top priority issue internationally, both due to the waste stream's continuously increasing quantities, as well as its content in valuable and also hazardous materials. In an effort to manage Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment (WEEE), adequate infrastructure in treatment and recycling facilities is considered a prerequisite. A critical number of such plants are mandatory to be installed in order: (i) to accommodate legislative needs, (ii) decrease transportation cost, and (iii) expand reverse logistics network and cover more areas. However, WEEE recycling infrastructures require high expenditures and therefore the decision maker need to be most precautious. In this context, special care should be given on the viability of infrastructure which is heavily dependent on facilities' location. To this end, a methodology aiming towards optimal location of Units of Treatment and Recycling is developed, taking into consideration economical together with social criteria, in an effort to interlace local acceptance and financial viability. For the decision support system's needs, ELECTRE III is adopted as a multicriteria analysis technique. The methodology's applicability is demonstrated with a real-world case study in Greece.

An approach to review design bases and safety analysis of earlier generation atomic power plants; a case study of TAPS

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Malhotra, P.K.; Bajaj, S.S.

2002-01-01

The twin unit boiling water reactor (BWR) station at TAPS has completed 30 years of power operation and for further extending plant operating life, a fresh extensive exercise involving review of plant operating performance, aging management and review of design bases and safety analysis has been carried out. The review exercise resulted in assessment of acceptability of identified non-conformances and recommendation for compensatory measures in the form of design modification or plant operating procedures. The second part of the exercise is related to safety analysis, which is carried out in view of the plant modifications done and advances taken place in methodologies of analytical techniques. Chiefly, it involves LOCA analysis done for various break sizes at different locations and plant transient studies. It also includes the fatigue analysis of the reactor pressure vessel. The related review approach adopted is presented here

Advanced dust control techniques in cement industry electrostatic precipitator - a case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Khattak, Z.; Ahmad, J.

2011-01-01

The case study deal with the current day problem of pollution by industrial zones in Pakistan with emphasis on the cement Industry which has been proved to be the second revenue generating hub after textile sector of the Pakistan. A pilot study into the identification and available removal Techniques of particulates from the exhaust of a cement plant clinker cooler was carried out. The objective of this work was to study the performance of the each technique in detail in the removal of a particulate with a wide range of sizes, under different operational conditions and to compare the results for collection efficiency with predictions by available theoretical models. A brief and comprehensive discussion regarding design, construction and bottlenecks of each tool has been discussed to fully ascertain it's scope and usability. First part of the study identifies the various pollutants being emitted from the chimney of a specific cement plant in Pakistan and while last portion deals with the ways to curtail these pollutants. (author)

Location-Allocation model for food industrial using fuzzy criteria: A case study of dairy industry

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zahra Esfandiyari

2011-07-01

Full Text Available A good facility layout plays an important role on increasing the profitability of a production unit. A good location needs to meet different criteria such as the distance between the plants and the places to reach raw materials, customers, etc. In this paper, we proposed a multi criteria decision making problem to locate a suitable dairy plant. We assume that all factors influencing the plant involves uncertainty and proposed fuzzy numbers to handle the uncertainty associated with all input parameters. We apply the method for a real-world case study of dairy production unit and analyze the results of our proposed model.

Remediation Using Plants and Plant Enzymes: A Progress Report

National Research Council Canada - National Science Library

1995-01-01

.... In every case, the sources are plants growing near the sediment. The use of plants for remediation of hazardous materials such as TNT or other munitions like RDX and HMX has led to a new approach to remediation-- phytoremediation...

A survey on the technologies and cases for the cognitive models of nuclear power plant operators

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Yong Hee; Chun, Se Woo; Seo, Sang Moon; Lee, Hyun Chul

1993-04-01

To enhance the safety and availability of nuclear power plants, it is necessary to develop the methodologies which can systematically analyze the interrelationships between plant operators and main process systems. Operator congnitive models enable to provide an explicit method to analyze how operator's congitive behavior reacts to the behavior of system changes. However, because no adequate model has been developed up to now, it is difficult to take an effective approach for the review, assessment and improvement of human factors. In this study, we have surveyed the techniques and the cases of operator model development, aiming to develop an operator's model as one of human engineering application methodologies. We have analyzed the cognitive characteristics of decision-making, which is one of the principal factors for modeling, and reviewed the methodologies and implementation thechniques used in the cases of the model development. We investigated the tendencies of the model developments by reviewing ten cases and especially CES, INTEROPS and COSIMO models which have been developed or are under development in nuclear fields. Also, we summarized the cognitive characteristics to be considered in the modeling for the purpose of modeling operator's decision-making. For modeling methodologies, we found a trend of the modeling that is software simulations based on the artificial intelligence technologies, especially focused in knowledge representation methods. Based on the results of our survey, we proposed a development approach and several urgent research subjects. We suggested the development simulation tools which can be applicable to the review, assessment and improvement of human factors, by implementing them as softwares using expert system development tools. The results of this study have been applied to our long-term project named 'The Development of Human Engineering Technologies.' (Author)

Compressed Air Quality, A Case Study In Paiton Coal Fired Power Plant Unit 1 And 2

Science.gov (United States)

Indah, Nur; Kusuma, Yuriadi; Mardani

2018-03-01

The compressed air system becomes part of a very important utility system in a Plant, including the Steam Power Plant. In PLN’S coal fired power plant, Paiton units 1 and 2, there are four Centrifugal air compressor types, which produce compressed air as much as 5.652 cfm and with electric power capacity of 1200 kW. Electricity consumption to operate centrifugal compressor is 7.104.117 kWh per year. Compressed air generation is not only sufficient in quantity (flow rate) but also meets the required air quality standards. compressed air at Steam Power Plant is used for; service air, Instrument air, and for fly Ash. This study aims to measure some important parameters related to air quality, followed by potential disturbance analysis, equipment breakdown or reduction of energy consumption from existing compressed air conditions. These measurements include counting the number of dust particles, moisture content, relative humidity, and also compressed air pressure. From the measurements, the compressed air pressure generated by the compressor is about 8.4 barg and decreased to 7.7 barg at the furthest point, so the pressure drop is 0.63 barg, this number satisfies the needs in the end user. The measurement of the number of particles contained in compressed air, for particle of 0.3 micron reaches 170,752 particles, while for the particle size 0.5 micron reaches 45,245 particles. Measurements of particles conducted at several points of measurement. For some point measurements the number of dust particle exceeds the standard set by ISO 8573.1-2010 and also NACE Code, so it needs to be improved on the air treatment process. To see the amount of moisture content in compressed air, it is done by measuring pressure dew point temperature (PDP). Measurements were made at several points with results ranging from -28.4 to 30.9 °C. The recommendation of improving compressed air quality in steam power plant, Paiton unit 1 and 2 has the potential to extend the life of

Industrial process heat case studies. [PROSYS/ECONMAT code

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hooker, D.W.; May, E.K.; West, R.E.

1980-05-01

Commercially available solar collectors have the potential to provide a large fraction of the energy consumed for industrial process heat (IPH). Detailed case studies of individual industrial plants are required in order to make an accurate assessment of the technical and economic feasibility of applications. This report documents the results of seven such case studies. The objectives of the case study program are to determine the near-term feasibility of solar IPH in selected industries, identify energy conservation measures, identify conditions of IPH systems that affect solar applications, test SERI's IPH analysis software (PROSYS/ECONOMAT), disseminate information to the industrial community, and provide inputs to the SERI research program. The detailed results from the case studies are presented. Although few near-term, economical solar applications were found, the conditions that would enhance the opportunities for solar IPH applications are identified.

Failures of austenitic stainless steel components during storage: Case studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Shah, B.K.; Rastogi, P.K.; Sinha, A.K.; Kulkarni, P.G.

1993-01-01

Three studies of failures of austenitic stainless steel components during storage are described. In all cases, stress corrosion cracking was the failure mode by the action of residual stress alone. However, the source of residual stress was different for each case. Case 1 was the failure of a sample tube header for a pressurized heavy water reactor (PHWR). In Case 2, a heat exchanger shell failed during a hydrotest in a fertilizer plant. Cases concerned the cracking of type 304L plates used for spent fuel pool lining of a nuclear power station

Monetization of External Costs Using Lifecycle Analysis—A Comparative Case Study of Coal-Fired and Biomass Power Plants in Northeast China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Lingling Wang

2015-02-01

Full Text Available In this study, the structures of external costs are built in line with coal-fired and biomass power plant life cycle activities in Northeast China. The external cost of coal-fired and biomass power plants was compared, using the lifecycle approach. In addition, the external costs of a biomass power plant are calculated for each stage for comparison with those of a coal-fired power plant. The results highlight that the external costs of a coal-fired plant are 0.072 US $/kWh, which are much higher than that of a biomass power plant, 0.00012 US$/kWh. The external cost of coal-fired power generation is as much as 90% of the current price of electricity generated by coal, while the external cost of a biomass power plant is 1/1000 of the current price of electricity generated by biomass. In addition, for a biomass power plant, the external cost associated with SO2, NOX, and PM2.5 are particularly lower than those of a coal-fired power plant. The prospect of establishing precise estimations for external cost mechanisms and sustainable energy policies is discussed to show a possible direction for future energy schemes in China. The paper has significant value for supporting the biomass power industry and taxing or regulating coal-fired power industry to optimize the energy structure in China.

Evaluation of plant performance of Jatropha curcas L. under different agro-practices for optimizing biomass - A case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Behera, Soumit K.; Srivastava, Pankaj; Singh, Nandita; Tripathi, Ritu; Singh, J.P.

2010-01-01

Jatropha curcas L., a multipurpose, drought resistant, perennial plant belonging to Euphorbiaceae family has gained lot of importance for the production of biodiesel. The properties of the crop and its oil have persuaded investors, policy makers and clean development mechanism (CDM) project developers to consider Jatropha as a substitute for fossil fuels to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, basic agronomic properties of Jatropha are not thoroughly understood and the environmental effects have not been investigated yet. Grey literature reports are very optimistic on simultaneous wasteland reclamation capability and oil yields. Studies were undertaken at Solar Energy Centre, Gurgaon, India to evaluate the plant performance under different agro-practices with special reference to irrigation scheduling, VAM and biofertilizers' applications, plant spacing, pruning trials for maximizing tree architecture and higher biomass. Parallel experiments were undertaken to understand the scope of J. curcas for intercropping practices in the under storey of dominating monoculture tree stands (Prosopis, Acacia and Neem). (author)

Evaluation of plant performance of Jatropha curcas L. under different agro-practices for optimizing biomass - A case study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Behera, Soumit K.; Srivastava, Pankaj; Singh, Nandita [National Botanical Research Institute, CSIR, Rana Pratap Marg, Lucknow 226001, UP (India); Tripathi, Ritu; Singh, J.P. [Solar Energy Centre, Ministry of New and Renewable Energy, Gwalpahari, Gurgaon (India)

2010-01-15

Jatropha curcas L., a multipurpose, drought resistant, perennial plant belonging to Euphorbiaceae family has gained lot of importance for the production of biodiesel. The properties of the crop and its oil have persuaded investors, policy makers and clean development mechanism (CDM) project developers to consider Jatropha as a substitute for fossil fuels to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. However, basic agronomic properties of Jatropha are not thoroughly understood and the environmental effects have not been investigated yet. Grey literature reports are very optimistic on simultaneous wasteland reclamation capability and oil yields. Studies were undertaken at Solar Energy Centre, Gurgaon, India to evaluate the plant performance under different agro-practices with special reference to irrigation scheduling, VAM and biofertilizers' applications, plant spacing, pruning trials for maximizing tree architecture and higher biomass. Parallel experiments were undertaken to understand the scope of J. curcas for intercropping practices in the under storey of dominating monoculture tree stands (Prosopis, Acacia and Neem). (author)

A study on the optimization of plant life extension and decommissioning for the improvement of economy in nuclear power plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shin, Jae In; Jung, K. J.; Chung, U. S.; Baik, S. T.; Park, S. K.; Lee, D. G.; Kim, H. R.; Park, B. Y

2001-01-01

Fundamental concepts on the life extension of the nuclear power plant and decommissioning optimization were established from the domestic abroad information and case analyses. Concerning the decommissioning of the nuclear power plant, the management according to decommissioning stages was analyzed by the investigation of the standard of the decommissioning(decontamination dismantling) regulation. Moreover, basics were set for the decommissioning of domestic nuclear power plants and research reactors from the analyses on the decommissioning technology and precedence.

Alternative route of process modification for biofuel production by embedding the Fischer-Tropsch plant in existing stand-alone power plant (10 MW) based on biomass gasification - Part I: A conceptual modeling and simulation approach (a case study in Thailand)

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Hunpinyo, Piyapong; Cheali, Peam; Narataruksa, Phavanee

2014-01-01

a base case process model coupled with techno-economic evaluation for the FT synthesis. In particular, the FT process configurations are designed and assessed using current kinetic laboratory data by our research group for modeling specific reactions in PFR reactor. The calculation of equipment sizing......The utilization of syngas shows a highly potential to improve the economic potential of the stand-alone power unit-based gasification plants as well as enhancing the growing demand of transportation fuels. The thermochemical conversion of biomass via gasification to heat and power generations from...... incurred several major unit operations is performed for once-through mode (no recycles of unconverted syngas) with electricity co-production. This study provides a detailed base-case model for the synthesis with the capacities of 1, 2 and 3 MW of syngas technology sharing and the comparison between...

Frictional amyloidosis in Oman - A study of ten cases

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Mysore Venkataram

2002-01-01

Full Text Available Macular amyloidosis is an important cause for cutaneous pigmentation, the aetiology of which is poorly understood. Friction has recently been implicated the causation of early lesions, referred to as frictional amyloidosis. Confirmation of diagnosis by the detect on of amyloid using histochemical stains is inconsistent. Ten patients with pigmentation suggestive of macular amyloidosis were studied with detailed history, clinical examination, biopsy for histochemistry and electron microscopy. Nine out of ten patients had a history of prolonged friction with various objects such as bath sponges, brushes, towels, plant sticks and leaves. Amyloid was demonstrated by histochemical staining in only six out of ten cases. In the remaining four cases, amyloid was detected by electron microscopy. These consisted of aggregates of non-branching, extracellular, intertwining fibres measuring between 200-500 nm in length and between 20-25 nm in diameter. The study confirms the role of friction in the causation of this condition. Histochemical stains are not always successful in the detection of amyloid and electron microscopy is helpful for confirming its presence. The term frictional amyloidosis aptly describes the condition.

Uniformity in radiation protection legislation in Australia: a case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Robotham, F.P.J.

2003-01-01

This paper describes a recent licensing/approval process conducted by a company that has three plants utilizing large sealed sources of Cobalt-60, in one case approximately 70PBq. The company has operated successfully in one Australian State since 1971 and in a second since 1985. By 1999 it became apparent that there was sufficient business to warrant the opening of a third plant in a third Australian State. The plant chosen has a design capacity of 185PBq and an initial loading of 1 IPBq. This paper describes some of the licensing process and demonstrates, I believe, the urgent need for both uniformity in Australian Radiation Safety Legislation and consistency in interpretation and implementation. Copyright (2003) Australasian Radiation Protection Society Inc

The Small-Scale Hydropower Plants in Sites of Environmental Value: An Italian Case Study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marianna Rotilio

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Since ancient times water has been accompanying technological change in the energy sector. Used as a source of hydraulic energy, it currently generates one-fifth of the global electricity production. However, according to collective imagination, hydroelectric plants are constructions of high environmental, acoustic, and visual impact, which may harm the preservation of the territory. This paper intends to address the topic of mini-hydropower that, in addition to providing the production of renewable energy, ensures a limited environmental impact even in delicate contexts with high landscape values, by elaborating a research methodology that makes these interventions compatible with them. The process of “global compatibility” checks developed to assess the feasibility of the intervention will be explained in the paper. We intend to describe here the research process undertaken to make the planning of this type of system sustainable, in contexts that need to be rehabilitated in relation both to the accessibility of citizens and to the environmental enhancement. The intervention planned will be characterized by the combined use of other renewable energy sources, in addition to water. The proposed methodology has been tested on a case study in the village of Roccacasale, in the province of L’Aquila.

FY 1996 report on the results of the development of an entrained bed coal gasification power plant. Part 2. Investigational study of verification plant; 1995 nendo seika hokokusho. Funryusho sekitan gaska hatsuden plant kaihatsu - Sono 2. Jissho plant ni kansuru chosa kenkyu hen

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

NONE

1997-01-01

For the purpose of developing the technology of the integrated coal gasification combined cycle power generation, an investigational study of verification plant was made, and the FY 1996 results were summarized. In this fiscal year, the conceptual design was made of the Nakoso method based on the method of Nakoso pilot plant, the fixed bed method in which fixed bed gas refining facilities tested in Nakoso pilot plant were adopted, and the packed bed method. In the Nakoso method, 5 cases were studied using the air blown two-stage entrained bed for gasifier, dry two-stage fluidized bed for desulfurization and dry granular bed packed bed for dust removal. In the fixed bed method, 2 cases were studied using the air blown two-stage entrained bed for gasifier and dry fixed bed for gas refining. In the packed bed method, 2 cases were studied using the air blown two-stage entrained bed for gasifier and dry packed bed for gas refining. As to gas turbine facilities, 5 cases were studied in which GT output is 115MW - 215MW (output of combined cycle power generation: 220MW - 420MW). (NEDO)

Decommissioning a phosphoric acid production plant: a radiological protection case study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Stamatis, V.; Seferlis, S. [Greek Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), P.O. Box 60092, 15310 Ag. Paraskevi (Greece); Kamenopoulou, V., E-mail: vkamenop@eeae.g [Greek Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), P.O. Box 60092, 15310 Ag. Paraskevi (Greece); Potiriadis, C.; Koukouliou, V.; Kehagia, K. [Greek Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), P.O. Box 60092, 15310 Ag. Paraskevi (Greece); Dagli, C. [Protypos Company, Geraniou 30, 105 52 Athens (Greece); Georgiadis, S. [Environmental Protection Engineering S.A., Dervenakion 24, 185 45 Piraeus (Greece); Camarinopoulos, L. [Greek Atomic Energy Commission (GAEC), P.O. Box 60092, 15310 Ag. Paraskevi (Greece)

2010-12-15

During a preliminary survey at the area of an abandoned fertilizer plant, increased levels of radioactivity were measured at places, buildings, constructions and materials. The extent of the contamination was determined and the affected areas were characterized as controlled areas. After the quantitative and qualitative determination of the contaminated materials, the decontamination was planned and performed step by step: the contaminated materials were categorized according to their physical characteristics (scrap metals, plastic pipes, scales and residues, building materials, etc) and according to their level of radioactivity. Depending on the material type, different decontamination and disposal options were proposed; the most appropriate technique was chosen taking into account apart from technical issues, the legal framework, radiation protection issues, the opinion of the local authorities involved as well as the owner's wish. After taking away the biggest amount of the contaminated materials, an iterative process consisting of surveys and decontamination actions was performed in order to remove the residual traces of contamination from the area. During the final survey, no residual surface contamination was detected; some sparsely distributed low level contaminated materials deeply immersed into the soil were found and removed.

Decommissioning a phosphoric acid production plant: a radiological protection case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Stamatis, V.; Seferlis, S.; Kamenopoulou, V.; Potiriadis, C.; Koukouliou, V.; Kehagia, K.; Dagli, C.; Georgiadis, S.; Camarinopoulos, L.

2010-01-01

During a preliminary survey at the area of an abandoned fertilizer plant, increased levels of radioactivity were measured at places, buildings, constructions and materials. The extent of the contamination was determined and the affected areas were characterized as controlled areas. After the quantitative and qualitative determination of the contaminated materials, the decontamination was planned and performed step by step: the contaminated materials were categorized according to their physical characteristics (scrap metals, plastic pipes, scales and residues, building materials, etc) and according to their level of radioactivity. Depending on the material type, different decontamination and disposal options were proposed; the most appropriate technique was chosen taking into account apart from technical issues, the legal framework, radiation protection issues, the opinion of the local authorities involved as well as the owner's wish. After taking away the biggest amount of the contaminated materials, an iterative process consisting of surveys and decontamination actions was performed in order to remove the residual traces of contamination from the area. During the final survey, no residual surface contamination was detected; some sparsely distributed low level contaminated materials deeply immersed into the soil were found and removed.

The plant cell wall integrity maintenance mechanism--a case study of a cell wall plasma membrane signaling network.

Science.gov (United States)

Hamann, Thorsten

2015-04-01

Some of the most important functions of plant cell walls are protection against biotic/abiotic stress and structural support during growth and development. A prerequisite for plant cell walls to perform these functions is the ability to perceive different types of stimuli in both qualitative and quantitative manners and initiate appropriate responses. The responses in turn involve adaptive changes in cellular and cell wall metabolism leading to modifications in the structures originally required for perception. While our knowledge about the underlying plant mechanisms is limited, results from Saccharomyces cerevisiae suggest the cell wall integrity maintenance mechanism represents an excellent example to illustrate how the molecular mechanisms responsible for stimulus perception, signal transduction and integration can function. Here I will review the available knowledge about the yeast cell wall integrity maintenance system for illustration purposes, summarize the limited knowledge available about the corresponding plant mechanism and discuss the relevance of the plant cell wall integrity maintenance mechanism in biotic stress responses. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Modeling the Impacts of Climate Change on Phytogeographical Units. A Case Study of the Moesz Line

OpenAIRE

Bede-Fazekas, Ákos

2013-01-01

Regional climate models (RCMs) provide reliable climatic predictions for the next 90 years with high horizontal and temporal resolution. In the 21st century northward latitudinal and upward altitudinal shift of the distribution of plant species and phytogeographical units is expected. It is discussed how the modeling of phytogeographical unit can be reduced to modeling plant distributions. Predicted shift of the Moesz line is studied as case study (with three different modeling approaches) us...

Trace element accumulation in woody plants of the Guadiamar Valley, SW Spain: A large-scale phytomanagement case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dominguez, Maria T.; Maranon, Teodoro; Murillo, Jose M.; Schulin, Rainer; Robinson, Brett H.

2008-01-01

Phytomanagement employs vegetation and soil amendments to reduce the environmental risk posed by contaminated sites. We investigated the distribution of trace elements in soils and woody plants from a large phytomanaged site, the Guadiamar Valley (SW Spain), 7 years after a mine spill, which contaminated the area in 1998. At spill-affected sites, topsoils (0-25 cm) had elevated concentrations of As (129 mg kg -1 ), Bi (1.64 mg kg -1 ), Cd (1.44 mg kg -1 ), Cu (115 mg kg -1 ), Pb (210 mg kg -1 ), Sb (13.8 mg kg -1 ), Tl (1.17 mg kg -1 ) and Zn (457 mg kg -1 ). Trace element concentrations in the studied species were, on average, within the normal ranges for higher plants. An exception was white poplar (Populus alba), which accumulated Cd and Zn in leaves up to 3 and 410 mg kg -1 respectively. We discuss the results with regard to the phytomanagement of trace element contaminated sites. - There is a low trace element transfer from contaminated soils to the aboveground parts of afforested woody plants under a semi-arid climate

Shutdown decay heat removal analysis: Plant case studies and special issues: Summary report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ericson, D.M. Jr.; Cramond, W.R.; Sanders, G.A.; Hatch, S.W.

1989-04-01

Shutdown Decay Heat Removal Requirements has been designated as Unresolved Safety Issue (USI) A-45. The overall objectives of the USI A-45 program were to evaluate the safety adequacy of decay heat removal (DHR) systems in existing light water reactor nuclear power plants and to assess the value and impact (benefit-cost) of alternative measures for improving the overall reliability of the DHR function. To provide the technical data required to meet these objectives a program was developed that examined the state of DHR system reliability in a sample of existing plants. This program identified potential vulnerabilities and identified and established the feasibility of potential measures to improve the reliability of the DHR function. A value/impact (V/I) analysis of the more promising of such measures was conducted and documented. This report summarizes those studies. In addition, because of the evolving nature of V/I analyses in support of regulation, a number of supporting studies related to appropriate procedures and measures for the V/I analyses were also conducted. These studies are also summarized herein. This report only summarizes findings of technical studies performed by Sandia National Laboratories as part of the program to resolve this issue. 46 refs., 7 figs., 124 tabs

Students' Perception of Plant and Animal Species: A Case Study from Rural Argentina

Science.gov (United States)

Nates, Juliana; Campos, Claudia; Lindemann-Matthies, Petra

2010-01-01

Exotic species seriously affect local biodiversity in Argentina. This article investigates how students in San Juan province perceive native and exotic species. With the help of a written questionnaire, 865 students (9-17 years old) were asked to name the plant and animal they liked most, disliked most, and perceived as most useful, and to name…

Antelope bitterbrush reestablishment: a case study of plant size and browse protection effects.

Science.gov (United States)

G. Randy Johnson; Joel P. Okula

2006-01-01

After an intense stand-replacement fire in south-central Oregon, 1-y-old (1+0) bareroot seedlings of antelope bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata (Pursh) DC. [Rosaceae]) were outplanted over a 4-y period. Paired-plots were established to examine the benefits of protecting the plants from damage due to animal browsing with Vexar mesh tubing. In the first...

German risk study nuclear power plants, phase B

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1990-01-01

The book documents the results of the probabilistic safety analysis performed at the Biblis-B reference plant. It covers 1) result course analyses and reliability analyses of loss of coolant accidents and transients without and with regard to on-site emergency measures; 2) event tree analyses of on-site and off-site events; 3) analyses of the function of the safety tank in the case of core meltdown accidents, and of the release of fission products into the environment in such case. The probability of a core meltdown is about 3-4 to 100,000 per year and plant. (HP) [de

Plant life management study of Japanese nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fukuda, Toshihiko

1999-01-01

Already more than twenty-five years have passed since the first commercial LWR plant went into operation in Japan. In this situation, MITI and 3 electric utilities (Tokyo Electric Power Company, Kansai Electric Power Co., Inc, Japan Atomic Power Company) have started a plant life management (PLM) study from 1994 to evaluate the long-term integrity of major systems, structures and components of aged LWR plants and ensure the safe, steady and highly reliable long-term operation. It consists of two phases: part 1 study and part 2 study. The part 1 study started in 1994 and focused on seven typical safety-related components. The part 1 study reports were made public in 1996. The part 2 study started in 1997. In this study we reviewed not only safety-related components but also plant reliability related components. The part 2 study reports were opened to the public in February 1999. This paper shows a summary of the part 2 study and our future PLM program. (author)

Case study - Argentina

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Diaz, E.

1986-01-01

Antecedents and experience of nuclear activities in Argentina; the Atomic Energy Commission (CNEA). First development and research activities. Research reactors and radioisotopes plants. Health physics and safety regulations. - Feasibility studies for the first nuclear power plant. Awarding the first plant CNA I (Atucha I). Relevant data related to the different project stages. Plant performance. - Feasibility study for the second nuclear power plant. Awarding the second plant CNE (Central Nuclear Embalse). Relevant data related to established targets. Differences compared with the first station targets. Local participation. Plant performance. (orig./GL)

Staffing decision processes and issues: Case studies of seven US Nuclear Power Plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Melber, B.; Roussel, A.; Baker, K.; Durbin, N.; Hunt, P.; Hauth, J.; Forslund, C.; Terrill, E.; Gore, B.

1994-03-01

The objective of this report is to identify how decisions are made regarding staffing levels and positions for a sample of U.S. nuclear power plants. In this report, a framework is provided for understanding the major forces driving staffing and the implications of staffing decisions for plant safety. The focus of this report is on driving forces that have led to changes in staffing levels and to the establishment of new positions between the mid-1980s and the early 1990s. Processes used at utilities and nuclear power plants to make and implement these staffing decisions are also discussed in the report. While general trends affecting the plant as a whole are presented, the major emphasis of this report is on staffing changes and practices in the operations department, including the operations shift crew. The findings in this report are based on interviews conducted at seven nuclear power plants and their parent utilities. A discussion of the key findings is followed by a summary of the implications of staffing issues for plant safety

Revegetation in abandoned quarries with landfill stabilized waste and gravels: water dynamics and plant growth – a case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

C.-L. Zhang

2017-11-01

Full Text Available Large amounts of quarry wastes are produced during quarrying. Though quarry wastes are commonly used in pavement construction and concrete production, in situ utilization during ecological restoration of abandoned quarries has the advantage of simplicity. In this paper, rock fragments 2–3 cm in size were mixed with landfill stabilized waste (LSW in different proportions (LSW : gravel, RL, which was called LGM. The water content, runoff and plant growth under natural precipitation were monitored for 2 years using a runoff plot experiment. LGM with a low fraction of LSW was compacted to different degrees to achieve an appropriate porosity; water dynamics and plant growth of compacted LGM were studied in a field experiment. The results showed the following: (1 LGM can be used during restoration in abandoned quarries as growing material for plants. (2 RL had a significant effect on the infiltration and water-holding capacity of LGM and thus influenced the retention of precipitation, water condition and plant growth. LGM with RL ranging from 8:1 to 3:7 was suitable for plant growth, and the target species grew best when RL was 5:5. (3 Compaction significantly enhanced water content of LGM with a low RL of 2:8, but leaf water content of plants was lower or unchanged in the more compacted plots. Moderate compaction was beneficial to the survival and growth of Robinia pseudoacacia L. Platycladus orientalis (L. Franco and Medicago sativa L. were not significantly affected by compaction, and they grew better under a high degree of compaction, which was disadvantageous for the uppermost layer of vegetation.

Case study: centralized wastewater treatment plant at Rawang Integrated Industrial Park

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ting Teo Ming; Khomsaton Abu Bakar; Zulkafli Ghazali; Khairul Zaman Mohd Dahlan

2006-01-01

Survey has been conducted at Rawang Integrated Industrial Park (RIIP) to investigate the possibility of setting up centralized industrial wastewater treatment plant. Rawang integrated industrial park is selected based on suggestion from department of environment. RIIP consists of about 150 industries with various type of activities operated in the area. Only 9 out of estimated 150 industries have individual wastewater treatment plant. The business activities of the 9 industries include food processing, textile, welding rods manufacturing, steel galvanizing and battery manufacturing. Wastewater generated by the industries are characterized by high oil and grease, cod, bod, organic matter, metal hydroxide and acidic. Besides that most of industries do the monitoring only once a month. This paper will also discuss the advantages of setting up of centralized industrial wastewater treatment plant to the government authorities, industries, people and environment. (Author)

Health risks resulting from contaminants transfers in soil-plants systems: case study of Atrazine in Lactuca sativa.

Science.gov (United States)

Mathieu, Camoin

2015-04-01

Food safety is presently at the center of great part of scientific and political debates. This represents a field of study in its own right of health risks, including ingestion by humans of hazardous biological, physical, chemical or radiological substances, from contaminated foods during different stages of production. Plant cultivation step is often one of the main sources of contamination, whether of voluntary (pesticide application) or accidental (nuclear, industrial waste, etc.) origin. As a result, the plants growth in an contaminated environment may increase the risk of transfer within the plant, and finally the exposure of humans. Furthermore, pesticides are among the main contaminants investigated in the frame of human health risks resulting from food intakes. However, most of these scientific works focus mainly on their occurrence and persistence in water bodies, and few of them are interested in soil/plants transfer. In this context, the understanding of the processes governing transfers of pesticides in plants is become a necessity, in particular to prevent human risks linked the ingestion of food produced in contaminated environments. This objective can be reached by studying the pollutants behavior in soils/plants transfers, and using various substances/plants couples. In our study, we selected a salad/pesticide couple as our experimental model. Atrazine was chosen as model contaminant because of its problematic presence in a large amount of environmental compartments, its physico-chemical properties and because of its long-term toxicity. Lactuca sativa has been selected as model plant because of its importance in French agriculture, and specifically in Languedoc-Roussillon. Salad has been cultivated in peats and irrigated with an atrazine spiked water solution (concentrations from 10 to 100 μg/L). Plant growth in such conditions has been compared to a growth in clean condition (irrigation with non spiked water). Measurements of atrazine contents in

Multi-Functional Lands Facing Oil Palm Monocultures: A Case Study of a Land Conflict in West Kalimantan, Indonesia

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Vos, de R.E.

2016-01-01

This paper presents an ethnographic case study of a palm oil land conflict in a Malay community in West Kalimantan, Indonesia. The conflict occurred in the preparatory phase of a large-scale plantation, before any oil palms were planted. After protest from local communities, the project was

Do forest soil microbes have the potential to resist plant invasion? A case study in Dinghushan Biosphere Reserve (South China)

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Bao-Ming; Li, Song; Liao, Hui-Xuan; Peng, Shao-Lin

2017-05-01

Successful invaders must overcome biotic resistance, which is defined as the reduction in invasion success caused by the resident community. Soil microbes are an important source of community resistance to plant invasions, and understanding their role in this process requires urgent investigation. Therefore, three forest communities along successional stages and four exotic invasive plant species were selected to test the role of soil microbes of three forest communities in resisting the exotic invasive plant. Our results showed that soil microbes from a monsoon evergreen broadleaf forest (MEBF) (late-successional stage) had the greatest resistance to the invasive plants. Only the invasive species Ipomoea triloba was not sensitive to the three successional forest soils. Mycorrhizal fungi in early successional forest Pinus massonina forest (PMF) or mid-successional forest pine-broadleaf mixed forest (PBMF) soil promoted the growth of Mikania micrantha and Eupatorium catarium, but mycorrhizal fungi in MEBF soil had no significant effects on their growth. Pathogens plus other non-mycorrhizal microbes in MEBF soil inhibited the growth of M. micrantha and E. catarium significantly, and only inhibited root growth of E. catarium when compared with those with mycorrhizal fungi addition. The study suggest that soil mycorrhizal fungi of early-mid-successional forests benefit invasive species M. micrantha and E. catarium, while soil pathogens of late-successional forest may play an important role in resisting M. micrantha and E. catarium. The benefit and resistance of the soil microbes are dependent on invasive species and related to forest succession. The study gives a possible clue to control invasive plants by regulating soil microbes of forest community to resist plant invasion.

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...

Composted biosolids and treated wastewater as sources of pharmaceuticals and personal care products for plant uptake: A case study with carbamazepine

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ben Mordechay, Evyatar; Tarchitzky, Jorge; Chen, Yona; Shenker, Moshe; Chefetz, Benny

2018-01-01

Irrigation with treated wastewater (TWW) and application of biosolids to arable land expose the agro-environment to pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) which can be taken up by crops. In this project, we studied the effect of a carrier medium (e.g., biosolids and TWW) on plant (tomato, wheat and lettuce) uptake, translocation and metabolism of carbamazepine as a model for non-ionic PPCPs. Plant uptake and bioconcentration factors were significantly lower in soils amended with biosolids compared to soils irrigated with TWW. In soils amended with biosolids and irrigated with TWW, the bioavailability of carbamazepine for plant uptake was moderately decreased as compared to plants grown in soils irrigated with TWW alone. While TWW acts as a continuous source of PPCPs, biosolids act both as a source and a sink for these compounds. Moreover, it appears that decomposition of the biosolids in the soil after amendment enhances their adsorptive properties, which in turn reduces the bioavailability of PPCPs in the soil environment. In-plant metabolism of carbamazepine was found to be independent of environmental factors, such as soil type, carrier medium, and absolute amount implemented to the soil, but was controlled by the total amount taken up by the plant. - Highlights: • Bioaccumulation of carbamazepine is higher in plants irrigated with TWW than in plants grown in soils applied with biosolids. • Application of composted biosolids reduces the bioavailability of carbamazepine originated from TWW irrigation. • Plant metabolism of carbamazepine is affected by the total amount taken-up by the plant. - Bioavailability of PPCPs originated from biosolids amendment is lower than the bioavailability of those introduced by irrigation with treated wastewater.

Biodiversity as a multidimensional construct: a review, framework and case study of herbivory's impact on plant biodiversity

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Naeem, S.; Prager, Case; Weeks, Brian

2016-01-01

Biodiversity is inherently multidimensional, encompassing taxonomic, functional, phylogenetic, genetic, landscape and many other elements of variability of life on the Earth. However, this fundamental principle of multidimensionality is rarely applied in research aimed at understanding biodiversity...... on understory plant cover at Black Rock Forest, New York. Using three biodiversity dimensions (taxonomic, functional and phylogenetic diversity) to explore our framework, we found that herbivory alters biodiversity's multidimensional influence on plant cover; an effect not observable through a unidimensional...

CAREM X INPRO case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Florido, P.C.; Brasnarof, D.; Delmastro, D.; Azpitarte, O.E.

2004-01-01

In order to assess and compare the performance of innovative nuclear energy systems INPRO has defined a set of basic principles, user requirements and criteria to be met in different areas (economics, sustainability and environment, safety, waste management and proliferation). This paper illustrates the use of INPRO methodology to a particular reactor system. Argentina is performing CAREM X Nuclear System Case Study based on CAREM nuclear reactor and Once Through Fuel Cycle, using SIGMA for enriched uranium production, and a deep geological repository for final disposal of high level waste after surface intermediate storage in horizontal natural convection silos, to verify INPRO (International Project on Innovative Nuclear Reactors and Fuel Cycles) methodology. 6 aspects have been considered: 1) enrichment based on Sigma enrichment plant (gas diffusion technology), 2) conversion to UO 2 , 3) fuel manufacturing, 4) CAREM-300 based reactor technology, 5) intermediate spent fuel storage, and 6) deep geological repository of spent fuels. Projections show that developing countries could play a crucial role in the deployment of nuclear energy, in the next fifty years. This case study will be highly useful for checking INPRO methodology for this scenario. In this paper, the preliminary findings of the Case Study are presented, including proposals to improve the INPRO methodology

"Life without nuclear power": A nuclear plant retirement formulation model and guide based on economics. San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station case: Economic impacts and reliability considerations leading to plant retirement

Science.gov (United States)

Wasko, Frank

assessment review and then on to the stakeholder cost benefit analysis (if model qualifications are met) leading to a final plant retirement decision. This application via the model and guide, in turn, will lead electric utilities to explore system upgrade import opportunities and mitigation measures versus building new replacement generation facilities. United States nuclear reactors are licensed for 40 years with a 20 year extension available prior to the expiration date (EIA, 2013). Since late 2012, electric power companies have announced the early retirement of four uneconomical nuclear power plants while other studies have indicated that as many as 70 percent of United States nuclear power plants are potentially at risk for early retirement (Crooks, 2014 and Cooper, 2013). A high percentage of these aforementioned nuclear plants have operating licenses that will not expire until 2030 and beyond. Thus, for the most part, replacement power contingency planning has not been initiated for these plants or is still in preliminary stages. The recent nuclear plant retirements are the first since 1998 (EIA, 2013). Decisions to retire the plants involved concerns over maintenance and repair costs as well as declining profitability (EIA, 2013). In addition, the Energy Information Administration (2010-2012) released data that demonstrated that the worst 25 percent of United States nuclear plants are far more expensive to operate and generate electricity than new gas plants. It is equally important to understand and explain the economic and power replacement implications to both ratepayers and end-users. A SONGS case study analysis will review the economic, operational and political challenges that SCE faced leading to the retirement decision of SONGS. As preface to the case study, replacement steam generators (RSGs) were installed in Unit 2 in 2009 and in Unit 3 in 2010. In January 2012, while Unit 2 was down for routine maintenance, a small leak was discovered inside a steam

Sustainable utilization and conservation of plant biodiversity in montane ecosystems: the western Himalayas as a case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Khan, Shujaul Mulk; Page, Sue E; Ahmad, Habib; Harper, David M

2013-08-01

Conservation of the unique biodiversity of mountain ecosystems needs trans-disciplinary approaches to succeed in a crowded colloquial world. Geographers, conservationists, ecologists and social scientists have, in the past, had the same conservation goals but have tended to work independently. In this review, the need to integrate different conservation criteria and methodologies is discussed. New criteria are offered for prioritizing species and habitats for conservation in montane ecosystems that combine both ecological and social data. Ecological attributes of plant species, analysed through robust community statistical packages, provide unbiased classifications of species assemblages and environmental biodiversity gradients and yield importance value indices (IVIs). Surveys of local communities' utilization of the vegetation provides use values (UVs). This review suggests a new means of assessing anthropogenic pressure on plant biodiversity at both species and community levels by integrating IVI and UV data sets in a combined analysis. Mountain ecosystems are hot spots for plant conservation efforts because they hold a high overall plant diversity as communities replace each other along altitudinal and climatic gradients, including a high proportion of endemic species. This review contributes an enhanced understanding of (1) plant diversity in mountain ecosystems with special reference to the western Himalayas; (2) ethnobotanical and ecosystem service values of mountain vegetation within the context of anthropogenic impacts; and (3) local and regional plant conservation strategies and priorities.

A method for locating potential tree-planting sites in urban areas: a case study of Los Angeles, USA

Science.gov (United States)

Chunxia Wua; Qingfu Xiaoa; Gregory E. McPherson

2008-01-01

A GIS-based method for locating potential tree-planting sites based on land cover data is introduced. Criteria were developed to identify locations that are spatially available for potential tree planting based on land cover, sufficient distance from impervious surfaces, a minimum amount of pervious surface, and no crown overlap with other trees. In an ArcGIS...

Protein carbonylation in plants

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Møller, Ian Max; Havelund, Jesper; Rogowska-Wrzesinska, Adelina

2017-01-01

This chapter provides an overview of the current knowledge on protein carbonylation in plants and its role in plant physiology. It starts with a brief outline of the turnover and production sites of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in plants and the causes of protein carbonylation. This is followed...... by a description of the methods used to study protein carbonylation in plants, which is also very brief as the methods are similar to those used in studies on animals. The chapter also focuses on protein carbonylation in plants in general and in mitochondria and in seeds in particular, as case stories where...... specific carbonylated proteins have been identified. Protein carbonylation appears to accumulate at all stages of seed development and germination investigated to date. In some cases, such as seed aging, it is probably simply an accumulation of oxidative damage. However, in other cases protein...

Development status of component reliability database for Korean NPPs and a case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Choi, S. Y.; Yang, S. H.; Lee, S. C.; Kim, S. H.; Han, S. H.

1999-01-01

We have applied a generic database to the PSA (Probabilistic Safety Assessment) for the Korean Standard NPPs (Nuclear Power Plant) since there is no specific component reliability database. However generic data is not enough to reflect the specific characteristics of domestic plants since it is collected by foreign plants. Therefore we are developing the plant-specific component reliability database for domestic NPPs. In this paper, we describe the development status of the component reliability database and the approach method of data collection and component failure analysis. We also summarize a case study of component failure analysis. We first collect the failure and repair data from the TR (Trouble Report) electronic database and the daily operation report sheet. Now we add a data collection method that checks the original TR sheet to improve the data quality. We input the component failure and repair data of principal components of about 30 systems into the component reliability database. Now, we are analyzing the component failure data of 11 safety systems among the systems to calculate component failure rate and unavailability etc

Case study: Proposed application of project management techniques for construction of nuclear power plant in Malaysia

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Syahirah Abdul Rahman; Phongsakorn Prak Tom; Wan Abd Hadi Wan Abu Bakar; Shaharum Ramli

2010-01-01

This study discusses the techniques of project management for the construction of nuclear power plants that can be used in Malaysia. Nuclear power reactors are expected to apply is the categories of Gen III + reactor where it is safer and more modern than the first generation of reactors built in the 1970s. The objective of this study is that the construction of this reactor to be completed by the stipulated time and not exceed the cost estimates. In addition, project management is also able to meet all the specifications and achieve the quality standard. In this study, the techniques used in project management to ensure the success of construction projects of nuclear power plants are a Gantt Chart, CPM/ PERT and Microsoft Project. From the study, found that these techniques can assist in facilitating the management of the project for the construction of nuclear power plants to ensure that the estimated time and cost can be managed more effectively as well as quality of care. (author)

Microarrays in ecological research: A case study of a cDNA microarray for plant-herbivore interactions

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gase Klaus

2004-09-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Microarray technology allows researchers to simultaneously monitor changes in the expression ratios (ERs of hundreds of genes and has thereby revolutionized most of biology. Although this technique has the potential of elucidating early stages in an organism's phenotypic response to complex ecological interactions, to date, it has not been fully incorporated into ecological research. This is partially due to a lack of simple procedures of handling and analyzing the expression ratio (ER data produced from microarrays. Results We describe an analysis of the sources of variation in ERs from 73 hybridized cDNA microarrays, each with 234 herbivory-elicited genes from the model ecological expression system, Nicotiana attenuata, using procedures that are commonly used in ecologic research. Each gene is represented by two independently labeled PCR products and each product was arrayed in quadruplicate. We present a robust method of normalizing and analyzing ERs based on arbitrary thresholds and statistical criteria, and characterize a "norm of reaction" of ERs for 6 genes (4 of known function, 2 of unknown with different ERs as determined across all analyzed arrays to provide a biologically-informed alternative to the use of arbitrary expression ratios in determining significance of expression. These gene-specific ERs and their variance (gene CV were used to calculate array-based variances (array CV, which, in turn, were used to study the effects of array age, probe cDNA quantity and quality, and quality of spotted PCR products as estimates of technical variation. Cluster analysis and a Principal Component Analysis (PCA were used to reveal associations among the transcriptional "imprints" of arrays hybridized with cDNA probes derived from mRNA from N. attenuata plants variously elicited and attacked by different herbivore species and from three congeners: N. quadrivalis, N. longiflora and N. clevelandii. Additionally, the PCA

Seeds of doubt: Mendel's choice of Hieracium to study inheritance, a case of right plant, wrong trait.

Science.gov (United States)

Bicknell, Ross; Catanach, Andrew; Hand, Melanie; Koltunow, Anna

2016-12-01

In this review, we explore Gregor Mendel's hybridization experiments with Hieracium , update current knowledge on apomictic reproduction and describe approaches now being used to develop true-breeding hybrid crops. From our perspective, it is easy to conclude that Gregor Mendel's work on pea was insightful, but his peers clearly did not regard it as being either very convincing or of much importance. One apparent criticism was that his findings only applied to pea. We know from a letter he wrote to Carl von Nägeli, a leading botanist, that he believed he needed to "verify, with other plants, the results obtained with Pisum". For this purpose, Mendel adopted Hieracium subgenus Pilosella, a phenotypically diverse taxon under botanical study at the time. What Mendel could not have known, however, is that the majority of these plants are not sexual plants like pea, but instead are facultatively apomictic. In these forms, the majority of seed arises asexually, and such progeny are, therefore, clones of the maternal parent. Mendel obtained very few hybrids in his Hieracium crosses, yet we calculate that he probably emasculated in excess of 5000 Hieracium florets to even obtain the numbers he did. Despite that effort, he was perplexed by the results, and they ultimately led him to conclude that "the hybrids of Hieracium show a behaviour exactly opposite to those of Pisum". Apomixis is now a topic of intense research interest, and in an ironic twist of history, Hieracium subgenus Pilosella has been developed as a molecular model to study this trait. In this paper, we explore further Mendel's hybridization experiments with Hieracium, update current knowledge on apomictic reproduction and describe approaches now being used to develop true-breeding hybrid crops.

Descriptive study of plant resources in the context of the ethnomedicinal relevance of indigenous flora: A case study from Toli Peer National Park, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Muhammad Shoaib Amjad

Full Text Available This paper presents the first quantitative ethnobotanical study of the flora in Toli Peer National Park of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan. Being a remote area, there is a strong dependence by local people on ethnobotanical practices. Thus, we attempted to record the folk uses of the native plants of the area with a view to acknowledging and documenting the ethnobotanical knowledge. The aims of the study were to compile an inventory of the medicinal plants in the study area and to record the methods by which herbal drugs were prepared and administered.Information on the therapeutic properties of medicinal plants was collected from 64 local inhabitants and herbalists using open ended and semi-structured questionnaires over the period Aug 2013-Jul 2014. The data were recorded into a synoptic table comprising an ethnobotanical inventory of plants, the parts used, therapeutic indications and modes of application or administration. Different ethnobotanical indices i.e. relative frequencies of citation (RFC, relative importance (RI, use value (UV and informant consensus factor (Fic, were calculated for each of the recorded medicinal plants. In addition, a correlation analysis was performed using SPSS ver. 16 to check the level of association between use value and relative frequency of citation.A total of 121 species of medicinal plants belonging to 57 families and 98 genera were recorded. The study area was dominated by herbaceous species (48% with leaves (41% as the most exploited plant part. The Lamiaceae and Rosaceae (9% each were the dominant families in the study area. Among different methods of preparation, the most frequently used method was decoction (26 species of different plant parts followed by use as juice and powder (24 species each, paste (22 species, chewing (16 species, extract (11 species, infusion (10 species and poultice (8 species. The maximum Informant consensus factor (Fic value was for gastro-intestinal, parasitic and

Descriptive study of plant resources in the context of the ethnomedicinal relevance of indigenous flora: A case study from Toli Peer National Park, Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan.

Science.gov (United States)

Amjad, Muhammad Shoaib; Qaeem, Mirza Faisal; Ahmad, Israr; Khan, Sami Ullah; Chaudhari, Sunbal Khalil; Zahid Malik, Nafeesa; Shaheen, Humaira; Khan, Arshad Mehmood

2017-01-01

This paper presents the first quantitative ethnobotanical study of the flora in Toli Peer National Park of Azad Jammu and Kashmir, Pakistan. Being a remote area, there is a strong dependence by local people on ethnobotanical practices. Thus, we attempted to record the folk uses of the native plants of the area with a view to acknowledging and documenting the ethnobotanical knowledge. The aims of the study were to compile an inventory of the medicinal plants in the study area and to record the methods by which herbal drugs were prepared and administered. Information on the therapeutic properties of medicinal plants was collected from 64 local inhabitants and herbalists using open ended and semi-structured questionnaires over the period Aug 2013-Jul 2014. The data were recorded into a synoptic table comprising an ethnobotanical inventory of plants, the parts used, therapeutic indications and modes of application or administration. Different ethnobotanical indices i.e. relative frequencies of citation (RFC), relative importance (RI), use value (UV) and informant consensus factor (Fic), were calculated for each of the recorded medicinal plants. In addition, a correlation analysis was performed using SPSS ver. 16 to check the level of association between use value and relative frequency of citation. A total of 121 species of medicinal plants belonging to 57 families and 98 genera were recorded. The study area was dominated by herbaceous species (48%) with leaves (41%) as the most exploited plant part. The Lamiaceae and Rosaceae (9% each) were the dominant families in the study area. Among different methods of preparation, the most frequently used method was decoction (26 species) of different plant parts followed by use as juice and powder (24 species each), paste (22 species), chewing (16 species), extract (11 species), infusion (10 species) and poultice (8 species). The maximum Informant consensus factor (Fic) value was for gastro-intestinal, parasitic and

Case study of the effects of hypothetical nuclear power plant accident to the northern food chain of lichen-reindeer-man

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leppaenen, A.P.; Solatie, D. [Radiation and Nuclear Safety Authority - STUK (Finland); Paatero, J. [Finnish Meteorological Institute (Finland)

2014-07-01

There are plans to open a new nuclear power plant in Northern Finland at Pyhaejoki. The currently planned reactor type is AES 2006 built by Rosenergoatom. The power output of the AES 2006 is 1200 MWe. In a hypothetical reactor accident at Pyhaejoki large amounts of radioactivity would be released to the environment in Northern Europe. With suitable wind conditions the contaminants would contaminate large areas in the Euro-Arctic region in Northern Scandinavia and in Kola Peninsula. Northern parts of Scandinavia belongs to the sub-arctic region where reindeer herding is an important livelihood for the local and for the indigenous Sami people. As a results of the CEEPRA-project ('Collaboration Network on Environmental Radiation Protection and Research') funded by the EU's Kolarctic ENPI CBC program estimated a possible fallout to Finnish Lapland from a hypothetical nuclear power plant accident occurring at the planned site. Lichen-reindeer-man food chain is an important food chain to the people living in Lapland from traditional and from economical point of views. The food chain is known to enrich radioactive contaminants efficiently. In case of nuclear fallout this food chain would be one of the primary sources of {sup 137}Cs into the inhabitants in Northern regions. The food chain has been well-studied where studies began in the 1960's and was intensified after the Chernobyl accident. This study concentrates on the effects caused by the hypothetical accident, occurring at the planned Pyhaejoki power plant, to the lichen-reindeer-man food chain. The transfer of {sup 137}Cs and {sup 134}Cs to the reindeer meat and possible doses to the man will be estimated. Document available in abstract form only. (authors)

A study on safety assessment methodology for a vitrification plant

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Seo, Y. C.; Lee, G. S.; Choi, Y. C.; Kim, G. H. [Yonsei Univ., Seoul (Korea, Republic of)

2002-03-15

In this study, the technical and regulatory status of radioactive waste vitrification technologies in foreign and domestic plants is investigated and analyzed, and then significant factors are suggested which must be contained in the final technical guideline or standard for the safety assessment of vitrification plants. Also, the methods to estimate the stability of vitrified waste forms are suggested with property analysis of them. The contents and scope of the study are summarized as follows : survey of the status on radioactive waste vitrification technologies in foreign and domestic plants, survey of the characterization methodology for radioactive waste form, analysis of stability for vitrified waste forms, survey and analysis of technical standards and regulations concerned with them in foreign and domestic plants, suggestion of significant factors for the safety assessment of vitrification plants, submission of regulated technical standard on radioactive waste vitrification plats.

Tackling Contentious Invasive Plant Species: A Case Study of Buffel Grass in Australia

Science.gov (United States)

Grice, Anthony C.; Friedel, Margaret H.; Marshall, Nadine A.; van Klinken, Rieks D.

2012-02-01

Introduced plants that have both production values and negative impacts can be contentious. Generally they are either treated as weeds and their use prohibited; or unfettered exploitation is permitted and land managers must individually contend with any negative effects. Buffel grass ( Cenchrus ciliaris) is contentious in Australia and there has been no attempt to broadly and systematically address the issues surrounding it. However, recent research indicates that there is some mutual acceptance by proponents and opponents of each others' perspectives and we contend that this provides the basis for a national approach. It would require thorough and on-going consultation with stakeholders and development of realistic goals that are applicable across a range of scales and responsive to regional differences in costs, benefits and socio-economic and biophysical circumstances. It would be necessary to clearly allocate responsibilities and ascertain the most appropriate balance between legislative and non-legislative mechanisms. A national approach could involve avoiding the introduction of additional genetic material, countering proliferation in regions where the species is sparse, preventing incursion into conservation reserves where it is absent, containing strategically located populations and managing communities to prevent or reduce dominance by buffel grass. This approach could be applied to other contentious plant species.

Case Study on Incentive Mechanism of Energy Efficiency Retrofit in Coal-Fueled Power Plant in China

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Donghai; Guo, Xujing; Cao, Yuan; He, Liansheng; Wang, Jinggang; Xi, Beidou; Li, Junqi; Ma, Wenlin; Zhang, Mingshun

2012-01-01

An ordinary steam turbine retrofit project is selected as a case study; through the retrofit, the project activities will generate emission reductions within the power grid for about 92,463 tCO2e per annum. The internal rate of return (IRR) of the project is only −0.41% without the revenue of carbon credits, for example, CERs, which is much lower than the benchmark value of 8%. Only when the unit price of carbon credit reaches 125 CNY/tCO2, the IRR could reach the benchmark and an effective carbon tax needs to increase the price of carbon to 243 CNY/tce in order to make the project financially feasible. Design of incentive mechanism will help these low efficiency enterprises improve efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions, which can provide the power plants sufficient incentive to implement energy efficiency retrofit project in existing coal-fuel power generation-units, and we hope it will make a good demonstration for the other low efficiency coal-fueled power generation units in China. PMID:23365532

Case Study on Incentive Mechanism of Energy Efficiency Retrofit in Coal-Fueled Power Plant in China

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Donghai Yuan

2012-01-01

Full Text Available An ordinary steam turbine retrofit project is selected as a case study; through the retrofit, the project activities will generate emission reductions within the power grid for about 92,463 tCO2e per annum. The internal rate of return (IRR of the project is only −0.41% without the revenue of carbon credits, for example, CERs, which is much lower than the benchmark value of 8%. Only when the unit price of carbon credit reaches 125 CNY/tCO2, the IRR could reach the benchmark and an effective carbon tax needs to increase the price of carbon to 243 CNY/tce in order to make the project financially feasible. Design of incentive mechanism will help these low efficiency enterprises improve efficiency and reduce CO2 emissions, which can provide the power plants sufficient incentive to implement energy efficiency retrofit project in existing coal-fuel power generation-units, and we hope it will make a good demonstration for the other low efficiency coal-fueled power generation units in China.

Case study on incentive mechanism of energy efficiency retrofit in coal-fueled power plant in China.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Donghai; Guo, Xujing; Cao, Yuan; He, Liansheng; Wang, Jinggang; Xi, Beidou; Li, Junqi; Ma, Wenlin; Zhang, Mingshun

2012-01-01

An ordinary steam turbine retrofit project is selected as a case study; through the retrofit, the project activities will generate emission reductions within the power grid for about 92,463 tCO(2)e per annum. The internal rate of return (IRR) of the project is only -0.41% without the revenue of carbon credits, for example, CERs, which is much lower than the benchmark value of 8%. Only when the unit price of carbon credit reaches 125 CNY/tCO(2), the IRR could reach the benchmark and an effective carbon tax needs to increase the price of carbon to 243 CNY/tce in order to make the project financially feasible. Design of incentive mechanism will help these low efficiency enterprises improve efficiency and reduce CO(2) emissions, which can provide the power plants sufficient incentive to implement energy efficiency retrofit project in existing coal-fuel power generation-units, and we hope it will make a good demonstration for the other low efficiency coal-fueled power generation units in China.

Case study on the use of PSA methods: Backfitting decisions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1991-04-01

This case study illustrates the process of using probabilistic risk assessment (PRA) method to evaluate proposed backfits of nuclear power plants (NPP), which are intended to enhance the plant safety by improving equipment operability. Some examples of situations in which PRA techniques have been used to address backfit issues at operating NPPs are summarized. 2 refs, 5 figs, 4 tabs

A feasibility assessment of calculation procedure with case study and the modification of dose conversion factor in STARDOSE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ko, H. S.; Jang, M.; Kim, S. H.; Kang, C. S.

2003-01-01

STARDOSE computer code is the designed code for which is calculated the dose of control room and off-site dose on design basis accident of nuclear power plant. Input files of STARDOSE are libfile1.txt which has decay constant and dose conversion factor, and input.dat which structurally expresses the real plant model by editor. It is given much advanced result with using newer dose conversion factor in libfile1.txt. In this study, therefore, case study is performed that is made input.dat file for LOCA and libfile1.txt which is included newer dose conversion factor and core inventory on APR-1400 and UCN 5 and 6. The result of case study is compared and analyzed

Composted biosolids and treated wastewater as sources of pharmaceuticals and personal care products for plant uptake: A case study with carbamazepine.

Science.gov (United States)

Ben Mordechay, Evyatar; Tarchitzky, Jorge; Chen, Yona; Shenker, Moshe; Chefetz, Benny

2018-01-01

Irrigation with treated wastewater (TWW) and application of biosolids to arable land expose the agro-environment to pharmaceuticals and personal care products (PPCPs) which can be taken up by crops. In this project, we studied the effect of a carrier medium (e.g., biosolids and TWW) on plant (tomato, wheat and lettuce) uptake, translocation and metabolism of carbamazepine as a model for non-ionic PPCPs. Plant uptake and bioconcentration factors were significantly lower in soils amended with biosolids compared to soils irrigated with TWW. In soils amended with biosolids and irrigated with TWW, the bioavailability of carbamazepine for plant uptake was moderately decreased as compared to plants grown in soils irrigated with TWW alone. While TWW acts as a continuous source of PPCPs, biosolids act both as a source and a sink for these compounds. Moreover, it appears that decomposition of the biosolids in the soil after amendment enhances their adsorptive properties, which in turn reduces the bioavailability of PPCPs in the soil environment. In-plant metabolism of carbamazepine was found to be independent of environmental factors, such as soil type, carrier medium, and absolute amount implemented to the soil, but was controlled by the total amount taken up by the plant. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Network expansion by a proactive transmission system operator: A case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Groppi, Angelamaria; Fumagalli, Elena

2014-01-01

Complex planning procedures often amplify the difference in investment time between generation and transmission. In this work we consider a transmission project in Italy and, relying on a recently proposed methodology, we compare costs and benefits of anticipating the planning process before the connection of new power plants becomes certain. Whereas the system faces lower congestion costs if the network is reinforced immediately, anticipation constitutes a sunk cost in case generation is not built. For realistic load and generation scenarios, anticipation costs, as well as differences in investment times, our results indicate that anticipation is the most efficient choice for a relatively low connection probability. Analyses of this sort are particularly relevant in light of the increasing complexity of public engagement processes and of the remarkable growth in renewable generation. - Highlights: • Delays in transmission investments can increase congestion costs. • Anticipating a transmission upgrade before a generator connects has costs/benefits. • Case study: real-life transmission project in the North of Italy. • Anticipation is the efficient choice under several scenarios

A feasibility study of perennial/annual plant species to restore soils contaminated with heavy metals

Science.gov (United States)

Zacarías, Montserrat; Beltrán, Margarita; Gilberto Torres, Luis; González, Abelardo

A feasibility study was carried out to evaluate the application of perennial/annual plant species in a phytoextraction process of a previously washed industrial urban soil contaminated by nickel, arsenic and cupper. The plant species selected for this study were Ipomea (Ipomea variada); grass (Poa pratensis); grass mixture (Festuca rubra, Cynodon dactylon, Lolium multiforum, Pennisetum sp.); Monks Cress (Tropaeolum majus); ficus (Ficus benajamina) and fern (Pteris cretica). Soil was characterized and it presented the following heavy metals concentrations (dry weight): 80 mg of Ni/kg, 456-656 mg of As/kg and 1684-3166 mg of Cu/kg. Germination and survival in contaminated soil tests were conducted, from these, P. pratensis was discarded and the rest of plant species tested were used for the phytoextraction selection test. After 4 months of growth, biomass production was determined, and content of Ni, As and Cu was analyzed in plant’s tissue. Metal biological absorption coefficient (BAC), bio-concentration factor (BCF) and translocation factor (TF), were calculated. Regarding to biomass generation it was observed, in every case, an inhibition of the plant growth compared with blanks sown in a non contaminated soil; inhibition ranged from 22.5% for the Monk cress to 98% for Ipomea. Even though the later presented high BAC, BCF and TF, its growth was severely inhibited, and therefore, due its low biomass generation, it is not recommended for phytoextraction under conditions for this study. Heavy metals concentrations in plant’s tissue (dry weight) were as high as 866 mg Cu/kg and 602 mg As/kg for grass mixture; and 825 mg As/kg was observed for Monks cress. Grass mixture and monks cress had high BAC, BCF and TF, also they had high metal concentrations in its plants tissues and the lowest growth inhibition rates; hence the application in phytoextraction processes of these plants is advisable.

In-Plant Corrosion Study of Steels in Distillery Effluent Treatment Plant

Science.gov (United States)

Ram, Chhotu; Sharma, Chhaya; Singh, A. K.

2015-05-01

The present study deals with corrosion and performance of steels observed in an effluent treatment plant (ETP) of a distillery. For this purpose, the metal coupons were exposed in primary (untreated effluent) and secondary tank (anaerobic treatment effluent) of the ETP. The extent of attack has been correlated with the composition of the effluent with the help of laboratory immersion and electrochemical tests. Untreated distillery effluent found to be more corrosive than the anaerobic-treated effluents and is assigned due to chloride, phosphate, calcium, nitrate, and nitrite ions, which enhances corrosivity at acidic pH. Mild steel showed highest uniform and localized corrosion followed by stainless steels 304L and 316L and lowest in case of duplex 2205.

An innovative implementation of LCA within the EIA procedure: Lessons learned from two Wastewater Treatment Plant case studies

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Larrey-Lassalle, Pyrène, E-mail: pyrene.larrey-lassalle@irstea.fr [Irstea, UMR ITAP, ELSA Research Group & ELSA-PACT Industrial Chair for Environmental and Social Sustainability Assessment, 361 rue Jean François Breton, F-34196 Montpellier (France); LGEI, Ecole des mines d' Alès, 6 avenue de Clavières, 30319 Alès Cedex (France); Catel, Laureline; Roux, Philippe; Rosenbaum, Ralph K. [Irstea, UMR ITAP, ELSA Research Group & ELSA-PACT Industrial Chair for Environmental and Social Sustainability Assessment, 361 rue Jean François Breton, F-34196 Montpellier (France); Lopez-Ferber, Miguel; Junqua, Guillaume [LGEI, Ecole des mines d' Alès, 6 avenue de Clavières, 30319 Alès Cedex (France); Loiseau, Eléonore [Irstea, UMR ITAP, ELSA Research Group & ELSA-PACT Industrial Chair for Environmental and Social Sustainability Assessment, 361 rue Jean François Breton, F-34196 Montpellier (France)

2017-03-15

, even if the conclusions of the EIAs with or without LCA were partially common for local on-site impacts, LCA gives crucial additional information on global and off-site impacts and highlights the processes responsible for them. Finally, for all EIA steps investigated, interest in LCA was demonstrated for both WWTP case studies. The feasibility in terms of skills, time and cost of such implementation has also been assessed. - Highlights: • An innovative methodology for a first-stage implementation of LCA in EIA is proposed. • Its applicability is demonstrated on two Wastewater Treatment Plant case studies. • The conclusions for the four EIA steps investigated differ with or without LCA. • LCA provides valuable additional information on 1) global and 2) off-site impacts. • LCA identifies pollution transfers towards a life cycle perspective.

An innovative implementation of LCA within the EIA procedure: Lessons learned from two Wastewater Treatment Plant case studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Larrey-Lassalle, Pyrène; Catel, Laureline; Roux, Philippe; Rosenbaum, Ralph K.; Lopez-Ferber, Miguel; Junqua, Guillaume; Loiseau, Eléonore

2017-01-01

, even if the conclusions of the EIAs with or without LCA were partially common for local on-site impacts, LCA gives crucial additional information on global and off-site impacts and highlights the processes responsible for them. Finally, for all EIA steps investigated, interest in LCA was demonstrated for both WWTP case studies. The feasibility in terms of skills, time and cost of such implementation has also been assessed. - Highlights: • An innovative methodology for a first-stage implementation of LCA in EIA is proposed. • Its applicability is demonstrated on two Wastewater Treatment Plant case studies. • The conclusions for the four EIA steps investigated differ with or without LCA. • LCA provides valuable additional information on 1) global and 2) off-site impacts. • LCA identifies pollution transfers towards a life cycle perspective.

Design and assessment of solar PV plant for girls hostel (GARGI of MNIT University, Jaipur city: A case study

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Rahul Khatri

2016-11-01

Full Text Available In this paper designing and assessment of a solar PV plant for meeting the energy demand of girl’s hostel at MNIT University Jaipur city was analyzed. A solar PV plant was designed with its financial and environmental assessment considering recent market prices. All the aspects related to a solar PV plant were considered for financial feasibility of PV plant near this location. The different financial parameters which affect the financial feasibility of PV plant were considered i.e. discount rate, effective discount rate, rate of escalation of electricity cost, salvage value of the plant etc. The environmental aspect related with the energy generated with PV plant i.e. reduction in carbon emission and carbon credits earned was also considered. Result obtained with the assessment of the proposed plant with different discount rate and current rate of inflation shows that the max IRR 6.85% and NPV of $1,430,834 was obtained with a discount rate of 8% and an inflation rate of 7.23% when no land cost considered and if land cost was considered the maximum IRR was 1.96% and NPV of $630,833. Minimum discounted payback of the plant will be 13.4 years if inflation was considered.

Case study of 85 m3 floating drum biogas plant under hilly conditions

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kalia, A.K.; Singh, S.P.

1999-01-01

An 85 m 3 floating drum biogas plant was installed at the dairy farm of HP Agricultural University, Palampur, in 1989 to meet the energy needs of cooking food in the veterinary hostel mess and for general dairy requirements. It cost nearly Rs. 0.21 million (US dollars 6293), including the cost of an 800 m gas pipe line, and is working satisfactorily without any major problems except breakage of the central guide of its gas holder. With the feed rate of 17 q cattle dung/day, 50 m 3 and 30 m 3 biogas was obtained in the summer and winter months, respectively, during 1989-1991. The reduction of feed rate to 9 q cattle dung/day in 1992 onwards resulted in lowering the gas production of 25 m 3 and 18 m 3 in the summer and winter months, respectively. This gas was just sufficient to meet 73% (9466 MJ/month) and 53% (7019 MJ/month) of the energy needs for cooking meals in the hostel alone in the summer and winter months, respectively, during the course of the study. Considering the biogas and manure obtained from the plant, the income-cost ratios during the period 1989-1991 and 1992-1997 were found to be 1.44 and 1.15, respectively, suggesting that, though the plant was under fed relatively to the requisite feed rate (21 q cattle dung/day), the installation of this plant was an economically viable proposition. (author)

Plants get sick too!

Science.gov (United States)

Although many people may never have given consideration to plant health, plants can suffer from a wide range of diseases. These plant diseases are caused by micro-organisms, including bacteria, fungi, and viruses. The audience will be introduced to short case studies of several plant diseases that m...

Scenario for concurrent conceptual assembly line design: A case study

Science.gov (United States)

Mas, F.; Ríos, J.; Menéndez, J. L.

2012-04-01

The decision to design and build a new aircraft is preceded by years of research and study. Different disciplines work together throughout the lifecycle to ensure not only a complete functional definition of the product, but also a complete industrialization, a marketing plan, a maintenance plan, etc. This case study focuses on the conceptual design phase. During this phase, the design solutions that will meet the functional and industrial requirements are defined, i.e.: the basic requirements of industrialization. During this phase, several alternatives are studied, and the most attractive in terms of performance and cost requirements is selected. As a result of the study of these alternatives, it is possible to define an early conceptual design of the assembly line and its basic parameters. The plant needs, long cycle jigs & tools or industrial means and human resources with the necessary skills can be determined in advance.

Case Study: Testing with Case Studies

Science.gov (United States)

Herreid, Clyde Freeman

2015-01-01

This column provides original articles on innovations in case study teaching, assessment of the method, as well as case studies with teaching notes. This month's issue discusses using case studies to test for knowledge or lessons learned.

Preconceptual design studies and cost data of depleted uranium hexafluoride conversion plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, E

1999-01-01

One of the more important legacies left with the Department of Energy (DOE) after the privatization of the United States Enrichment Corporation is the large inventory of depleted uranium hexafluoride (DUF6). The DOE Office of Nuclear Energy, Science and Technology (NE) is responsible for the long-term management of some 700,000 metric tons of DUF6 stored at the sites of the two gaseous diffusion plants located at Paducah, Kentucky and Portsmouth, Ohio, and at the East Tennessee Technology Park in Oak Ridge, Tennessee. The DUF6 management program resides in NE's Office of Depleted Uranium Hexafluoride Management. The current DUF6 program has largely focused on the ongoing maintenance of the cylinders containing DUF6. However, the long-term management and eventual disposition of DUF6 is the subject of a Programmatic Environmental Impact Statement (PEIS) and Public Law 105-204. The first step for future use or disposition is to convert the material, which requires construction and long-term operation of one or more conversion plants. To help inform the DUF6 program's planning activities, it was necessary to perform design and cost studies of likely DUF6 conversion plants at the preconceptual level, beyond the PEIS considerations but not as detailed as required for conceptual designs of actual plants. This report contains the final results from such a preconceptual design study project. In this fast track, three month effort, Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory and Bechtel National Incorporated developed and evaluated seven different preconceptual design cases for a single plant. The preconceptual design, schedules, costs, and issues associated with specific DUF6 conversion approaches, operating periods, and ownership options were evaluated based on criteria established by DOE. The single-plant conversion options studied were similar to the dry-conversion process alternatives from the PEIS. For each of the seven cases considered, this report contains information on

Insulin-like plant proteins as potential innovative drugs to treat diabetes-The Moringa oleifera case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Paula, P C; Oliveira, J T A; Sousa, D O B; Alves, B G T; Carvalho, A F U; Franco, O L; Vasconcelos, I M

2017-10-25

Various plant species have long been used in traditional medicine worldwide to treat diabetes. Among the plant-based compounds with hypoglycemic properties, studies on insulin-like proteins isolated from leaves, fruits and seeds are rarely reported in the relevant literature. Our research group has been investigating the presence of insulin-like proteins in Moringa oleifera, a plant species native to India, and we have obtained a leaf protein isolate and semi-purified derived fractions, as well as a seed coat protein fraction (Mo-SC), with hypoglycemic activity in chemically induced diabetic mice that have increased tolerance to orally administered glucose. Equally importantly, Mo-SC possesses insulin-like antigenic epitopes. In this context, the present review aims to highlight that prospection of insulin-like proteins in plants is of the utmost importance both for finding new drugs for the treatment of diabetes and for shedding light on the mechanisms involved in diabetes. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cost-benefit analysis of using sewage sludge as alternative fuel in a cement plant: a case study.

Science.gov (United States)

Nadal, Martí; Schuhmacher, Marta; Domingo, José L

2009-05-01

To enforce the implementation of the Kyoto Protocol targets, a number of governmental/international institutions have launched emission trade schemes as an approach to specify CO(2) caps and to regulate the emission trade in recent years. These schemes have been basically applied for large industrial sectors, including energy producers and energy-intensive users. Among them, cement plants are included among the big greenhouse gas (GHG) emitters. The use of waste as secondary fuel in clinker kilns is currently an intensive practice worldwide. However, people living in the vicinity of cement plants, where alternative fuels are being used, are frequently concerned about the potential increase in health risks. In the present study, a cost-benefit analysis was applied after substituting classical fuel for sewage sludge as an alternative fuel in a clinker kiln in Catalonia, Spain. The economical benefits resulting in the reduction of CO(2) emissions were compared with the changes in human health risks due to exposure to polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and dibenzofurans (PCDD/Fs) and carcinogenic metals (As, Cd, Co, and Cr) before and after using sewage sludge to generate 20% of the thermal energy needed for pyro-processing. The exposure to PCDD/Fs and metals through air inhalation, soil ingestion and dermal absorption was calculated according to the environmental levels in soil. The carcinogenic risks were assessed, and the associated cost for the population was estimated by considering the DG Environment's recommended value for preventing a statistical fatality (VPF). In turn, the amount of CO(2) emitted was calculated, and the economical saving, according to the market prices, was evaluated. The use of sewage sludge as a substitute of conventional energy meant a probability cancer decrease of 4.60 for metals and a cancer risk increase of 0.04 for PCDD/Fs. Overall, a net reduction of 4.56 cancers for one million people can be estimated. The associated economical

Safety study of the coupling of a VHTR with a hydrogen production plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bertrand, F.; Germain, T.; Bentivoglio, F.; Bonnet, F.; Moyart, Q.; Aujollet, P.

2011-01-01

Highlights: → The paper deals with safety issues of the coupling of a VHTR with a H 2 production plant. → Internal incidents/accidents in the coupling system have been studied with the CATHARE2 code. → Transient studies have indicated a substantial grace delay when the VHTR faces the H 2 plant disturbances. → Hydrogen release and combustion leads to safety distances of about 100 m. → No showstopper has been put in evidence regarding the feasibility of the VHTR/H 2 plant coupling. - Abstract: The present paper deals with specific safety issues resulting from the coupling of a nuclear reactor (very high temperature reactor, VHTR) with a hydrogen production plant (HYPP). The first part is devoted to the safety approach consisting in taking into account the safety standards and rules dedicated to the nuclear facility as well as those dedicated to the process industry. This approach enabled two main families of events to be distinguished: the so-called internal events taking place in the coupling circuit (transients, breaks in pipes and in heat exchangers) and the external events able to threat the integrity of the various equipments (in particular the VHTR containment and emergency cooling system) that could result from accidents in the HYPP. By considering a hydrogen production by means of the iodine/sulfur (IS) process, the consequences of the both families of events aforementioned have been assessed in order to provide an order of magnitude of the effects of the incidents and accidents and also in order to propose safety provisions to mitigate these effects when it is necessary. The study of transients induced by a failure of a part of the HYPP has shown the possibility to keep the part of the HYPP unaffected by the transient under operation by means of an adapted regulation set. Moreover, the time to react in case of transfer of corrosive products in the VHTR containment has been assessed as well as the thermohydraulic loading that would experience the

Application of next-generation sequencing for rapid marker development in molecular plant breeding: a case study on anthracnose disease resistance in Lupinus angustifolius L.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yang Huaan

2012-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background In the last 30 years, a number of DNA fingerprinting methods such as RFLP, RAPD, AFLP, SSR, DArT, have been extensively used in marker development for molecular plant breeding. However, it remains a daunting task to identify highly polymorphic and closely linked molecular markers for a target trait for molecular marker-assisted selection. The next-generation sequencing (NGS technology is far more powerful than any existing generic DNA fingerprinting methods in generating DNA markers. In this study, we employed a grain legume crop Lupinus angustifolius (lupin as a test case, and examined the utility of an NGS-based method of RAD (restriction-site associated DNA sequencing as DNA fingerprinting for rapid, cost-effective marker development tagging a disease resistance gene for molecular breeding. Results Twenty informative plants from a cross of RxS (disease resistant x susceptible in lupin were subjected to RAD single-end sequencing by multiplex identifiers. The entire RAD sequencing products were resolved in two lanes of the 16-lanes per run sequencing platform Solexa HiSeq2000. A total of 185 million raw reads, approximately 17 Gb of sequencing data, were collected. Sequence comparison among the 20 test plants discovered 8207 SNP markers. Filtration of DNA sequencing data with marker identification parameters resulted in the discovery of 38 molecular markers linked to the disease resistance gene Lanr1. Five randomly selected markers were converted into cost-effective, simple PCR-based markers. Linkage analysis using marker genotyping data and disease resistance phenotyping data on a F8 population consisting of 186 individual plants confirmed that all these five markers were linked to the R gene. Two of these newly developed sequence-specific PCR markers, AnSeq3 and AnSeq4, flanked the target R gene at a genetic distance of 0.9 centiMorgan (cM, and are now replacing the markers previously developed by a traditional DNA

Case-control study of an outbreak of acute toxoplasmosis in an industrial plant in the state of São Paulo, Brazil.

Science.gov (United States)

Ekman, Claudio Cesar Jaguaribe; Chiossi, Maria Fernanda do Valle; Meireles, Luciana Regina; Andrade Júnior, Heitor Franco de; Figueiredo, Walter Manso; Marciano, Maria Aparecida Moraes; Luna, Expedito José de Albuquerque

2012-01-01

Foodborne diseases represent operational risks in industrial restaurants. We described an outbreak of nine clustered cases of acute illness resembling acute toxoplasmosis in an industrial plant with 2300 employees. These patients and another 36 similar asymptomatic employees were diagnosed with anti-T. gondii IgG titer and avidity by ELISA. We excluded 14 patients based on high IgG avidity and chronic toxoplasmosis: 13 from controls and one from acute disease other than T. gondii infection. We also identified another three asymptomatic employees with T.gondii acute infection and also anti-T. gondii IgM positive as remaining acute cases. Case control study was conducted by interview in 11 acute infections and 20 negative controls. The ingestion of green vegetables, but not meat or water, was observed to be associated with the incidence of acute disease. These data reinforce the importance of sanitation control in industrial restaurants and also demonstrate the need for improvement in quality control regarding vegetables at risk for T. gondii oocyst contamination. We emphasized the accurate diagnosis of indexed cases and the detection of asymptomatic infections to determine the extent of the toxoplasmosis outbreak.

Case-control study of an outbreak of acute toxoplasmosis in an industrial plant in the state of São Paulo, Brazil

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Claudio Cesar Jaguaribe Ekman

2012-10-01

Full Text Available Foodborne diseases represent operational risks in industrial restaurants. We described an outbreak of nine clustered cases of acute illness resembling acute toxoplasmosis in an industrial plant with 2300 employees. These patients and another 36 similar asymptomatic employees were diagnosed with anti-T. gondii IgG titer and avidity by ELISA. We excluded 14 patients based on high IgG avidity and chronic toxoplasmosis: 13 from controls and one from acute disease other than T. gondii infection. We also identified another three asymptomatic employees with T.gondii acute infection and also anti-T. gondii IgM positive as remaining acute cases. Case control study was conducted by interview in 11 acute infections and 20 negative controls. The ingestion of green vegetables, but not meat or water, was observed to be associated with the incidence of acute disease. These data reinforce the importance of sanitation control in industrial restaurants and also demonstrate the need for improvement in quality control regarding vegetables at risk for T. gondii oocyst contamination. We emphasized the accurate diagnosis of indexed cases and the detection of asymptomatic infections to determine the extent of the toxoplasmosis outbreak.

Implementation of a cogeneration plant for a food processing facility. A case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bianco, Vincenzo; De Rosa, Mattia; Scarpa, Federico; Tagliafico, Luca A.

2016-01-01

Highlights: • CHP utilization is demonstrated to allow a reduction of primary energy consumption. • The consideration of various investment indexes leads to the determination of different optimal powers. • The choice of a specific investment index to evaluate a CHP is linked to the strategy of the company. - Abstract: The present work presents an investigation regarding the feasibility analysis of a cogeneration plant for a food processing facility with the aim to decrease the cost of energy supply. The monthly electricity and heat consumption profiles are analyzed, in order to understand the consumption profiles, as well as the costs of the current furniture of electricity and gas. Then, a detailed thermodynamic model of the cogeneration cycle is implemented and the investment costs are linked to the thermodynamic variables by means of cost functions. The optimal electricity power of the co-generator is determined with reference to various investment indexes. The analysis highlights that the optimal dimension varies according to the chosen indicator, therefore it is not possible to establish it univocally, but it depends on the financial/economic strategy of the company through the considered investment index.

Citizen Science as a Tool in Biological Recording—A Case Study of Ailanthus altissima (Mill. Swingle

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Barbara Sladonja

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Non-native invasive species frequently appear in urban and non-urban ecosystems and may become a threat to biodiversity. Some of these newcomers are introduced accidentally, and others are introduced through a sequence of events caused by conscious human decisions. Involving the general public in biodiversity preservation activities could prevent the negative consequences of these actions. Accurate and reliable data collecting is the first step in invasive species management, and citizen science can be a useful tool to collect data and engage the public in science. We present a case study of biological recording of tree of heaven (Ailanthus altissima (Mill. Swingle using a participatory citizen model. The first goal in this case study was to develop a cheap, widely accessible, and effective inventory method, and to test it by mapping tree of heaven in Croatia. A total of 90.61 km of roads and trails was mapped; 20 single plants and 19 multi-plant clusters (mapped as polygons were detected. The total infested area was 2610 m2. The second goal was to educate citizens and raise awareness of this invasive species. The developed tool and suggested approach aided in improving invasive risk management in accordance with citizen science principles and can be applied to other species or areas.

The Potential of Text Mining in Data Integration and Network Biology for Plant Research: A Case Study on Arabidopsis[C][W

Science.gov (United States)

Van Landeghem, Sofie; De Bodt, Stefanie; Drebert, Zuzanna J.; Inzé, Dirk; Van de Peer, Yves

2013-01-01

Despite the availability of various data repositories for plant research, a wealth of information currently remains hidden within the biomolecular literature. Text mining provides the necessary means to retrieve these data through automated processing of texts. However, only recently has advanced text mining methodology been implemented with sufficient computational power to process texts at a large scale. In this study, we assess the potential of large-scale text mining for plant biology research in general and for network biology in particular using a state-of-the-art text mining system applied to all PubMed abstracts and PubMed Central full texts. We present extensive evaluation of the textual data for Arabidopsis thaliana, assessing the overall accuracy of this new resource for usage in plant network analyses. Furthermore, we combine text mining information with both protein–protein and regulatory interactions from experimental databases. Clusters of tightly connected genes are delineated from the resulting network, illustrating how such an integrative approach is essential to grasp the current knowledge available for Arabidopsis and to uncover gene information through guilt by association. All large-scale data sets, as well as the manually curated textual data, are made publicly available, hereby stimulating the application of text mining data in future plant biology studies. PMID:23532071

An optimization model for carbon capture & storage/utilization vs. carbon trading: A case study of fossil-fired power plants in Turkey.

Science.gov (United States)

Ağralı, Semra; Üçtuğ, Fehmi Görkem; Türkmen, Burçin Atılgan

2018-06-01

We consider fossil-fired power plants that operate in an environment where a cap and trade system is in operation. These plants need to choose between carbon capture and storage (CCS), carbon capture and utilization (CCU), or carbon trading in order to obey emissions limits enforced by the government. We develop a mixed-integer programming model that decides on the capacities of carbon capture units, if it is optimal to install them, the transportation network that needs to be built for transporting the carbon captured, and the locations of storage sites, if they are decided to be built. Main restrictions on the system are the minimum and maximum capacities of the different parts of the pipeline network, the amount of carbon that can be sold to companies for utilization, and the capacities on the storage sites. Under these restrictions, the model aims to minimize the net present value of the sum of the costs associated with installation and operation of the carbon capture unit and the transportation of carbon, the storage cost in case of CCS, the cost (or revenue) that results from the emissions trading system, and finally the negative revenue of selling the carbon to other entities for utilization. We implement the model on General Algebraic Modeling System (GAMS) by using data associated with two coal-fired power plants located in different regions of Turkey. We choose enhanced oil recovery (EOR) as the process in which carbon would be utilized. The results show that CCU is preferable to CCS as long as there is sufficient demand in the EOR market. The distance between the location of emission and location of utilization/storage, and the capacity limits on the pipes are an important factor in deciding between carbon capture and carbon trading. At carbon prices over $15/ton, carbon capture becomes preferable to carbon trading. These results show that as far as Turkey is concerned, CCU should be prioritized as a means of reducing nation-wide carbon emissions in an

A study of a small nuclear power plant system for district heating

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Imamura, Mitsuru; Sato, Kotaro; Narabayashi, Tadashi; Shimazu, Yoichiro; Tsuji, Masashi

2009-01-01

We have studied nuclear power plant for district heating. Already some towns and villages in Hokkaido have requested small reactor for district heating. Using existing technology allows us to shorten development period and to keep a lid on development cost. We decided to develop new reactor based on 'MUTSU' reactor technology because 'MUTSU' had already proved its safety. And this reactor was boron free reactor. It allows plant system to reduce the chemical control system. And moderator temperature coefficient is deeply negative. It means to improve its operability and leads to dependability enhancement. We calculated burn-up calculation of erbium addition fuel. In the result, the core life became about 10 years. And we adapt the cassette type refueling during outagein in order to maintain nonproliferation. In the district heating system, a double heat exchanger system enables to response to load change in season. To obtain the acceptance of public, this system has a leak prevention system of radioactive materials to public. And road heating system of low grade heat utilization from turbine condenser leads to improve the heat utilization efficiency. We carried out performance evaluation test of district heating pipeline. Then the heat loss of pipeline is estimated at about 0.440degC/km. This result meets general condition, which is about 1degC/km. This small plant has passive safety system. It is natural cooling of containment vessel. In case of loss of coolant accident, decay heat can remove by natural convection air cooling after 6 hours. Decay heat within 6 hours can remove by evaporative heat transfer of pool on containment vessel. (author)

PV integration into a CSP plant

Science.gov (United States)

Carvajal, Javier López; Barea, Jose M.; Barragan, Jose; Ortega, Carlos

2017-06-01

This paper describes a preliminary techno-economic analysis of the integration of a PV plant into an optimized Parabolic Trough Plant in order to reduce the online consumptions and thus, increase the net electricity injected into the grid. The idea is to assess the feasibility of such project and see what configuration would be the optimal. An extra effort has been made in terms of modelling as the analysis has to be done to the integrated CSP + PV plant instead of analyzing them independently. Two different technologies have been considered for the PV plant, fix and one-axis tracking. Additionally three different scenarios have been considered for the CSP plant auxiliary consumptions as they are essential for determining the optimal PV plant (the higher the auxiliary consumption the higher the optimal PV plant). As could be expected, the results for all cases with PV show an improvement in terms of electricity generation and also in terms of LCOE with respect to the CSP plant. Such improvement is slightly higher with tracking technology for this specific study. Although this exercise has been done to an already designed CSP plant (so only the PV plant had to be optimized), the methodology could be applied for the optimization of an integrated CSP + PV plant during the design phase.

Evaluation of ergonomic physical risk factors in a truck manufacturing plant: case study in SCANIA Production Angers.

Science.gov (United States)

Zare, Mohsen; Malinge-Oudenot, Agnes; Höglund, Robert; Biau, Sophie; Roquelaure, Yves

2016-01-01

The aims of this study were 1) to assess the ergonomic physical risk factors from practitioner's viewpoint in a truck assembly plant with an in-house observational method and the NIOSH lifting equation, and 2) to compare the results of both methods and their differences. The in-house ergonomic observational method for truck assembly i.e. the SCANIA Ergonomics Standard (SES) and the NIOSH lifting equation were applied to evaluate physical risk factors and lifting of loads by operators. Both risk assessment approaches revealed various levels of risk, ranging from low to high. Two workstations were identified by the SES method as high risk. The NIOSH lifting index (LI) was greater than two for four lifting tasks. The results of the SES method disagreed with the NIOSH lifting equation for lifting tasks. Moreover, meaningful variations in ergonomic risk patterns were found for various truck models at each workstation. These results provide a better understanding of the physical ergonomic exposure from practitioner's point of view in the automotive assembly plant.

The fate of arsenic, cadmium and lead in Typha latifolia: A case study on the applicability of micro-PIXE in plant ionomics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lyubenova, Lyudmila; Pongrac, Paula; Vogel-Mikuš, Katarina; Mezek, Gašper Kukec; Vavpetič, Primož; Grlj, Nataša; Regvar, Marjana; Pelicon, Primož; Schröder, Peter

2013-01-01

Highlights: ► Uptake, accumulation and distribution of multi-elemental pollution. ► Quantitative analysis of the spatal distribution of nutrients in roots and rhizomes. ► Typha latifolia – plant species important for phytoremediation of hazardous xenobiotics. ► Low amounts of Cd and Pb in the inner tissues of roots and rhizomes. ► Predominantly As was found within the vascular tissue – high mobility of the element. -- Abstract: Understanding the uptake, accumulation and distribution of toxic elements in plants is crucial to the design of effective phytoremediation strategies, especially in the case of complex multi-element pollution. Using micro-proton induced X-ray emission, the spatial distribution of Na, Mg, Al, Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Zn, As, Br, Rb, Sr, Cd and Pb have been quantitatively resolved in roots and rhizomes of an obligate wetland plant species, Typha latifolia, treated with a mixture of 100 μM each of As, Cd and Pb, together. The highest concentrations of As, Cd and Pb were found in the roots of the T. latifolia, with tissue-specific distributions. The As was detected in the root rhizodermis, and in the rhizome the majority of the As was within the vascular tissues, which indicates the high mobility of As within T. latifolia. The Cd was detected in the root exodermis, and in the vascular bundle and epidermis of the rhizome. The highest Pb concentrations were detected in the root rhizodermis and exodermis, and in the epidermis of the rhizome. These data represent an essential step in the resolution of fundamental questions in plant ionomics

The fate of arsenic, cadmium and lead in Typha latifolia: A case study on the applicability of micro-PIXE in plant ionomics

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lyubenova, Lyudmila [Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Centre for Environmental Health, Department of Environmental Sciences, Research Unit Microbe–Plant Interactions, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, D-85764 Neuherberg (Germany); Pongrac, Paula; Vogel-Mikuš, Katarina [University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Biology, Večna pot 111, SI-1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Mezek, Gašper Kukec; Vavpetič, Primož; Grlj, Nataša [Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, SI-1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Regvar, Marjana [University of Ljubljana, Biotechnical Faculty, Department of Biology, Večna pot 111, SI-1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Pelicon, Primož [Jožef Stefan Institute, Jamova 39, SI-1000 Ljubljana (Slovenia); Schröder, Peter, E-mail: peter.schroeder@helmholtz-muenchen.de [Helmholtz Zentrum München, German Research Centre for Environmental Health, Department of Environmental Sciences, Research Unit Microbe–Plant Interactions, Ingolstädter Landstr. 1, D-85764 Neuherberg (Germany)

2013-03-15

Highlights: ► Uptake, accumulation and distribution of multi-elemental pollution. ► Quantitative analysis of the spatal distribution of nutrients in roots and rhizomes. ► Typha latifolia – plant species important for phytoremediation of hazardous xenobiotics. ► Low amounts of Cd and Pb in the inner tissues of roots and rhizomes. ► Predominantly As was found within the vascular tissue – high mobility of the element. -- Abstract: Understanding the uptake, accumulation and distribution of toxic elements in plants is crucial to the design of effective phytoremediation strategies, especially in the case of complex multi-element pollution. Using micro-proton induced X-ray emission, the spatial distribution of Na, Mg, Al, Si, P, S, Cl, K, Ca, Mn, Fe, Zn, As, Br, Rb, Sr, Cd and Pb have been quantitatively resolved in roots and rhizomes of an obligate wetland plant species, Typha latifolia, treated with a mixture of 100 μM each of As, Cd and Pb, together. The highest concentrations of As, Cd and Pb were found in the roots of the T. latifolia, with tissue-specific distributions. The As was detected in the root rhizodermis, and in the rhizome the majority of the As was within the vascular tissues, which indicates the high mobility of As within T. latifolia. The Cd was detected in the root exodermis, and in the vascular bundle and epidermis of the rhizome. The highest Pb concentrations were detected in the root rhizodermis and exodermis, and in the epidermis of the rhizome. These data represent an essential step in the resolution of fundamental questions in plant ionomics.

Feasibility Study for Bioethanol Co-Location with a Coal Fired Power Plant: 29 November 2001--28 July 2002

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

2002-12-01

This study looks at the feasibility of co-locating 30, 50, and 70 million gallon per year bioethanol facilities with coal fired power plants in Indiana and Nebraska. Corn stover is the feedstock for ethanol production in both cases.

CASE STUDY: Cuba — Farmers and Researchers Reshape Cuba's ...

International Development Research Centre (IDRC) Digital Library (Canada)

2011-01-05

Jan 5, 2011 ... But working together with groups of farmers, a team of young plant breeders is turning things around. ... English · Français ... CASE STUDY: Cuba — Farmers and Researchers Reshape Cuba's Agriculture ... One method the researchers used to introduce farmers to new or unknown varieties or lines was the ...

Life extension of nuclear power plants. World situation and the USA case

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Leon, Pablo T.; Cuesta, Loreto; Serra, Eduardo; Yaguee, Luis

2010-01-01

Life extension of Nuclear Power Plants above 40 years of operation is an important issue in many countries. The Kyoto limits for CO 2 emissions, the security of supply, the costs and predictability of renewable energy, etc., are putting nuclear energy in the agenda of many countries all around the world. The delay, due to the economic crisis, of the new nuclear projects in many countries, push governments to continue operation of nuclear plants above the 40 years design life. This is the case in the USA, where 59 units have obtained the extension of operation license from 40 to 60 years, and currently have 19 units are in the reviewing process. The life extension of these plants permits savings in CO 2 emissions and in the consumption of additional amounts of fossil fuels. In this paper, the position of the different nuclear countries about the Extension of Life will be reviewed, with a special emphasis on the situation in the USA. In this last case, the NRC approach for operation licenses above 40 years will be explained, and actions taken by nuclear companies in the country will be reviewed. In this country, the debate about life extension over 40 years has been surpassed, and the new technical discussion focuses on the operation of nuclear power plants above 60 years. (authors)

Life extension of nuclear power plants. World situation and the USA case

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Leon, Pablo T.; Cuesta, Loreto; Serra, Eduardo; Yaguee, Luis [Endesa. C/ Ribera del Loira, No.60, 28042 Madrid (Spain)

2010-07-01

Life extension of Nuclear Power Plants above 40 years of operation is an important issue in many countries. The Kyoto limits for CO{sub 2} emissions, the security of supply, the costs and predictability of renewable energy, etc., are putting nuclear energy in the agenda of many countries all around the world. The delay, due to the economic crisis, of the new nuclear projects in many countries, push governments to continue operation of nuclear plants above the 40 years design life. This is the case in the USA, where 59 units have obtained the extension of operation license from 40 to 60 years, and currently have 19 units are in the reviewing process. The life extension of these plants permits savings in CO{sub 2} emissions and in the consumption of additional amounts of fossil fuels. In this paper, the position of the different nuclear countries about the Extension of Life will be reviewed, with a special emphasis on the situation in the USA. In this last case, the NRC approach for operation licenses above 40 years will be explained, and actions taken by nuclear companies in the country will be reviewed. In this country, the debate about life extension over 40 years has been surpassed, and the new technical discussion focuses on the operation of nuclear power plants above 60 years. (authors)

CFD study of ejector flow behavior in a blast furnace gas galvanizing plant

Science.gov (United States)

Besagni, Giorgio; Mereu, Riccardo; Inzoli, Fabio

2015-02-01

In recent years, there has been a growing interest toward Blast Furnace Gas (BFG) as a low-grade energy source for industrial furnaces. This paper considers the revamping of a galvanic plant furnace converted to BFG from natural gas. In the design of the new system, the ejector on the exhaust line is a critical component. This paper studies the flow behavior of the ejector using a Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) analysis. The CFD model is based on a 3D representation of the ejector, using air and exhaust gases as working fluids. This paper is divided in three parts. In the first part, the galvanic plant used as case study is presented and discussed, in the second part the CFD approach is outlined, and in the third part the CFD approach is validated using experimental data and the numerical results are presented and discussed. Different Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) turbulence models ( k-ω SST and k-ɛ Realizable) are evaluated in terms of convergence capability and accuracy in predicting the pressure drop along the ejector. Suggestions for future optimization of the system are also provided.

Diagnosis of condensation-induced waterhammer: Case studies

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Izenson, M.G.; Rothe, P.H.; Wallis, G.B.

1988-10-01

This guidebook provides reference material and diagnostic procedures concerning condensation-induced waterhammer in nuclear power plants. Condensation-induced waterhammer is the most damaging form of waterhammer, and its diagnosis is complicated by the complex nature of the underlying phenomena. In Volume 1, the guidebook groups condensation-induced waterhammers into five event classes which have similar phenomena and levels of damage. Diagnostic guidelines focus on locating the event center where condensation and slug acceleration take place. Diagnosis is described in three stages: an initial assessment, detailed evaluation and final confirmation. Graphical scoping analyses are provided to evaluate whether an event from one of the event classes could have occurred at the event center. Examples are provided for each type of waterhammer. Special instructions are provided for walking down damaged piping and evaluating damage due to waterhammer. To illustrate the diagnostic methods and document past experience, six case studies have been compiled in Volume 2. These case studies, based on actual condensation-induced waterhammer events at nuclear plants, present detailed data and work through the event diagnosis using the tools introduced in the first volume. 20 refs., 21 figs., 6 tabs

Optimized production planning model for a multi-plant cultivation system under uncertainty

Science.gov (United States)

Ke, Shunkui; Guo, Doudou; Niu, Qingliang; Huang, Danfeng

2015-02-01

An inexact multi-constraint programming model under uncertainty was developed by incorporating a production plan algorithm into the crop production optimization framework under the multi-plant collaborative cultivation system. In the production plan, orders from the customers are assigned to a suitable plant under the constraints of plant capabilities and uncertainty parameters to maximize profit and achieve customer satisfaction. The developed model and solution method were applied to a case study of a multi-plant collaborative cultivation system to verify its applicability. As determined in the case analysis involving different orders from customers, the period of plant production planning and the interval between orders can significantly affect system benefits. Through the analysis of uncertain parameters, reliable and practical decisions can be generated using the suggested model of a multi-plant collaborative cultivation system.

A case study of different configurations for the performance analysis of solid oxide fuel cells with external reformers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Kang Hun; Woo, Hyun Tak; Yu, Sang Seok; Lee, Sang Min; Lee, Young Duk; Kang, Sang Gyu; Ahn, Kook Young

2012-01-01

A planar solid oxide fuel cell (PSOFC) is studied in its application in a high temperature stationary power plant. Even though PSOFCs with external reformers are designed for application from the distributed power source to the central power plant, such PSOFCs may sacrifice more system efficiency than internally reformed SOFCs. In this study, modeling of the PSOFC with an external reformer was developed to analyze the feasibility of thermal energy utilization for the external reformer. The PSOFC system model includes the stack, reformer, burner, heat exchanger, blower, pump, PID controller, 3-way valve, reactor, mixer, and steam separator. The model was developed under the Matlab/Simulink environment with Thermolib'R'modules. The model was used to study the system performance according to its configuration. Three configurations of the SOFC system were selected for the comparison of the system performance. The system configuration considered the cathode recirculation, thermal sources for the external reformer, heat up of operating gases, and condensate anode off gas for the enhancement of the fuel concentration. The simulation results show that the magnitude of the electric efficiency of the PSOFC system for Case 2 is 12.13% higher than that for Case 1 (reference case), and the thermal efficiency of the PSOFC system for Case 3 is 76.12%, which is the highest of all the cases investigated

How much is too little to detect impacts? A case study of a nuclear power plant.

Science.gov (United States)

Mayer-Pinto, Mariana; Ignacio, Barbara L; Széchy, Maria T M; Viana, Mariana S; Curbelo-Fernandez, Maria P; Lavrado, Helena P; Junqueira, Andrea O R; Vilanova, Eduardo; Silva, Sérgio H G

2012-01-01

Several approaches have been proposed to assess impacts on natural assemblages. Ideally, the potentially impacted site and multiple reference sites are sampled through time, before and after the impact. Often, however, the lack of information regarding the potential overall impact, the lack of knowledge about the environment in many regions worldwide, budgets constraints and the increasing dimensions of human activities compromise the reliability of the impact assessment. We evaluated the impact, if any, and its extent of a nuclear power plant effluent on sessile epibiota assemblages using a suitable and feasible sampling design with no 'before' data and budget and logistic constraints. Assemblages were sampled at multiple times and at increasing distances from the point of the discharge of the effluent. There was a clear and localized effect of the power plant effluent (up to 100 m from the point of the discharge). However, depending on the time of the year, the impact reaches up to 600 m. We found a significantly lower richness of taxa in the Effluent site when compared to other sites. Furthermore, at all times, the variability of assemblages near the discharge was also smaller than in other sites. Although the sampling design used here (in particular the number of replicates) did not allow an unambiguously evaluation of the full extent of the impact in relation to its intensity and temporal variability, the multiple temporal and spatial scales used allowed the detection of some differences in the intensity of the impact, depending on the time of sampling. Our findings greatly contribute to increase the knowledge on the effects of multiple stressors caused by the effluent of a power plant and also have important implications for management strategies and conservation ecology, in general.

Alternative route of process modification for biofuel production by embedding the Fischer–Tropsch plant in existing stand-alone power plant (10 MW) based on biomass gasification – Part I: A conceptual modeling and simulation approach (a case study in Thailand)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hunpinyo, Piyapong; Cheali, Peam; Narataruksa, Phavanee; Tungkamani, Sabaithip; Chollacoop, Nuwong

2014-01-01

Graphical abstract: SynBiofuel production through existing gasification plants in Thailand, using waste agricultural biomass as raw material, was studied. The process design was initiated conceptually in the areas of gas phase reaction system via Fischer-Tropsch (FT) synthesis. The development of FT configurations on syngas conversion to transportation fuels (e.g., diesel range) was investigated. In order to develop a techno-economic assessment, the three different capacities corresponding to 1 MW, 2 MW and 3 MW based on thermal input of syngas were evaluated. Once-through FT concept was proposed in which the unconverted syngas was combusted with air in an externally fired gas turbine (EFGT) to produce surplus electricity. The results of process simulation were discussed open-mindedly including the overall plant design and energy efficiency. Preliminary economics, and some site specific situations under which additional capital cost savings on existing infrastructure was realized. - Highlights: • Experimental results were used and integrated with a reactor model for SynBiofuel. • Process simulation with the lumped reaction rate was used to achieve accurate results. • Process simulation was performed using ASPEN Plus to design FT configurations. • Maximum energy FT efficiency was approximately 37%. • Economic potential was computed by ROI and PBP resulting in the attractive solutions. - Abstract: The utilization of syngas shows a highly potential to improve the economic potential of the stand-alone power unit-based gasification plants as well as enhancing the growing demand of transportation fuels. The thermochemical conversion of biomass via gasification to heat and power generations from the earlier study is further enhanced by integrating Fischer–Tropsch (FT) synthesis with the existing gasification pilot scale studied previously. To support the potential and perspectives in major economies due to scaling up in developing countries such as Thailand

A study of the capture of atmospheric pollutants by plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Belot, Yves

1976-01-01

Small-scale experiments were conducted in order to study the capture of gaseous and particulate pollutants by the foliar organs of plants. A model was then developed allowing to pass from plant leaves to a plant canopy. The model was applied to wooded belts in order to assess their protective effect as a function of meteorological conditions and nature of the pollutant. (author) [fr

Towards a more holistic research approach to plant conservation: the case of rare plants on oceanic islands.

Science.gov (United States)

Silva, Luís; Dias, Elisabete Furtado; Sardos, Julie; Azevedo, Eduardo Brito; Schaefer, Hanno; Moura, Mónica

2015-06-11

Research dedicated to rare endemic plants is usually focused on one given aspect. However, holistic studies, addressing several key issues, might be more useful, supporting management programmes while unravelling basic knowledge about ecological and population-level processes. A more comprehensive approach to research is proposed, encompassing: phylogenetics/systematics, pollination biology and seed dispersal, propagation, population genetics, species distribution models (SDMs), threats and monitoring. We present a holistic study dedicated to Veronica dabneyi Hochst. ex Seub., an endangered chamaephyte endemic to the Azores. Veronica dabneyi was mainly found associated with other endemic taxa; however, invasive plants were also present and together with introduced cattle, goats and rabbits are a major threat. Most populations grow at somewhat rocky and steep locations that appeared to work as refuges. Seed set in the wild was generally high and recruitment of young plants from seed seemed to be frequent. In the laboratory, it was possible to germinate and fully develop V. dabneyi seedlings, which were planted at their site of origin. No dormancy was detected and time for 50 % germination was affected by incubation temperature. Eight new microsatellite markers were applied to 72 individuals from 7 sites. A considerable degree of admixture was found between samples from the two islands Flores and Corvo, with 98 % of the genetic variability allocated within populations. Levels of heterozygosity were high and no evidence of inbreeding was found. Species distribution models based on climatic and topographic variables allowed the estimation of the potential distribution of V. dabneyi on Flores and Corvo using ecological niche factor analysis and Maxent. The inclusion of land-use variables only slightly increased the information explained by the models. Projection of the expected habitat in Faial largely coincided with the only historic record of V. dabneyi on that island

Direction for the Estimation of Required Resources for Nuclear Power Plant Decommissioning based on BIM via Case Study

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jung, Insu [Korea Institute of Construction Technology, Goyang (Korea, Republic of); Kim, Woojung [KHNP-Central Research Institute, Daejeon (Korea, Republic of)

2014-05-15

Ways to estimate decommissioning of required resources in the past have imposed great uncertainty since they analyze required resources at the construction stage, analyzing and consulting decommissioning required resources of overseas nuclear power plants. As demands on efficient management and use of complicated construction information increased these days, demands on the introduction of Building Information Modeling (herein after referred to as BIM) technology has increased. In the area of quotation, considerable effects are expected as to the accuracy and reliability predicting construction costs through the characteristics that can automatically estimate quantities by using attribute information of BIM model. BIM-based estimation and quotation of required resources is more accurate than the existing 2D-based quotations and have many advantages such as reviews over constructability and interference. It can be desirable to estimate decommissioning required resources in nuclear power plants using BIM as well as using tools that are compatible with usual international/industrial standards. As we looked into the cases where required resources were estimated, using BIM in Korea and abroad, they dealt with estimation of required resources, estimation of construction cost and process management at large. In each area, methodologies, classification systems, BIM, and realization tests have been used variably. Nonetheless, several problems have been reported, and among them, it is noticeable that although BIM standard classification system exists, no case was found that has used standard classification system. This means that no interlink among OBS (Object Breakdown Structure), WBS (Work Breakdown Structure) and CBS (Cost Breakdown Structure) was possible. Thus, for nuclear power plant decommissioning, decommissioning method and process, etc. shall be defined clearly in the stage of decommissioning strategy establishment, so that classification systems must be set up

Direction for the Estimation of Required Resources for Nuclear Power Plant Decommissioning based on BIM via Case Study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jung, Insu; Kim, Woojung

2014-01-01

Ways to estimate decommissioning of required resources in the past have imposed great uncertainty since they analyze required resources at the construction stage, analyzing and consulting decommissioning required resources of overseas nuclear power plants. As demands on efficient management and use of complicated construction information increased these days, demands on the introduction of Building Information Modeling (herein after referred to as BIM) technology has increased. In the area of quotation, considerable effects are expected as to the accuracy and reliability predicting construction costs through the characteristics that can automatically estimate quantities by using attribute information of BIM model. BIM-based estimation and quotation of required resources is more accurate than the existing 2D-based quotations and have many advantages such as reviews over constructability and interference. It can be desirable to estimate decommissioning required resources in nuclear power plants using BIM as well as using tools that are compatible with usual international/industrial standards. As we looked into the cases where required resources were estimated, using BIM in Korea and abroad, they dealt with estimation of required resources, estimation of construction cost and process management at large. In each area, methodologies, classification systems, BIM, and realization tests have been used variably. Nonetheless, several problems have been reported, and among them, it is noticeable that although BIM standard classification system exists, no case was found that has used standard classification system. This means that no interlink among OBS (Object Breakdown Structure), WBS (Work Breakdown Structure) and CBS (Cost Breakdown Structure) was possible. Thus, for nuclear power plant decommissioning, decommissioning method and process, etc. shall be defined clearly in the stage of decommissioning strategy establishment, so that classification systems must be set up

Multitracer study on uptake of elements by plants

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ambe, Shizuko [Institute of Physical and Chemical Research, Wako, Saitama (Japan)

1996-12-31

A disk target of Au or Ag was irradiated with a 135-MeV/nucleon {sup 12}C, {sup 14}N, or {sup 16}O beam. Multitracer solutions were prepared radiochemically from the targets in carrier- and salt-free states. Rice and soybean plants were cultured in a nutrient solution or on soil containing a multitracer. In the experiment of absorption of elements through leaves, either soybean plants were grown in the atmosphere where multitracer-adsorbed cellulose particles were floating in the air or two drops of a multitracer solution was applied onto leaves of Japanese radish. After cultivation, the plants were harvested and they were dried at 65degC for one day and subjected to {gamma}-ray measurement with HPGe detectors. In the case of hydroponically cultured plants, large amounts of almost all of the metal ions in the nutrient solution were absorbed by the roots. In contrast, plants grown on the soil gave extremely low percentage distributions for all the elements examined. This difference is explained by the low distribution of metal ions in soil water and the dilution of radioisotopes with the corresponding elements in soil. When the multitracer is added to soil, adsorption of each radioisotope takes place, resulting in the small partition in soil water. Relatively large amounts of Se, Rb, and Co were accumulated in the seeds of soybean plants which were grown in the presence of floating multitracer-adsorbed cellulose particles in the air. Since the seeds were not directly exposed, the elements detected in the seeds are considered to be transported to the seeds after absorption through leaves. When the multitracer solution were applied onto the leaves, Zn, Rb, Sr, and Mn were absorbed and transported quickly compared with other elements from the application site to other parts of the plant. These results obtained demonstrate that the multitracer technique is powerful in studies on absorption and transport of trace elements in plants. (J.P.N.)

Multitracer study on uptake of elements by plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ambe, Shizuko

1996-01-01

A disk target of Au or Ag was irradiated with a 135-MeV/nucleon 12 C, 14 N, or 16 O beam accelerated by the RIKEN Ring Cyclotron. Multitracer solutions were prepared radiochemically from the targets in carrier- and salt-free states. Rice and soybean plants were cultured in a nutrient solution or on soil containing a multitracer. In the experiment of absorption of elements through leaves, either soybean plants were grown in the atmosphere where multitracer-adsorbed cellulose particles were floating in the air or two drops of a multitracer solution was applied onto leaves of Japanese radish. After cultivation, the plants were harvested and they were dried at 65degC for one day and subjected to γ-ray measurement with HPGe detectors. In the case of hydroponically cultured plants, large amounts of almost all of the metal ions in the nutrient solution were absorbed by the roots. In contrast, plants grown on the soil gave extremely low percentage distributions for all the elements examined. This difference is explained by the low distribution of metal ions in soil water and the dilution of radioisotopes with the corresponding elements in soil. When the multitracer is added to soil, adsorption of each radioisotope takes place, resulting in the small partition in soil water. Relatively large amounts of Se, Rb, and Co were accumulated in the seeds of soybean plants which were grown in the presence of floating multitracer-adsorbed cellulose particles in the air. Since the seeds were not directly exposed, the elements detected in the seeds are considered to be transported to the seeds after absorption through leaves. When the multitracer solution were applied onto the leaves, Zn, Rb, Sr, and Mn were absorbed and transported quickly compared with other elements from the application site to other parts of the plant. These results obtained demonstrate that the multitracer technique is powerful in studies on absorption and transport of trace elements in plants. (J.P.N.)

Large airplane crash on a nuclear plant: Design study against excessive shaking of components

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Petrangeli, Gianni

2010-01-01

The problem of the strong shaking of structures and of components in case of an aircraft impact is the subject of this study. This problem is solved in some designs by protecting the external Nuclear Island block (N.I.) by an external thick wall, capable to withstand the aircraft impact. This wall is connected to the rest of the N.I. by the common foundation slab only. The first part of this study consists of the evaluation of the order of magnitude of the vibration attenuation which can be obtained by this design scheme. Should the attenuation obtained be not sufficient for some parts of the internal structures, some additional design provision could be adopted. In order to solve this problem, a specific design solution is here suggested. It essentially consists in connecting critical parts of structures to the common foundation slab with restraints having an adequate degree of deformability, so that the transmission of high frequency impact forces from other parts of the whole structure is minimized. In a previous paper, the structural protection of the reactor dome and of connected structures of a modern nuclear plant is dealt with. In the present paper, the protection of internal parts of the plant (the internal containment is chosen) in case of strong impact on lateral walls is studied. The indicative result of this study is that the enhancement of attenuation in the transmission of acceleration from the impact point to some representative point in the inner structure is of the order of 75. This result cannot be generalized, as it depends on many parameters of the structure and of the soil.

Large airplane crash on a nuclear plant: Design study against excessive shaking of components

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Petrangeli, Gianni, E-mail: g.petrangeli@gmail.i [University of Pisa, Via C. Maes 53, 00162 Roma (Italy)

2010-12-15

The problem of the strong shaking of structures and of components in case of an aircraft impact is the subject of this study. This problem is solved in some designs by protecting the external Nuclear Island block (N.I.) by an external thick wall, capable to withstand the aircraft impact. This wall is connected to the rest of the N.I. by the common foundation slab only. The first part of this study consists of the evaluation of the order of magnitude of the vibration attenuation which can be obtained by this design scheme. Should the attenuation obtained be not sufficient for some parts of the internal structures, some additional design provision could be adopted. In order to solve this problem, a specific design solution is here suggested. It essentially consists in connecting critical parts of structures to the common foundation slab with restraints having an adequate degree of deformability, so that the transmission of high frequency impact forces from other parts of the whole structure is minimized. In a previous paper, the structural protection of the reactor dome and of connected structures of a modern nuclear plant is dealt with. In the present paper, the protection of internal parts of the plant (the internal containment is chosen) in case of strong impact on lateral walls is studied. The indicative result of this study is that the enhancement of attenuation in the transmission of acceleration from the impact point to some representative point in the inner structure is of the order of 75. This result cannot be generalized, as it depends on many parameters of the structure and of the soil.

Uptake of pharmaceuticals by plants grown under hydroponic conditions and natural occurring plant species: A review.

Science.gov (United States)

Madikizela, Lawrence Mzukisi; Ncube, Somandla; Chimuka, Luke

2018-04-27

Sizeable amount of research has been conducted on the possible uptake of pharmaceuticals by plants from contaminated soil and water used for irrigation of crops. In most cases, pharmaceuticals are taken by roots and translocated into various tissues by transpiration and diffusion. Due to the plant uptake, the occurrence of pharmaceuticals in food sources such as vegetables is a public concern. Few review papers focusing on the uptake of pharmaceuticals, in particular antibiotics, and their translocation in plant tissues have been published. In the current review paper, the work conducted on the uptake of pharmaceuticals belonging to different therapeutic groups such as antibiotics, non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs, β-blockers and antiepileptics is reviewed. Such work includes the occurrence of pharmaceuticals in plants, translocation once taken by plants, toxicity studies as well as implications and future studies. Furthermore, the advantages and drawbacks associated with the detection and uptake of these pharmaceuticals by plants are discussed. In addition, the physico-chemical properties that could influence the plant uptake of pharmaceuticals are deliberated. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Rice Blast Control and Polyvarietal Planting in the Philippines: A Study in Genotype by Environment Biogeography

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Daniel J. Falvo

2001-06-01

Full Text Available Current approaches to biogeography are based on organismic biology. Certain biogeographical phenomena, however, cannot be fully understood using organismic approaches to biogeography. I employed an approach based on molecular biology and biochemistry that I call genotype by environment biogeography in order to provide a more complete understanding of why the dispersal of rice blast disease is less efficient in fields planted with mixtures of rice varieties. In a case study of an upland ricefield in the Philippines, I found that planting varietal mixtures results in a form of effective blast control that I call intrafield gene deployment. I suggest that intrafield gene deployment be used to design more effective methods of blast control in intensive rice agriculture.

Azolla--a model organism for plant genomic studies.

Science.gov (United States)

Qiu, Yin-Long; Yu, Jun

2003-02-01

The aquatic ferns of the genus Azolla are nitrogen-fixing plants that have great potentials in agricultural production and environmental conservation. Azolla in many aspects is qualified to serve as a model organism for genomic studies because of its importance in agriculture, its unique position in plant evolution, its symbiotic relationship with the N2-fixing cyanobacterium, Anabaena azollae, and its moderate-sized genome. The goals of this genome project are not only to understand the biology of the Azolla genome to promote its applications in biological research and agriculture practice but also to gain critical insights about evolution of plant genomes. Together with the strategic and technical improvement as well as cost reduction of DNA sequencing, the deciphering of their genetic code is imminent.

Effluent treatment plant for pharmaceutical unit at Bahipheru - case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hayat, A.

1997-01-01

This project has been awarded to environ (Pvt) Ltd., on turnkey basis, and is an integrated waste treatment facility for pharmaceuticals companies, manufacturing paracetamole, aspirin and various pharmaceuticals intermediates, from phenol as basic raw material. A highly toxic waste water, containing high concentrations of phenolics and sulfate ions is generated at this plant and has to be treatment before final disposal into an irrigation channel. (author)

Radiation monitoring using imaging plate technology: A case study of leaves affected by the Chernobyl nuclear power plant and JCO criticality accidents

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kimura Shinzo

2006-01-01

Full Text Available This paper describes the use of a photostimulable phosphor screen imaging technique to detect radioactive contamination in the leaves of wormwood (Artemisia vulgaris L and fern (Dryopteris filix-max CL. Schoff plants affected by the Chernobyl nuclear power plant accident. The imaging plate technology is well known for many striking performances in two-dimensional radiation detection. Since imaging plate comprises an integrated detection system, it has been extensively applied to surface contamination distribution studies. In this study, plant samples were collected from high- and low-contaminated areas of Ukraine and Belarus, which were affected due to the Chernobyl accident and exposed to imaging technique. Samples from the highly contaminated areas revealed the highest photo-stimulated luminescence on the imaging plate. Moreover, the radio nuclides detected in the leaves by gamma and beta ray spectroscopy were 137Cs and 90Sr, respectively. Additionally, in order to assess contamination, a comparison was also made with leaves of plants affected during the JCO criticality accident in Japan. Based on the results obtained, the importance of imaging plate technology in environmental radiation monitoring has been suggested.

RCRA closures at Rocky Flats Plant: A programmatic perspective and case study

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ogg, Randy T.; Peterman, Bruce D.

1992-01-01

The Interagency Agreement (IAG) integrates a unique mechanism for remediating hazardous waste sites at the Rocky Flats Plant (RFP), which include utilizing RCRA and CERCLA technical/regulatory processes. Pursuant to the IAG signed by the Department of Energy (DOE), Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the Colorado Department of Health (CDH) on January 22, 1991, sixteen operable units (OUs) were defined for characterization and remediation at RFP. Of the sixteen OUs, six are classified as Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) closure units. The six RCRA interim status closure units are: Solar Evaporation Ponds-OU 4, Present LandfUl-OU 7, Original Process Waste Lines-OU 9, Other Outside Closures-OU 10, West Spray Field-OU II, and Inside Building Closures-OU 15. The IAG will function as a technical/regulatory mechanism for managing/complying with all aspects of the RCRA interim status closure units at RFP. (author)

A Case Study of Risk Informed Asset Management (RIAM) for Nuclear Power Plant

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, Gyoung Cheol; Jeong, Yong Hoon; Chang, Soon Heung; Chung, Dae Wook

2006-01-01

Recently, the concern for Nuclear Asset Management (NAM) is increasing in nuclear industry. Asset Management is management of the financial assets of a company in order to maximize return. However, asset management in the nuclear industry is needed for coincidental consideration of nuclear safety and risk. Over fast several years, efforts for development of safety concerned and financial asset maximizing method, process and tools have been continued internationally. Risk Informed Asset Management (RIAM) is a methodology, process, and (eventually) software tool by which analyst review historical performance and develop predictive logic models and data analyses to provide plant manager and company decision-makers critical quantitative performance indicators

Analysis of energy efficiency and energy consumption costs: a case study for regional wastewater treatment plant in Malaysia

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nor Azuana Ramli

2017-03-01

Full Text Available The objective of this study is to analyze the possibilities of increasing energy efficiency in the central region wastewater treatment plant by focusing on two aspects: biogas production and prediction of energy production. The analysis is based on one of the biggest central region wastewater treatment plants in Malaysia. After studying the energy efficiency, which consists of optimization of energy consumption and enhancing gas generation, the prediction of power consumption is performed using an autoregressive integrated moving average (ARIMA model. The prediction results are compared with the linear regression method. Comparison shows that even though the total cost of savings is greater by using linear regression, the prediction through ARIMA is more accurate and has smaller root mean square error. The implementation of these two aspects managed to increase energy efficiency by 10% of energy recovery that could further reduce electricity cost and reduction of sludge cake disposal off site. The study recommends other aspects, such as modification in setting up the frequency of variable speed drive for aerators and blowers and optimizing number of feeds into train unit processes within aeration tanks in increasing energy efficiency.

Aquatic Plant Control Research Program. Allelopathic Aquatic Plants for Aquatic Plant Management: A Feasibility Study

Science.gov (United States)

1989-10-01

1978. " Ecotoxicology of aquatic plant communi- ties," Principles of Ecotoxicology , SCOPE Report 12, Chapter 11, pp 239-255. [Heavy metals, Pollutants...Phragmites communis and Equisetum limosum were cultivated . They found plant-plant influences depend on soil type. Typha latifolia, S. A2 lacustris, and

More child leukemia near nuclear power plants

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Anon.

2012-01-01

A French study shows that there are more cases of child leukemia near nuclear power plants but the statistics is low: only 14 cases detected. The same study shows that the excess is not due to the releases of gaseous effluents from the plant, there is no relationship between the excess and a particular type of plant or even a particular plant. Some experts suggest that it might be the movement and intermingling of populations in the plant area that ease the propagation of infectious agents involved in child acute leukemia. A similar result was obtained in Germany a few years ago. (A.C.)

How does a plant orchestrate defense in time and space? Using glucosinolates in Arabidopsis as case study

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Burow, Meike; Halkier, Barbara Ann

2017-01-01

The sessile nature of plants has caused plants to develop means to defend themselves against attacking organisms. Multiple strategies range from physical barriers to chemical warfare including pre-formed anticipins as well as phytoalexins produced only upon attack. While phytoalexins require rapid...

Critical excitation method for calculating earthquake effects on nuclear plant structures: an assessment study. Technical report

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bedrosian, B.; Barbela, M.; Drenick, R.F.; Tsirk, A.

1980-10-01

The critical excitation method provides a new, alternative approach to methods presently used for seismic analysis of nuclear power plant structures. The critical excitation method offers the advantages that: (1) it side-steps the assumptions regarding the probability distribution of ground motions, and (2) it does not require an artificial, and to some extent arbitrarily generated, time history of ground motion, both features to which structural integrity analyses are sensitive. Potential utility of the critical excitation method is studied from the user's viewpoint. The method is reviewed and compared with the response spectrum method used in current practice, utilizing the reactor buildings of a PWR and a BWR plant in case studies. Two types of constraints on critical excitation were considered in the study. In one case, only an intensity limit was used. In the other case, imposition of an intensity limit together with limits on the maximum acceleration and/or velocity for the critical excitation is considered

Seed isotopic analysis as a tool to understand ecological processes influencing plant development and physiology: the case study of Quercus rotundifolia Lam. in a desertification gradient in Mediterranean areas

Science.gov (United States)