Emotional reactivity: Beware its involvement in traffic accidents.

Science.gov (United States)

M'bailara, Katia; Atzeni, Thierry; Contrand, Benjamin; Derguy, Cyrielle; Bouvard, Manuel-Pierre; Lagarde, Emmanuel; Galéra, Cédric

2018-04-01

Reducing risk attributable to traffic accidents is a public health challenge. Research into risk factors in the area is now moving towards identification of the psychological factors involved, particularly emotional states. The aim of this study was to evaluate the link between emotional reactivity and responsibility in road traffic accidents. We hypothesized that the more one's emotional reactivity is disturbed, the greater the likelihood of being responsible for a traffic accident. This case-control study was based on a sample of 955 drivers injured in a motor vehicle crash. Responsibility levels were determined with a standardized method adapted from the quantitative Robertson and Drummer crash responsibility instrument. Emotional reactivity was assessed with the MATHYS. Hierarchical cluster analysis discriminated four distinctive driver's emotional reactivity profiles: basic emotional reactivity (54%), mild emotional hyper-reactivity (29%), emotional hyper-reactivity (11%) and emotional hypo-reactivity (6%). Drivers who demonstrated emotional hypo-reactivity had a 2.3-fold greater risk of being responsible for a traffic accident than those with basic emotional reactivity. Drivers' responsibility in traffic accidents depends on their emotional status. The latter can change the ability of drivers, modifying their behavior and thus increasing their propensity to exhibit risk behavior and to cause traffic accidents. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Cement reactivity in CO{sub 2} saturated brines: use of a reactive transport code to highlight key degradation mechanisms

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Huet, B.M.; Prevost, J.H.; Scherer, G.W. [Princeton Univ., NJ (United States)

2007-07-01

A modular reactive transport code is proposed to analyze the reactivity of cement in CO{sub 2} saturated brine. The coupling of the transport module and the geochemical module within Dynaflow{sup TM} is derived. Both modules are coupled in a sequential iterative approach to accurately model: (1) mineral dissolution/precipitation and (2) porosity dependent transport properties. Results of the model reproduce qualitatively the dissolution of cement hydrates (C-H, C-S-H, AFm, AFt) and intermediate products (CaCO{sub 3}) into the brine. Slight discrepancies between modeling and experimental results were found concerning the dynamics of the mineral zoning. Results suggest that the power law relationship to model effective transport properties from porosity values is not accurate for very reactive case. (authors)

Reactive transport in a partially molten system with binary solid solution

Science.gov (United States)

Jordan, J.; Hesse, M. A.

2017-12-01

Melt extraction from the Earth's mantle through high-porosity channels is required to explain the composition of the oceanic crust. Feedbacks from reactive melt transport are thought to localize melt into a network of high-porosity channels. Recent studies invoke lithological heterogeneities in the Earth's mantle to seed the localization of partial melts. Therefore, it is necessary to understand the reaction fronts that form as melt flows across the lithological interface of a heterogeneity and the background mantle. Simplified melting models of such systems aide in the interpretation and formulation of larger scale mantle models. Motivated by the aforementioned facts, we present a chromatographic analysis of reactive melt transport across lithological boundaries, using theory for hyperbolic conservation laws. This is an extension of well-known linear trace element chromatography to the coupling of major elements and energy transport. Our analysis allows the prediction of the feedbacks that arise in reactive melt transport due to melting, freezing, dissolution and precipitation for frontal reactions. This study considers the simplified case of a rigid, partially molten porous medium with binary solid solution. As melt traverses a lithological contact-modeled as a Riemann problem-a rich set of features arise, including a reacted zone between an advancing reaction front and partial chemical preservation of the initial contact. Reactive instabilities observed in this study originate at the lithological interface rather than along a chemical gradient as in most studies of mantle dynamics. We present a regime diagram that predicts where reaction fronts become unstable, thereby allowing melt localization into high-porosity channels through reactive instabilities. After constructing the regime diagram, we test the one-dimensional hyperbolic theory against two-dimensional numerical experiments. The one-dimensional hyperbolic theory is sufficient for predicting the

The reactive transport benchmark proposed by GdR MoMaS: presentation and first results

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Carrayrou, J. [Institut de Mecanique des Fluides et des Solides, UMR ULP-CNRS 7507, 67 - Strasbourg (France); Lagneau, V. [Ecole des Mines de Paris, Centre de Geosciences, 77 - Fontainebleau (France)

2007-07-01

We present here the actual context of reactive transport modelling and the major numerical challenges. GdR MoMaS proposes a benchmark on reactive transport. We present this benchmark and some results obtained on it by two reactive transport codes HYTEC and SPECY. (authors)

The reactive transport benchmark proposed by GdR MoMaS: presentation and first results

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Carrayrou, J.; Lagneau, V.

2007-01-01

We present here the actual context of reactive transport modelling and the major numerical challenges. GdR MoMaS proposes a benchmark on reactive transport. We present this benchmark and some results obtained on it by two reactive transport codes HYTEC and SPECY. (authors)

From conservative to reactive transport under diffusion-controlled conditions

Science.gov (United States)

Babey, Tristan; de Dreuzy, Jean-Raynald; Ginn, Timothy R.

2016-05-01

We assess the possibility to use conservative transport information, such as that contained in transit time distributions, breakthrough curves and tracer tests, to predict nonlinear fluid-rock interactions in fracture/matrix or mobile/immobile conditions. Reference simulated data are given by conservative and reactive transport simulations in several diffusive porosity structures differing by their topological organization. Reactions includes nonlinear kinetically controlled dissolution and desorption. Effective Multi-Rate Mass Transfer models (MRMT) are calibrated solely on conservative transport information without pore topology information and provide concentration distributions on which effective reaction rates are estimated. Reference simulated reaction rates and effective reaction rates evaluated by MRMT are compared, as well as characteristic desorption and dissolution times. Although not exactly equal, these indicators remain very close whatever the porous structure, differing at most by 0.6% and 10% for desorption and dissolution. At early times, this close agreement arises from the fine characterization of the diffusive porosity close to the mobile zone that controls fast mobile-diffusive exchanges. At intermediate to late times, concentration gradients are strongly reduced by diffusion, and reactivity can be captured by a very limited number of rates. We conclude that effective models calibrated solely on conservative transport information like MRMT can accurately estimate monocomponent kinetically controlled nonlinear fluid-rock interactions. Their relevance might extend to more advanced biogeochemical reactions because of the good characterization of conservative concentration distributions, even by parsimonious models (e.g., MRMT with 3-5 rates). We propose a methodology to estimate reactive transport from conservative transport in mobile-immobile conditions.

Simulations of reactive transport and precipitation with smoothed particle hydrodynamics

Science.gov (United States)

Tartakovsky, Alexandre M.; Meakin, Paul; Scheibe, Timothy D.; Eichler West, Rogene M.

2007-03-01

A numerical model based on smoothed particle hydrodynamics (SPH) was developed for reactive transport and mineral precipitation in fractured and porous materials. Because of its Lagrangian particle nature, SPH has several advantages for modeling Navier-Stokes flow and reactive transport including: (1) in a Lagrangian framework there is no non-linear term in the momentum conservation equation, so that accurate solutions can be obtained for momentum dominated flows and; (2) complicated physical and chemical processes such as surface growth due to precipitation/dissolution and chemical reactions are easy to implement. In addition, SPH simulations explicitly conserve mass and linear momentum. The SPH solution of the diffusion equation with fixed and moving reactive solid-fluid boundaries was compared with analytical solutions, Lattice Boltzmann [Q. Kang, D. Zhang, P. Lichtner, I. Tsimpanogiannis, Lattice Boltzmann model for crystal growth from supersaturated solution, Geophysical Research Letters, 31 (2004) L21604] simulations and diffusion limited aggregation (DLA) [P. Meakin, Fractals, scaling and far from equilibrium. Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, UK, 1998] model simulations. To illustrate the capabilities of the model, coupled three-dimensional flow, reactive transport and precipitation in a fracture aperture with a complex geometry were simulated.

A Reactive Transport Model for Marcellus Shale Weathering

Science.gov (United States)

Li, L.; Heidari, P.; Jin, L.; Williams, J.; Brantley, S.

2017-12-01

Shale formations account for 25% of the land surface globally. One of the most productive shale-gas formations is the Marcellus, a black shale that is rich in organic matter and pyrite. As a first step toward understanding how Marcellus shale interacts with water, we developed a reactive transport model to simulate shale weathering under ambient temperature and pressure conditions, constrained by soil chemistry and water data. The simulation was carried out for 10,000 years, assuming bedrock weathering and soil genesis began right after the last glacial maximum. Results indicate weathering was initiated by pyrite dissolution for the first 1,000 years, leading to low pH and enhanced dissolution of chlorite and precipitation of iron hydroxides. After pyrite depletion, chlorite dissolved slowly, primarily facilitated by the presence of CO2 and organic acids, forming vermiculite as a secondary mineral. A sensitivity analysis indicated that the most important controls on weathering include the presence of reactive gases (CO2 and O2), specific surface area, and flow velocity of infiltrating meteoric water. The soil chemistry and mineralogy data could not be reproduced without including the reactive gases. For example, pyrite remained in the soil even after 10,000 years if O2 was not continuously present in the soil column; likewise, chlorite remained abundant and porosity remained small with the presence of soil CO2. The field observations were only simulated successfully when the specific surface areas of the reactive minerals were 1-3 orders of magnitude smaller than surface area values measured for powdered minerals, reflecting the lack of accessibility of fluids to mineral surfaces and potential surface coating. An increase in the water infiltration rate enhanced weathering by removing dissolution products and maintaining far-from-equilibrium conditions. We conclude that availability of reactive surface area and transport of H2O and gases are the most important

Phase behavior and reactive transport of partial melt in heterogeneous mantle model

Science.gov (United States)

Jordan, J.; Hesse, M. A.

2013-12-01

The reactive transport of partial melt is the key process that leads to the chemical and physical differentiation of terrestrial planets and smaller celestial bodies. The essential role of the lithological heterogeneities during partial melting of the mantle is increasingly recognized. How far can enriched melts propagate while interacting with the ambient mantle? Can the melt flow emanating from a fertile heterogeneity be localized through a reactive infiltration feedback in a model without exogenous factors or contrived initial conditions? A full understanding of the role of heterogeneities requires reactive melt transport models that account for the phase behavior of major elements. Previous work on reactive transport in the mantle focuses on trace element partitioning; we present the first nonlinear chromatographic analysis of reactive melt transport in systems with binary solid solution. Our analysis shows that reactive melt transport in systems with binary solid solution leads to the formation of two separate reaction fronts: a slow melting/freezing front along which enthalpy change is dominant and a fast dissolution/precipitation front along which compositional changes are dominated by an ion-exchange process over enthalpy change. An intermediate state forms between these two fronts with a bulk-rock composition and enthalpy that are not necessarily bounded by the bulk-rock composition and enthalpy of either the enriched heterogeneity or the depleted ambient mantle. The formation of this intermediate state makes it difficult to anticipate the porosity changes and hence the stability of reaction fronts. Therefore, we develop a graphical representation for the solution that allows identification of the intermediate state by inspection, for all possible bulk-rock compositions and enthalpies of the heterogeneity and the ambient mantle. We apply the analysis to the partial melting of an enriched heterogeneity. This leads to the formation of moving precipitation

Modeling of flow and reactive transport in IPARS

KAUST Repository

Wheeler, Mary Fanett; Sun, Shuyu; Thomas, Sunil G.

2012-01-01

In this work, we describe a number of efficient and locally conservative methods for subsurface flow and reactive transport that have been or are currently being implemented in the IPARS (Integrated Parallel and Accurate Reservoir Simulator

Development of numerical methods for reactive transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bouillard, N.

2006-12-01

When a radioactive waste is stored in deep geological disposals, it is expected that the waste package will be damaged under water action (concrete leaching, iron corrosion). Then, to understand these damaging processes, chemical reactions and solutes transport are modelled. Numerical simulations of reactive transport can be done sequentially by the coupling of several codes. This is the case of the software platform ALLIANCES which is developed jointly with CEA, ANDRA and EDF. Stiff reactions like precipitation-dissolution are crucial for the radioactive waste storage applications, but standard sequential iterative approaches like Picard's fail in solving rapidly reactive transport simulations with such stiff reactions. In the first part of this work, we focus on a simplified precipitation and dissolution process: a system made up with one solid species and two aqueous species moving by diffusion is studied mathematically. It is assumed that a precipitation dissolution reaction occurs in between them, and it is modelled by a discontinuous kinetics law of unknown sign. By using monotonicity properties, the convergence of a finite volume scheme on admissible mesh is proved. Existence of a weak solution is obtained as a by-product of the convergence of the scheme. The second part is dedicated to coupling algorithms which improve Picard's method and can be easily used in an existing coupling code. By extending previous works, we propose a general and adaptable framework to solve nonlinear systems. Indeed by selecting special options, we can either recover well known methods, like nonlinear conjugate gradient methods, or design specific method. This algorithm has two main steps, a preconditioning one and an acceleration one. This algorithm is tested on several examples, some of them being rather academical and others being more realistic. We test it on the 'three species model'' example. Other reactive transport simulations use an external chemical code CHESS. For a

Reactive silica transport in fractured porous media: Analytical solutions for a system of parallel fractures

Science.gov (United States)

Yang, Jianwen

2012-04-01

A general analytical solution is derived by using the Laplace transformation to describe transient reactive silica transport in a conceptualized 2-D system involving a set of parallel fractures embedded in an impermeable host rock matrix, taking into account of hydrodynamic dispersion and advection of silica transport along the fractures, molecular diffusion from each fracture to the intervening rock matrix, and dissolution of quartz. A special analytical solution is also developed by ignoring the longitudinal hydrodynamic dispersion term but remaining other conditions the same. The general and special solutions are in the form of a double infinite integral and a single infinite integral, respectively, and can be evaluated using Gauss-Legendre quadrature technique. A simple criterion is developed to determine under what conditions the general analytical solution can be approximated by the special analytical solution. It is proved analytically that the general solution always lags behind the special solution, unless a dimensionless parameter is less than a critical value. Several illustrative calculations are undertaken to demonstrate the effect of fracture spacing, fracture aperture and fluid flow rate on silica transport. The analytical solutions developed here can serve as a benchmark to validate numerical models that simulate reactive mass transport in fractured porous media.

Reactive transport modeling of coupled inorganic and organic processes in groundwater

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Brun, Adam

1997-12-31

The main goals of this project are to develop and apply a reactive transport code for simulation of coupled organic and inorganic processes in the pollution plume in the ground water down-gradient from the Vejen landfill, Denmark. The detailed field investigations in this aquifer have previously revealed a complex pattern of strongly interdependent organic and inorganic processes. These processes occur simultaneously in a flow and transport system where the mixing of reactive species is influenced by the rather complex geology in the vicinity of the landfill. The removal of organic matter is influenced by the presence of various electron acceptors that also are involved in various inorganic geochemical reactions. It was concluded from the investigations that degradation of organic matter, complexation, mineral precipitation and dissolution, ion-exchange and inorganic redox reactions, as a minimum, should be included in the formulation of the model. The coupling of the organic and inorganic processes is developed based on a literature study. All inorganic processes are as an approximation described as equilibriumm processes. The organic processes are described by a maximum degradation rate that is decreased according to the availability of the participants in the processes, the actual pH, and the presence of inhibiting species. The reactive transport code consists of three separate codes, a flow and transport code, a geochemical code, and a biodegradation code. An iterative solution scheme couples the three codes. The coupled code was successfully verified for simple problems for which analytical solutions exist. For more complex problems the code was tested on synthetic cases and expected plume behavior was successfully simulated. Application of the code to the Vejen landfill aquifer was successful to the degree that the redox zonation down-gradient from the landfill was simulated correctly and that several of the simulated plumes showed a reasonable agreement with

A reactive transport model for Marcellus shale weathering

Science.gov (United States)

Heidari, Peyman; Li, Li; Jin, Lixin; Williams, Jennifer Z.; Brantley, Susan L.

2017-11-01

Shale formations account for 25% of the land surface globally and contribute a large proportion of the natural gas used in the United States. One of the most productive shale-gas formations is the Marcellus, a black shale that is rich in organic matter and pyrite. As a first step toward understanding how Marcellus shale interacts with water in the surface or deep subsurface, we developed a reactive transport model to simulate shale weathering under ambient temperature and pressure conditions, constrained by soil and water chemistry data. The simulation was carried out for 10,000 years since deglaciation, assuming bedrock weathering and soil genesis began after the last glacial maximum. Results indicate weathering was initiated by pyrite dissolution for the first 1000 years, leading to low pH and enhanced dissolution of chlorite and precipitation of iron hydroxides. After pyrite depletion, chlorite dissolved slowly, primarily facilitated by the presence of CO2 and organic acids, forming vermiculite as a secondary mineral. A sensitivity analysis indicated that the most important controls on weathering include the presence of reactive gases (CO2 and O2), specific surface area, and flow velocity of infiltrating meteoric water. The soil chemistry and mineralogy data could not be reproduced without including the reactive gases. For example, pyrite remained in the soil even after 10,000 years if O2 was not continuously present in the soil column; likewise, chlorite remained abundant and porosity remained small if CO2 was not present in the soil gas. The field observations were only simulated successfully when the modeled specific surface areas of the reactive minerals were 1-3 orders of magnitude smaller than surface area values measured for powdered minerals. Small surface areas could be consistent with the lack of accessibility of some fluids to mineral surfaces due to surface coatings. In addition, some mineral surface is likely interacting only with equilibrated pore

Effect of static porosity fluctuations on reactive transport in a porous medium

Science.gov (United States)

L'Heureux, Ivan

2018-02-01

Reaction-diffusive transport phenomena in porous media are ubiquitous in engineering applications, biological and geochemical systems. The porosity field is usually random in space, but most models consider the porosity field as a well-defined deterministic function of space and time and ignore the porosity fluctuations. They use a reaction-diffusion equation written in terms of an average porosity and average concentration fields. In this contribution, we treat explicitly the effect of spatial porosity fluctuations on the dynamics of a concentration field for the case of a one-dimensional reaction-transport system with nonlinear kinetics. Three basic assumptions are considered. (i) The porosity fluctuations are assumed to have Gaussian properties and an arbitrary variance; (ii) we assume that the noise correlation length is small compared to the relevant macroscopic length scale; (iii) and we assume that the kinetics of the reactive term in the equations for the fluctuations is a self-consistently determined constant. Elimination of the fluctuating part of the concentration field from the dynamics leads to a renormalized equation involving the average concentration field. It is shown that the noise leads to a renormalized (generally smaller) diffusion coefficient and renormalized kinetics. Within the framework of the approximations used, numerical simulations are in agreement with our theory. We show that the porosity fluctuations may have a significant effect on the transport of a reactive species, even in the case of a homogeneous average porosity.

Modeling reactive geochemical transport of concentrated aqueous solutions in variably saturated media

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Zhang, Guoxiang; Zheng, Zuoping; Wan, Jiamin

2004-01-28

Concentrated aqueous solutions (CAS) have unique thermodynamic and physical properties. Chemical components in CAS are incompletely dissociated, especially those containing divalent or polyvalent ions. The problem is further complicated by the interaction between CAS flow processes and the naturally heterogeneous sediments. As the CAS migrates through the porous media, the composition may be altered subject to fluid-rock interactions. To effectively model reactive transport of CAS, we must take into account ion-interaction. A combination of the Pitzer ion-interaction and the ion-association model would be an appropriate way to deal with multiple-component systems if the Pitzer' parameters and thermodynamic data of dissolved components and the related minerals are available. To quantify the complicated coupling of CAS flow and transport, as well as the involved chemical reactions in natural and engineered systems, we have substantially extended an existing reactive biogeochemical transport code, BIO-CORE{sup 2D}{copyright}, by incorporating a comprehensive Pitzer ion-interaction model. In the present paper, the model, and two test cases against measured data were briefly introduced. Finally we present an application to simulate a laboratory column experiment studying the leakage of the high alkaline waste fluid stored in Hanford (a site of the U.S. Department of Energy, located in Washington State, USA). With the Pitzer ion-interaction ionic activity model, our simulation captures measured pH evolution. The simulation indicates that all the reactions controlling the pH evolution, including cation exchanges, mineral precipitation and dissolution, are coupled.

Semianalytical solutions of radioactive or reactive tracer transport in layered fractured media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Moridis, G.J.; Bodvarsson, G.S.

2001-01-01

In this paper, semianalytical solutions are developed for the problem of transport of radioactive or reactive tracers (solutes or colloids) through a layered system of heterogeneous fractured media with misaligned fractures. The tracer transport equations in the matrix account for (a) diffusion, (b) surface diffusion (for solutes only), (c) mass transfer between the mobile and immobile water fractions, (d) linear kinetic or equilibrium physical, chemical, or combined solute sorption or colloid filtration, and (e) radioactive decay or first order chemical reactions. Any number of radioactive decay daughter products (or products of a linear, first-order reaction chain) can be tracked. The tracer-transport equations in the fractures account for the same processes, in addition to advection and hydrodynamic dispersion. Additionally, the colloid transport equations account for straining and velocity adjustments related to the colloidal size. The solutions, which are analytical in the Laplace space, are numerically inverted to provide the solution in time and can accommodate any number of fractured and/or porous layers. The solutions are verified using analytical solutions for limiting cases of solute and colloid transport through fractured and porous media. The effect of important parameters on the transport of 3 H, 237 Np and 239 Pu (and its daughters) is investigated in several test problems involving layered geological systems of varying complexity. 239 Pu colloid transport problems in multilayered systems indicate significant colloid accumulations at straining interfaces but much faster transport of the colloid than the corresponding strongly sorbing solute species

Investigating Uranium Mobility Using Stable Isotope Partitioning of 238U/235U and a Reactive Transport Model

Science.gov (United States)

Bizjack, M.; Johnson, T. M.; Druhan, J. L.; Shiel, A. E.

2015-12-01

We report a numerical reactive transport model which explicitly incorporates the effectively stable isotopes of uranium (U) and the factors that influence their partitioning in bioactive systems. The model reproduces trends observed in U isotope ratios and concentration measurements from a field experiment, thereby improving interpretations of U isotope ratios as a tracer for U reactive transport. A major factor contributing to U storage and transport is its redox state, which is commonly influenced by the availability of organic carbon to support metal-reducing microbial communities. Both laboratory and field experiments have demonstrated that biogenic reduction of U(VI) fractionates the stable isotope ratio 238U/235U, producing an isotopically heavy solid U(IV) product. It has also been shown that other common reactive transport processes involving U do not fractionate isotopes to a consistently measurable level, which suggests the capacity to quantify the extent of bioreduction occurring in groundwater containing U using 238U/235U ratios. A recent study of a U bioremediation experiment at the Rifle IFRC site (Colorado, USA) applied Rayleigh distillation models to quantify U stable isotope fractionation observed during acetate amendment. The application of these simplified models were fit to the observations only by invoking a "memory-effect," or a constant source of low-concentration, unfractionated U(VI). In order to more accurately interpret the measured U isotope ratios, we present a multi-component reactive transport model using the CrunchTope software. This approach is capable of quantifying the cycling and partitioning of individual U isotopes through a realistic network of transport and reaction pathways including reduction, oxidation, and microbial growth. The model incorporates physical heterogeneity of the aquifer sediments through zones of decreased permeability, which replicate the observed bromide tracer, major ion chemistry, U concentration, and U

MoMaS reactive transport benchmark using PFLOTRAN

Science.gov (United States)

Park, H.

2017-12-01

MoMaS benchmark was developed to enhance numerical simulation capability for reactive transport modeling in porous media. The benchmark was published in late September of 2009; it is not taken from a real chemical system, but realistic and numerically challenging tests. PFLOTRAN is a state-of-art massively parallel subsurface flow and reactive transport code that is being used in multiple nuclear waste repository projects at Sandia National Laboratories including Waste Isolation Pilot Plant and Used Fuel Disposition. MoMaS benchmark has three independent tests with easy, medium, and hard chemical complexity. This paper demonstrates how PFLOTRAN is applied to this benchmark exercise and shows results of the easy benchmark test case which includes mixing of aqueous components and surface complexation. Surface complexations consist of monodentate and bidentate reactions which introduces difficulty in defining selectivity coefficient if the reaction applies to a bulk reference volume. The selectivity coefficient becomes porosity dependent for bidentate reaction in heterogeneous porous media. The benchmark is solved by PFLOTRAN with minimal modification to address the issue and unit conversions were made properly to suit PFLOTRAN.

Reactive transport modeling in the subsurface environment with OGS-IPhreeqc

Science.gov (United States)

He, Wenkui; Beyer, Christof; Fleckenstein, Jan; Jang, Eunseon; Kalbacher, Thomas; Naumov, Dimitri; Shao, Haibing; Wang, Wenqing; Kolditz, Olaf

2015-04-01

Worldwide, sustainable water resource management becomes an increasingly challenging task due to the growth of population and extensive applications of fertilizer in agriculture. Moreover, climate change causes further stresses to both water quantity and quality. Reactive transport modeling in the coupled soil-aquifer system is a viable approach to assess the impacts of different land use and groundwater exploitation scenarios on the water resources. However, the application of this approach is usually limited in spatial scale and to simplified geochemical systems due to the huge computational expense involved. Such computational expense is not only caused by solving the high non-linearity of the initial boundary value problems of water flow in the unsaturated zone numerically with rather fine spatial and temporal discretization for the correct mass balance and numerical stability, but also by the intensive computational task of quantifying geochemical reactions. In the present study, a flexible and efficient tool for large scale reactive transport modeling in variably saturated porous media and its applications are presented. The open source scientific software OpenGeoSys (OGS) is coupled with the IPhreeqc module of the geochemical solver PHREEQC. The new coupling approach makes full use of advantages from both codes: OGS provides a flexible choice of different numerical approaches for simulation of water flow in the vadose zone such as the pressure-based or mixed forms of Richards equation; whereas the IPhreeqc module leads to a simplification of data storage and its communication with OGS, which greatly facilitates the coupling and code updating. Moreover, a parallelization scheme with MPI (Message Passing Interface) is applied, in which the computational task of water flow and mass transport is partitioned through domain decomposition, whereas the efficient parallelization of geochemical reactions is achieved by smart allocation of computational workload over

Reactive solute transport in acidic streams

Science.gov (United States)

Broshears, R.E.

1996-01-01

Spatial and temporal profiles of Ph and concentrations of toxic metals in streams affected by acid mine drainage are the result of the interplay of physical and biogeochemical processes. This paper describes a reactive solute transport model that provides a physically and thermodynamically quantitative interpretation of these profiles. The model combines a transport module that includes advection-dispersion and transient storage with a geochemical speciation module based on MINTEQA2. Input to the model includes stream hydrologic properties derived from tracer-dilution experiments, headwater and lateral inflow concentrations analyzed in field samples, and a thermodynamic database. Simulations reproduced the general features of steady-state patterns of observed pH and concentrations of aluminum and sulfate in St. Kevin Gulch, an acid mine drainage stream near Leadville, Colorado. These patterns were altered temporarily by injection of sodium carbonate into the stream. A transient simulation reproduced the observed effects of the base injection.

Semianalytical Solutions of Radioactive or Reactive Transport in Variably-Fractured Layered Media: 1. Solutes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

George J. Moridis

2001-01-01

In this paper, semianalytical solutions are developed for the problem of transport of radioactive or reactive solute tracers through a layered system of heterogeneous fractured media with misaligned fractures. The tracer transport equations in the non-flowing matrix account for (a) diffusion, (b) surface diffusion, (c) mass transfer between the mobile and immobile water fractions, (d) linear kinetic or equilibrium physical, chemical, or combined solute sorption or colloid filtration, and (e) radioactive decay or first-order chemical reactions. The tracer-transport equations in the fractures account for the same processes, in addition to advection and hydrodynamic dispersion. Any number of radioactive decay daughter products (or products of a linear, first-order reaction chain) can be tracked. The solutions, which are analytical in the Laplace space, are numerically inverted to provide the solution in time and can accommodate any number of fractured and/or porous layers. The solutions are verified using analytical solutions for limiting cases of solute and colloid transport through fractured and porous media. The effect of important parameters on the transport of 3 H, 237 Np and 239 Pu (and its daughters) is investigated in several test problems involving layered geological systems of varying complexity

Modification of the finite element heat and mass transfer code (FEHMN) to model multicomponent reactive transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Viswanathan, H.S.

1995-01-01

The finite element code FEHMN is a three-dimensional finite element heat and mass transport simulator that can handle complex stratigraphy and nonlinear processes such as vadose zone flow, heat flow and solute transport. Scientists at LANL have been developed hydrologic flow and transport models of the Yucca Mountain site using FEHMN. Previous FEHMN simulations have used an equivalent K d model to model solute transport. In this thesis, FEHMN is modified making it possible to simulate the transport of a species with a rigorous chemical model. Including the rigorous chemical equations into FEHMN simulations should provide for more representative transport models for highly reactive chemical species. A fully kinetic formulation is chosen for the FEHMN reactive transport model. Several methods are available to computationally implement a fully kinetic formulation. Different numerical algorithms are investigated in order to optimize computational efficiency and memory requirements of the reactive transport model. The best algorithm of those investigated is then incorporated into FEHMN. The algorithm chosen requires for the user to place strongly coupled species into groups which are then solved for simultaneously using FEHMN. The complete reactive transport model is verified over a wide variety of problems and is shown to be working properly. The simulations demonstrate that gas flow and carbonate chemistry can significantly affect 14 C transport at Yucca Mountain. The simulations also provide that the new capabilities of FEHMN can be used to refine and buttress already existing Yucca Mountain radionuclide transport studies

Reactive solute transport in an asymmetrical fracture-rock matrix system

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, Renjie; Zhan, Hongbin

2018-02-01

The understanding of reactive solute transport in a single fracture-rock matrix system is the foundation of studying transport behavior in the complex fractured porous media. When transport properties are asymmetrically distributed in the adjacent rock matrixes, reactive solute transport has to be considered as a coupled three-domain problem, which is more complex than the symmetric case with identical transport properties in the adjacent rock matrixes. This study deals with the transport problem in a single fracture-rock matrix system with asymmetrical distribution of transport properties in the rock matrixes. Mathematical models are developed for such a problem under the first-type and the third-type boundary conditions to analyze the spatio-temporal concentration and mass distribution in the fracture and rock matrix with the help of Laplace transform technique and de Hoog numerical inverse Laplace algorithm. The newly acquired solutions are then tested extensively against previous analytical and numerical solutions and are proven to be robust and accurate. Furthermore, a water flushing phase is imposed on the left boundary of system after a certain time. The diffusive mass exchange along the fracture/rock matrixes interfaces and the relative masses stored in each of three domains (fracture, upper rock matrix, and lower rock matrix) after the water flushing provide great insights of transport with asymmetric distribution of transport properties. This study has the following findings: 1) Asymmetric distribution of transport properties imposes greater controls on solute transport in the rock matrixes. However, transport in the fracture is mildly influenced. 2) The mass stored in the fracture responses quickly to water flushing, while the mass stored in the rock matrix is much less sensitive to the water flushing. 3) The diffusive mass exchange during the water flushing phase has similar patterns under symmetric and asymmetric cases. 4) The characteristic distance

FASTREACT – An efficient numerical framework for the solution of reactive transport problems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Trinchero, Paolo; Molinero, Jorge; Román-Ross, Gabriela; Berglund, Sten; Selroos, Jan-Olof

2014-01-01

Highlights: • We present a tool for the efficient solution of reactive transport problems. • The tool is used to simulate radionuclide transport in a two-dimensional medium. • The results are successfully compared with those obtained using an Eulerian approach. • A large-scale application example is also solved. • The results show that the proposed tool can efficiently solve large-scale models. - Abstract: In the framework of safety assessment studies for geological disposal, large scale reactive transport models are powerful inter-disciplinary tools aiming at supporting regulatory decision making as well as providing input to repository engineering activities. Important aspects of these kinds of models are their often very large temporal and spatial modelling scales and the need to integrate different non-linear processes (e.g., mineral dissolution and precipitation, adsorption and desorption, microbial reactions and redox transformations). It turns out that these types of models may be computationally highly demanding. In this work, we present a Lagrangian-based framework, denoted as FASTREACT, that aims at solving multi-component-reactive transport problems with a computationally efficient approach allowing complex modelling problems to be solved in large spatial and temporal scales. The tool has been applied to simulate radionuclide migration in a synthetic heterogeneous transmissivity field and the results have been successfully compared with those obtained using a standard Eulerian approach. Finally, the same geochemical model has been coupled to an ensemble of realistic three-dimensional transport pathways to simulate the migration of a set of radionuclides from a hypothetical repository for spent nuclear fuel to the surface. The results of this modelling exercise, which includes key processes such as the exchange of mass between the conductive fractures and the matrix, show that FASTREACT can efficiently solve large-scale reactive transport models

Time space domain decomposition methods for reactive transport - Application to CO2 geological storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Haeberlein, F.

2011-01-01

Reactive transport modelling is a basic tool to model chemical reactions and flow processes in porous media. A totally reduced multi-species reactive transport model including kinetic and equilibrium reactions is presented. A structured numerical formulation is developed and different numerical approaches are proposed. Domain decomposition methods offer the possibility to split large problems into smaller subproblems that can be treated in parallel. The class of Schwarz-type domain decomposition methods that have proved to be high-performing algorithms in many fields of applications is presented with a special emphasis on the geometrical viewpoint. Numerical issues for the realisation of geometrical domain decomposition methods and transmission conditions in the context of finite volumes are discussed. We propose and validate numerically a hybrid finite volume scheme for advection-diffusion processes that is particularly well-suited for the use in a domain decomposition context. Optimised Schwarz waveform relaxation methods are studied in detail on a theoretical and numerical level for a two species coupled reactive transport system with linear and nonlinear coupling terms. Well-posedness and convergence results are developed and the influence of the coupling term on the convergence behaviour of the Schwarz algorithm is studied. Finally, we apply a Schwarz waveform relaxation method on the presented multi-species reactive transport system. (author)

Genetic moderation of the association between adolescent romantic involvement and depression: Contributions of serotonin transporter gene polymorphism, chronic stress, and family discord

OpenAIRE

Starr, Lisa R.; Hammen, Constance

2015-01-01

Studies support a link between adolescent romantic involvement and depression. Adolescent romantic relationships may increase depression risk by introducing chronic stress, and genetic vulnerability to stress reactivity/emotion dysregulation may moderate these associations. We tested genetic moderation of longitudinal associations between adolescent romantic involvement and later depressive symptoms by a polymorphism in the serotonin transporter linked polymorphic region gene (5-HTTLPR), and ...

Flux and reactive contributions to electron transport in methane

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ness, K.F.; Nolan, A.M.

2000-01-01

A previously developed theoretical analysis (Nolan et al. 1997) is applied to the study of electron transport in methane for reduced electric fields in the range 1 to 1000 Td. The technique of analysis identifies the flux and reactive components of the measurable transport, without resort to the two-term approximation. A comparison of the results of the Monte Carlo method with those of a multiterm Boltzmann equation analysis (Ness and Robson 1986) shows good agreement. The sensitivity of the modelled electron transport to post-ionisation energy partitioning is studied by comparison of three ionisation energy partitioning regimes at moderate (300 Td) and high (1000 Td) values of the reduced electric field. Copyright (2000) CSIRO Australia

Abiotic/biotic coupling in the rhizosphere: a reactive transport modeling analysis

Science.gov (United States)

Lawrence, Corey R.; Steefel, Carl; Maher, Kate

2014-01-01

A new generation of models is needed to adequately simulate patterns of soil biogeochemical cycling in response changing global environmental drivers. For example, predicting the influence of climate change on soil organic matter storage and stability requires models capable of addressing complex biotic/abiotic interactions of rhizosphere and weathering processes. Reactive transport modeling provides a powerful framework simulating these interactions and the resulting influence on soil physical and chemical characteristics. Incorporation of organic reactions in an existing reactive transport model framework has yielded novel insights into soil weathering and development but much more work is required to adequately capture root and microbial dynamics in the rhizosphere. This endeavor provides many advantages over traditional soil biogeochemical models but also many challenges.

Inverse modeling of multicomponent reactive transport through single and dual porosity media

Science.gov (United States)

Samper, Javier; Zheng, Liange; Fernández, Ana María; Montenegro, Luis

2008-06-01

Compacted bentonite is foreseen as buffer material for high-level radioactive waste in deep geological repositories because it provides hydraulic isolation, chemical stability, and radionuclide sorption. A wide range of laboratory tests were performed within the framework of FEBEX ( Full-scale Engineered Barrier EXperiment) project to characterize buffer properties and develop numerical models for FEBEX bentonite. Here we present inverse single and dual-continuum multicomponent reactive transport models of a long-term permeation test performed on a 2.5 cm long sample of FEBEX bentonite. Initial saline bentonite porewater was flushed with 5.5 pore volumes of fresh granitic water. Water flux and chemical composition of effluent waters were monitored during almost 4 years. The model accounts for solute advection and diffusion and geochemical reactions such as aqueous complexation, acid-base, cation exchange, protonation/deprotonation by surface complexation and dissolution/precipitation of calcite, chalcedony and gypsum. All of these processes are assumed at local equilibrium. Similar to previous studies of bentonite porewater chemistry on batch systems which attest the relevance of protonation/deprotonation on buffering pH, our results confirm that protonation/deprotonation is a key process in maintaining a stable pH under dynamic transport conditions. Breakthrough curves of reactive species are more sensitive to initial porewater concentration than to effective diffusion coefficient. Optimum estimates of initial porewater chemistry of saturated compacted FEBEX bentonite are obtained by solving the inverse problem of multicomponent reactive transport. While the single-continuum model reproduces the trends of measured data for most chemical species, it fails to match properly the long tails of most breakthrough curves. Such limitation is overcome by resorting to a dual-continuum reactive transport model.

End-Member Formulation of Solid Solutions and Reactive Transport

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lichtner, Peter C. [Sandia National Lab. (SNL-NM), Albuquerque, NM (United States)

2015-09-01

A model for incorporating solid solutions into reactive transport equations is presented based on an end-member representation. Reactive transport equations are solved directly for the composition and bulk concentration of the solid solution. Reactions of a solid solution with an aqueous solution are formulated in terms of an overall stoichiometric reaction corresponding to a time-varying composition and exchange reactions, equivalent to reaction end-members. Reaction rates are treated kinetically using a transition state rate law for the overall reaction and a pseudo-kinetic rate law for exchange reactions. The composition of the solid solution at the onset of precipitation is assumed to correspond to the least soluble composition, equivalent to the composition at equilibrium. The stoichiometric saturation determines if the solid solution is super-saturated with respect to the aqueous solution. The method is implemented for a simple prototype batch reactor using Mathematica for a binary solid solution. Finally, the sensitivity of the results on the kinetic rate constant for a binary solid solution is investigated for reaction of an initially stoichiometric solid phase with an undersaturated aqueous solution.

Modeling variably saturated multispecies reactive groundwater solute transport with MODFLOW-UZF and RT3D

Science.gov (United States)

Bailey, Ryan T.; Morway, Eric D.; Niswonger, Richard G.; Gates, Timothy K.

2013-01-01

A numerical model was developed that is capable of simulating multispecies reactive solute transport in variably saturated porous media. This model consists of a modified version of the reactive transport model RT3D (Reactive Transport in 3 Dimensions) that is linked to the Unsaturated-Zone Flow (UZF1) package and MODFLOW. Referred to as UZF-RT3D, the model is tested against published analytical benchmarks as well as other published contaminant transport models, including HYDRUS-1D, VS2DT, and SUTRA, and the coupled flow and transport modeling system of CATHY and TRAN3D. Comparisons in one-dimensional, two-dimensional, and three-dimensional variably saturated systems are explored. While several test cases are included to verify the correct implementation of variably saturated transport in UZF-RT3D, other cases are included to demonstrate the usefulness of the code in terms of model run-time and handling the reaction kinetics of multiple interacting species in variably saturated subsurface systems. As UZF1 relies on a kinematic-wave approximation for unsaturated flow that neglects the diffusive terms in Richards equation, UZF-RT3D can be used for large-scale aquifer systems for which the UZF1 formulation is reasonable, that is, capillary-pressure gradients can be neglected and soil parameters can be treated as homogeneous. Decreased model run-time and the ability to include site-specific chemical species and chemical reactions make UZF-RT3D an attractive model for efficient simulation of multispecies reactive transport in variably saturated large-scale subsurface systems.

Reactive transport modeling in variably saturated porous media with OGS-IPhreeqc

Science.gov (United States)

He, W.; Beyer, C.; Fleckenstein, J. H.; Jang, E.; Kalbacher, T.; Shao, H.; Wang, W.; Kolditz, O.

2014-12-01

Worldwide, sustainable water resource management becomes an increasingly challenging task due to the growth of population and extensive applications of fertilizer in agriculture. Moreover, climate change causes further stresses to both water quantity and quality. Reactive transport modeling in the coupled soil-aquifer system is a viable approach to assess the impacts of different land use and groundwater exploitation scenarios on the water resources. However, the application of this approach is usually limited in spatial scale and to simplified geochemical systems due to the huge computational expense involved. Such computational expense is not only caused by solving the high non-linearity of the initial boundary value problems of water flow in the unsaturated zone numerically with rather fine spatial and temporal discretization for the correct mass balance and numerical stability, but also by the intensive computational task of quantifying geochemical reactions. In the present study, a flexible and efficient tool for large scale reactive transport modeling in variably saturated porous media and its applications are presented. The open source scientific software OpenGeoSys (OGS) is coupled with the IPhreeqc module of the geochemical solver PHREEQC. The new coupling approach makes full use of advantages from both codes: OGS provides a flexible choice of different numerical approaches for simulation of water flow in the vadose zone such as the pressure-based or mixed forms of Richards equation; whereas the IPhreeqc module leads to a simplification of data storage and its communication with OGS, which greatly facilitates the coupling and code updating. Moreover, a parallelization scheme with MPI (Message Passing Interface) is applied, in which the computational task of water flow and mass transport is partitioned through domain decomposition, whereas the efficient parallelization of geochemical reactions is achieved by smart allocation of computational workload over

Reactive Transport and Coupled THM Processes in Engineering Barrier Systems (EBS)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Steefel, Carl; Rutqvist, Jonny; Tsang, Chin-Fu; Liu, Hui-Hai; Sonnenthal, Eric; Houseworth, Jim; Birkholzer, Jens

2010-01-01

Geological repositories for disposal of high-level nuclear wastes generally rely on a multi-barrier system to isolate radioactive wastes from the biosphere. The multi-barrier system typically consists of a natural barrier system, including repository host rock and its surrounding subsurface environment, and an engineering barrier system (EBS). EBS represents the man-made, engineered materials placed within a repository, including the waste form, waste canisters, buffer materials, backfill and seals (OECD, 2003). EBS plays a significant role in the containment and long-term retardation of radionuclide release. EBS is involved in complex thermal, hydrogeological, mechanical, chemical and biological processes, such as heat release due to radionuclide decay, multiphase flow (including gas release due to canister corrosion), swelling of buffer materials, radionuclide diffusive transport, waste dissolution and chemical reactions. All these processes are related to each other. An in-depth understanding of these coupled processes is critical for the performance assessment (PA) for EBS and the entire repository. Within the EBS group of Used Fuel Disposition (UFD) Campaign, LBNL is currently focused on (1) thermal-hydraulic-mechanical-chemical (THMC) processes in buffer materials (bentonite) and (2) diffusive transport in EBS associated with clay host rock, with a long-term goal to develop a full understanding of (and needed modeling capabilities to simulate) impacts of coupled processes on radionuclide transport in different components of EBS, as well as the interaction between near-field host rock (e.g., clay) and EBS and how they effect radionuclide release. This final report documents the progress that LBNL has made in its focus areas. Specifically, Section 2 summarizes progress on literature review for THMC processes and reactive-diffusive radionuclide transport in bentonite. The literature review provides a picture of the state-of-the-art of the relevant research areas

Reactive Transport and Coupled THM Processes in Engineering Barrier Systems (EBS)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Steefel, Carl; Rutqvist, Jonny; Tsang, Chin-Fu; Liu, Hui-Hai; Sonnenthal, Eric; Houseworth, Jim; Birkholzer, Jens

2010-08-31

Geological repositories for disposal of high-level nuclear wastes generally rely on a multi-barrier system to isolate radioactive wastes from the biosphere. The multi-barrier system typically consists of a natural barrier system, including repository host rock and its surrounding subsurface environment, and an engineering barrier system (EBS). EBS represents the man-made, engineered materials placed within a repository, including the waste form, waste canisters, buffer materials, backfill and seals (OECD, 2003). EBS plays a significant role in the containment and long-term retardation of radionuclide release. EBS is involved in complex thermal, hydrogeological, mechanical, chemical and biological processes, such as heat release due to radionuclide decay, multiphase flow (including gas release due to canister corrosion), swelling of buffer materials, radionuclide diffusive transport, waste dissolution and chemical reactions. All these processes are related to each other. An in-depth understanding of these coupled processes is critical for the performance assessment (PA) for EBS and the entire repository. Within the EBS group of Used Fuel Disposition (UFD) Campaign, LBNL is currently focused on (1) thermal-hydraulic-mechanical-chemical (THMC) processes in buffer materials (bentonite) and (2) diffusive transport in EBS associated with clay host rock, with a long-term goal to develop a full understanding of (and needed modeling capabilities to simulate) impacts of coupled processes on radionuclide transport in different components of EBS, as well as the interaction between near-field host rock (e.g., clay) and EBS and how they effect radionuclide release. This final report documents the progress that LBNL has made in its focus areas. Specifically, Section 2 summarizes progress on literature review for THMC processes and reactive-diffusive radionuclide transport in bentonite. The literature review provides a picture of the state-of-the-art of the relevant research areas

Modification of the finite element heat and mass transfer code (FEHM) to model multicomponent reactive transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Viswanathan, H.S.

1996-08-01

The finite element code FEHMN, developed by scientists at Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), is a three-dimensional finite element heat and mass transport simulator that can handle complex stratigraphy and nonlinear processes such as vadose zone flow, heat flow and solute transport. Scientists at LANL have been developing hydrologic flow and transport models of the Yucca Mountain site using FEHMN. Previous FEHMN simulations have used an equivalent Kd model to model solute transport. In this thesis, FEHMN is modified making it possible to simulate the transport of a species with a rigorous chemical model. Including the rigorous chemical equations into FEHMN simulations should provide for more representative transport models for highly reactive chemical species. A fully kinetic formulation is chosen for the FEHMN reactive transport model. Several methods are available to computationally implement a fully kinetic formulation. Different numerical algorithms are investigated in order to optimize computational efficiency and memory requirements of the reactive transport model. The best algorithm of those investigated is then incorporated into FEHMN. The algorithm chosen requires for the user to place strongly coupled species into groups which are then solved for simultaneously using FEHMN. The complete reactive transport model is verified over a wide variety of problems and is shown to be working properly. The new chemical capabilities of FEHMN are illustrated by using Los Alamos National Laboratory's site scale model of Yucca Mountain to model two-dimensional, vadose zone 14 C transport. The simulations demonstrate that gas flow and carbonate chemistry can significantly affect 14 C transport at Yucca Mountain. The simulations also prove that the new capabilities of FEHMN can be used to refine and buttress already existing Yucca Mountain radionuclide transport studies

Accounting for the Decreasing Denitrification Potential of Aquifers in Travel-Time Based Reactive-Transport Models of Nitrate

Science.gov (United States)

Cirpka, O. A.; Loschko, M.; Wöhling, T.; Rudolph, D. L.

2017-12-01

Excess nitrate concentrations pose a threat to drinking-water production from groundwater in all regions of intensive agriculture worldwide. Natural organic matter, pyrite, and other reduced constituents of the aquifer matrix can be oxidized by aerobic and denitrifying bacteria, leading to self-cleaning of groundwater. Various studies have shown that the heterogeneity of both hydraulic and chemical aquifer properties influence the reactive behavior. Since the exact spatial distributions of these properties are not known, predictions on the temporal evolution of nitrate should be probabilistic. However, the computational effort of pde-based, spatially explicit multi-component reactive-transport simulations are so high that multiple model runs become impossible. Conversely, simplistic models that treat denitrification as first-order decay process miss important controls on denitrification. We have proposed a Lagrangian framework of nonlinear reactive transport, in which the electron-donor supply by the aquifer matrix is parameterized by a relative reactivity, that is the reaction rate relative to a standard reaction rate for identical solute concentrations (Loschko et al., 2016). We could show that reactive transport simplifies to solving a single ordinary dfferential equation in terms of the cumulative relative reactivity for a given combination of inflow concentrations. Simulating 3-D flow and reactive transport are computationally so inexpensive that Monte Carlo simulation become feasible. The original scheme did not consider a change of the relative reactivity over time, implying that the electron-donor pool in the matrix is infinite. We have modified the scheme to address the consumption of the reducing aquifer constituents upon the reactions. We also analyzed how a minimally complex model of aerobic respiration and denitrification could look like. With the revised scheme, we performed Monte Carlo simulations in 3-D domains, confirming that the uncertainty in

Reactive Transport in a Pipe in Soluble Rock: a Theoretical and Experimental Study

Science.gov (United States)

Li, W.; Opolot, M.; Sousa, R.; Einstein, H. H.

2015-12-01

Reactive transport processes within the dominant underground flow pathways such as fractures can lead to the widening or narrowing of rock fractures, potentially altering the flow and transport processes in the fractures. A flow-through experiment was designed to study the reactive transport process in a pipe in soluble rock to serve as a simplified representation of a fracture in soluble rock. Assumptions were made to formulate the problem as three coupled, one-dimensional partial differential equations: one for the flow, one for the transport and one for the radius change due to dissolution. Analytical and numerical solutions were developed to predict the effluent concentration and the change in pipe radius. The positive feedback of the radius increase is captured by the experiment and the numerical model. A comparison between the experiment and the simulation results demonstrates the validity of the analytical and numerical models.

Lattice Boltzmann based multicomponent reactive transport model coupled with geochemical solver for scale simulations

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Patel, R.A.; Perko, J.; Jaques, D.; De Schutter, G.; Ye, G.; Van Breugel, K.

2013-01-01

A Lattice Boltzmann (LB) based reactive transport model intended to capture reactions and solid phase changes occurring at the pore scale is presented. The proposed approach uses LB method to compute multi component mass transport. The LB multi-component transport model is then coupled with the

Reactive transport modeling of the ABM experiment with Comsol Multiphysics

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pekala, Marek; Idiart, Andres; Arcos, David

2012-01-01

solution) in a stack of 30 bentonite blocks of 11 distinct initial compositions. In the model, ion diffusion is allowed between the individual bentonite blocks and between the bentonite blocks and a sand layer filling the bentonite-rock gap. The effective diffusion coefficient values for individual bentonite blocks were estimated based on the dry density of the bentonite, and the temperature-dependent evolution of the diffusion coefficients is approximated in the course of the simulation. In order to solve the problem, a set of non-linear algebraic equations (mass action law for the cation-exchange reactions, and charge and mass balance equations) have been coupled with Fickian diffusion equations. As mentioned above, the Finite Element code COMSOL Multiphysics has been used to carry out the simulations. Preliminary results for the studied problem indicate that the effect of diffusion for the studied cations and chloride is significant and has the potential to explain quantitatively the observed patterns of homogenisation in the chemical composition in the bentonite package. However, the work is currently in progress and further analyses, including a sensitivity study of variables such as diffusion coefficients and boundary conditions, are on-going. A model simulating coupled cation-exchange and diffusion of major ions in the Package 1 of the ABM field experiment has been developed. This work demonstrates the feasibility of implementing a reactive transport model directly into Comsol Multiphysics using conservation and mass action equations. Comsol offers an intuitive and at the same time powerful modelling environment for simulating coupled multiphase, multi-species reactive transport phenomena and mechanical effects in complex geometries. For this reason, Amphos 21 has been involved in work aiming to couple Comsol with other codes such as the geochemical code PHREEQC. Such code integration has the potential to provide tools uniquely suited to solving complicated reactive

Numerical simulation of two-phase multicomponent flow with reactive transport in porous media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vostrikov, Viatcheslav

2014-01-01

The subject of this thesis is the numerical simulation of water-gas flow in the subsurface together with chemical reactions. The subject has applications to various situations in environmental modeling, though we are mainly concerned with CO 2 storage in deep saline aquifers. In Carbon Capture and Storage studies, CO 2 is first captured from its sources of origin, transport in liquefied form and injected as gas under high pressure in deep saline aquifers. Numerical simulation is an essential tool to make sure that gaseous CO 2 will remain trapped for several hundreds or thousands of years. Several trapping mechanisms can be brought to bear to achieve this goal. Of particular interest in this thesis are solubility trapping (whereby gaseous CO 2 dissolves in the brine as it moves upward) and, on a longer term, mineral trapping (which causes CO 2 to react with the surrounding rock to form minerals such as calcite). Thus, understanding how CO 2 reacts chemically becomes an important issue for its long term fate. The thesis is composed of four chapters. The first chapter is an introduction to multicomponent two-phase flow in porous media, with or without chemical reactions. It presents a review of the existing literature, and gives an outline of the whole thesis. Chapter 2 presents a quantitative discussion of the physical and chemical phenomena involved, and of their mathematical modeling. The model we use is that of two-phase two-component flow in porous media, coupled to reactive transport. This model leads to a large set of partial differential equations, coupled to algebraic equations, describing the evolution of the concentration of each species at each grid point. A direct solution of this problem (a fully coupled solution) is possible, but presents many difficulties form the numerical point of view. Moreover, it makes it difficult to reuse codes already written, and validated, to simulate the simpler phenomena of (uncoupled) two-phase flow and reactive transport

Development of numerical methods for reactive transport; Developpement de methodes numeriques pour le transport reactif

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bouillard, N

2006-12-15

When a radioactive waste is stored in deep geological disposals, it is expected that the waste package will be damaged under water action (concrete leaching, iron corrosion). Then, to understand these damaging processes, chemical reactions and solutes transport are modelled. Numerical simulations of reactive transport can be done sequentially by the coupling of several codes. This is the case of the software platform ALLIANCES which is developed jointly with CEA, ANDRA and EDF. Stiff reactions like precipitation-dissolution are crucial for the radioactive waste storage applications, but standard sequential iterative approaches like Picard's fail in solving rapidly reactive transport simulations with such stiff reactions. In the first part of this work, we focus on a simplified precipitation and dissolution process: a system made up with one solid species and two aqueous species moving by diffusion is studied mathematically. It is assumed that a precipitation dissolution reaction occurs in between them, and it is modelled by a discontinuous kinetics law of unknown sign. By using monotonicity properties, the convergence of a finite volume scheme on admissible mesh is proved. Existence of a weak solution is obtained as a by-product of the convergence of the scheme. The second part is dedicated to coupling algorithms which improve Picard's method and can be easily used in an existing coupling code. By extending previous works, we propose a general and adaptable framework to solve nonlinear systems. Indeed by selecting special options, we can either recover well known methods, like nonlinear conjugate gradient methods, or design specific method. This algorithm has two main steps, a preconditioning one and an acceleration one. This algorithm is tested on several examples, some of them being rather academical and others being more realistic. We test it on the 'three species model'' example. Other reactive transport simulations use an external

Development of numerical methods for reactive transport; Developpement de methodes numeriques pour le transport reactif

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bouillard, N

2006-12-15

When a radioactive waste is stored in deep geological disposals, it is expected that the waste package will be damaged under water action (concrete leaching, iron corrosion). Then, to understand these damaging processes, chemical reactions and solutes transport are modelled. Numerical simulations of reactive transport can be done sequentially by the coupling of several codes. This is the case of the software platform ALLIANCES which is developed jointly with CEA, ANDRA and EDF. Stiff reactions like precipitation-dissolution are crucial for the radioactive waste storage applications, but standard sequential iterative approaches like Picard's fail in solving rapidly reactive transport simulations with such stiff reactions. In the first part of this work, we focus on a simplified precipitation and dissolution process: a system made up with one solid species and two aqueous species moving by diffusion is studied mathematically. It is assumed that a precipitation dissolution reaction occurs in between them, and it is modelled by a discontinuous kinetics law of unknown sign. By using monotonicity properties, the convergence of a finite volume scheme on admissible mesh is proved. Existence of a weak solution is obtained as a by-product of the convergence of the scheme. The second part is dedicated to coupling algorithms which improve Picard's method and can be easily used in an existing coupling code. By extending previous works, we propose a general and adaptable framework to solve nonlinear systems. Indeed by selecting special options, we can either recover well known methods, like nonlinear conjugate gradient methods, or design specific method. This algorithm has two main steps, a preconditioning one and an acceleration one. This algorithm is tested on several examples, some of them being rather academical and others being more realistic. We test it on the 'three species model'' example. Other reactive transport simulations use an external chemical code CHESS. For a

Subsurface Transport Over Reactive Multiphases (STORM): A Parallel, Coupled, Nonisothermal Multiphase Flow, Reactive Transport, and Porous Medium Alteration Simulator, Version 3.0

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bacon, Diana H.; White, Mark D.; McGrail, B PETER

2004-01-01

The U.S. Department of Energy must approve a performance assessment (PA) to support the design, construction, approval, and closure of disposal facilities for immobilized low-activity waste (ILAW) currently stored in underground tanks at Hanford, Washington. A critical component of the PA is to provide quantitative estimates of radionuclide release rates from the engineered portion of the disposal facilities. Computer simulations are essential for this purpose because impacts on groundwater resources must be projected to periods of 10,000 years and longer. The computer code selected for simulating the radionuclide release rates is the Subsurface Transport Over Reactive Multiphases (STORM) simulator. The STORM simulator solves coupled conservation equations for component mass and energy that describe subsurface flow over aqueous and gas phases through variably saturated geologic media. The resulting flow fields are used to sequentially solve conservation equations for reactive aqueous phase transport through variably saturated geologic media. These conservation equations for component mass, energy, and solute mass are partial differential equations that mathematically describe flow and transport through porous media. The STORM simulator solves the governing-conservation equations and constitutive functions using numerical techniques for nonlinear systems. The partial differential equations governing thermal and fluid flow processes are solved by the integral volume finite difference method. These governing equations are solved simultaneously using Newton-Raphson iteration. The partial differential equations governing reactive solute transport are solved using either an operator split technique where geochemical reactions and solute transport are solved separately, or a fully coupled technique where these equations are solved simultaneously. The STORM simulator is written in the FORTRAN 77 language, following American National Standards Institute (ANSI) standards

Enhancing the design of in situ chemical barriers with multicomponent reactive transport modeling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sevougian, S.D.; Steefel, C.I.; Yabusaki, S.B.

1994-11-01

This paper addresses the need for systematic control of field-scale performance in the emplacement and operation of in situ chemical treatment barriers; in particular, it addresses the issue of how the local coupling of reaction kinetics and material heterogeneities at the laboratory or bench scale can be accurately upscaled to the field. The authors have recently developed modeling analysis tools that can explicitly account for all relevant chemical reactions that accompany the transport of reagents and contaminants through a chemically and physically heterogeneous subsurface rock or soil matrix. These tools are incorporated into an enhanced design methodology for in situ chemical treatment technologies, and the new methodology is demonstrated in the ongoing design of a field experiment for the In Situ Redox Manipulation (ISRM) project at the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hanford Site. The ISRM design approach, which systematically integrates bench-scale and site characterization information, provides an ideal test for the new reactive transport techniques. The need for the enhanced chemistry capability is demonstrated by an example that shows how intra-aqueous redox kinetics can affect the transport of reactive solutes. Simulations are carried out on massively parallel computer architectures to resolve the influence of multiscale heterogeneities on multicomponent, multidimensional reactive transport. The technology will soon be available to design larger-scale remediation schemes

Mathematical description of adsorption and transport of reactive solutes in soil: a review of selected literature

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Travis, C.C.

1978-10-01

This report reviews selected literature related to the mathematical description of the transport of reactive solutes through soil. The primary areas of the literature reviewed are (1) mathematical models in current use for description of the adsorption-desorption interaction between the soil solution and the soil matrix and (2) analytic solutions of the differential equations describing the convective-dispersive transport of reactive solutes through soil

Monte Carlo simulation of nonlinear reactive contaminant transport in unsaturated porous media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Giacobbo, F.; Patelli, E.

2007-01-01

In the current proposed solutions of radioactive waste repositories, the protective function against the radionuclide water-driven transport back to the biosphere is to be provided by an integrated system of engineered and natural geologic barriers. The occurrence of several nonlinear interactions during the radionuclide migration process may render burdensome the classical analytical-numerical approaches. Moreover, the heterogeneity of the barriers' media forces approximations to the classical analytical-numerical models, thus reducing their fidelity to reality. In an attempt to overcome these difficulties, in the present paper we adopt a Monte Carlo simulation approach, previously developed on the basis of the Kolmogorov-Dmitriev theory of branching stochastic processes. The approach is here extended for describing transport through unsaturated porous media under transient flow conditions and in presence of nonlinear interchange phenomena between the liquid and solid phases. This generalization entails the determination of the functional dependence of the parameters of the proposed transport model from the water content and from the contaminant concentration, which change in space and time during the water infiltration process. The corresponding Monte Carlo simulation approach is verified with respect to a case of nonreactive transport under transient unsaturated flow and to a case of nonlinear reactive transport under stationary saturated flow. Numerical applications regarding linear and nonlinear reactive transport under transient unsaturated flow are reported

Modeling non-isothermal multiphase multi-species reactive chemical transport in geologic media

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Tianfu Xu; Gerard, F.; Pruess, K.; Brimhall, G.

1997-07-01

The assessment of mineral deposits, the analysis of hydrothermal convection systems, the performance of radioactive, urban and industrial waste disposal, the study of groundwater pollution, and the understanding of natural groundwater quality patterns all require modeling tools that can consider both the transport of dissolved species as well as their interactions with solid (or other) phases in geologic media and engineered barriers. Here, a general multi-species reactive transport formulation has been developed, which is applicable to homogeneous and/or heterogeneous reactions that can proceed either subject to local equilibrium conditions or kinetic rates under non-isothermal multiphase flow conditions. Two numerical solution methods, the direct substitution approach (DSA) and sequential iteration approach (SIA) for solving the coupled complex subsurface thermo-physical-chemical processes, are described. An efficient sequential iteration approach, which solves transport of solutes and chemical reactions sequentially and iteratively, is proposed for the current reactive chemical transport computer code development. The coupled flow (water, vapor, air and heat) and solute transport equations are also solved sequentially. The existing multiphase flow code TOUGH2 and geochemical code EQ3/6 are used to implement this SIA. The flow chart of the coupled code TOUGH2-EQ3/6, required modifications of the existing codes and additional subroutines needed are presented.

Biogeochemical reactive transport of carbon, nitrogen and iron in the hyporheic zone

Science.gov (United States)

Dwivedi, D.; Steefel, C. I.; Newcomer, M. E.; Arora, B.; Spycher, N.; Hammond, G. E.; Moulton, J. D.; Fox, P. M.; Nico, P. S.; Williams, K. H.; Dafflon, B.; Carroll, R. W. H.

2017-12-01

To understand how biogeochemical processes in the hyporheic zone influence carbon and nitrogen cycling as well as stream biogeochemistry, we developed a biotic and abiotic reaction network and integrated it into a reactive transport simulator - PFLOTRAN. Three-dimensional reactive flow and transport simulations were performed to describe the hyporheic exchange of fluxes from and within an intra-meander region encompassing two meanders of East River in the East Taylor watershed, Colorado. The objectives of this study were to quantify (1) the effect of transience on the export of carbon, nitrogen, and iron; and (2) the biogeochemical transformation of nitrogen and carbon species as a function of the residence time. The model was able to capture reasonably well the observed trends of nitrate and dissolved oxygen values that decreased as well as iron (Fe (II)) values that increased along the meander centerline away from the stream. Hyporheic flow paths create lateral redox zonation within intra-meander regions, which considerably impact nitrogen export into the stream system. Simulation results further demonstrated that low water conditions lead to higher levels of dissolved iron in groundwater, which (Fe (II)> 80%) is exported to the stream on the downstream side during high water conditions. An important conclusion from this study is that reactive transport models representing spatial and temporal heterogeneities are required to identify important factors that contribute to the redox gradients at riverine scales.

Transport of reactive and nonreactive solutes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Garabedian, S.P.; Leblanc, D.R.

1990-01-01

A natural-gradient tracer test was conducted on Cape Cod, Massachusetts, to examine the transport and dispersion of solutes in a sand and gravel aquifer. A nonreactive tracer, bromide, and two reactive tracers, lithium and molybdate, were injected as a pulse in July 1985 and monitored in three dimensions for 3 years as they moved 280 meters downgradient through an array of multilevel samplers. The tracer transport was quantified using spatial moments. The calculated total mass of bromide for each sampling date varied from 86 to 105 percent of the injected mass, and the center of mass moved at a nearly constant horizontal velocity of 0.42 meters per day. The bromide cloud also moved downward about 4 meters, probably because of density-induced sinking and accretion of areal recharge from precipitation. After 200 meters of transport, the bromide cloud was more than 80 meters long but only 14 meters wide and 6 meters thick. The change in longitudinal dispersivity had reached a constant value (0.96 meters). The transverse horizontal and transverse vertical dispersivities were much smaller (1.8 centimeters and 1.5 millimeters, respectively) than the longitudinal value. The lithium and molybdate clouds followed the same path as the bromide cloud, but a significant amount of their mass was adsorbed onto the aquifer sediments, and their rates of movement were retarded about 50 percent relative to the bromide movement. (Author) (5 figs., 23 refs.)

Methodology for Design and Analysis of Reactive Distillation Involving Multielement Systems

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jantharasuk, Amnart; Gani, Rafiqul; Górak, Andrzej

2011-01-01

A new methodology for design and analysis of reactive distillation has been developed. In this work, the elementbased approach, coupled with a driving force diagram, has been extended and applied to the design of a reactive distillation column involving multielement (multicomponent) systems...... consisting of two components. Based on this methodology, an optimal design configuration is identified using the equivalent binary-element-driving force diagram. Two case studies of methyl acetate (MeOAc) synthesis and methyl-tert-butyl ether (MTBE) synthesis have been considered to demonstrate...... the successful applications of the methodology. Moreover, energy requirements for various column configurations corresponding to different feed locatio...

Coupled Modeling of Rhizosphere and Reactive Transport Processes

Science.gov (United States)

Roque-Malo, S.; Kumar, P.

2017-12-01

The rhizosphere, as a bio-diverse plant root-soil interface, hosts many hydrologic and biochemical processes, including nutrient cycling, hydraulic redistribution, and soil carbon dynamics among others. The biogeochemical function of root networks, including the facilitation of nutrient cycling through absorption and rhizodeposition, interaction with micro-organisms and fungi, contribution to biomass, etc., plays an important role in myriad Critical Zone processes. Despite this knowledge, the role of the rhizosphere on watershed-scale ecohydrologic functions in the Critical Zone has not been fully characterized, and specifically, the extensive capabilities of reactive transport models (RTMs) have not been applied to these hydrobiogeochemical dynamics. This study uniquely links rhizospheric processes with reactive transport modeling to couple soil biogeochemistry, biological processes, hydrologic flow, hydraulic redistribution, and vegetation dynamics. Key factors in the novel modeling approach are: (i) bi-directional effects of root-soil interaction, such as simultaneous root exudation and nutrient absorption; (ii) multi-state biomass fractions in soil (i.e. living, dormant, and dead biological and root materials); (iii) expression of three-dimensional fluxes to represent both vertical and lateral interconnected flows and processes; and (iv) the potential to include the influence of non-stationary external forcing and climatic factors. We anticipate that the resulting model will demonstrate the extensive effects of plant root dynamics on ecohydrologic functions at the watershed scale and will ultimately contribute to a better characterization of efflux from both agricultural and natural systems.

Episodic retrieval involves early and sustained effects of reactivating information from encoding.

Science.gov (United States)

Johnson, Jeffrey D; Price, Mason H; Leiker, Emily K

2015-02-01

Several fMRI studies have shown a correspondence between the brain regions activated during encoding and retrieval, consistent with the view that memory retrieval involves hippocampally-mediated reinstatement of cortical activity. With the limited temporal resolution of fMRI, the precise timing of such reactivation is unclear, calling into question the functional significance of these effects. Whereas reactivation influencing retrieval should emerge with neural correlates of retrieval success, that signifying post-retrieval monitoring would trail retrieval. The present study employed EEG to provide a temporal landmark of retrieval success from which we could investigate the sub-trial time course of reactivation. Pattern-classification analyses revealed that early-onsetting reactivation differentiated the outcome of recognition-memory judgments and was associated with individual differences in behavioral accuracy, while reactivation was also evident in a sustained form later in the trial. The EEG findings suggest that, whereas prior fMRI findings could be interpreted as reflecting the contribution of reinstatement to retrieval success, they could also indicate the maintenance of episodic information in service of post-retrieval evaluation. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Multi-scales modeling of reactive transport mechanisms. Impact on petrophysical properties during CO2 storage

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Varloteaux, C.

2012-01-01

The geo-sequestration of carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) is an attractive option to reduce the emission of greenhouse gases. Within carbonate reservoirs, acidification of brine in place can occur during CO 2 injection. This acidification leads to mineral dissolution which can modify the transport properties of a solute in porous media. The aim of this study is to quantify the impact of reactive transport on a solute distribution and on the structural modification induced by the reaction from the pore to the reservoir scale. This study is focused on reactive transport problem in the case of single phase flow in the limit of long time. To do so, we used a multi-scale up-scaling method that takes into account (i) the local scale, where flow, reaction and transport are known; (ii) the pore scale, where the reactive transport is addressed by using averaged formulation of the local equations; (iii) the Darcy scale (also called core scale), where the structure of the rock is taken into account by using a three-dimensions network of pore-bodies connected by pore-throats; and (iv) the reservoir scale, where physical phenomenon, within each cell of the reservoir model, are taken into account by introducing macroscopic coefficients deduced from the study of these phenomenon at the Darcy scale, such as the permeability, the apparent reaction rate, the solute apparent velocity and dispersion. (author)

Numerical modelling of biophysicochemical effects on multispecies reactive transport in porous media involving Pseudomonas putida for potential microbial enhanced oil recovery application.

Science.gov (United States)

Sivasankar, P; Rajesh Kanna, A; Suresh Kumar, G; Gummadi, Sathyanarayana N

2016-07-01

pH and resident time of injected slug plays a critical role in characterizing the reservoir for potential microbial enhanced oil recovery (MEOR) application. To investigate MEOR processes, a multispecies (microbes-nutrients) reactive transport model in porous media was developed by coupling kinetic and transport model. The present work differs from earlier works by explicitly determining parametric values required for kinetic model by experimental investigations using Pseudomonas putida at different pH conditions and subsequently performing sensitivity analysis of pH, resident time and water saturation on concentrations of microbes, nutrients and biosurfactant within reservoir. The results suggest that nutrient utilization and biosurfactant production are found to be maximum at pH 8 and 7.5 respectively. It is also found that the sucrose and biosurfactant concentrations are highly sensitive to pH rather than reservoir microbial concentration, while at larger resident time and water saturation, the microbial and nutrient concentrations were lesser due to enhanced dispersion. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Web-based reactive transport modeling using PFLOTRAN

Science.gov (United States)

Zhou, H.; Karra, S.; Lichtner, P. C.; Versteeg, R.; Zhang, Y.

2017-12-01

Actionable understanding of system behavior in the subsurface is required for a wide spectrum of societal and engineering needs by both commercial firms and government entities and academia. These needs include, for example, water resource management, precision agriculture, contaminant remediation, unconventional energy production, CO2 sequestration monitoring, and climate studies. Such understanding requires the ability to numerically model various coupled processes that occur across different temporal and spatial scales as well as multiple physical domains (reservoirs - overburden, surface-subsurface, groundwater-surface water, saturated-unsaturated zone). Currently, this ability is typically met through an in-house approach where computational resources, model expertise, and data for model parameterization are brought together to meet modeling needs. However, such an approach has multiple drawbacks which limit the application of high-end reactive transport codes such as the Department of Energy funded[?] PFLOTRAN code. In addition, while many end users have a need for the capabilities provided by high-end reactive transport codes, they do not have the expertise - nor the time required to obtain the expertise - to effectively use these codes. We have developed and are actively enhancing a cloud-based software platform through which diverse users are able to easily configure, execute, visualize, share, and interpret PFLOTRAN models. This platform consists of a web application and available on-demand HPC computational infrastructure. The web application consists of (1) a browser-based graphical user interface which allows users to configure models and visualize results interactively, and (2) a central server with back-end relational databases which hold configuration, data, modeling results, and Python scripts for model configuration, and (3) a HPC environment for on-demand model execution. We will discuss lessons learned in the development of this platform, the

Stable isotope reactive transport modeling in water-rock interactions during CO2 injection

Science.gov (United States)

Hidalgo, Juan J.; Lagneau, Vincent; Agrinier, Pierre

2010-05-01

Stable isotopes can be of great usefulness in the characterization and monitoring of CO2 sequestration sites. Stable isotopes can be used to track the migration of the CO2 plume and identify leakage sources. Moreover, they provide unique information about the chemical reactions that take place on the CO2-water-rock system. However, there is a lack of appropriate tools that help modelers to incorporate stable isotope information into the flow and transport models used in CO2 sequestration problems. In this work, we present a numerical tool for modeling the transport of stable isotopes in groundwater reactive systems. The code is an extension of the groundwater single-phase flow and reactive transport code HYTEC [2]. HYTEC's transport module was modified to include element isotopes as separate species. This way, it is able to track isotope composition of the system by computing the mixing between the background water and the injected solution accounting for the dependency of diffusion on the isotope mass. The chemical module and database have been expanded to included isotopic exchange with minerals and the isotope fractionation associated with chemical reactions and mineral dissolution or precipitation. The performance of the code is illustrated through a series of column synthetic models. The code is also used to model the aqueous phase CO2 injection test carried out at the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory site (Palisades, New York, USA) [1]. References [1] N. Assayag, J. Matter, M. Ader, D. Goldberg, and P. Agrinier. Water-rock interactions during a CO2 injection field-test: Implications on host rock dissolution and alteration effects. Chemical Geology, 265(1-2):227-235, July 2009. [2] Jan van der Lee, Laurent De Windt, Vincent Lagneau, and Patrick Goblet. Module-oriented modeling of reactive transport with HYTEC. Computers & Geosciences, 29(3):265-275, April 2003.

Reactive transport of aqueous protons in porous media

KAUST Repository

McNeece, Colin J.

2016-10-09

The sorption of protons determines the surface charge of natural media and is therefore a first-order control on contaminant transport. Significant effort has been extended to develop chemical models that quantify the sorption of protons at the mineral surface. To compare these models’ effect on predicted proton transport, we present analytic solutions for column experiments through silica sand. Reaction front morphology is controlled by the functional relationship between the total sorbed and total aqueous proton concentrations. An inflection point in this function near neutral pH leads to a reversal in the classic front formation mechanism under basic conditions, such that proton desorption leads to a self-sharpening front, while adsorption leads to a spreading front. A composite reaction front comprising both a spreading and self-sharpening segment can occur when the injected and initial concentrations straddle the inflection point. This behavior is unique in single component reactive transport and arises due to the auto-ionization of water rather than electrostatic interactions at the mineral surface. We derive a regime diagram illustrating conditions under which different fronts occur, highlighting areas where model predictions diverge. Chemical models are then compared and validated against a systematic set of column experiments.

Effects of water content on reactive transport of Sr in Chernobyl sand columns

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Szenknect, S.; Dewiere, L.; Ardois, C.; Gaudet, J.P.

2005-01-01

Full text of publication follows: While transport of non-reactive solutes has been studied extensively in unsaturated porous media, much less is known about the factors that control the transport of sorbing solutes in unsaturated conditions. Three laboratory techniques were used to analyze the transport of Sr in the aeolian sand from Chernobyl Pilot Site [1] in both saturated and unsaturated flow conditions. Batch experiments were performed to study the chemical equilibrium state of the soil/solution system. Stirred flow-through reactor (SFTR) experiments were performed to study the kinetics and reversibility of sorption reactions at the surface of solid particles. Column experiments were also performed in saturated and unsaturated steady flow conditions. Experimental data pointed out a non-linear, instantaneous and reversible sorption process of Sr. A suitable cation-exchange model was used to describe the solute/soil reaction. The former model was coupled with transport models to describe behavior of Sr in saturated [2] and unsaturated flow conditions. Transport properties of sand packed columns have been determined with an inert tracer (HTO). BTCs obtained under saturated conditions exhibit a small amount of dispersion compared to those obtained under unsaturated conditions. Classical advection-dispersion model described successfully saturated tritium breakthrough curves (BTCs), whereas a mobile-immobile model (MIM) was required to described asymmetrical unsaturated BTCs. The MIM assumes that the porous medium contains a mobile water phase in which convective-dispersive transport occurs, and a immobile water phase with which solutes can exchange with a first order kinetic. In our experiments, transport by advection in the mobile phase is the predominant process whatever the flow conditions and mass transfer rate between the mobile and immobile regions is the predominant process for broadening the BTCs. Since dispersion is blurred by mass transfer resistance, the

Marine phages as excellent tracers for reactive colloidal transport in porous media

Science.gov (United States)

Ghanem, Nawras; Chatzinotas, Antonis; Harms, Hauke; Wick, Lukas Y.

2016-04-01

Question: Here we evaluate marine phages as specific markers of hydrological flow and reactive transport of colloidal particles in the Earth's critical zone (CZ). Marine phages and their bacterial hosts are naturally absent in the CZ, and can be detected with extremely high sensitivity. In the framework of the DFG Collaborative Research Center AquaDiva, we asked the following questions: (1) Are marine phages useful specific markers of hydrological flow and reactive transport in porous media? and (2) Which phage properties are relevant drivers for the transport of marine phages in porous media? Methods: Seven marine phages from different families (as well two commonly used terrestrial phages) were selected based on their morphology, size and physico-chemical surface properties (surface charge and hydrophobicity). Phage properties were assessed by electron microscopy, dynamic light scattering and water contact angle analysis (CA). Sand-filled laboratory percolation columns were used to study transport. The breakthrough curves of the phages were analyzed using the clean bed filtration theory and the XDLVO theory of colloid stability, respectively. Phages were quantified by a modified high- throughput plaque assay and a culture-independent particle counting method approach. Results: Our data show that most marine tested phages exhibited highly variable transport rates and deposition efficiency, yet generally high colloidal stability and viability. We find that size, morphology and hydrophobicity are key factors shaping the transport efficiency of phages. Differing deposition efficiencies of the phages were also supported by calculated XDLVO interaction energy profile. Conclusion: Marine phages have a high potential for the use as sensitive tracers in terrestrial habitats with their surface properties playing a crucial role for their transport. Marine phages however, exhibit differences in their deposition efficiency depending on their morphology, hydrophobicity and

VS2DRTI: Simulating Heat and Reactive Solute Transport in Variably Saturated Porous Media.

Science.gov (United States)

Healy, Richard W; Haile, Sosina S; Parkhurst, David L; Charlton, Scott R

2018-01-29

Variably saturated groundwater flow, heat transport, and solute transport are important processes in environmental phenomena, such as the natural evolution of water chemistry of aquifers and streams, the storage of radioactive waste in a geologic repository, the contamination of water resources from acid-rock drainage, and the geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide. Up to now, our ability to simulate these processes simultaneously with fully coupled reactive transport models has been limited to complex and often difficult-to-use models. To address the need for a simple and easy-to-use model, the VS2DRTI software package has been developed for simulating water flow, heat transport, and reactive solute transport through variably saturated porous media. The underlying numerical model, VS2DRT, was created by coupling the flow and transport capabilities of the VS2DT and VS2DH models with the equilibrium and kinetic reaction capabilities of PhreeqcRM. Flow capabilities include two-dimensional, constant-density, variably saturated flow; transport capabilities include both heat and multicomponent solute transport; and the reaction capabilities are a complete implementation of geochemical reactions of PHREEQC. The graphical user interface includes a preprocessor for building simulations and a postprocessor for visual display of simulation results. To demonstrate the simulation of multiple processes, the model is applied to a hypothetical example of injection of heated waste water to an aquifer with temperature-dependent cation exchange. VS2DRTI is freely available public domain software. © 2018, National Ground Water Association.

Accounting for the Decreasing Reaction Potential of Heterogeneous Aquifers in a Stochastic Framework of Aquifer-Scale Reactive Transport

Science.gov (United States)

Loschko, Matthias; Wöhling, Thomas; Rudolph, David L.; Cirpka, Olaf A.

2018-01-01

Many groundwater contaminants react with components of the aquifer matrix, causing a depletion of the aquifer's reactivity with time. We discuss conceptual simplifications of reactive transport that allow the implementation of a decreasing reaction potential in reactive-transport simulations in chemically and hydraulically heterogeneous aquifers without relying on a fully explicit description. We replace spatial coordinates by travel-times and use the concept of relative reactivity, which represents the reaction-partner supply from the matrix relative to a reference. Microorganisms facilitating the reactions are not explicitly modeled. Solute mixing is neglected. Streamlines, obtained by particle tracking, are discretized in travel-time increments with variable content of reaction partners in the matrix. As exemplary reactive system, we consider aerobic respiration and denitrification with simplified reaction equations: Dissolved oxygen undergoes conditional zero-order decay, nitrate follows first-order decay, which is inhibited in the presence of dissolved oxygen. Both reactions deplete the bioavailable organic carbon of the matrix, which in turn determines the relative reactivity. These simplifications reduce the computational effort, facilitating stochastic simulations of reactive transport on the aquifer scale. In a one-dimensional test case with a more detailed description of the reactions, we derive a potential relationship between the bioavailable organic-carbon content and the relative reactivity. In a three-dimensional steady-state test case, we use the simplified model to calculate the decreasing denitrification potential of an artificial aquifer over 200 years in an ensemble of 200 members. We demonstrate that the uncertainty in predicting the nitrate breakthrough in a heterogeneous aquifer decreases with increasing scale of observation.

Hybrid Multiscale Finite Volume method for multiresolution simulations of flow and reactive transport in porous media

Science.gov (United States)

Barajas-Solano, D. A.; Tartakovsky, A. M.

2017-12-01

We present a multiresolution method for the numerical simulation of flow and reactive transport in porous, heterogeneous media, based on the hybrid Multiscale Finite Volume (h-MsFV) algorithm. The h-MsFV algorithm allows us to couple high-resolution (fine scale) flow and transport models with lower resolution (coarse) models to locally refine both spatial resolution and transport models. The fine scale problem is decomposed into various "local'' problems solved independently in parallel and coordinated via a "global'' problem. This global problem is then coupled with the coarse model to strictly ensure domain-wide coarse-scale mass conservation. The proposed method provides an alternative to adaptive mesh refinement (AMR), due to its capacity to rapidly refine spatial resolution beyond what's possible with state-of-the-art AMR techniques, and the capability to locally swap transport models. We illustrate our method by applying it to groundwater flow and reactive transport of multiple species.

Reactive species in non-equilibrium atmospheric-pressure plasmas: Generation, transport, and biological effects

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lu, X., E-mail: luxinpei@hotmail.com [State Key Laboratory of Advanced Electromagnetic Engineering and Technology, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, Wuhan, Hubei 430074 (China); IFSA Collaborative Innovation Center, Shanghai Jiao Tong University, Shanghai 200240 (China); Naidis, G.V. [Joint Institute for High Temperatures, Russian Academy of Sciences, Moscow 125412 (Russian Federation); Laroussi, M. [Plasma Engineering & Medicine Institute, Old Dominion University, Norfolk, VA 23529 (United States); Reuter, S. [Leibniz Institute for Plasma Science and Technology, Felix-Hausdorff-Strasse 2, 17489 Greifswald (Germany); Graves, D.B. [Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering, University of California, Berkeley, CA 94720 (United States); Ostrikov, K. [Institute for Future Environments, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4000 (Australia); School of Physics, Chemistry, and Mechanical Engineering, Queensland University of Technology, Brisbane, QLD 4000 (Australia); Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization, P.O.Box 218, Lindfield, NSW 2070 (Australia); School of Physics, The University of Sydney, Sydney, NSW 2006 (Australia)

2016-05-04

Non-equilibrium atmospheric-pressure plasmas have recently become a topical area of research owing to their diverse applications in health care and medicine, environmental remediation and pollution control, materials processing, electrochemistry, nanotechnology and other fields. This review focuses on the reactive electrons and ionic, atomic, molecular, and radical species that are produced in these plasmas and then transported from the point of generation to the point of interaction with the material, medium, living cells or tissues being processed. The most important mechanisms of generation and transport of the key species in the plasmas of atmospheric-pressure plasma jets and other non-equilibrium atmospheric-pressure plasmas are introduced and examined from the viewpoint of their applications in plasma hygiene and medicine and other relevant fields. Sophisticated high-precision, time-resolved plasma diagnostics approaches and techniques are presented and their applications to monitor the reactive species and plasma dynamics in the plasma jets and other discharges, both in the gas phase and during the plasma interaction with liquid media, are critically reviewed. The large amount of experimental data is supported by the theoretical models of reactive species generation and transport in the plasmas, surrounding gaseous environments, and plasma interaction with liquid media. These models are presented and their limitations are discussed. Special attention is paid to biological effects of the plasma-generated reactive oxygen and nitrogen (and some other) species in basic biological processes such as cell metabolism, proliferation, survival, etc. as well as plasma applications in bacterial inactivation, wound healing, cancer treatment and some others. Challenges and opportunities for theoretical and experimental research are discussed and the authors’ vision for the emerging convergence trends across several disciplines and application domains is presented to

THC-MP: High performance numerical simulation of reactive transport and multiphase flow in porous media

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Xiaohui; Li, Weishan; Tian, Hailong; Li, Hongliang; Xu, Haixiao; Xu, Tianfu

2015-07-01

The numerical simulation of multiphase flow and reactive transport in the porous media on complex subsurface problem is a computationally intensive application. To meet the increasingly computational requirements, this paper presents a parallel computing method and architecture. Derived from TOUGHREACT that is a well-established code for simulating subsurface multi-phase flow and reactive transport problems, we developed a high performance computing THC-MP based on massive parallel computer, which extends greatly on the computational capability for the original code. The domain decomposition method was applied to the coupled numerical computing procedure in the THC-MP. We designed the distributed data structure, implemented the data initialization and exchange between the computing nodes and the core solving module using the hybrid parallel iterative and direct solver. Numerical accuracy of the THC-MP was verified through a CO2 injection-induced reactive transport problem by comparing the results obtained from the parallel computing and sequential computing (original code). Execution efficiency and code scalability were examined through field scale carbon sequestration applications on the multicore cluster. The results demonstrate successfully the enhanced performance using the THC-MP on parallel computing facilities.

Involvement of oxygen reactive species in the cellular response of carcinoma cells to irradiation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tulard, A.

2004-06-01

After a presentation of oxygen reactive species and their sources, the author describes the enzymatic and non-enzymatic anti-oxidative defenses, the physiological roles of oxygen reactive species, the oxidative stress, the water radiolysis, the anti-oxidative enzymes and the effects of ionizing radiations. The author then reports an investigation on the contribution of oxygen reactive species in the cellular response to irradiation, and an investigation on the influence of the breathing chain on the persistence of a radio-induced oxidative stress. He also reports a research on molecular mechanisms involved in the cellular radio-sensitivity

Modelling of reactive fluid transport in deformable porous rocks

Science.gov (United States)

Yarushina, V. M.; Podladchikov, Y. Y.

2009-04-01

One outstanding challenge in geology today is the formulation of an understanding of the interaction between rocks and fluids. Advances in such knowledge are important for a broad range of geologic settings including partial melting and subsequent migration and emplacement of a melt into upper levels of the crust, or fluid flow during regional metamorphism and metasomatism. Rock-fluid interaction involves heat and mass transfer, deformation, hydrodynamic flow, and chemical reactions, thereby necessitating its consideration as a complex process coupling several simultaneous mechanisms. Deformation, chemical reactions, and fluid flow are coupled processes. Each affects the others. Special effort is required for accurate modelling of the porosity field through time. Mechanical compaction of porous rocks is usually treated under isothermal or isoentropic simplifying assumptions. However, joint consideration of both mechanical compaction and reactive porosity alteration requires somewhat greater than usual care about thermodynamic consistency. Here we consider the modelling of multi-component, multi-phase systems, which is fundamental to the study of fluid-rock interaction. Based on the conservation laws for mass, momentum, and energy in the form adopted in the theory of mixtures, we derive a thermodynamically admissible closed system of equations describing the coupling of heat and mass transfer, chemical reactions, and fluid flow in a deformable solid matrix. Geological environments where reactive transport is important are located at different depths and accordingly have different rheologies. In the near surface, elastic or elastoplastic properties would dominate, whereas viscoplasticity would have a profound effect deeper in the lithosphere. Poorly understood rheologies of heterogeneous porous rocks are derived from well understood processes (i.e., elasticity, viscosity, plastic flow, fracturing, and their combinations) on the microscale by considering a

Mechanisms and neuronal networks involved in reactive and proactive cognitive control of interference in working memory.

Science.gov (United States)

Irlbacher, Kerstin; Kraft, Antje; Kehrer, Stefanie; Brandt, Stephan A

2014-10-01

Cognitive control can be reactive or proactive in nature. Reactive control mechanisms, which support the resolution of interference, start after its onset. Conversely, proactive control involves the anticipation and prevention of interference prior to its occurrence. The interrelation of both types of cognitive control is currently under debate: Are they mediated by different neuronal networks? Or are there neuronal structures that have the potential to act in a proactive as well as in a reactive manner? This review illustrates the way in which integrating knowledge gathered from behavioral studies, functional imaging, and human electroencephalography proves useful in answering these questions. We focus on studies that investigate interference resolution at the level of working memory representations. In summary, different mechanisms are instrumental in supporting reactive and proactive control. Distinct neuronal networks are involved, though some brain regions, especially pre-SMA, possess functions that are relevant to both control modes. Therefore, activation of these brain areas could be observed in reactive, as well as proactive control, but at different times during information processing. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Predicting Reactive Transport Dynamics in Carbonates using Initial Pore Structure

Science.gov (United States)

Menke, H. P.; Nunes, J. P. P.; Blunt, M. J.

2017-12-01

Understanding rock-fluid interaction at the pore-scale is imperative for accurate predictive modelling of carbon storage permanence. However, coupled reactive transport models are computationally expensive, requiring either a sacrifice of resolution or high performance computing to solve relatively simple geometries. Many recent studies indicate that initial pore structure many be the dominant mechanism in determining the dissolution regime. Here we investigate how well the initial pore structure is predictive of distribution and amount of dissolution during reactive flow using particle tracking on the initial image. Two samples of carbonate rock with varying initial pore space heterogeneity were reacted with reservoir condition CO2-saturated brine and scanned dynamically during reactive flow at a 4-μm resolution between 4 and 40 times using 4D X-ray micro-tomography over the course of 1.5 hours using μ-CT. Flow was modelled on the initial binarized image using a Navier-Stokes solver. Particle tracking was then run on the velocity fields, the streamlines were traced, and the streamline density was calculated both on a voxel-by-voxel and a channel-by-channel basis. The density of streamlines was then compared to the amount of dissolution in subsequent time steps during reaction. It was found that for the flow and transport regimes studied, the streamline density distribution in the initial image accurately predicted the dominant pathways of dissolution and gave good indicators of the type of dissolution regime that would later develop. This work suggests that the eventual reaction-induced changes in pore structure are deterministic rather than stochastic and can be predicted with high resolution imaging of unreacted rock.

Reactive transport simulations of the evolution of a cementitious repository in clay-rich host rocks

Science.gov (United States)

Kosakowski, Georg; Berner, Urs; Kulik, Dmitrii A.

2010-05-01

In Switzerland, the deep geological disposal in clay-rich rocks is foreseen not only for high-level radioactive waste, but also for intermediate-level (ILW) and low-level (LLW) radioactive waste. Typically, ILW and LLW repositories contain huge amounts of cementitious materials used for waste conditioning, confinement, and as backfill for the emplacement caverns. We are investigating the interactions of such a repository with the surrounding clay rocks and with other clay-rich materials such as sand/bentonite mixtures that are foreseen for backfilling the access tunnels. With the help of a numerical reactive transport model, we are comparing the evolution of cement/clay interfaces for different geochemical and transport conditions. In this work, the reactive transport of chemical components is simulated with the multi-component reactive transport code OpenGeoSys-GEM. It employs the sequential non-iterative approach to couple the mass transport code OpenGeoSys (http://www.ufz.de/index.php?en=18345) with the GEMIPM2K (http://gems.web.psi.ch/) code for thermodynamic modeling of aquatic geochemical systems which is using the Gibbs Energy Minimization (GEM) method. Details regarding code development and verification can be found in Shao et al. (2009). The mineral composition and the pore solution of a CEM I 52.5 N HTS hydrated cement as described by Lothenbach & Wieland (2006) are used as an initial state of the cement compartment. The setup is based on the most recent CEMDATA07 thermodynamic database which includes several ideal solid solutions for hydrated cement minerals and is consistent with the Nagra/PSI thermodynamic database 01/01. The smectite/montmorillonite model includes cation exchange processes and amphotheric≡SOH sites and was calibrated on the basis of data by Bradbury & Baeyens (2002). In other reactive transport codes based on the Law of Mass Action (LMA) for solving geochemical equilibria, cation exchange processes are usually calculated assuming

Modeling biogechemical reactive transport in a fracture zone

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Molinero, Jorge; Samper, Javier; Yang, Chan Bing, and Zhang, Guoxiang; Guoxiang, Zhang

2005-01-14

A coupled model of groundwater flow, reactive solute transport and microbial processes for a fracture zone of the Aspo site at Sweden is presented. This is the model of the so-called Redox Zone Experiment aimed at evaluating the effects of tunnel construction on the geochemical conditions prevailing in a fracture granite. It is found that a model accounting for microbially-mediated geochemical processes is able to reproduce the unexpected measured increasing trends of dissolved sulfate and bicarbonate. The model is also useful for testing hypotheses regarding the role of microbial processes and evaluating the sensitivity of model results to changes in biochemical parameters.

Modeling biogeochemical reactive transport in a fracture zone

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Molinero, Jorge; Samper, Javier; Yang, Chan Bing; Zhang, Guoxiang; Guoxiang, Zhang

2005-01-01

A coupled model of groundwater flow, reactive solute transport and microbial processes for a fracture zone of the Aspo site at Sweden is presented. This is the model of the so-called Redox Zone Experiment aimed at evaluating the effects of tunnel construction on the geochemical conditions prevailing in a fracture granite. It is found that a model accounting for microbially-mediated geochemical processes is able to reproduce the unexpected measured increasing trends of dissolved sulfate and bicarbonate. The model is also useful for testing hypotheses regarding the role of microbial processes and evaluating the sensitivity of model results to changes in biochemical parameters

Lattice Boltzmann simulation of CO2 reactive transport in network fractured media

Science.gov (United States)

Tian, Zhiwei; Wang, Junye

2017-08-01

Carbon dioxide (CO2) geological sequestration plays an important role in mitigating CO2 emissions for climate change. Understanding interactions of the injected CO2 with network fractures and hydrocarbons is key for optimizing and controlling CO2 geological sequestration and evaluating its risks to ground water. However, there is a well-known, difficult process in simulating the dynamic interaction of fracture-matrix, such as dynamic change of matrix porosity, unsaturated processes in rock matrix, and effect of rock mineral properties. In this paper, we develop an explicit model of the fracture-matrix interactions using multilayer bounce-back treatment as a first attempt to simulate CO2 reactive transport in network fractured media through coupling the Dardis's LBM porous model for a new interface treatment. Two kinds of typical fracture networks in porous media are simulated: straight cross network fractures and interleaving network fractures. The reaction rate and porosity distribution are illustrated and well-matched patterns are found. The species concentration distribution and evolution with time steps are also analyzed and compared with different transport properties. The results demonstrate the capability of this model to investigate the complex processes of CO2 geological injection and reactive transport in network fractured media, such as dynamic change of matrix porosity.

Allergens involved in the cross-reactivity of Aedes aegypti with other arthropods.

Science.gov (United States)

Cantillo, Jose Fernando; Puerta, Leonardo; Lafosse-Marin, Sylvie; Subiza, Jose Luis; Caraballo, Luis; Fernandez-Caldas, Enrique

2017-06-01

Cross-reactivity between Aedes aegypti and mites, cockroaches, and shrimp has been previously suggested, but the involved molecular components have not been fully described. To evaluate the cross-reactivity between A aegypti and other arthropods. Thirty-four serum samples from patients with asthma and/or allergic rhinitis were selected, and specific IgE to A aegypti, Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus, Dermatophagoides farinae, Blomia tropicalis, Periplaneta americana. and Litopenaeus vannamei was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Cross-reactivity was investigated using pooled serum samples from allergic patients, allergenic extracts, and the recombinant tropomyosins (Aed a 10.0201, Der p 10, Blo t 10, Lit v 1, and Per a 7). Four IgE reactive bands were further characterized by matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization tandem time of flight. Frequency of positive IgE reactivity was 82.35% to at least one mite species, 64.7% to A aegypti, 29.4% to P americana, and 23.5% to L vannamei. The highest IgE cross-reactivity was seen between A aegypti and D pteronyssinus (96.6%) followed by L vannamei (95.4%), B tropicalis (84.4%), and P americana (75.4%). Recombinant tropomyosins from mites, cockroach, or shrimp inhibited the IgE reactivity to the mosquito at a lower extent than the extracts from these arthropods. Several bands of A aegypti cross-reacted with arthropod extracts, and 4 of them were identified as odorant binding protein, mitochondrial cytochrome C, peptidyl-prolyl cis-trans isomerase, and protein with hypothetical magnesium ion binding function. We identified 4 novel cross-reactive allergens in A aegypti allergenic extract. These molecules could influence the manifestation of allergy to environmental allergens in the tropics. Copyright © 2017 American College of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Narrative transportation and product involvement : how narrativity factors are used to enchance transportive experience in advertising for high vs. low involvement products

OpenAIRE

Phusapan, Panida

2013-01-01

This paper examines and presents how narrativity factors are used to enhance consumers‟ transportive experience when advertising for high and low involvement products. It specifically looks at processing experiences among Thai online consumers when viewing TV commercials available on a YouTube channel. The paper brings the theory of product involvement into a field of narrative transportation. Results show that narrativity factors should be used with the right balance across all narrativity l...

The Development and Application of Reactive Transport Modeling Techniques to Study Radionuclide Migration at Yucca Mountain, NV

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hari Selvi Viswanathan

1999-01-01

Yucca Mountain, Nevada has been chosen as a possible site for the first high level radioactive waste repository in the United States. As part of the site investigation studies, we need to make scientifically rigorous estimations of radionuclide migration in the event of a repository breach. Performance assessment models used to make these estimations are computationally intensive. We have developed two reactive transport modeling techniques to simulate radionuclide transport at Yucca Mountain: (1) the selective coupling approach applied to the convection-dispersion-reaction (CDR) model and (2) a reactive stream tube approach (RST). These models were designed to capture the important processes that influence radionuclide migration while being computationally efficient. The conventional method of modeling reactive transport models is to solve a coupled set of multi-dimensional partial differential equations for the relevant chemical components in the system. We have developed an iterative solution technique, denoted the selective coupling method, that represents a versatile alternative to traditional uncoupled iterative techniques and the filly coupled global implicit method. We show that selective coupling results in computational and memory savings relative to these approaches. We develop RST as an alternative to the CDR method for solving large two- or three-dimensional reactive transport simulations for cases in which one is interested in predicting the flux across a specific control plane. In the RST method, the multidimensional problem is reduced to a series of one-dimensional transport simulations along streamlines. The key assumption with RST is that mixing at the control plane approximates the transverse dispersion between streamlines. We compare the CDR and RST approaches for several scenarios that are relevant to the Yucca Mountain Project. For example, we apply the CDR and RST approaches to model an ongoing field experiment called the Unsaturated Zone

Transport of secondary electrons and reactive species in ion tracks

Science.gov (United States)

Surdutovich, Eugene; Solov'yov, Andrey V.

2015-08-01

The transport of reactive species brought about by ions traversing tissue-like medium is analysed analytically. Secondary electrons ejected by ions are capable of ionizing other molecules; the transport of these generations of electrons is studied using the random walk approximation until these electrons remain ballistic. Then, the distribution of solvated electrons produced as a result of interaction of low-energy electrons with water molecules is obtained. The radial distribution of energy loss by ions and secondary electrons to the medium yields the initial radial dose distribution, which can be used as initial conditions for the predicted shock waves. The formation, diffusion, and chemical evolution of hydroxyl radicals in liquid water are studied as well. COST Action Nano-IBCT: Nano-scale Processes Behind Ion-Beam Cancer Therapy.

Mercury toxicokinetics of the healthy human term placenta involve amino acid transporters and ABC transporters

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Straka, Elisabeth; Ellinger, Isabella; Balthasar, Christina; Scheinast, Matthias; Schatz, Jasmin; Szattler, Tamara; Bleichert, Sonja; Saleh, Leila; Knöfler, Martin; Zeisler, Harald; Hengstschläger, Markus; Rosner, Margit; Salzer, Hans; Gundacker, Claudia

2016-01-01

Highlights: • It is known that MeHg is able to pass the placenta and to affect fetal brain development. • Uptake and efflux transporters were examined in human primary trophoblast cells and BeWo cells. • Involvement in mercury transfer was assessed by measurement of cellular mercury content upon siRNA mediated gene knockdown. • Localization of transporters was determined by immunofluorescence microscopy. • LAT1 and rBAT at the apical membrane of the syncytiotrophoblast (STB) are involved in MeHg uptake. • MRP1 located at basal membrane of STB mediates mercury efflux. - Abstract: Background: The capacity of the human placenta to handle exogenous stressors is poorly understood. The heavy metal mercury is well-known to pass the placenta and to affect brain development. An active transport across the placenta has been assumed. The underlying mechanisms however are virtually unknown. Objectives: Uptake and efflux transporters (17 candidate proteins) assumed to play a key role in placental mercury transfer were examined for expression, localization and function in human primary trophoblast cells and the trophoblast-derived choriocarcinoma cell line BeWo. Methods: To prove involvement of the transporters, we used small interfering RNA (siRNA) and exposed cells to methylmercury (MeHg). Total mercury contents of cells were analyzed by Cold vapor-atomic fluorescence spectrometry (CV-AFS). Localization of the proteins in human term placenta sections was determined via immunofluorescence microscopy. Results: We found the amino acid transporter subunits L-type amino acid transporter (LAT)1 and rBAT (related to b 0,+ type amino acid transporter) as well as the efflux transporter multidrug resistance associated protein (MRP)1 to be involved in mercury kinetics of trophoblast cells (t-test P < 0.05). Conclusion: The amino acid transporters located at the apical side of the syncytiotrophoblast (STB) manage uptake of MeHg. Mercury conjugated to glutathione (GSH) is

Direct coupling of a genome-scale microbial in silico model and a groundwater reactive transport model

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Fang, Yilin; Scheibe, Timothy D.; Mahadevan, Radhakrishnan; Garg, Srinath; Long, Philip E.; Lovley, Derek R.

2011-01-01

The activity of microorganisms often plays an important role in dynamic natural attenuation or engineered bioremediation of subsurface contaminants, such as chlorinated solvents, metals, and radionuclides. To evaluate and/or design bioremediated systems, quantitative reactive transport models are needed. State-of-the-art reactive transport models often ignore the microbial effects or simulate the microbial effects with static growth yield and constant reaction rate parameters over simulated conditions, while in reality microorganisms can dynamically modify their functionality (such as utilization of alternative respiratory pathways) in response to spatial and temporal variations in environmental conditions. Constraint-based genome-scale microbial in silico models, using genomic data and multiple-pathway reaction networks, have been shown to be able to simulate transient metabolism of some well studied microorganisms and identify growth rate, substrate uptake rates, and byproduct rates under different growth conditions. These rates can be identified and used to replace specific microbially-mediated reaction rates in a reactive transport model using local geochemical conditions as constraints. We previously demonstrated the potential utility of integrating a constraint based microbial metabolism model with a reactive transport simulator as applied to bioremediation of uranium in groundwater. However, that work relied on an indirect coupling approach that was effective for initial demonstration but may not be extensible to more complex problems that are of significant interest (e.g., communities of microbial species, multiple constraining variables). Here, we extend that work by presenting and demonstrating a method of directly integrating a reactive transport model (FORTRAN code) with constraint-based in silico models solved with IBM ILOG CPLEX linear optimizer base system (C library). The models were integrated with BABEL, a language interoperability tool. The

Severities of transportation accidents involving large packages

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Dennis, A.W.; Foley, J.T. Jr.; Hartman, W.F.; Larson, D.W.

1978-05-01

The study was undertaken to define in a quantitative nonjudgmental technical manner the abnormal environments to which a large package (total weight over 2 tons) would be subjected as the result of a transportation accident. Because of this package weight, air shipment was not considered as a normal transportation mode and was not included in the study. The abnormal transportation environments for shipment by motor carrier and train were determined and quantified. In all cases the package was assumed to be transported on an open flat-bed truck or an open flat-bed railcar. In an earlier study, SLA-74-0001, the small-package environments were investigated. A third transportation study, related to the abnormal environment involving waterways transportation, is now under way at Sandia Laboratories and should complete the description of abnormal transportation environments. Five abnormal environments were defined and investigated, i.e., fire, impact, crush, immersion, and puncture. The primary interest of the study was directed toward the type of large package used to transport radioactive materials; however, the findings are not limited to this type of package but can be applied to a much larger class of material shipping containers.

Severities of transportation accidents involving large packages

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Dennis, A.W.; Foley, J.T. Jr.; Hartman, W.F.; Larson, D.W.

1978-05-01

The study was undertaken to define in a quantitative nonjudgmental technical manner the abnormal environments to which a large package (total weight over 2 tons) would be subjected as the result of a transportation accident. Because of this package weight, air shipment was not considered as a normal transportation mode and was not included in the study. The abnormal transportation environments for shipment by motor carrier and train were determined and quantified. In all cases the package was assumed to be transported on an open flat-bed truck or an open flat-bed railcar. In an earlier study, SLA-74-0001, the small-package environments were investigated. A third transportation study, related to the abnormal environment involving waterways transportation, is now under way at Sandia Laboratories and should complete the description of abnormal transportation environments. Five abnormal environments were defined and investigated, i.e., fire, impact, crush, immersion, and puncture. The primary interest of the study was directed toward the type of large package used to transport radioactive materials; however, the findings are not limited to this type of package but can be applied to a much larger class of material shipping containers

COMSOL-PHREEQC: a tool for high performance numerical simulation of reactive transport phenomena

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nardi, Albert; Vries, Luis Manuel de; Trinchero, Paolo; Idiart, Andres; Molinero, Jorge

2012-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. Comsol Multiphysics (COMSOL, from now on) is a powerful Finite Element software environment for the modelling and simulation of a large number of physics-based systems. The user can apply variables, expressions or numbers directly to solid and fluid domains, boundaries, edges and points, independently of the computational mesh. COMSOL then internally compiles a set of equations representing the entire model. The availability of extremely powerful pre and post processors makes COMSOL a numerical platform well known and extensively used in many branches of sciences and engineering. On the other hand, PHREEQC is a freely available computer program for simulating chemical reactions and transport processes in aqueous systems. It is perhaps the most widely used geochemical code in the scientific community and is openly distributed. The program is based on equilibrium chemistry of aqueous solutions interacting with minerals, gases, solid solutions, exchangers, and sorption surfaces, but also includes the capability to model kinetic reactions with rate equations that are user-specified in a very flexible way by means of Basic statements directly written in the input file. Here we present COMSOL-PHREEQC, a software interface able to communicate and couple these two powerful simulators by means of a Java interface. The methodology is based on Sequential Non Iterative Approach (SNIA), where PHREEQC is compiled as a dynamic subroutine (iPhreeqc) that is called by the interface to solve the geochemical system at every element of the finite element mesh of COMSOL. The numerical tool has been extensively verified by comparison with computed results of 1D, 2D and 3D benchmark examples solved with other reactive transport simulators. COMSOL-PHREEQC is parallelized so that CPU time can be highly optimized in multi-core processors or clusters. Then, fully 3D detailed reactive transport problems can be readily simulated by means of

Advective and diffusive contributions to reactive gas transport during pyrite oxidation in the unsaturated zone

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Binning, Philip John; Postma, Diederik Jan; Russel, T.F.

2007-01-01

Pyrite oxidation in unsaturated mine waste rock dumps and soils is limited by the supply of oxygen from the atmosphere. In models, oxygen transport through the subsurface is often assumed to be driven by diffusion. However, oxygen comprises 23.2% by mass of dry air, and when oxygen is consumed at...... parameters; for example, the time to approach steady state depends exponentially on the distance between the soil surface and the subsurface reactive zone. Copyright 2007 by the American Geophysical Union....... at depth in the unsaturated zone, a pressure gradient is created between the reactive zone and the ground surface, causing a substantial advective air flow into the subsurface. To determine the balance between advective and diffusive transport, a one-dimensional multicomponent unsaturated zone gas...

Subsurface Transport Over Reactive Multiphases (STORM): A general, coupled, nonisothermal multiphase flow, reactive transport, and porous medium alteration simulator, Version 2 user's guide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bacon, D.H.; White, M.D.; McGrail, B.P.

2000-01-01

The Hanford Site, in southeastern Washington State, has been used extensively to produce nuclear materials for the US strategic defense arsenal by the Department of Energy (DOE) and its predecessors, the US Atomic Energy Commission and the US Energy Research and Development Administration. A large inventory of radioactive and mixed waste has accumulated in 177 buried single- and double shell tanks. Liquid waste recovered from the tanks will be pretreated to separate the low-activity fraction from the high-level and transuranic wastes. Vitrification is the leading option for immobilization of these wastes, expected to produce approximately 550,000 metric tons of Low Activity Waste (LAW) glass. This total tonnage, based on nominal Na 2 O oxide loading of 20% by weight, is destined for disposal in a near-surface facility. Before disposal of the immobilized waste can proceed, the DOE must approve a performance assessment, a document that described the impacts, if any, of the disposal facility on public health and environmental resources. Studies have shown that release rates of radionuclides from the glass waste form by reaction with water determine the impacts of the disposal action more than any other independent parameter. This report describes the latest accomplishments in the development of a computational tool, Subsurface Transport Over Reactive Multiphases (STORM), Version 2, a general, coupled non-isothermal multiphase flow and reactive transport simulator. The underlying mathematics in STORM describe the rate of change of the solute concentrations of pore water in a variably saturated, non-isothermal porous medium, and the alteration of waste forms, packaging materials, backfill, and host rocks

Modelling reactive transport in a phosphogypsum dump, Venezia, Italia

Science.gov (United States)

Calcara, Massimo; Borgia, Andrea; Cattaneo, Laura; Bartolo, Sergio; Clemente, Gianni; Glauco Amoroso, Carlo; Lo Re, Fabio; Tozzato, Elena

2013-04-01

We develop a reactive-transport porous media flow model for a phosphogypsum dump located on the intertidal deposits of the Venetian Lagoon: 1. we construct a complex conceptual and geologic model from field data using the GMS™ graphical user interface; 2. the geological model is mapped onto a rectangular MODFLOW grid; 3. using the TMT2 FORTRAN90 code we translate this grid into the MESH, INCON and GENER input files for the TOUGH2 series of codes; 4. we run TOUGH-REACT to model flow and reactive transport in the dump and the sediments below it. The model includes 3 different dump materials (phosphogypsum, bituminous and hazardous wastes) with the pores saturated by specific fluids. The sediments below the dump are formed by an intertidal sequence of calcareous sands and silts, in addition to clays and organic deposits, all of which are initially saturated with lagoon salty waters. The recharge rain-water dilutes the dump fluids. In turn, the percolates from the dump react with the underlying sediments and the sea water that saturates them. Simulation results have been compared with chemical sampled analyses. In fact, in spite of the simplicity of our model we are able to show how the pH becomes neutral at a short distance below the dump, a fact observed during aquifer monitoring. The spatial and temporal evolution of dissolution and precipitation reactions occur in our model much alike reality. Mobility of some elements, such as divalent iron, are reduced by specific and concurrent conditions of pH from near-neutrality to moderately high values and positive redox potential; opposite conditions favour mobility of potentially toxic metals such as Cr, As Cd and Pb. Vertical movement are predominant. Trend should be therefore heavily influenced by pH and Eh values. If conditions are favourable to mobility, concentration of these substances in the bottom strata could be high. However, simulation suggest that the sediments tend to reduce the transport potential of

Core 2D. A code for non-isothermal water flow and reactive solute transport. Users manual version 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Samper, J.; Juncosa, R.; Delgado, J.; Montenegro, L. [Universidad de A Coruna (Spain)

2000-07-01

Understanding natural groundwater quality patterns, quantifying groundwater pollution and assessing the effects of waste disposal, require modeling tools accounting for water flow, and transport of heat and dissolved species as well as their complex interactions with solid and gases phases. This report contains the users manual of CORE ''2D Version V.2.0, a COde for modeling water flow (saturated and unsaturated), heat transport and multicomponent Reactive solute transport under both local chemical equilibrium and kinetic conditions. it is an updated and improved version of CORE-LE-2D V0 (Samper et al., 1988) which in turns is an extended version of TRANQUI, a previous reactive transport code (ENRESA, 1995). All these codes were developed within the context of Research Projects funded by ENRESA and the European Commission. (Author)

Core2D. A code for non-isothermal water flow and reactive solute transport. Users manual version 2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Samper, J.; Juncosa, R.; Delgado, J.; Montenegro, L.

2000-01-01

Understanding natural groundwater quality patterns, quantifying groundwater pollution and assessing the effects of waste disposal, require modeling tools accounting for water flow, and transport of heat and dissolved species as well as their complex interactions with solid and gases phases. This report contains the users manual of CORE ''2D Version V.2.0, a COde for modeling water flow (saturated and unsaturated), heat transport and multicomponent Reactive solute transport under both local chemical equilibrium and kinetic conditions. it is an updated and improved version of CORE-LE-2D V0 (Samper et al., 1988) which in turns is an extended version of TRANQUI, a previous reactive transport code (ENRESA, 1995). All these codes were developed within the context of Research Projects funded by ENRESA and the European Commission. (Author)

Core 2D. A code for non-isothermal water flow and reactive solute transport. Users manual version 2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Samper, J; Juncosa, R; Delgado, J; Montenegro, L [Universidad de A Coruna (Spain)

2000-07-01

Understanding natural groundwater quality patterns, quantifying groundwater pollution and assessing the effects of waste disposal, require modeling tools accounting for water flow, and transport of heat and dissolved species as well as their complex interactions with solid and gases phases. This report contains the users manual of CORE ''2D Version V.2.0, a COde for modeling water flow (saturated and unsaturated), heat transport and multicomponent Reactive solute transport under both local chemical equilibrium and kinetic conditions. it is an updated and improved version of CORE-LE-2D V0 (Samper et al., 1988) which in turns is an extended version of TRANQUI, a previous reactive transport code (ENRESA, 1995). All these codes were developed within the context of Research Projects funded by ENRESA and the European Commission. (Author)

Integrating Stable Isotope - Reactive Transport Model Approach for Assessment of Chlorinated Solvent Degradation

Science.gov (United States)

2016-06-01

aerobic cometabolism, reductive dechlorination evidence was reported from the toe of the plume, where TCE enters the Lower Lithologic Unit. The CSM of the...modeling in reactive transport: 50 years of artificial recharge in the Amsterdam Water Supply Dunes . J. Hydrology 454: 7-25. Khan, F. I., et al

Intercomparison of reactive transport models applied to degradation of a concrete / clay interface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Burnol, A.; Blanc, P.; Tournassat, C.; Lassin, A.; Gaucher, E.C.

2005-01-01

Full text of publication follows: Assuming a future disposal of spent nuclear fuel in deep geologic formation of Callovian- Oxfordian argillite in France, concrete will be used extensively to construct the disposal chambers in the host formation, and also as radioactive waste containment material. After being sealed, the repository will become saturated with interstitial waters from the Callovian-Oxfordian argillite, which will produce high pH solutions through interaction with the concrete. The aggressiveness of these alkaline solutions may weaken the clay's confinement properties (bentonite and argillite) with respect to long-lived radionuclides by change of the mineralogy. Conversely, the clayey formation with a high partial pressure of CO 2 represents an aggressive media for the concrete. The hydrogeological and chemical reactions of deep-underground systems are therefore intimately coupled and reactive transport models are increasingly used for performance assessment of nuclear waste disposal [1]. The main objective of this study is to present an intercomparison study using different reactive transport codes, where among PHREEQC1D [2], PHAST [3] and TOUGHREACT [4] applied to determine, in space and time, the extension of the alkaline perturbation and the associated degradation of concrete. The calculations were carried out after the definition of a complete mineralogy for both media. The experimental work made in the European Ecoclay II project [5] allowed a selection of reaction paths and of new phases for the thermodynamic database. Calculations were carried out over a simulated period of 100,000 years at different temperatures. Results of the different codes are compared and discussed. [1] De Windt L., Burnol A., Montarnal P., Van Der Lee.J., (2003) Intercomparison of reactive transport models applied to UO 2 oxidative dissolution and uranium migration., Journal of Contaminant Hydrology, 61, 1-4, 303-312; [2] Parkhurst D.L., Appelo C.A.J. (1999) - User

Evaluating remedial alternatives for an acid mine drainage stream: Application of a reactive transport model

Science.gov (United States)

Runkel, R.L.; Kimball, B.A.

2002-01-01

A reactive transport model based on one-dimensional transport and equilibrium chemistry is applied to synoptic data from an acid mine drainage stream. Model inputs include streamflow estimates based on tracer dilution, inflow chemistry based on synoptic sampling, and equilibrium constants describing acid/base, complexation, precipitation/dissolution, and sorption reactions. The dominant features of observed spatial profiles in pH and metal concentration are reproduced along the 3.5-km study reach by simulating the precipitation of Fe(III) and Al solid phases and the sorption of Cu, As, and Pb onto freshly precipitated iron-(III) oxides. Given this quantitative description of existing conditions, additional simulations are conducted to estimate the streamwater quality that could result from two hypothetical remediation plans. Both remediation plans involve the addition of CaCO3 to raise the pH of a small, acidic inflow from ???2.4 to ???7.0. This pH increase results in a reduced metal load that is routed downstream by the reactive transport model, thereby providing an estimate of post-remediation water quality. The first remediation plan assumes a closed system wherein inflow Fe(II) is not oxidized by the treatment system; under the second remediation plan, an open system is assumed, and Fe(II) is oxidized within the treatment system. Both plans increase instream pH and substantially reduce total and dissolved concentrations of Al, As, Cu, and Fe(II+III) at the terminus of the study reach. Dissolved Pb concentrations are reduced by ???18% under the first remediation plan due to sorption onto iron-(III) oxides within the treatment system and stream channel. In contrast, iron(III) oxides are limiting under the second remediation plan, and removal of dissolved Pb occurs primarily within the treatment system. This limitation results in an increase in dissolved Pb concentrations over existing conditions as additional downstream sources of Pb are not attenuated by

A Model to Couple Flow, Thermal and Reactive Chemical Transport, and Geo-mechanics in Variably Saturated Media

Science.gov (United States)

Yeh, G. T.; Tsai, C. H.

2015-12-01

This paper presents the development of a THMC (thermal-hydrology-mechanics-chemistry) process model in variably saturated media. The governing equations for variably saturated flow and reactive chemical transport are obtained based on the mass conservation principle of species transport supplemented with Darcy's law, constraint of species concentration, equation of states, and constitutive law of K-S-P (Conductivity-Degree of Saturation-Capillary Pressure). The thermal transport equation is obtained based on the conservation of energy. The geo-mechanic displacement is obtained based on the assumption of equilibrium. Conventionally, these equations have been implicitly coupled via the calculations of secondary variables based on primary variables. The mechanisms of coupling have not been obvious. In this paper, governing equations are explicitly coupled for all primary variables. The coupling is accomplished via the storage coefficients, transporting velocities, and conduction-dispersion-diffusion coefficient tensor; one set each for every primary variable. With this new system of equations, the coupling mechanisms become clear. Physical interpretations of every term in the coupled equations will be discussed. Examples will be employed to demonstrate the intuition and superiority of these explicit coupling approaches. Keywords: Variably Saturated Flow, Thermal Transport, Geo-mechanics, Reactive Transport.

Experimental Study and Reactive Transport Modeling of Boric Acid Leaching of Concrete

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Chiang K.-T. K.

2013-07-01

Full Text Available Borated water leakage through spent fuel pools (SFPs at pressurized water reactors is a concern because it could cause corrosion of reinforcement steel in the concrete structure, compromise the integrity of the structure, or cause unmonitored releases of contaminated water to the environment. Experimental data indicate that pH is a critical parameter that determines the corrosion susceptibility of rebar in borated water and the degree of concrete degradation by boric acid leaching. In this study, reactive transport modeling of concrete leaching by borated water was performed to provide information on the solution pH in the concrete crack or matrix and the degree of concrete degradation at different locations of an SFP concrete structure exposed to borated water. Simulations up to 100 years were performed using different boric acid concentrations, crack apertures, and solution flow rates. Concrete cylinders were immersed in boric acid solutions for several months and the mineralogical changes and boric acid penetration in the concrete cylinder were evaluated as a function of time. The depths of concrete leaching by boric acid solution derived from the reactive transport simulations were compared with the measured boric acid penetration depth.

Direct coupling of a genome-scale microbial in silico model and a groundwater reactive transport model.

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Yilin; Scheibe, Timothy D; Mahadevan, Radhakrishnan; Garg, Srinath; Long, Philip E; Lovley, Derek R

2011-03-25

The activity of microorganisms often plays an important role in dynamic natural attenuation or engineered bioremediation of subsurface contaminants, such as chlorinated solvents, metals, and radionuclides. To evaluate and/or design bioremediated systems, quantitative reactive transport models are needed. State-of-the-art reactive transport models often ignore the microbial effects or simulate the microbial effects with static growth yield and constant reaction rate parameters over simulated conditions, while in reality microorganisms can dynamically modify their functionality (such as utilization of alternative respiratory pathways) in response to spatial and temporal variations in environmental conditions. Constraint-based genome-scale microbial in silico models, using genomic data and multiple-pathway reaction networks, have been shown to be able to simulate transient metabolism of some well studied microorganisms and identify growth rate, substrate uptake rates, and byproduct rates under different growth conditions. These rates can be identified and used to replace specific microbially-mediated reaction rates in a reactive transport model using local geochemical conditions as constraints. We previously demonstrated the potential utility of integrating a constraint-based microbial metabolism model with a reactive transport simulator as applied to bioremediation of uranium in groundwater. However, that work relied on an indirect coupling approach that was effective for initial demonstration but may not be extensible to more complex problems that are of significant interest (e.g., communities of microbial species and multiple constraining variables). Here, we extend that work by presenting and demonstrating a method of directly integrating a reactive transport model (FORTRAN code) with constraint-based in silico models solved with IBM ILOG CPLEX linear optimizer base system (C library). The models were integrated with BABEL, a language interoperability tool. The

Direct coupling of a genome-scale microbial in silico model and a groundwater reactive transport model

Science.gov (United States)

Fang, Yilin; Scheibe, Timothy D.; Mahadevan, Radhakrishnan; Garg, Srinath; Long, Philip E.; Lovley, Derek R.

2011-03-01

The activity of microorganisms often plays an important role in dynamic natural attenuation or engineered bioremediation of subsurface contaminants, such as chlorinated solvents, metals, and radionuclides. To evaluate and/or design bioremediated systems, quantitative reactive transport models are needed. State-of-the-art reactive transport models often ignore the microbial effects or simulate the microbial effects with static growth yield and constant reaction rate parameters over simulated conditions, while in reality microorganisms can dynamically modify their functionality (such as utilization of alternative respiratory pathways) in response to spatial and temporal variations in environmental conditions. Constraint-based genome-scale microbial in silico models, using genomic data and multiple-pathway reaction networks, have been shown to be able to simulate transient metabolism of some well studied microorganisms and identify growth rate, substrate uptake rates, and byproduct rates under different growth conditions. These rates can be identified and used to replace specific microbially-mediated reaction rates in a reactive transport model using local geochemical conditions as constraints. We previously demonstrated the potential utility of integrating a constraint-based microbial metabolism model with a reactive transport simulator as applied to bioremediation of uranium in groundwater. However, that work relied on an indirect coupling approach that was effective for initial demonstration but may not be extensible to more complex problems that are of significant interest (e.g., communities of microbial species and multiple constraining variables). Here, we extend that work by presenting and demonstrating a method of directly integrating a reactive transport model (FORTRAN code) with constraint-based in silico models solved with IBM ILOG CPLEX linear optimizer base system (C library). The models were integrated with BABEL, a language interoperability tool. The

A Dual Regime Reactive Transport Model for Simulation of High Level Waste Tank Closure Scenarios - 13375

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sarkar, Sohini; Kosson, David S.; Brown, Kevin; Garrabrants, Andrew C.; Meeussen, Hans; Van der Sloot, Hans

2013-01-01

A numerical simulation framework is presented in this paper for estimating evolution of pH and release of major species from grout within high-level waste tanks after closure. This model was developed as part of the Cementitious Barriers Partnership. The reactive transport model consists of two parts - (1) transport of species, and (2) chemical reactions. The closure grout can be assumed to have varying extents of cracking and composition for performance assessment purposes. The partially or completely degraded grouted tank is idealized as a dual regime system comprising of a mobile region having solid materials with cracks and macro-pores, and an immobile/stagnant region having solid matrix with micropores. The transport profiles of the species are calculated by incorporating advection of species through the mobile region, diffusion of species through the immobile/stagnant region, and exchange of species between the mobile and immobile regions. A geochemical speciation code in conjunction with the pH dependent test data for a grout material is used to obtain a mineral set that best describes the trends in the test data of the major species. The dual regime reactive transport model predictions are compared with the release data from an up-flow column percolation test. The coupled model is then used to assess effects of crack state of the structure, rate and composition of the infiltrating water on the pH evolution at the grout-waste interface. The coupled reactive transport model developed in this work can be used as part of the performance assessment process for evaluating potential risks from leaching of a cracked tank containing elements of human health and environmental concern. (authors)

A Dual Regime Reactive Transport Model for Simulation of High Level Waste Tank Closure Scenarios - 13375

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sarkar, Sohini; Kosson, David S.; Brown, Kevin; Garrabrants, Andrew C. [Consortium for Risk Assessment with Stakeholder Participation - CRESP, Vanderbilt University, Nashville, TN (United States); Meeussen, Hans [Consortium for Risk Assessment with Stakeholder Participation - CRESP, Nuclear Research and Consultancy Group, Petten (Netherlands); Van der Sloot, Hans [Consortium for Risk Assessment with Stakeholder Participation - CRESP, Hans Van der Sloot Consultancy (Netherlands)

2013-07-01

A numerical simulation framework is presented in this paper for estimating evolution of pH and release of major species from grout within high-level waste tanks after closure. This model was developed as part of the Cementitious Barriers Partnership. The reactive transport model consists of two parts - (1) transport of species, and (2) chemical reactions. The closure grout can be assumed to have varying extents of cracking and composition for performance assessment purposes. The partially or completely degraded grouted tank is idealized as a dual regime system comprising of a mobile region having solid materials with cracks and macro-pores, and an immobile/stagnant region having solid matrix with micropores. The transport profiles of the species are calculated by incorporating advection of species through the mobile region, diffusion of species through the immobile/stagnant region, and exchange of species between the mobile and immobile regions. A geochemical speciation code in conjunction with the pH dependent test data for a grout material is used to obtain a mineral set that best describes the trends in the test data of the major species. The dual regime reactive transport model predictions are compared with the release data from an up-flow column percolation test. The coupled model is then used to assess effects of crack state of the structure, rate and composition of the infiltrating water on the pH evolution at the grout-waste interface. The coupled reactive transport model developed in this work can be used as part of the performance assessment process for evaluating potential risks from leaching of a cracked tank containing elements of human health and environmental concern. (authors)

Transportation accidents/incidents involving radioactive materials (1971--1991)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cashwell, C.E.; McClure, J.D.

1992-01-01

The Radioactive Materials Incident Report (RMIR) database contains information on transportation-related accidents and incidents involving radioactive materials that have occurred in the United States. The RMIR was developed at Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) to support its research and development program efforts for the US Department of Energy (DOE). This paper will address the following topics: background information on the regulations and process for reporting a hazardous materials transportation incident, overview data of radioactive materials transportation accidents and incidents, and additional information and summary data on how packagings have performed in accident conditions

Image-based modeling of flow and reactive transport in porous media

Science.gov (United States)

Qin, Chao-Zhong; Hoang, Tuong; Verhoosel, Clemens V.; Harald van Brummelen, E.; Wijshoff, Herman M. A.

2017-04-01

Due to the availability of powerful computational resources and high-resolution acquisition of material structures, image-based modeling has become an important tool in studying pore-scale flow and transport processes in porous media [Scheibe et al., 2015]. It is also playing an important role in the upscaling study for developing macroscale porous media models. Usually, the pore structure of a porous medium is directly discretized by the voxels obtained from visualization techniques (e.g. micro CT scanning), which can avoid the complex generation of computational mesh. However, this discretization may considerably overestimate the interfacial areas between solid walls and pore spaces. As a result, it could impact the numerical predictions of reactive transport and immiscible two-phase flow. In this work, two types of image-based models are used to study single-phase flow and reactive transport in a porous medium of sintered glass beads. One model is from a well-established voxel-based simulation tool. The other is based on the mixed isogeometric finite cell method [Hoang et al., 2016], which has been implemented in the open source Nutils (http://www.nutils.org). The finite cell method can be used in combination with isogeometric analysis to enable the higher-order discretization of problems on complex volumetric domains. A particularly interesting application of this immersed simulation technique is image-based analysis, where the geometry is smoothly approximated by segmentation of a B-spline level set approximation of scan data [Verhoosel et al., 2015]. Through a number of case studies by the two models, we will show the advantages and disadvantages of each model in modeling single-phase flow and reactive transport in porous media. Particularly, we will highlight the importance of preserving high-resolution interfaces between solid walls and pore spaces in image-based modeling of porous media. References Hoang, T., C. V. Verhoosel, F. Auricchio, E. H. van

Using a Reactive Transport Simulator to Simulate CH4 Production from Bear Island Basin in the Barents Sea Utilizing the Depressurization Method†

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Khadijeh Qorbani

2017-02-01

Full Text Available The enormous amount of methane stored in natural gas hydrates (NGHsworldwide offers a significant potential source of energy. NGHs will be generally unable to reach thermodynamic equilibrium at their in situ reservoir conditions due to the number of active phases involved. Lack of reliable field data makes it difficult to predict the production potential and safety of CH4 production from NGHs. While the computer simulations will never be able to replace field data, one can apply state-of-the-artmodellingtechniquestoevaluateseveralpossiblelong-termscenarios. Realistic kinetic models for hydrate dissociation and reformation will be required, as well as analysis of all phase transition routes. This work utilizes our in-house extension of RetrasoCodeBright (RCB, a reactive transport simulator, to perform a gas hydrate production case study of the Bjørnøya (Bear Island basin, a promising field with very limited geological data reported by available field studies. The use of a reactive transport simulator allowed us to implement non-equilibrium thermodynamics for analysisofCH4 production from the gas hydrates by treating each phase transition involving hydrates as a pseudo reaction. Our results showed a rapid propagation of the pressure drop through the reservoir following the imposition of pressure drawdown at the well. Consequently, gas hydrate dissociation and CH4 production began in the early stages of the five-year simulation period.

Insight into Two ABC Transporter Families Involved in Lantibiotic Resistance

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Rebecca Clemens

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Antimicrobial peptides, which contain (methyl-lanthionine-rings are called lantibiotics. They are produced by several Gram-positive bacteria and are mainly active against these bacteria. Although these are highly potent antimicrobials, some human pathogenic bacteria express specific ABC transporters that confer resistance and counteract their antimicrobial activity. Two distinct ABC transporter families are known to be involved in this process. These are the Cpr- and Bce-type ABC transporter families, named after their involvement in cationic peptide resistance in Clostridium difficile, and bacitracin efflux in Bacillus subtilis, respectively. Both resistance systems differentiate to each other in terms of the proteins involved. Here, we summarize the current knowledge and describe the divergence as well as the common features present in both the systems to confer lantibiotic resistance.

Geophysical monitoring and reactive transport modeling of ureolytically-driven calcium carbonate precipitation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Wu, Y.; Ajo-Franklin, J.B.; Spycher, N.; Hubbard, S.S.; Zhang, G.; Williams, K.H.; Taylor, J.; Fujita, Y.; Smith, R.

2011-07-15

Ureolytically-driven calcium carbonate precipitation is the basis for a promising in-situ remediation method for sequestration of divalent radionuclide and trace metal ions. It has also been proposed for use in geotechnical engineering for soil strengthening applications. Monitoring the occurrence, spatial distribution, and temporal evolution of calcium carbonate precipitation in the subsurface is critical for evaluating the performance of this technology and for developing the predictive models needed for engineering application. In this study, we conducted laboratory column experiments using natural sediment and groundwater to evaluate the utility of geophysical (complex resistivity and seismic) sensing methods, dynamic synchrotron x-ray computed tomography (micro-CT), and reactive transport modeling for tracking ureolytically-driven calcium carbonate precipitation processes under site relevant conditions. Reactive transport modeling with TOUGHREACT successfully simulated the changes of the major chemical components during urea hydrolysis. Even at the relatively low level of urea hydrolysis observed in the experiments, the simulations predicted an enhanced calcium carbonate precipitation rate that was 3-4 times greater than the baseline level. Reactive transport modeling results, geophysical monitoring data and micro-CT imaging correlated well with reaction processes validated by geochemical data. In particular, increases in ionic strength of the pore fluid during urea hydrolysis predicted by geochemical modeling were successfully captured by electrical conductivity measurements and confirmed by geochemical data. The low level of urea hydrolysis and calcium carbonate precipitation suggested by the model and geochemical data was corroborated by minor changes in seismic P-wave velocity measurements and micro-CT imaging; the latter provided direct evidence of sparsely distributed calcium carbonate precipitation. Ion exchange processes promoted through NH{sub 4}{sup

Post Audit of a Field Scale Reactive Transport Model of Uranium at a Former Mill Site

Science.gov (United States)

Curtis, G. P.

2015-12-01

Reactive transport of hexavalent uranium (U(VI)) in a shallow alluvial aquifer at a former uranium mill tailings site near Naturita CO has been monitored for nearly 30 years by the US Department of Energy and the US Geological Survey. Groundwater at the site has high concentrations of chloride, alkalinity and U(VI) as a owing to ore processing at the site from 1941 to 1974. We previously calibrated a multicomponent reactive transport model to data collected at the site from 1986 to 2001. A two dimensional nonreactive transport model used a uniform hydraulic conductivity which was estimated from observed chloride concentrations and tritium helium age dates. A reactive transport model for the 2km long site was developed by including an equilibrium U(VI) surface complexation model calibrated to laboratory data and calcite equilibrium. The calibrated model reproduced both nonreactive tracers as well as the observed U(VI), pH and alkalinity. Forward simulations for the period 2002-2015 conducted with the calibrated model predict significantly faster natural attenuation of U(VI) concentrations than has been observed by the persistent high U(VI) concentrations at the site. Alternative modeling approaches are being evaluating evaluated using recent data to determine if the persistence can be explained by multirate mass transfer models developed from experimental observations at the column scale(~0.2m), the laboratory tank scale (~2m), the field tracer test scale (~1-4m) or geophysical observation scale (~1-5m). Results of this comparison should provide insight into the persistence of U(VI) plumes and improved management options.

Real rock-microfluidic flow cell: A test bed for real-time in situ analysis of flow, transport, and reaction in a subsurface reactive transport environment.

Science.gov (United States)

Singh, Rajveer; Sivaguru, Mayandi; Fried, Glenn A; Fouke, Bruce W; Sanford, Robert A; Carrera, Martin; Werth, Charles J

2017-09-01

Physical, chemical, and biological interactions between groundwater and sedimentary rock directly control the fundamental subsurface properties such as porosity, permeability, and flow. This is true for a variety of subsurface scenarios, ranging from shallow groundwater aquifers to deeply buried hydrocarbon reservoirs. Microfluidic flow cells are now commonly being used to study these processes at the pore scale in simplified pore structures meant to mimic subsurface reservoirs. However, these micromodels are typically fabricated from glass, silicon, or polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS), and are therefore incapable of replicating the geochemical reactivity and complex three-dimensional pore networks present in subsurface lithologies. To address these limitations, we developed a new microfluidic experimental test bed, herein called the Real Rock-Microfluidic Flow Cell (RR-MFC). A porous 500μm-thick real rock sample of the Clair Group sandstone from a subsurface hydrocarbon reservoir of the North Sea was prepared and mounted inside a PDMS microfluidic channel, creating a dynamic flow-through experimental platform for real-time tracking of subsurface reactive transport. Transmitted and reflected microscopy, cathodoluminescence microscopy, Raman spectroscopy, and confocal laser microscopy techniques were used to (1) determine the mineralogy, geochemistry, and pore networks within the sandstone inserted in the RR-MFC, (2) analyze non-reactive tracer breakthrough in two- and (depth-limited) three-dimensions, and (3) characterize multiphase flow. The RR-MFC is the first microfluidic experimental platform that allows direct visualization of flow and transport in the pore space of a real subsurface reservoir rock sample, and holds potential to advance our understandings of reactive transport and other subsurface processes relevant to pollutant transport and cleanup in groundwater, as well as energy recovery. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Reactive transport modelling of biogeochemical processes and carbon isotope geochemistry inside a landfill leachate plume.

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van Breukelen, B.M.; Griffioen, J.; Roling, W.F.M.; van Verseveld, H.W.

2004-01-01

The biogeochemical processes governing leachate attenuation inside a landfill leachate plume (Banisveld, the Netherlands) were revealed and quantified using the 1D reactive transport model PHREEQC-2. Biodegradation of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) was simulated assuming first-order oxidation of two

River networks and ecological corridors: Reactive transport on fractals, migration fronts, hydrochory

Science.gov (United States)

Bertuzzo, E.; Maritan, A.; Gatto, M.; Rodriguez-Iturbe, I.; Rinaldo, A.

2007-04-01

Moving from a recent quantitative model of the US colonization in the 19th century that relies on analytical and numerical results of reactive-diffusive transport on fractal river networks, this paper considers its generalization to include an embedded flow direction which biases transport. We explore the properties of biased reaction-dispersal models, in which the reaction rates are described by a logistic equation. The relevance of the work is related to the prediction of the role of hydrologic controls on invasion processes (of species, populations, propagules, or infective agents, depending on the specifics of reaction and transport) occurring in river basins. Exact solutions are obtained along with general numerical solutions, which are applied to fractal constructs like Peano basins and real rivers. We also explore similarities and departures from different one-dimensional invasion models where a bias is added to both the diffusion and the telegraph equations, considering their respective ecological insight. We find that the geometrical constraints imposed by the fractal networks imply strong corrections on the speed of traveling fronts that can be enhanced or smoothed by the bias. Applications to real river networks show that the chief morphological parameters affecting the front speed are those characterizing the node-to-node distances measured along the network structure. The spatial density and number of reactive sites thus prove to be a vital hydrologic control on invasions. We argue that our solutions, currently tied to the validity of the logistic growth, might be relevant to the general study of species' spreading along ecological corridors defined by the river network structure.

Individual differences in emotion-cognition interactions: Emotional valence interacts with serotonin transporter genotype to influence brain systems involved in emotional reactivity and cognitive control

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Melanie eStollstorff

2013-07-01

Full Text Available The serotonin transporter gene (5-HTTLPR influences emotional reactivity and attentional bias towards or away from emotional stimuli and has been implicated in psychopathological states, such as depression and anxiety disorder. The short allele is associated with increased reactivity and attention towards negatively-valenced emotional information, whereas the long allele is associated with that towards positively-valenced emotional information. The neural basis for individual differences in the ability to exert cognitive control over these bottom-up biases in emotional reactivity and attention is unknown, an issue investigated in the present study. Two groups, homozygous 5-HTTLPR long allele carriers or homozygous short allele carriers, underwent functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI while completing an Emotional Stroop-like task that varied with regards to the congruency of task-relevant and task-irrelevant information and the emotional valence of the task-irrelevant information. Behaviorally, participants demonstrated the classic Stroop effect (slower responses for incongruent than congruent trials, which did not differ by 5-HTTLPR genotype. However, fMRI results revealed that genotype influenced the degree to which neural systems were engaged depending on the valence of the conflicting task-irrelevant information. While the Long group recruited prefrontal control regions and superior temporal sulcus during conflict when task-irrelevant information was positively-valenced, the "Short" group recruited these regions when task-irrelevant information was negatively-valenced. Thus, participants successfully engaged cognitive control to overcome conflict in an emotional context using similar neural circuitry, but the engagement of this circuitry depended on emotional valence and 5-HTTLPR status. These results suggest that the interplay between emotion and cognition is modulated, in part, by a genetic polymorphism that influences serotonin

Serpentinization as a reactive transport process: The brucite silicification reaction

Science.gov (United States)

Tutolo, Benjamin M.; Luhmann, Andrew J.; Tosca, Nicholas J.; Seyfried, William E.

2018-02-01

Serpentinization plays a fundamental role in the biogeochemical and tectonic evolution of the Earth and perhaps many other rocky planetary bodies. Yet, geochemical models still fail to produce accurate predictions of the various modes of serpentinization, which limits our ability to predict a variety of related geological phenomena over many spatial and temporal scales. Here, we use kinetic and reactive transport experiments to parameterize the brucite silicification reaction and provide fundamental constraints on SiO2 transport during serpentinization. We show that, at temperatures characteristic of the sub-seafloor at the serpentinite-hosted Lost City Hydrothermal Field (150 °C), the assembly of Si tetrahedra onto MgOH2 (i.e., brucite) surfaces is a rate-limiting elementary reaction in the production of serpentine and/or talc from olivine. Moreover, this reaction is exponentially dependent on the activity of aqueous silica (a SiO2 (aq)), such that it can be calculated according to the rate law:

Ion transporters involved in acidification of the resorption lacuna in osteoclasts

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Henriksen, K.; Sorensen, M.G.; Jensen, V.K.

2008-01-01

Osteoclasts possess a large amount of ion transporters, which participate in bone resorption; of these, the vacuolar-adenosine trisphosphatase (V-ATPase) and the chloride-proton antiporter ClC-7 acidify the resorption lacuna. However, whether other ion transporters participate in this process is ......, including carbonic anhydrase II, the NHEs, and potassium-chloride cotransporters, are all involved in resorption but do not seem to directly be involved in acidification of the lysosomes Udgivelsesdato: 2008/9......Osteoclasts possess a large amount of ion transporters, which participate in bone resorption; of these, the vacuolar-adenosine trisphosphatase (V-ATPase) and the chloride-proton antiporter ClC-7 acidify the resorption lacuna. However, whether other ion transporters participate in this process...

A reactive transport investigation of a seawater intrusion experiment in a shallow aquifer, Skansehage Denmark

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Christensen, Flemming Damgaard; Engesgaard, Peter Knudegaard; Kipp, K.L.

2001-01-01

Previous investigations on seawater intrusion have mainly focused on either the physical density flow system with transport of a single non-reactive species or focused on the geochemical aspects neglecting density effects. This study focuses on both the geochemical and physical aspects of seawate...

77 FR 53779 - Reports by Air Carriers on Incidents Involving Animals During Air Transport

Science.gov (United States)

2012-09-04

... Involving Animals During Air Transport AGENCY: Office of the Secretary (OST), Department of Transportation... period of an NPRM on the reporting of incidents involving animals during air transport that was published... animal during air transport. The NPRM proposed to: (1) Expand the reporting requirement to U.S. carriers...

Reactivity perturbation formulation for a discontinuous Galerkin-based transport solver and its use with adaptive mesh refinement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Le Tellier, R.; Fournier, D.; Suteau, C.

2011-01-01

Within the framework of a Discontinuous Galerkin spatial approximation of the multigroup discrete ordinates transport equation, we present a generalization of the exact standard perturbation formula that takes into account spatial discretization-induced reactivity changes. It encompasses in two separate contributions the nuclear data-induced reactivity change and the reactivity modification induced by two different spatial discretizations. The two potential uses of such a formulation when considering adaptive mesh refinement are discussed, and numerical results on a simple two-group Cartesian two-dimensional benchmark are provided. In particular, such a formulation is shown to be useful to filter out a more accurate estimate of nuclear data-related reactivity effects from initial and perturbed calculations based on independent adaptation processes. (authors)

Reactive transport modelling of a heating and radiation experiment in the Boom clay (Belgium)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montenegro, L.; Samper, J.; Delgado, J.

2003-01-01

Most countries around the world consider Deep Geological Repositories (DGR) as the most safe option for the final disposal of high level radioactive waste (HLW). DGR is based on adopting a system of multiple barriers between the HLW and the biosphere. Underground laboratories provide information about the behaviour of these barriers at real conditions. Here we present a reactive transport model for the CERBERUS experiment performed at the HADES underground laboratory at Mol (Belgium) in order to characterize the thermal (T), hydrodynamic (H) and geochemical (G) behaviour of the Boon clay. This experiment is unique because it addresses the combined effect of heat and radiation produced by the storage of HLW in a DGR. Reactive transport models which are solved with CORE, are used to perform quantitative predictions of Boom clay thermo-hydro-geochemical (THG) behaviour. Numerical results indicate that heat and radiation cause a slight oxidation near of the radioactive source, pyrite dissolution, a pH decrease and slight changes in the pore water chemical composition of the Boom clay. (Author) 33 refs

Deformation, static recrystallization, and reactive melt transport in shallow subcontinental mantle xenoliths (Tok Cenozoic volcanic field, SE Siberia)

Science.gov (United States)

Tommasi, Andréa; Vauchez, Alain; Ionov, Dmitri A.

2008-07-01

Partial melting and reactive melt transport may change the composition, microstructures, and physical properties of mantle rocks. Here we explore the relations between deformation and reactive melt transport through detailed microstructural analysis and crystallographic orientation measurements in spinel peridotite xenoliths that sample the shallow lithospheric mantle beneath the southeastern rim of the Siberian craton. These xenoliths have coarse-grained, annealed microstructures and show petrographic and chemical evidence for variable degrees of reaction with silicate melts and fluids, notably Fe-enrichment and crystallization of metasomatic clinopyroxene (cpx). Olivine crystal preferred orientations (CPO) range from strong to weak. [010]-fiber patterns, characterized by a point concentration of [010] normal to the foliation and by dispersion of [100] in the foliation plane with a weak maximum parallel to the lineation, predominate relative to the [100]-fiber patterns usually observed in lithospheric mantle xenoliths and peridotite massifs. Variations in olivine CPO patterns or intensity are not correlated with modal and chemical compositions. This, together with the analysis of microstructures, suggests that reactive melt percolation postdated both deformation and static recrystallization. Preferential crystallization of metasomatic cpx along (010) olivine grain boundaries points to an influence of the preexisting deformation fabrics on melt transport, with higher permeability along the foliation. Similarity between orthopyroxene (opx) and cpx CPO suggests that cpx orientations may be inherited from those of opx during melt-rock reaction. As observed in previous studies, reactive melt transport does not weaken olivine CPO and seismic anisotropy in the upper mantle, except in melt accumulation domains. In contrast, recovery and selective grain growth during static recrystallization may lead to development of [010]-fiber olivine CPO and, if foliations are

Involvement of Multiple Transporters-mediated Transports in Mizoribine and Methotrexate Pharmacokinetics

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Teruo Murakami

2012-08-01

Full Text Available Mizoribine is administered orally and excreted into urine without being metabolized. Many research groups have reported a linear relationship between the dose and peak serum concentration, between the dose and AUC, and between AUC and cumulative urinary excretion of mizoribine. In contrast, a significant interindividual variability, with a small intraindividual variability, in oral bioavailability of mizoribine is also reported. The interindividual variability is mostly considered to be due to the polymophisms of transporter genes. Methotrexate (MTX is administered orally and/or by parenteral routes, depending on the dose. Metabolic enzymes and multiple transporters are involved in the pharmacokinetics of MTX. The oral bioavailability of MTX exhibits a marked interindividual variability and saturation with increase in the dose of MTX, with a small intraindividual variability, where the contribution of gene polymophisms of transporters and enzymes is suggested. Therapeutic drug monitoring of both mizoribine and MTX is expected to improve their clinical efficacy in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis.

GAPER-1D, 1-D Multigroup 1. Order Perturbation Transport Theory for Reactivity Coefficient

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Koch, P.K.

1976-01-01

1 - Description of problem or function: Reactivity coefficients are computed using first-order transport perturbation theory for one- dimensional multi-region reactor assemblies. The number of spatial mesh-points and energy groups is arbitrary. An elementary synthesis scheme is employed for treatment of two- and three-dimensional problems. The contributions to the change in inverse multiplication factor, delta(1/k), from perturbations in the individual capture, net fission, total scattering, (n,2n), inelastic scattering, and leakage cross sections are computed. A multi-dimensional prompt neutron lifetime calculation is also available. 2 - Method of solution: Broad group cross sections for the core and perturbing or sample materials are required as input. Scalar neutron fluxes and currents, as computed by SN transport calculations, are then utilized to solve the first-order transport perturbation theory equations. A synthesis scheme is used, along with independent SN calculations in two or three dimensions, to treat a multi- dimensional assembly. Spherical harmonics expansions of the angular fluxes and scattering source terms are used with leakage and anisotropic scattering treated in a P1 approximation. The angular integrations in the perturbation theory equations are performed analytically. Various reactivity coefficients and material worths are then easily computed at specified positions in the assembly. 3 - Restrictions on the complexity of the problem: The formulation of the synthesis scheme used for two- and three-dimensional problems assumes that the fluxes and currents were computed by the DTF4 code (NESC Abstract 209). Therefore, fluxes and currents from two- or three-dimensional transport or diffusion theory codes cannot be used

Modelling of the reactive transport of organic pollutants in ground water; Modellierung des reaktiven Transports organischer Schadstoffe im Grundwasser

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Schaefer, W [Heidelberg Univ. (Germany). Inst. fuer Umweltphysik

1999-07-01

The book describes reactive transport of organic pollutants in ground water and its quantitative monitoring by means of numerical reaction transport models. A brief introduction dealing with the importance of and hazards to ground water and opportunities for making use of ground water models is followed by a more detailed chapter on organic pollutants in ground water. Here the focus is on organochlorine compounds and mineral oil products. Described are propagation mechanisms for these substances in the ground and, especially, their degradability in ground water. A separate chapter is dedicated to possibilities for cleaning up polluted ground water aquifers. The most important decontamination techniques are presented, with special emphasis on in-situ processes with hydraulic components. Moreover, this chapter discusses the self-cleaning capability of aquifers and the benefits of the application of models to ground water cleanup. In the fourth chapter the individual components of reaction transport models are indicated. Here it is, inter alia, differences in the formulation of reaction models as to their complexity, and coupling between suspended matter transport and reaction processes that are dealt with. This chapter ends with a comprehensive survey of literature regarding the application of suspended matter transport models to real ground water accidents. Chapter 5 consists of a description of the capability and principle of function of the reaction transport model TBC (transport biochemism/chemism). This model is used in the two described applications to the reactive transport of organic pollutants in ground water. (orig.) [German] Inhalt des vorliegenden Buches ist die Darstellung des reaktiven Transports organischer Schadstoffe im Grundwasser und dessen quantitative Erfassung mithilfe numerischer Reaktions-Transportmodelle. Auf eine kurze Einleitung zur Bedeutung und Gefaehrdung von Grundwasser und zu den Einsatzmoeglichkeiten von Grundwassermodellen folgt ein

Technical Basis for Peak Reactivity Burnup Credit for BWR Spent Nuclear Fuel in Storage and Transportation Systems

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Marshall, William BJ J [ORNL; Ade, Brian J [ORNL; Bowman, Stephen M [ORNL; Gauld, Ian C [ORNL; Ilas, Germina [ORNL; Mertyurek, Ugur [ORNL; Radulescu, Georgeta [ORNL

2015-01-01

Oak Ridge National Laboratory and the United States Nuclear Regulatory Commission have initiated a multiyear project to investigate application of burnup credit for boiling-water reactor (BWR) fuel in storage and transportation casks. This project includes two phases. The first phase (1) investigates applicability of peak reactivity methods currently used in spent fuel pools (SFPs) to storage and transportation systems and (2) evaluates validation of both reactivity (k_eff) calculations and burnup credit nuclide concentrations within these methods. The second phase will focus on extending burnup credit beyond peak reactivity. This paper documents the first phase, including an analysis of lattice design parameters and depletion effects, as well as both validation components. Initial efforts related to extended burnup credit are discussed in a companion paper. Peak reactivity analyses have been used in criticality analyses for licensing of BWR fuel in SFPs over the last 20 years. These analyses typically combine credit for the gadolinium burnable absorber present in the fuel with a modest amount of burnup credit. Gadolinium burnable absorbers are used in BWR assemblies to control core reactivity. The burnable absorber significantly reduces assembly reactivity at beginning of life, potentially leading to significant increases in assembly reactivity for burnups less than 15–20 GWd/MTU. The reactivity of each fuel lattice is dependent on gadolinium loading. The number of gadolinium-bearing fuel pins lowers initial lattice reactivity, but it has a small impact on the burnup and reactivity of the peak. The gadolinium concentration in each pin has a small impact on initial lattice reactivity but a significant effect on the reactivity of the peak and the burnup at which the peak occurs. The importance of the lattice parameters and depletion conditions are primarily determined by their impact on the gadolinium depletion. Criticality code validation for BWR burnup

Propranolol transport across the inner blood-retinal barrier: potential involvement of a novel organic cation transporter.

Science.gov (United States)

Kubo, Yoshiyuki; Shimizu, Yoshimi; Kusagawa, Yusuke; Akanuma, Shin-Ichi; Hosoya, Ken-Ichi

2013-09-01

The influx transport of propranolol across the inner blood-retinal barrier (BRB) was investigated. In the in vivo analysis of carotid artery single-injection method, [(3) H]propranolol uptake by the retina was greater than that of an internal reference compound, and was reduced by several organic cations. In the in vitro uptake study, TR-iBRB2 cells, an in vitro model of the inner BRB, showed a time-, concentration-, pH- and temperature-dependent [(3) H]propranolol uptake, suggesting the involvement of a carrier-mediated transport process in the influx of propranolol across the inner BRB. In the inhibition study, various organic cations, including drugs and candidates for the treatment of the retinal diseases, inhibited the [(3) H]propranolol uptake by TR-iBRB2 cells with no significant effects by the substrates and inhibitors of well-characterized organic cation transporters, suggesting that the influx transport of propranolol is performed by a novel transporter at the inner BRB. An analysis of the relationship between the inhibitory effect and the lipophilicity of inhibitors suggests a lipophilicity-dependent inhibitory effect of amines on the [(3) H]propranolol uptake by TR-iBRB2 cells. These results showed that influx transport of propranolol across the inner BRB is performed by a carrier-mediated transport process, suggesting the involvement of a novel organic cation transporter. Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

Two-relaxation-time lattice Boltzmann method and its application to advective-diffusive-reactive transport

Science.gov (United States)

Yan, Zhifeng; Yang, Xiaofan; Li, Siliang; Hilpert, Markus

2017-11-01

The lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) based on single-relaxation-time (SRT) or multiple-relaxation-time (MRT) collision operators is widely used in simulating flow and transport phenomena. The LBM based on two-relaxation-time (TRT) collision operators possesses strengths from the SRT and MRT LBMs, such as its simple implementation and good numerical stability, although tedious mathematical derivations and presentations of the TRT LBM hinder its application to a broad range of flow and transport phenomena. This paper describes the TRT LBM clearly and provides a pseudocode for easy implementation. Various transport phenomena were simulated using the TRT LBM to illustrate its applications in subsurface environments. These phenomena include advection-diffusion in uniform flow, Taylor dispersion in a pipe, solute transport in a packed column, reactive transport in uniform flow, and bacterial chemotaxis in porous media. The TRT LBM demonstrated good numerical performance in terms of accuracy and stability in predicting these transport phenomena. Therefore, the TRT LBM is a powerful tool to simulate various geophysical and biogeochemical processes in subsurface environments.

Mineralogy controls on reactive transport of Marcellus Shale waters.

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Zhang; Wen, Hang; Komarneni, Sridhar; Li, Li

2018-07-15

Produced or flowback waters from Marcellus Shale gas extraction (MSWs) typically are highly saline and contain chemicals including trace metals, which pose significant concerns on water quality. The natural attenuation of MSW chemicals in groundwater is poorly understood due to the complex interactions between aquifer minerals and MSWs, limiting our capabilities to monitor and predict. Here we combine flow-through experiments and process-based reactive transport modeling to understand mechanisms and quantify the retention of MSW chemicals in a quartz (Qtz) column, a calcite-rich (Cal) column, and a clay-rich (Vrm, vermiculite) column. These columns were used to represent sand, carbonate, and clay-rich aquifers. Results show that the types and extent of water-rock interactions differ significantly across columns. Although it is generally known that clay-rich media retard chemicals and that quartz media minimize water-rock interactions, results here have revealed insights that differ from previous thoughts. We found that the reaction mechanisms are much more complex than merely sorption and mineral precipitation. In clay rich media, trace metals participate in both ion exchange and mineral precipitation. In fact, the majority of metals (~50-90%) is retained in the solid via mineral precipitation, which is surprising because we typically expect the dominance of sorption in clay-rich aquifers. In the Cal column, trace metals are retained not only through precipitation but also solid solution partitioning, leading to a total of 75-99% retention. Even in the Qtz column, trace metals are retained at unexpectedly high percentages (~20-70%) due to precipitation. The reactive transport model developed here quantitatively differentiates the relative importance of individual processes, and bridges a limited number of experiments to a wide range of natural conditions. This is particularly useful where relatively limited knowledge and data prevent the prediction of complex rock

Mechanisms involved in the transport of mercuric ions in target tissues

Science.gov (United States)

Bridges, Christy C.; Zalups, Rudolfs K.

2016-01-01

Mercury exists in the environment in various forms, all of which pose a risk to human health. Despite guidelines regulating the industrial release of mercury into the environment, humans continue to be exposed regularly to various forms of this metal via inhalation or ingestion. Following exposure, mercuric ions are taken up by and accumulate in numerous organs, including brain, intestine, kidney, liver, and placenta. In order to understand the toxicological effects of exposure to mercury, a thorough understanding of the mechanisms that facilitate entry of mercuric ions into target cells must first be obtained. A number of mechanisms for the transport of mercuric ions into target cells and organs have been proposed in recent years. However, the ability of these mechanisms to transport mercuric ions and the regulatory features of these carriers have not been characterized completely. The purpose of this review is to summarize the current findings related to the mechanisms that may be involved in the transport of inorganic and organic forms of mercury in target tissues and organs. This review will describe mechanisms known to be involved in the transport of mercury and will also propose additional mechanisms that may potentially be involved in the transport of mercuric ions into target cells. PMID:27422290

Digital reactivity meter

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Akkus, B.; Anac, H.; Alsan, S.; Erk, S.

1991-01-01

Nowadays, various digital methods making use of microcomputers for neutron detector signals and determining the reactivity by numerical calculations are used in reactor control systems in place of classical reactivity meters. In this work, a calculation based on the ''The Time Dependent Transport Equation'' has been developed for determining the reactivity numerically. The reactivity values have been obtained utilizing a computer-based data acquisition and control system and compared with the analog reactivity meter values as well as the values calculated from the ''Inhour Equation''

Modelization of reactive transport: application to the dedolomitization (Institut del Ciencies de la Tierr, CSIC, Barcelona (ES))

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ayora, C.; Taberner, C.; Samper, J.

1994-01-01

The replacement of dolomite with calcite (dedolomization) has been analyzed by means of two numerical models of reactive transport. The results of successive calculations under different scenarios have been compared with the observations made on the dedolomites developed on the Triassic strata from Prades (Tarragona, Spain). The model based on the local equilibrium assumption for water-rock interaction does not predict the development of the porosity associated to the replacement. The model based on kinetic laws for mineral dissolution and precipitation does predict the observed proportions of calcite, dolomite and porosity. The result of modeling under kinetic laws is sensitive to parameters such as the flow velocity, the chemical composition of the recharge water and the reactive surface of the minerals. The replacement and associated porosity is only formed for infiltration flows higher than 100 mm/year. The water has a neutral to slightly alkaline pH, far from equilibrium with carbonates and the atmosphere. The calcium concentrations must be one order of magnitude higher the average of surficial waters, probably due to sulfate dissolution. The reactive surface of dolomite has been estimated from a simple geometric model of fractures, whereas that of calcite has been inferred from calculations based on nucleation and crystal growth theory. The reactive surface of calcite appears to be several orders of magnitude lower than that of dolomite, in agreement with what is required for reactive transport calculations to generate porosity. The dedolomization and associated porosity takes place in the first meter of aquifers, whereas downstream the replacement vanishes and does not create porosity

Fringe-controlled biodegradation under dynamic conditions: Quasi 2-D flow-through experiments and reactive-transport modeling

Science.gov (United States)

Eckert, Dominik; Kürzinger, Petra; Bauer, Robert; Griebler, Christian; Cirpka, Olaf A.

2015-01-01

Biodegradation in contaminated aquifers has been shown to be most pronounced at the fringe of contaminant plumes, where mixing of contaminated water and ambient groundwater, containing dissolved electron acceptors, stimulates microbial activity. While physical mixing of contaminant and electron acceptor by transverse dispersion has been shown to be the major bottleneck for biodegradation in steady-state plumes, so far little is known on the effect of flow and transport dynamics (caused, e.g., by a seasonally fluctuating groundwater table) on biodegradation in these systems. Towards this end we performed experiments in quasi-two-dimensional flow-through microcosms on aerobic toluene degradation by Pseudomonas putida F1. Plume dynamics were simulated by vertical alteration of the toluene plume position and experimental results were analyzed by reactive-transport modeling. We found that, even after disappearance of the toluene plume for two weeks, the majority of microorganisms stayed attached to the sediment and regained their full biodegradation potential within two days after reappearance of the toluene plume. Our results underline that besides microbial growth, also maintenance and dormancy are important processes that affect biodegradation performance under transient environmental conditions and therefore deserve increased consideration in future reactive-transport modeling.

Montmorillonite dissolution kinetics: Experimental and reactive transport modeling interpretation

Science.gov (United States)

Cappelli, Chiara; Yokoyama, Shingo; Cama, Jordi; Huertas, F. Javier

2018-04-01

The dissolution kinetics of K-montmorillonite was studied at 25 °C, acidic pH (2-4) and 0.01 M ionic strength by means of well-mixed flow-through experiments. The variations of Si, Al and Mg over time resulted in high releases of Si and Mg and Al deficit, which yielded long periods of incongruent dissolution before reaching stoichiometric steady state. This behavior was caused by simultaneous dissolution of nanoparticles and cation exchange between the interlayer K and released Ca, Mg and Al and H. Since Si was only involved in the dissolution reaction, it was used to calculate steady-state dissolution rates, RSi, over a wide solution saturation state (ΔGr ranged from -5 to -40 kcal mol-1). The effects of pH and the degree of undersaturation (ΔGr) on the K-montmorillonite dissolution rate were determined using RSi. Employing dissolution rates farthest from equilibrium, the catalytic pH effect on the K-montmorillonite dissolution rate was expressed as Rdiss = k·aH0.56±0.05 whereas using all dissolution rates, the ΔGr effect was expressed as a non-linear f(ΔGr) function Rdiss = k · [1 - exp(-3.8 × 10-4 · (|ΔGr|/RT)2.13)] The functionality of this expression is similar to the equations reported for dissolution of Na-montmorillonite at pH 3 and 50 °C (Metz, 2001) and Na-K-Ca-montmorillonite at pH 9 and 80 °C (Cama et al., 2000; Marty et al., 2011), which lends support to the use of a single f(ΔGr) term to calculate the rate over the pH range 0-14. Thus, we propose a rate law that also accounts for the effect of pOH and temperature by using the pOH-rate dependence and the apparent activation energy proposed by Rozalén et al. (2008) and Amram and Ganor (2005), respectively, and normalizing the dissolution rate constant with the edge surface area of the K-montmorillonite. 1D reactive transport simulations of the experimental data were performed using the Crunchflow code (Steefel et al., 2015) to quantitatively interpret the evolution of the released cations

Reactive transport modeling of interaction processes between clay stone and cement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Windt, L. de; van der Lee, J.; Pellegrini, D.

2001-01-01

The disposal of radioactive wastes in clayey formations may require the use of large amounts of concrete and cement. The chemical interactions between these industrial materials and the host rock are modeled with the reactive transport code HYTEC for time scales and a geometry representative of disposal projects. The pH evolution, a key parameter in element mobility, is studied more specifically. It depends on several interdependent processes: i) diffusion of highly alkaline cement pore solution, ii) strong buffering related to important mineral transformations both in the cement and in the clay, and iii) cation exchange processes, beyond the zone of intense mineral transformations. In addition, precipitation of secondary minerals may lead to a partial or complete clogging of the pore space, almost stopping the propagation of the high pH plume. In a second step, preliminary results on the migration of strontium and uranium in these strongly coupled systems are presented as an example of transport parameter derivation. (authors)

Genetic moderation of the association between adolescent romantic involvement and depression: Contributions of serotonin transporter gene polymorphism, chronic stress, and family discord.

Science.gov (United States)

Starr, Lisa R; Hammen, Constance

2016-05-01

Studies support a link between adolescent romantic involvement and depression. Adolescent romantic relationships may increase depression risk by introducing chronic stress, and genetic vulnerability to stress reactivity/emotion dysregulation may moderate these associations. We tested genetic moderation of longitudinal associations between adolescent romantic involvement and later depressive symptoms by a polymorphism in the serotonin transporter linked polymorphic region gene (5-HTTLPR) and examined contributory roles of chronic stress and family discord. Three hundred eighty-one youth participated at ages 15 and 20. The results indicated that 5-HTTLPR moderated the association between age 15 romantic involvement and age 20 depressive symptoms, with strongest effects for short homozygotes. Conditional process analysis revealed that chronic stress functioned as a moderated mediator of this association, fully accounting for the romantic involvement-depression link among short/short genotypes. Also, romantic involvement predicted later depressive symptoms most strongly among short-allele carriers with high family discord. The results have important implications for understanding the romantic involvement-depression link and the behavioral and emotional correlates of the 5-HTTLPR genotype.

Experimental and Numerical Investigations on Colloid-facilitated Plutonium Reactive Transport in Fractured Tuffaceous Rocks

Science.gov (United States)

Dai, Z.; Wolfsberg, A. V.; Zhu, L.; Reimus, P. W.

2017-12-01

Colloids have the potential to enhance mobility of strongly sorbing radionuclide contaminants in fractured rocks at underground nuclear test sites. This study presents an experimental and numerical investigation of colloid-facilitated plutonium reactive transport in fractured porous media for identifying plutonium sorption/filtration processes. The transport parameters for dispersion, diffusion, sorption, and filtration are estimated with inverse modeling for minimizing the least squares objective function of multicomponent concentration data from multiple transport experiments with the Shuffled Complex Evolution Metropolis (SCEM). Capitalizing on an unplanned experimental artifact that led to colloid formation and migration, we adopt a stepwise strategy to first interpret the data from each experiment separately and then to incorporate multiple experiments simultaneously to identify a suite of plutonium-colloid transport processes. Nonequilibrium or kinetic attachment and detachment of plutonium-colloid in fractures was clearly demonstrated and captured in the inverted modeling parameters along with estimates of the source plutonium fraction that formed plutonium-colloids. The results from this study provide valuable insights for understanding the transport mechanisms and environmental impacts of plutonium in fractured formations and groundwater aquifers.

Effect of chemical degradation on fluxes of reactive compounds – a study with a stochastic Lagrangian transport model

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

J. Rinne

2012-06-01

Full Text Available In the analyses of VOC fluxes measured above plant canopies, one usually assumes the flux above canopy to equal the exchange at the surface. Thus one assumes the chemical degradation to be much slower than the turbulent transport. We used a stochastic Lagrangian transport model in which the chemical degradation was described as first order decay in order to study the effect of the chemical degradation on above canopy fluxes of chemically reactive species. With the model we explored the sensitivity of the ratio of the above canopy flux to the surface emission on several parameters such as chemical lifetime of the compound, friction velocity, stability, and canopy density. Our results show that friction velocity and chemical lifetime affected the loss during transport the most. The canopy density had a significant effect if the chemically reactive compound was emitted from the forest floor. We used the results of the simulations together with oxidant data measured during HUMPPA-COPEC-2010 campaign at a Scots pine site to estimate the effect of the chemistry on fluxes of three typical biogenic VOCs, isoprene, α-pinene, and β-caryophyllene. Of these, the chemical degradation had a major effect on the fluxes of the most reactive species β-caryophyllene, while the fluxes of α-pinene were affected during nighttime. For these two compounds representing the mono- and sesquiterpenes groups, the effect of chemical degradation had also a significant diurnal cycle with the highest chemical loss at night. The different day and night time loss terms need to be accounted for, when measured fluxes of reactive compounds are used to reveal relations between primary emission and environmental parameters.

Transport and Reactivity of Decontaminants to Provide Hazard Mitigation of Chemical Warfare Agents from Materials

Science.gov (United States)

2016-06-01

2013 4. TITLE AND SUBTITLE Transport and Reactivity of Decontaminants to Provide Hazard Mitigation of Chemical Warfare Agents from Materials 5a...directions for future decontamination formulation approaches. 15. SUBJECT TERMS GD HD Decontamination Hazard mitigation VX Chemical warfare agent... DECONTAMINANTS TO PROVIDE HAZARD MITIGATION OF CHEMICAL WARFARE AGENTS FROM MATERIALS 1. INTRODUCTION Decontamination of materials is the

Geometry-coupled reactive fluid transport at the fracture scale -Application to CO 2 geologic storage

KAUST Repository

Kim, Seunghee

2015-08-19

Water acidification follows CO2 injection and leads to reactive fluid transport through pores and rock fractures, with potential implications to reservoirs and wells in CO2 geologic storage and enhanced oil recovery. Kinetic rate laws for dissolution reactions in calcite and anorthite are combined with Navier-Stokes law and advection-diffusion transport to perform geometry-coupled numerical simulations in order to study the evolution of chemical reactions, species concentration and fracture morphology. Results are summarized as a function of two dimensionless parameters: the Damköhler number Da which is the ratio between advection and reaction times, and the transverse Peclet number Pe defined as the ratio between the time for diffusion across the fracture and the time for advection along the fracture. Reactant species are readily consumed near the inlet in a carbonate reservoir when the flow velocity is low (low transverse Peclet number and Da>10-1). At high flow velocities, diffusion fails to homogenize the concentration field across the fracture (high transverse Peclet number Pe>10-1). When the reaction rate is low as in anorthite reservoirs (Da<10-1) reactant species are more readily transported towards the outlet. At a given Peclet number, a lower Damköhler number causes the flow channel to experience a more uniform aperture enlargement along the length of the fracture. When the length-to-aperture ratio is sufficiently large, say l/d>30, the system response resembles the solution for 1-D reactive fluid transport. A decreased length-to-aperture ratio slows the diffusive transport of reactant species to the mineral fracture surface, and analyses of fracture networks must take into consideration both the length and slenderness of individual fractures in addition to Pe and Da numbers.

Geometry-coupled reactive fluid transport at the fracture scale -Application to CO 2 geologic storage

KAUST Repository

Kim, Seunghee; Santamarina, Carlos

2015-01-01

Water acidification follows CO2 injection and leads to reactive fluid transport through pores and rock fractures, with potential implications to reservoirs and wells in CO2 geologic storage and enhanced oil recovery. Kinetic rate laws for dissolution reactions in calcite and anorthite are combined with Navier-Stokes law and advection-diffusion transport to perform geometry-coupled numerical simulations in order to study the evolution of chemical reactions, species concentration and fracture morphology. Results are summarized as a function of two dimensionless parameters: the Damköhler number Da which is the ratio between advection and reaction times, and the transverse Peclet number Pe defined as the ratio between the time for diffusion across the fracture and the time for advection along the fracture. Reactant species are readily consumed near the inlet in a carbonate reservoir when the flow velocity is low (low transverse Peclet number and Da>10-1). At high flow velocities, diffusion fails to homogenize the concentration field across the fracture (high transverse Peclet number Pe>10-1). When the reaction rate is low as in anorthite reservoirs (Da<10-1) reactant species are more readily transported towards the outlet. At a given Peclet number, a lower Damköhler number causes the flow channel to experience a more uniform aperture enlargement along the length of the fracture. When the length-to-aperture ratio is sufficiently large, say l/d>30, the system response resembles the solution for 1-D reactive fluid transport. A decreased length-to-aperture ratio slows the diffusive transport of reactant species to the mineral fracture surface, and analyses of fracture networks must take into consideration both the length and slenderness of individual fractures in addition to Pe and Da numbers.

Integrating surrogate models into subsurface simulation framework allows computation of complex reactive transport scenarios

Science.gov (United States)

De Lucia, Marco; Kempka, Thomas; Jatnieks, Janis; Kühn, Michael

2017-04-01

Reactive transport simulations - where geochemical reactions are coupled with hydrodynamic transport of reactants - are extremely time consuming and suffer from significant numerical issues. Given the high uncertainties inherently associated with the geochemical models, which also constitute the major computational bottleneck, such requirements may seem inappropriate and probably constitute the main limitation for their wide application. A promising way to ease and speed-up such coupled simulations is achievable employing statistical surrogates instead of "full-physics" geochemical models [1]. Data-driven surrogates are reduced models obtained on a set of pre-calculated "full physics" simulations, capturing their principal features while being extremely fast to compute. Model reduction of course comes at price of a precision loss; however, this appears justified in presence of large uncertainties regarding the parametrization of geochemical processes. This contribution illustrates the integration of surrogates into the flexible simulation framework currently being developed by the authors' research group [2]. The high level language of choice for obtaining and dealing with surrogate models is R, which profits from state-of-the-art methods for statistical analysis of large simulations ensembles. A stand-alone advective mass transport module was furthermore developed in order to add such capability to any multiphase finite volume hydrodynamic simulator within the simulation framework. We present 2D and 3D case studies benchmarking the performance of surrogates and "full physics" chemistry in scenarios pertaining the assessment of geological subsurface utilization. [1] Jatnieks, J., De Lucia, M., Dransch, D., Sips, M.: "Data-driven surrogate model approach for improving the performance of reactive transport simulations.", Energy Procedia 97, 2016, p. 447-453. [2] Kempka, T., Nakaten, B., De Lucia, M., Nakaten, N., Otto, C., Pohl, M., Chabab [Tillner], E., Kühn, M

Fringe-controlled biodegradation under dynamic conditions: quasi 2-D flow-through experiments and reactive-transport modeling.

Science.gov (United States)

Eckert, Dominik; Kürzinger, Petra; Bauer, Robert; Griebler, Christian; Cirpka, Olaf A

2015-01-01

Biodegradation in contaminated aquifers has been shown to be most pronounced at the fringe of contaminant plumes, where mixing of contaminated water and ambient groundwater, containing dissolved electron acceptors, stimulates microbial activity. While physical mixing of contaminant and electron acceptor by transverse dispersion has been shown to be the major bottleneck for biodegradation in steady-state plumes, so far little is known on the effect of flow and transport dynamics (caused, e.g., by a seasonally fluctuating groundwater table) on biodegradation in these systems. Towards this end we performed experiments in quasi-two-dimensional flow-through microcosms on aerobic toluene degradation by Pseudomonas putida F1. Plume dynamics were simulated by vertical alteration of the toluene plume position and experimental results were analyzed by reactive-transport modeling. We found that, even after disappearance of the toluene plume for two weeks, the majority of microorganisms stayed attached to the sediment and regained their full biodegradation potential within two days after reappearance of the toluene plume. Our results underline that besides microbial growth, also maintenance and dormancy are important processes that affect biodegradation performance under transient environmental conditions and therefore deserve increased consideration in future reactive-transport modeling. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Long-term reactive transport modelling of stabilized/solidified waste: from dynamic leaching tests to disposal scenarios

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Windt, Laurent de [Ecole des Mines de Paris, CG-Hydrodynamics and Reaction Group, 35 R. St-Honore, 77300 Fontainebleau (France)]. E-mail: laurent.dewindt@ensmp.fr; Badreddine, Rabia [INERIS, Direction des Risques Chroniques, Unite Dechets et Sites Pollues, Parc Technologique Alata BP 2, 60550 Verneuil-en-Halatte (France); Lagneau, Vincent [Ecole des Mines de Paris, CG-Hydrodynamics and Reaction Group, 35 R. St-Honore, 77300 Fontainebleau (France)

2007-01-31

Environmental impact assessment of hazardous waste disposal relies, among others, on standardized leaching tests characterized by a strong coupling between diffusion and chemical processes. In that respect, this study shows that reactive transport modelling is a useful tool to extrapolate laboratory results to site conditions characterized by lower solution/solid (L/S) ratios, site specific geometry, infiltration, etc. A cement solidified/stabilized (S/S) waste containing lead is investigated as a typical example. The reactive transport model developed in a previous study to simulate the initial state of the waste as well as laboratory batch and dynamic tests is first summarized. Using the same numerical code (HYTEC), this model is then integrated to a simplified waste disposal scenario assuming a defective cover and rain water infiltration. The coupled evolution of the S/S waste chemistry and the pollutant plume migration are modelled assessing the importance of the cracking state of the monolithic waste. The studied configurations correspond to an undamaged and fully sealed system, a few main fractures between undamaged monoliths and, finally, a dense crack-network in the monoliths. The model considers the potential effects of cracking, first the increase of rain water and carbon dioxide infiltration and, secondly, the increase of L/S ratio and reactive surfaces, using either explicit fracture representation or dual porosity approaches.

Mycobacterium tuberculosis Acquires Limited Genetic Diversity in Prolonged Infections, Reactivations and Transmissions Involving Multiple Hosts

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marta Herranz

2018-01-01

Full Text Available Background:Mycobacterium tuberculosis (MTB has limited ability to acquire variability. Analysis of its microevolution might help us to evaluate the pathways followed to acquire greater infective success. Whole-genome sequencing (WGS in the analysis of the transmission of MTB has elucidated the magnitude of variability in MTB. Analysis of transmission currently depends on the identification of clusters, according to the threshold of variability (<5 SNPs between isolates.Objective: We evaluated whether the acquisition of variability in MTB, was more frequent in situations which could favor it, namely intrapatient, prolonged infections or reactivations and interpatient transmissions involving multiple sequential hosts.Methods: We used WGS to analyze the accumulation of variability in sequential isolates from prolonged infections or translations from latency to reactivation. We then measured microevolution in transmission clusters with prolonged transmission time, high number of involved cases, simultaneous involvement of latency and active transmission.Results: Intrapatient and interpatient acquisition of variability was limited, within the ranges expected according to the thresholds of variability proposed, even though bursts of variability were observed.Conclusions: The thresholds of variability proposed for MTB seem to be valid in most circumstances, including those theoretically favoring acquisition of variability. Our data point to multifactorial modulation of microevolution, although further studies are necessary to elucidate the factors underlying this modulation.

14 CFR 234.13 - Reports by air carriers on incidents involving animals during air transport.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... involving animals during air transport. 234.13 Section 234.13 Aeronautics and Space OFFICE OF THE SECRETARY... REPORTS § 234.13 Reports by air carriers on incidents involving animals during air transport. (a) Any air... during air transport provided by the air carrier. (b) The report shall be made in the form and manner set...

Towards a realistic approach to validation of reactive transport models for performance assessment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siegel, M.D.

1993-01-01

Performance assessment calculations are based on geochemical models that assume that interactions among radionuclides, rocks and groundwaters under natural conditions, can be estimated or bound by data obtained from laboratory-scale studies. The data include radionuclide distribution coefficients, measured in saturated batch systems of powdered rocks, and retardation factors measured in short-term column experiments. Traditional approaches to model validation cannot be applied in a straightforward manner to the simple reactive transport models that use these data. An approach to model validation in support of performance assessment is described in this paper. It is based on a recognition of different levels of model validity and is compatible with the requirements of current regulations for high-level waste disposal. Activities that are being carried out in support of this approach include (1) laboratory and numerical experiments to test the validity of important assumptions inherent in current performance assessment methodologies,(2) integrated transport experiments, and (3) development of a robust coupled reaction/transport code for sensitivity analyses using massively parallel computers

Modeling reactive transport with particle tracking and kernel estimators

Science.gov (United States)

Rahbaralam, Maryam; Fernandez-Garcia, Daniel; Sanchez-Vila, Xavier

2015-04-01

Groundwater reactive transport models are useful to assess and quantify the fate and transport of contaminants in subsurface media and are an essential tool for the analysis of coupled physical, chemical, and biological processes in Earth Systems. Particle Tracking Method (PTM) provides a computationally efficient and adaptable approach to solve the solute transport partial differential equation. On a molecular level, chemical reactions are the result of collisions, combinations, and/or decay of different species. For a well-mixed system, the chem- ical reactions are controlled by the classical thermodynamic rate coefficient. Each of these actions occurs with some probability that is a function of solute concentrations. PTM is based on considering that each particle actually represents a group of molecules. To properly simulate this system, an infinite number of particles is required, which is computationally unfeasible. On the other hand, a finite number of particles lead to a poor-mixed system which is limited by diffusion. Recent works have used this effect to actually model incomplete mix- ing in naturally occurring porous media. In this work, we demonstrate that this effect in most cases should be attributed to a defficient estimation of the concentrations and not to the occurrence of true incomplete mixing processes in porous media. To illustrate this, we show that a Kernel Density Estimation (KDE) of the concentrations can approach the well-mixed solution with a limited number of particles. KDEs provide weighting functions of each particle mass that expands its region of influence, hence providing a wider region for chemical reactions with time. Simulation results show that KDEs are powerful tools to improve state-of-the-art simulations of chemical reactions and indicates that incomplete mixing in diluted systems should be modeled based on alternative conceptual models and not on a limited number of particles.

Emergency response planning and preparedness for transport accidents involving radioactive material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1988-01-01

The purpose of this Guide is to provide assistance to public authorities and others (including consignors and carriers of radioactive materials) who are responsible for ensuring safety in establishing and developing emergency response arrangements for responding effectively to transport accidents involving radioactive materials. This Guide is concerned mainly with the preparation of emergency response plans. It provides information which will assist those countries whose involvement with radioactive materials is just beginning and those which have already developed their industries involving radioactive materials and attendant emergency plans, but may need to review and improve these plans. The need for emergency response plans and the ways in which they are implemented vary from country to country. In each country, the responsible authorities must decide how best to apply this Guide, taking into account the actual shipments and associated hazards. In this Guide the emergency response planning and response philosophy are outlined, including identification of emergency response organizations and emergency services that would be required during a transport accident. General consequences which could prevail during an accident are described taking into account the IAEA Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material. 43 refs, figs and tabs

Hybrid finite-volume/transported PDF method for the simulation of turbulent reactive flows

Science.gov (United States)

Raman, Venkatramanan

A novel computational scheme is formulated for simulating turbulent reactive flows in complex geometries with detailed chemical kinetics. A Probability Density Function (PDF) based method that handles the scalar transport equation is coupled with an existing Finite Volume (FV) Reynolds-Averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS) flow solver. The PDF formulation leads to closed chemical source terms and facilitates the use of detailed chemical mechanisms without approximations. The particle-based PDF scheme is modified to handle complex geometries and grid structures. Grid-independent particle evolution schemes that scale linearly with the problem size are implemented in the Monte-Carlo PDF solver. A novel algorithm, in situ adaptive tabulation (ISAT) is employed to ensure tractability of complex chemistry involving a multitude of species. Several non-reacting test cases are performed to ascertain the efficiency and accuracy of the method. Simulation results from a turbulent jet-diffusion flame case are compared against experimental data. The effect of micromixing model, turbulence model and reaction scheme on flame predictions are discussed extensively. Finally, the method is used to analyze the Dow Chlorination Reactor. Detailed kinetics involving 37 species and 158 reactions as well as a reduced form with 16 species and 21 reactions are used. The effect of inlet configuration on reactor behavior and product distribution is analyzed. Plant-scale reactors exhibit quenching phenomena that cannot be reproduced by conventional simulation methods. The FV-PDF method predicts quenching accurately and provides insight into the dynamics of the reactor near extinction. The accuracy of the fractional time-stepping technique in discussed in the context of apparent multiple-steady states observed in a non-premixed feed configuration of the chlorination reactor.

Strong Coupling between Nanofluidic Transport and Interfacial Chemistry: How Defect Reactivity Controls Liquid-Solid Friction through Hydrogen Bonding.

Science.gov (United States)

Joly, Laurent; Tocci, Gabriele; Merabia, Samy; Michaelides, Angelos

2016-04-07

Defects are inevitably present in nanofluidic systems, yet the role they play in nanofluidic transport remains poorly understood. Here, we report ab initio molecular dynamics (AIMD) simulations of the friction of liquid water on defective graphene and boron nitride sheets. We show that water dissociates at certain defects and that these "reactive" defects lead to much larger friction than the "nonreactive" defects at which water molecules remain intact. Furthermore, we find that friction is extremely sensitive to the chemical structure of reactive defects and to the number of hydrogen bonds they can partake in with the liquid. Finally, we discuss how the insight obtained from AIMD can be used to quantify the influence of defects on friction in nanofluidic devices for water treatment and sustainable energy harvesting. Overall, we provide new insight into the role of interfacial chemistry on nanofluidic transport in real, defective systems.

Reactive transport of CO2-rich fluids in simulated wellbore interfaces : Flow-through experiments on the 1–6 m length scale

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Wolterbeek, Timotheus K.T.; Peach, Colin J.; Raoof, Amir; Spiers, Christopher J.

2016-01-01

Debonding at casing-cement interfaces poses a leakage pathway risk that may compromise well integrity in CO2 storage systems. The present study addresses the effects of long-range, CO2-induced, reactive transport on the conductance of such interfacial pathways. This is done by means of reactive

Modeling reactive transport processes in fractured rock using the time domain random walk approach within a dual-porosity framework

Science.gov (United States)

Roubinet, D.; Russian, A.; Dentz, M.; Gouze, P.

2017-12-01

Characterizing and modeling hydrodynamic reactive transport in fractured rock are critical challenges for various research fields and applications including environmental remediation, geological storage, and energy production. To this end, we consider a recently developed time domain random walk (TDRW) approach, which is adapted to reproduce anomalous transport behaviors and capture heterogeneous structural and physical properties. This method is also very well suited to optimize numerical simulations by memory-shared massive parallelization and provide numerical results at various scales. So far, the TDRW approach has been applied for modeling advective-diffusive transport with mass transfer between mobile and immobile regions and simple (theoretical) reactions in heterogeneous porous media represented as single continuum domains. We extend this approach to dual-continuum representations considering a highly permeable fracture network embedded into a poorly permeable rock matrix with heterogeneous geochemical reactions occurring in both geological structures. The resulting numerical model enables us to extend the range of the modeled heterogeneity scales with an accurate representation of solute transport processes and no assumption on the Fickianity of these processes. The proposed model is compared to existing particle-based methods that are usually used to model reactive transport in fractured rocks assuming a homogeneous surrounding matrix, and is used to evaluate the impact of the matrix heterogeneity on the apparent reaction rates for different 2D and 3D simple-to-complex fracture network configurations.

Effects of Reactive Oxygen Species on Tubular Transport along the Nephron.

Science.gov (United States)

Gonzalez-Vicente, Agustin; Garvin, Jeffrey L

2017-03-23

Reactive oxygen species (ROS) are oxygen-containing molecules naturally occurring in both inorganic and biological chemical systems. Due to their high reactivity and potentially damaging effects to biomolecules, cells express a battery of enzymes to rapidly metabolize them to innocuous intermediaries. Initially, ROS were considered by biologists as dangerous byproducts of respiration capable of causing oxidative stress, a condition in which overproduction of ROS leads to a reduction in protective molecules and enzymes and consequent damage to lipids, proteins, and DNA. In fact, ROS are used by immune systems to kill virus and bacteria, causing inflammation and local tissue damage. Today, we know that the functions of ROS are not so limited, and that they also act as signaling molecules mediating processes as diverse as gene expression, mechanosensation, and epithelial transport. In the kidney, ROS such as nitric oxide (NO), superoxide (O₂ - ), and their derivative molecules hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) and peroxynitrite (ONO₂ - ) regulate solute and water reabsorption, which is vital to maintain electrolyte homeostasis and extracellular fluid volume. This article reviews the effects of NO, O₂ - , ONO₂ - , and H₂O₂ on water and electrolyte reabsorption in proximal tubules, thick ascending limbs, and collecting ducts, and the effects of NO and O₂ - in the macula densa on tubuloglomerular feedback.

Integrated Transport Planning Framework Involving Combined Utility Regret Approach

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Wang, Yang; Monzon, Andres; Di Ciommo, Floridea

2014-01-01

Sustainable transport planning requires an integrated approach involving strategic planning, impact analysis, and multicriteria evaluation. This study aimed at relaxing the utility-based decision-making assumption by newly embedding anticipated-regret and combined utility regret decision mechanisms...... in a framework for integrated transport planning. The framework consisted of a two-round Delphi survey, integrated land use and transport model for Madrid, and multicriteria analysis. Results show that (a) the regret-based ranking has a similar mean but larger variance than the utility-based ranking does, (b......) the least-regret scenario forms a compromise between the desired and the expected scenarios, (c) the least-regret scenario can lead to higher user benefits in the short term and lower user benefits in the long term, (d) the utility-based, the regret-based, and the combined utility- and regret...

First response to transportation emergencies involving radioactive materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1994-01-01

This FEMA/DOE/DOT videocourse describes the basis for procedures to be used by emergency first responders for transportation accidents which involve radioactive materials. Various commercial and government sector radioactive materials shipment programs will be described and will include information about hazards and the elements of safety, proper first response actions, notification procedures, and state or federal assistance during emergencies. Primary audience: fire service and emergency management personnel

Mitochondrial electron transport chain is involved in microcystin-RR induced tobacco BY-2 cells apoptosis.

Science.gov (United States)

Huang, Wenmin; Li, Dunhai; Liu, Yongding

2014-09-01

Microcystin-RR (MC-RR) has been suggested to induce apoptosis in tobacco BY-2 cells through mitochondrial dysfunction including the loss of mitochondrial membrane potential (ΔΨm). To further elucidate the mechanisms involved in MC-RR induced apoptosis in tobacco BY-2 cells, we have investigated the role of mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC) as a potential source for reactive oxygen species (ROS). Tobacco BY-2 cells after exposure to MC-RR (60mg/L) displayed apoptotic changes in association with an increased production of ROS and loss of ΔΨm. All of these adverse effects were significantly attenuated by ETC inhibitors including Rotenone (2μmol/L, complex I inhibitor) and antimycin A (0.01μmol/L, complex III inhibitor), but not by thenoyltrifluoroacetone (5μmol/L, complex II inhibitor). These results suggest that mitochondrial ETC plays a key role in mediating MC-RR induced apoptosis in tobacco BY-2 cells through an increased mitochondrial production of ROS. Copyright © 2014. Published by Elsevier B.V.

Efficient modeling of reactive transport phenomena by a multispecies random walk coupled to chemical equilibrium

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pfingsten, W.

1996-01-01

Safety assessments for radioactive waste repositories require a detailed knowledge of physical, chemical, hydrological, and geological processes for long time spans. In the past, individual models for hydraulics, transport, or geochemical processes were developed more or less separately to great sophistication for the individual processes. Such processes are especially important in the near field of a waste repository. Attempts have been made to couple at least two individual processes to get a more adequate description of geochemical systems. These models are called coupled codes; they couple predominantly a multicomponent transport model with a chemical reaction model. Here reactive transport is modeled by the sequentially coupled code MCOTAC that couples one-dimensional advective, dispersive, and diffusive transport with chemical equilibrium complexation and precipitation/dissolution reactions in a porous medium. Transport, described by a random walk of multispecies particles, and chemical equilibrium calculations are solved separately, coupled only by an exchange term. The modular-structured code was applied to incongruent dissolution of hydrated silicate gels, to movement of multiple solid front systems, and to an artificial, numerically difficult heterogeneous redox problem. These applications show promising features with respect to applicability to relevant problems and possibilities of extensions

A Green's function method for two-dimensional reactive solute transport in a parallel fracture-matrix system

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Kewei; Zhan, Hongbin

2018-06-01

The reactive solute transport in a single fracture bounded by upper and lower matrixes is a classical problem that captures the dominant factors affecting transport behavior beyond pore scale. A parallel fracture-matrix system which considers the interaction among multiple paralleled fractures is an extension to a single fracture-matrix system. The existing analytical or semi-analytical solution for solute transport in a parallel fracture-matrix simplifies the problem to various degrees, such as neglecting the transverse dispersion in the fracture and/or the longitudinal diffusion in the matrix. The difficulty of solving the full two-dimensional (2-D) problem lies in the calculation of the mass exchange between the fracture and matrix. In this study, we propose an innovative Green's function approach to address the 2-D reactive solute transport in a parallel fracture-matrix system. The flux at the interface is calculated numerically. It is found that the transverse dispersion in the fracture can be safely neglected due to the small scale of fracture aperture. However, neglecting the longitudinal matrix diffusion would overestimate the concentration profile near the solute entrance face and underestimate the concentration profile at the far side. The error caused by neglecting the longitudinal matrix diffusion decreases with increasing Peclet number. The longitudinal matrix diffusion does not have obvious influence on the concentration profile in long-term. The developed model is applied to a non-aqueous-phase-liquid (DNAPL) contamination field case in New Haven Arkose of Connecticut in USA to estimate the Trichloroethylene (TCE) behavior over 40 years. The ratio of TCE mass stored in the matrix and the injected TCE mass increases above 90% in less than 10 years.

Multi-phase reactive transport theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lichtner, P.C.

1995-07-01

Physicochemical processes in the near-field region of a high-level waste repository may involve a diverse set of phenomena including flow of liquid and gas, gaseous diffusion, and chemical reaction of the host rock with aqueous solutions at elevated temperatures. This report develops some of the formalism for describing simultaneous multicomponent solute and heat transport in a two-phase system for partially saturated porous media. Diffusion of gaseous species is described using the Dusty Gas Model which provides for simultaneous Knudsen and Fickian diffusion in addition to Darcy flow. A new form of the Dusty Gas Model equations is derived for binary diffusion which separates the total diffusive flux into segregative and nonsegregative components. Migration of a wetting front is analyzed using the quasi-stationary state approximation to the Richards' equation. Heat-pipe phenomena are investigated for both gravity- and capillary-driven reflux of liquid water. An expression for the burnout permeability is derived for a gravity-driven heat-pipe. Finally an estimate is given for the change in porosity and permeability due to mineral dissolution which could occur in the region of condensate formation in a heat-pipe

Biogeochemical Reactive Transport Model of the Redox Zone Experiment of the sp Hard Rock Laboratory in Sweden

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Molinero-Huguet, Jorge; Samper-Calvete, F. Javier; Zhang, Guoxiang; Yang, Changbing

2004-01-01

Underground facilities are being operated by several countries around the world for performing research and demonstration of the safety of deep radioactive waste repositories. The ''sp'' Hard Rock Laboratory is one such facility launched and operated by the Swedish Nuclear Fuel and Waste Management Company where various in situ experiments have been performed in fractured granites. One such experiment is the redox zone experiment, which aimed at evaluating the effects of the construction of an access tunnel on the hydrochemical conditions of a fracture zone. Dilution of the initially saline groundwater by fresh recharge water is the dominant process controlling the hydrochemical evolution of most chemical species, except for bicarbonate and sulfate, which unexpectedly increase with time. We present a numerical model of water flow, reactive transport, and microbial processes for the redox zone experiment. This model provides a plausible quantitatively based explanation for the unexpected evolution of bicarbonate and sulfate, reproduces the breakthrough curves of other reactive species, and is consistent with previous hydrogeological and solute transport models

Public transport risk assessment through fault tree analysis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Z. Yaghoubpour

2016-04-01

Full Text Available This study focused on the public transport risk assessment in District one of ​​Tehran through Fault Tree Analysis involving the three criteria of human, vehicle and road in Haddon matrix. In fact, it examined the factors contributing to the occurrence of road accidents at several urban black spots within District 1. Relying on road safety checklists and survey of experts, this study made an effort to help urban managers to assess the risks in the public transport and prevent road accidents. Finally, the risk identification and assessment of public transport in District one yielded several results to answer the research questions. The hypotheses analysis suggested that safety issues involved in public transport are concerned by urban managers. The key reactive measures are investigation of accidents, identification of causes and correction of black spots. In addition to high costs, however, the reactive measures give rise to multiple operational problems such as traffic navigation and guaranteeing user safety in every operation. The case study highlighted the same fact. The macro-level management in the metropolis of Tehran is critical. The urban road casualties and losses can be curtailed by preventive measures such as continuous assessment of road safety.

Reactive transport modelling to infer changes in soil hydraulic properties induced by non-conventional water irrigation

Science.gov (United States)

Valdes-Abellan, Javier; Jiménez-Martínez, Joaquín; Candela, Lucila; Jacques, Diederik; Kohfahl, Claus; Tamoh, Karim

2017-06-01

The use of non-conventional water (e.g., treated wastewater, desalinated water) for different purposes is increasing in many water scarce regions of the world. Its use for irrigation may have potential drawbacks, because of mineral dissolution/precipitation processes, such as changes in soil physical and hydraulic properties (e.g., porosity, permeability), modifying infiltration and aquifer recharge processes or blocking root growth. Prediction of soil and groundwater impacts is essential for achieving sustainable agricultural practices. A numerical model to solve unsaturated water flow and non-isothermal multicomponent reactive transport has been modified implementing the spatio-temporal evolution of soil physical and hydraulic properties. A long-term process simulation (30 years) of agricultural irrigation with desalinated water, based on a calibrated/validated 1D numerical model in a semi-arid region, is presented. Different scenarios conditioning reactive transport (i.e., rainwater irrigation, lack of gypsum in the soil profile, and lower partial pressure of CO2 (pCO2)) have also been considered. Results show that although boundary conditions and mineral soil composition highly influence the reactive processes, dissolution/precipitation of carbonate species is triggered mainly by pCO2, closely related to plant roots. Calcite dissolution occurs in the root zone, precipitation takes place under it and at the soil surface, which will lead a root growth blockage and a direct soil evaporation decrease, respectively. For the studied soil, a gypsum dissolution up to 40 cm depth is expected at long-term, with a general increase of porosity and hydraulic conductivity.

Flow and nutrient dynamics in a subterranean estuary (Waquoit Bay, MA, USA) : Field data and reactive transport modeling

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Spiteri, C.; Slomp, C.P.; Charette, M.A.; Tuncay, K.; Meile, C.

2008-01-01

A two-dimensional (2D) reactive transport model is used to investigate the controls on nutrient (NO3-, NH4+, PO4) dynamics in a coastal aquifer. The model couples density-dependent flow to a reaction network which includes oxic degradation of organic matter, denitrification, iron oxide reduction,

Reactive transport model and apparent Kd of Ni in the near field of a HLW repository in granite

Science.gov (United States)

Lu, Chuanhe; Samper, Javier; Luis Cormenzana, José; Ma, Hongyun; Montenegro, Luis; Ángel Cuñado, Miguel

2012-12-01

Current performance assessment models for radionuclide migration through the near field of high-level radioactive waste repositories often rely on the assumption of a constant Kd for sorption. The validity of such assumption is evaluated here with a reactive transport model for Ni2+ in the near field of a repository in granite. Model results show that Ni2+ sorbs mainly by surface complexation on weak sorption sites. The apparent Kd of Ni2+, Kda, depends on the concentration of dissolved Ni and pH and is constant only when the concentration of dissolved Ni is smaller than 10-6 mol/L. The results of the sensitivity runs show that Kda is sensitive to the water flux at the bentonite-granite interface, the effective diffusion of the bentonite and the concentration of weak sorption sites of the bentonite. The competition of other nuclides such as Cs+ on Ni2+ sorption is not important. Corrosion products, however, affect significantly the sorption of Ni2+ on the bentonite. The model with a constant Kd does not reproduce the release rates of Ni2+ from the bentonite into the granite. A model with a variable Kd which depends on the concentration of dissolved Ni2+ and pH may provide an acceptable surrogate of the multicomponent reactive transport model for the conditions of the repository considered in our model. Simulations using the Kd-approach were performed with GoldSim based on the interpolation in the pH and concentration table, while the reactive transport model simulations were performed with CORE2D which incorporates multisite surface complexation.

Considering a Threshold Energy in Reactive Transport Modeling of Microbially Mediated Redox Reactions in an Arsenic-Affected Aquifer

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Marco Rotiroti

2018-01-01

Full Text Available The reductive dissolution of Fe-oxide driven by organic matter oxidation is the primary mechanism accepted for As mobilization in several alluvial aquifers. These processes are often mediated by microorganisms that require a minimum Gibbs energy available to conduct the reaction in order to sustain their life functions. Implementing this threshold energy in reactive transport modeling is rarely used in the existing literature. This work presents a 1D reactive transport modeling of As mobilization by the reductive dissolution of Fe-oxide and subsequent immobilization by co-precipitation in iron sulfides considering a threshold energy for the following terminal electron accepting processes: (a Fe-oxide reduction, (b sulfate reduction, and (c methanogenesis. The model is then extended by implementing a threshold energy on both reaction directions for the redox reaction pairs Fe(III reduction/Fe(II oxidation and methanogenesis/methane oxidation. The optimal threshold energy fitted in 4.50, 3.76, and 1.60 kJ/mol e− for sulfate reduction, Fe(III reduction/Fe(II oxidation, and methanogenesis/methane oxidation, respectively. The use of models implementing bidirectional threshold energy is needed when a redox reaction pair can be transported between domains with different redox potentials. This may often occur in 2D or 3D simulations.

Residence-time framework for modeling multicomponent reactive transport in stream hyporheic zones

Science.gov (United States)

Painter, S. L.; Coon, E. T.; Brooks, S. C.

2017-12-01

Process-based models for transport and transformation of nutrients and contaminants in streams require tractable representations of solute exchange between the stream channel and biogeochemically active hyporheic zones. Residence-time based formulations provide an alternative to detailed three-dimensional simulations and have had good success in representing hyporheic exchange of non-reacting solutes. We extend the residence-time formulation for hyporheic transport to accommodate general multicomponent reactive transport. To that end, the integro-differential form of previous residence time models is replaced by an equivalent formulation based on a one-dimensional advection dispersion equation along the channel coupled at each channel location to a one-dimensional transport model in Lagrangian travel-time form. With the channel discretized for numerical solution, the associated Lagrangian model becomes a subgrid model representing an ensemble of streamlines that are diverted into the hyporheic zone before returning to the channel. In contrast to the previous integro-differential forms of the residence-time based models, the hyporheic flowpaths have semi-explicit spatial representation (parameterized by travel time), thus allowing coupling to general biogeochemical models. The approach has been implemented as a stream-corridor subgrid model in the open-source integrated surface/subsurface modeling software ATS. We use bedform-driven flow coupled to a biogeochemical model with explicit microbial biomass dynamics as an example to show that the subgrid representation is able to represent redox zonation in sediments and resulting effects on metal biogeochemical dynamics in a tractable manner that can be scaled to reach scales.

Reactive transport impacts on recovered freshwater quality during multiple partially penetrating wells (MPPW-)ASR in a brackish heterogeneous aquifer

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zuurbier, Koen G.; Hartog, Niels; Stuyfzand, Pieter J.

The use of multiple partially penetrating wells (MPPW) during aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) in brackish aquifers can significantly improve the recovery efficiency (RE) of unmixed injected water. The water quality changes by reactive transport processes in a field MPPW-ASR system and their

Planning and Preparing for Emergency Response to Transport Accidents Involving Radioactive Material. Safety Guide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2009-01-01

This Safety Guide provides guidance on various aspects of emergency planning and preparedness for dealing effectively and safely with transport accidents involving radioactive material, including the assignment of responsibilities. It reflects the requirements specified in Safety Standards Series No. TS-R-1, Regulations for the Safe Transport of Radioactive Material, and those of Safety Series No. 115, International Basic Safety Standards for Protection against Ionizing Radiation and for the Safety of Radiation Sources. Contents: 1. Introduction; 2. Framework for planning and preparing for response to accidents in the transport of radioactive material; 3. Responsibilities for planning and preparing for response to accidents in the transport of radioactive material; 4. Planning for response to accidents in the transport of radioactive material; 5. Preparing for response to accidents in the transport of radioactive material; Appendix I: Features of the transport regulations influencing emergency response to transport accidents; Appendix II: Preliminary emergency response reference matrix; Appendix III: Guide to suitable instrumentation; Appendix IV: Overview of emergency management for a transport accident involving radioactive material; Appendix V: Examples of response to transport accidents; Appendix VI: Example equipment kit for a radiation protection team; Annex I: Example of guidance on emergency response to carriers; Annex II: Emergency response guide.

Sensitivity Analysis and Parameter Estimation for a Reactive Transport Model of Uranium Bioremediation

Science.gov (United States)

Meyer, P. D.; Yabusaki, S.; Curtis, G. P.; Ye, M.; Fang, Y.

2011-12-01

A three-dimensional, variably-saturated flow and multicomponent biogeochemical reactive transport model of uranium bioremediation was used to generate synthetic data . The 3-D model was based on a field experiment at the U.S. Dept. of Energy Rifle Integrated Field Research Challenge site that used acetate biostimulation of indigenous metal reducing bacteria to catalyze the conversion of aqueous uranium in the +6 oxidation state to immobile solid-associated uranium in the +4 oxidation state. A key assumption in past modeling studies at this site was that a comprehensive reaction network could be developed largely through one-dimensional modeling. Sensitivity analyses and parameter estimation were completed for a 1-D reactive transport model abstracted from the 3-D model to test this assumption, to identify parameters with the greatest potential to contribute to model predictive uncertainty, and to evaluate model structure and data limitations. Results showed that sensitivities of key biogeochemical concentrations varied in space and time, that model nonlinearities and/or parameter interactions have a significant impact on calculated sensitivities, and that the complexity of the model's representation of processes affecting Fe(II) in the system may make it difficult to correctly attribute observed Fe(II) behavior to modeled processes. Non-uniformity of the 3-D simulated groundwater flux and averaging of the 3-D synthetic data for use as calibration targets in the 1-D modeling resulted in systematic errors in the 1-D model parameter estimates and outputs. This occurred despite using the same reaction network for 1-D modeling as used in the data-generating 3-D model. Predictive uncertainty of the 1-D model appeared to be significantly underestimated by linear parameter uncertainty estimates.

Evaluation and Computational Characterization of the Faciliated Transport of Glc Carbon C-1 Oxime Reactivators Across a Blood Brain Barrier Model

Science.gov (United States)

2013-01-01

blood brain barrier (BBB) to reactivate inhibited brain acetylcholinesterase (AChE). We selected glucose (Glc) transporters (GLUT) for this purpose as...Eur. J. Pharm. 332 (1997) 43–52. [4] N.J. Abbott , L. Ronnback, E. Hansson, Astrocyte-endothelial interactions at the blood –brain barrier, Nat. Rev...5a. CONTRACT NUMBER oxime reactivators across a blood brain barrier model 5b. GRANT NUMBER 1.E005.08.WR 5c. PROGRAM ELEMENT NUMBER 6. AUTHOR(S

Study of reactive solutes transport and PAH migration in unsaturated soils

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gujisaite, V.; Simonnot, M.O.; Gujisaite, V.; Morel, J.L.; Ouvrard, S.; Simonnot, M.O.; Gaudet, J.P.

2005-01-01

Experimental studies about solute transport in soil have most of the time been conducted under saturated conditions, whereas studies with unsaturated media are usually limited to hydrodynamic analysis. Those are mainly concerning the prediction of water flow, which is the main vector for the transport of contaminants in soil. Only a few studies have made the link between unsaturated flow and physical, chemical and biological interactions, which are controlling the availability of pollutants. However, the presence of a gaseous phase in soil can modify not only the movement of soil solution, but also chemical interactions and exchanges between soil aggregates and solution. Study of reactive solute transport in the vadose zone seems thus to be a necessary stage to predict contaminant fate in natural soils, for risk assessment as well as for the design of effective processes for the remediation of contaminated soils. This question is the main objective of the present work developed in the frame of our French Scientific Interest Group Industrial Wastelands called 'GISFI' (www.gisfi.prd.fr), based around a scientific and technological project dedicated to acquisition of knowledge for sustainable requalification of degraded sites polluted by past industrial activities. We will focus here on Polycyclic Aromatic Hydrocarbons (PAH), which are among the most widely discussed environmental contaminants because of their toxicity for human health and ecosystems. They are present in large quantities in soils polluted by former industrial activities, especially in relation to the coal extraction, exploitation and treatment. An experimental system has been specifically designed at the laboratory scale to carry out experiments under controlled conditions, with an unsaturated steady-state flow. The first experiments are performed on model soils, in order to investigate unsaturated steady-state flow in relation to interactions mechanisms. We have thus chosen to use a sandy

Communication: Enhanced chemical reactivity of graphene on a Ni(111) substrate

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Ambrosetti, Alberto; Silvestrelli, Pier Luigi [Dipartimento di Fisica e Astronomia, Università di Padova, via Marzolo 8, I–35131 Padova, Italy and DEMOCRITOS National Simulation Center of the Italian Istituto Officina dei Materiali (IOM) of the Italian National Research Council (CNR), Trieste (Italy)

2016-03-21

Due to the unique combination of structural, mechanical, and transport properties, graphene has emerged as an exceptional candidate for catalysis applications. The low chemical reactivity caused by sp{sup 2} hybridization and strongly delocalized π electrons, however, represents a main challenge for straightforward use of graphene in its pristine, free-standing form. Following recent experimental indications, we show that due to charge hybridization, a Ni(111) substrate can enhance the chemical reactivity of graphene, as exemplified by the interaction with the CO molecule. While CO only physisorbs on free-standing graphene, chemisorption of CO involving formation of ethylene dione complexes is predicted in Ni(111)-graphene. Higher chemical reactivity is also suggested in the case of oxidized graphene, opening the way to a simple and efficient control of graphene chemical properties, devoid of complex defect patterning or active metallic structures deposition.

Communication: Enhanced chemical reactivity of graphene on a Ni(111) substrate

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ambrosetti, Alberto; Silvestrelli, Pier Luigi

2016-01-01

Due to the unique combination of structural, mechanical, and transport properties, graphene has emerged as an exceptional candidate for catalysis applications. The low chemical reactivity caused by sp 2 hybridization and strongly delocalized π electrons, however, represents a main challenge for straightforward use of graphene in its pristine, free-standing form. Following recent experimental indications, we show that due to charge hybridization, a Ni(111) substrate can enhance the chemical reactivity of graphene, as exemplified by the interaction with the CO molecule. While CO only physisorbs on free-standing graphene, chemisorption of CO involving formation of ethylene dione complexes is predicted in Ni(111)-graphene. Higher chemical reactivity is also suggested in the case of oxidized graphene, opening the way to a simple and efficient control of graphene chemical properties, devoid of complex defect patterning or active metallic structures deposition.

Reactive transport modeling of nitrogen in Seine River sediments

Science.gov (United States)

Akbarzadeh, Z.; Laverman, A.; Raimonet, M.; Rezanezhad, F.; Van Cappellen, P.

2016-02-01

Biogeochemical processes in sediments have a major impact on the fate and transport of nitrogen (N) in river systems. Organic matter decomposition in bottom sediments releases inorganic N species back to the stream water, while denitrification, anammox and burial of organic matter remove bioavailable N from the aquatic environment. To simulate N cycling in river sediments, a multi-component reactive transport model has been developed in MATLAB®. The model includes 3 pools of particulate organic N, plus pore water nitrate, nitrite, nitrous oxide and ammonium. Special attention is given to the production and consumption of nitrite, a N species often neglected in early diagenetic models. Although nitrite is usually considered to be short-lived, elevated nitrite concentrations have been observed in freshwater streams, raising concerns about possible toxic effects. We applied the model to sediment data sets collected at two locations in the Seine River, one upstream, the other downstream, of the largest wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) of the Paris conurbation. The model is able to reproduce the key features of the observed pore water depth profiles of the different nitrogen species. The modeling results show that the presence of oxygen in the overlying water plays a major role in controlling the exchanges of nitrite between the sediments and the stream water. In August 2012, sediments upstream of the WWTP switch from being a sink to a source of nitrite as the overlying water becomes anoxic. Downstream sediments remain a nitrite sink in oxic and anoxic conditions. Anoxic bottom waters at the upstream location promote denitrification, which produces nitrite, while at the downstream site, anammox and DNRA are important removal processes of nitrite.

Final Report, University of California Merced: Uranium and strontium fate in waste-weathered sediments: Scaling of molecular processes to predict reactive transport (DE-SC0007095)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

O' Day, Peggy Anne [University of California Merced; Chorover, Jon [University of Arizona; Steefel, Carl [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Mueller, Karl [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Um, Wooyong [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States)

2016-06-30

Objectives of the Project: 1. Determine the process coupling that occurs between mineral transformation and contaminant (U and Sr) speciation in acid-uranium waste weathered Hanford sediments. 2. Establish linkages between molecular-scale contaminant speciation and meso-scale contaminant lability, release and reactive transport. 3. Make conjunctive use of molecular- to bench-scale data to constrain the development of a mechanistic, reactive transport model that includes coupling of contaminant sorption-desorption and mineral transformation reactions. Hypotheses Tested: Uranium and strontium speciation in legacy sediments from the U-8 and U-12 Crib sites can be reproduced in bench-scale weathering experiments conducted on unimpacted Hanford sediments from the same formations; Reactive transport modeling of future uranium and strontium releases from the vadose zone of acid-waste weathered sediments can be effectively constrained by combining molecular-scale information on contaminant bonding environment with grain-scale information on contaminant phase partitioning, and meso-scale kinetic data on contaminant release from the waste-weathered porous media; Although field contamination and laboratory experiments differ in their diagenetic time scales (decades for field vs. months to years for lab), sediment dissolution, neophase nucleation, and crystal growth reactions that occur during the initial disequilibrium induced by waste-sediment interaction leave a strong imprint that persists over subsequent longer-term equilibration time scales and, therefore, give rise to long-term memory effects. Enabling Capabilities Developed: Our team developed an iterative measure-model approach that is broadly applicable to elucidate the mechanistic underpinnings of reactive contaminant transport in geomedia subject to active weathering.

Identification and expression analysis of MATE genes involved in flavonoid transport in blueberry plants.

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Li; Liu, Yushan; Liu, Hongdi; Kang, Limin; Geng, Jinman; Gai, Yuzhuo; Ding, Yunlong; Sun, Haiyue; Li, Yadong

2015-01-01

Multidrug and toxic compound extrusion (MATE) proteins are the most recently identified family of multidrug transporters. In plants, this family is remarkably large compared to the human and bacteria counterpart, highlighting the importance of MATE proteins in this kingdom. Here 33 Unigenes annotated as MATE transporters were found in the blueberry fruit transcriptome, of which eight full-length cDNA sequences were identified and cloned. These proteins are composed of 477-517 residues, with molecular masses ~54 kDa, and theoretical isoelectric points from 5.35 to 8.41. Bioinformatics analysis predicted 10-12 putative transmembrane segments for VcMATEs, and localization to the plasma membrane without an N-terminal signal peptide. All blueberry MATE proteins shared 32.1-84.4% identity, among which VcMATE2, VcMATE3, VcMATE5, VcMATE7, VcMATE8, and VcMATE9 were more similar to the MATE-type flavonoid transporters. Phylogenetic analysis showed VcMATE2, VcMATE3, VcMATE5, VcMATE7, VcMATE8 and VcMATE9 clustered with MATE-type flavonoid transporters, indicating that they might be involved in flavonoid transport. VcMATE1 and VcMATE4 may be involved in the transport of secondary metabolites, the detoxification of xenobiotics, or the export of toxic cations. Real-time quantitative PCR demonstrated that the expression profile of the eight VcMATE genes varied spatially and temporally. Analysis of expression and anthocyanin accumulation indicated that there were some correlation between the expression profile and the accumulation of anthocyanins. These results showed VcMATEs might be involved in diverse physiological functions, and anthocyanins across the membranes might be mutually maintained by MATE-type flavonoid transporters and other mechanisms. This study will enrich the MATE-based transport mechanisms of secondary metabolite, and provide a new biotechonology strategy to develop better nutritional blueberry cultivars.

ABC transporters from Aspergillus nidulans are involved in protection against cytotoxic agents and antibiotic production

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Andrade, A.C.; Nistelrooy, van J.G.M.; Peery, R.B.; Skatrud, P.L.; Waard, de M.A.

2000-01-01

This paper describes the characterization of atrC and atrD (ABC transporters C and D), two novel ABC transporter-encoding genes from the filamentous fungus Aspergillus nidulans, and provides evidence for the involvement of atrD in multidrug transport and antibiotic production. BLAST analysis of the

A coupling alternative to reactive transport simulations for long-term prediction of chemical reactions in heterogeneous CO2 storage systems

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

M. De Lucia

2015-02-01

Full Text Available Fully coupled, multi-phase reactive transport simulations of CO2 storage systems can be approximated by a simplified one-way coupling of hydrodynamics and reactive chemistry. The main characteristics of such systems, and hypotheses underlying the proposed alternative coupling, are (i that the presence of CO2 is the only driving force for chemical reactions and (ii that its migration in the reservoir is only marginally affected by immobilisation due to chemical reactions. In the simplified coupling, the exposure time to CO2 of each element of the hydrodynamic grid is estimated by non-reactive simulations and the reaction path of one single batch geochemical model is applied to each grid element during its exposure time. In heterogeneous settings, analytical scaling relationships provide the dependency of velocity and amount of reactions to porosity and gas saturation. The analysis of TOUGHREACT fully coupled reactive transport simulations of CO2 injection in saline aquifer, inspired to the Ketzin pilot site (Germany, both in homogeneous and heterogeneous settings, confirms that the reaction paths predicted by fully coupled simulations in every element of the grid show a high degree of self-similarity. A threshold value for the minimum concentration of dissolved CO2 considered chemically active is shown to mitigate the effects of the discrepancy between dissolved CO2 migration in non-reactive and fully coupled simulations. In real life, the optimal threshold value is unknown and has to be estimated, e.g. by means of 1-D or 2-D simulations, resulting in an uncertainty ultimately due to the process de-coupling. However, such uncertainty is more than acceptable given that the alternative coupling enables using grids of the order of millions of elements, profiting from much better description of heterogeneous reservoirs at a fraction of the calculation time of fully coupled models.

Reactive Transport of Marcellus Shale Waters in Natural Aquifers: the Role of Mineralogical Compositions and Spatial Distribution Patterns

Science.gov (United States)

Cai, Z.; Wen, H.; Li, L.

2017-12-01

Accidental release of Marcellus Shale waters (MSW) can release high concentrations of chemicals that can deteriorate groundwater quality. It is important to understand the reactive transport and fate of chemicals from MSW. Natural aquifers typically have complex mineralogical compositions and are heterogeneous with large spatial variation in terms of physical and geochemical properties. To investigate the effects of mineralogical compositions, flow-through experiments and reactive transport modeling were carried out using 3 large columns (5 cm×50 cm, Quartz, Calcite, and Vermiculite). Results indicate calcite immobilizes heavy metals by precipitation and solid solution partitioning (coprecipitation). Vermiculite retards heavy metals through ion exchange. The sorbed chemicals however slowly release back to the groundwater. Na and Ca transport similarly to Br in Qtz and Cal columns however become sorbed in Vrm column during release through ion exchange by 27.8% and 46.5%, respectively and later slowly release back to aqueous phase. To understand the role of mineral spatial patterns, three 2D flow-cell (40 cm×12 cm×1 cm) experiments were carried out. All flow cells have the same clay mass within quartz matrix but different spatial patterns characterized by the relative length of the clay zone ( 0, ¼, ½) of the domain length (L). Results show that in the uniform column, ion exchange dominates and most Ba sorbs to the solid phase, to an extent Ba cannot precipitate out with SO4 as barite. In 1/2-Zone, however, most Ba precipitates as barite. In 1/4-Zone, both ion exchange and mineral precipitation occur. In general, the 1/2-Zone has the smallest ion exchange capacity for other species including Na, Ca, Mg, K and heavy metals (Mn, Cu, Zn, Cd and Pb) as well. Our flow cell experiment emphasizes the importance of mineral spatial patterns in regulating not only reaction rates but also the type of reactions in controlling the reactive transport of MSW chemicals. The

A framework for risk assessment for maritime transportation systems—A case study for open sea collisions involving RoPax vessels

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Montewka, Jakub; Ehlers, Sören; Goerlandt, Floris; Hinz, Tomasz; Tabri, Kristjan; Kujala, Pentti

2014-01-01

Maritime accidents involving ships carrying passengers may pose a high risk with respect to human casualties. For effective risk mitigation, an insight into the process of risk escalation is needed. This requires a proactive approach when it comes to risk modelling for maritime transportation systems. Most of the existing models are based on historical data on maritime accidents, and thus they can be considered reactive instead of proactive. This paper introduces a systematic, transferable and proactive framework estimating the risk for maritime transportation systems, meeting the requirements stemming from the adopted formal definition of risk. The framework focuses on ship–ship collisions in the open sea, with a RoRo/Passenger ship (RoPax) being considered as the struck ship. First, it covers an identification of the events that follow a collision between two ships in the open sea, and, second, it evaluates the probabilities of these events, concluding by determining the severity of a collision. The risk framework is developed with the use of Bayesian Belief Networks and utilizes a set of analytical methods for the estimation of the risk model parameters. Finally, a case study is presented, in which the risk framework developed here is applied to a maritime transportation system operating in the Gulf of Finland (GoF). The results obtained are compared to the historical data and available models, in which a RoPax was involved in a collision, and good agreement with the available records is found. - Highlights: • A framework for risk analysis and assessment in maritime transportation systems following the formal requirements adopted is presented here. • A Bayesian Belief Network is used, allowing instantaneous propagation of knowledge through the framework. • The uncertainties of the input variables are quantified. • A contribution to a holistic risk model for a selected maritime activity is made. • A set of analytical methods is used to estimate risk

Decision process involved in preparing the Shippingport reactor pressure vessel for transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murphie, W.E.

1989-01-01

The most significant part of the Shippingport Station Decommissioning Project was the one-piece removal and shipment of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV). Implicit in the RPV transport was the task of qualifying the RPV as a waste package acceptable for shipment. Soon after physical decommissioning began on September 1985, questions regarding the packaging certification and transport of the RPV from Shippingport, Pennsylvania to the US Department of Energy (DOE) Hanford Waste Burial Site necessitated reexamination of several planning assumptions. A complete reassessment of the regulatory requirements governing the RPV shipment resulted in a programmatic decision to obtain a type B(U) Certificate of Compliance and abandon the originally planned US Department of Transportation (DOT) low specific activity (LSA) shipment. The decision process resulting in this conclusion was extensive and involved many organizations and agencies. Incidental to this process, several subtle certification issues were identified that required resolution. Some of these issues involved the definition of LSA material for large packages; interpretation and compliance with DOE, DOT and US Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulations for the transport of radioactive material; incorporation of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regulations by the Panama Canal; and DOE policy requiring advance notification to states of radioactive waste shipments. 2 figs

Decision process involved in preparing the Shippingport reactor pressure vessel for transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murphie, W.E.

1990-01-01

The most significant part of the Shippingport Station Decommissioning Project was the one-piece removal and shipment of the reactor pressure vessel (RPV). Implicit in the RPV transport was the task of qualifying the RPV as a waste package acceptable for shipment. Soon after physical decommissioning began on September, 1985, questions regarding the packaging certification and transport of the RPV from Shippingport, Pennsylvania to the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) Hanford waste burial site necessitated reexamination of several planning assumptions. A complete reassessment of the regulatory requirements governing the RPV shipment resulting in a programmatic decision to obtain a Type B(U) Certification of Compliance and abandon the originally planned U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) low specific activity (LSA) shipment. The decision process resulting in this conclusion was extensive and involved many organizations and agencies. Incidental to this process, several subtle certification issues were identified that required resolution. Some of these issues involved the definition of LSA material for large packages; interpretation and compliance with DOE, DOT and U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) regulations for the transport of radioactive material; incorporation of the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) regulations by the Panama Canal; and DOE policy requiring advance notification to states of radioactive waste shipments

Investigating Natural Analogues for Co{sub 2} Sequestration in Ultra Mafic Rocks: A Reactive Transport Modelling Approach

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Gherardi, F. [Istituto di Geoscienze e Georisorse, Consiglio Nazionale delle Ricerche, Pisa (Italy)

2013-07-15

Serpentinites of Ligurian ophiolites are studied as natural analogues for CO{sub 2} mineral sequestration in Italy. Mineralogical and geochemical observations indicate that silicification and carbonation are typical alteration processes induced by the interaction of CO{sub 2} charged fluids with pristine ultramafic rocks. Multicomponent reactive transport models have been applied to reproduce natural patterns and investigate carbon sequestration efficiency under high P{sub CO2} conditions. Temporal changes in porosity and permeability are predicted to affect the spatial and temporal occurrence of secondary minerals. The feedback between mineralogical transformations and transport properties of the geological media emerges as a key factor controlling the mineral carbonation potential of the investigated ultramafic rocks. (author)

Reactive Transport Analysis of Fault 'Self-sealing' Associated with CO2 Storage

Science.gov (United States)

Patil, V.; McPherson, B. J. O. L.; Priewisch, A.; Franz, R. J.

2014-12-01

We present an extensive hydrologic and reactive transport analysis of the Little Grand Wash fault zone (LGWF), a natural analog of fault-associated leakage from an engineered CO2 repository. Injecting anthropogenic CO2 into the subsurface is suggested for climate change mitigation. However, leakage of CO2 from its target storage formation into unintended areas is considered as a major risk involved in CO2 sequestration. In the event of leakage, permeability in leakage pathways like faults may get sealed (reduced) due to precipitation or enhanced (increased) due to dissolution reactions induced by CO2-enriched water, thus influencing migration and fate of the CO2. We hypothesize that faults which act as leakage pathways can seal over time in presence of CO2-enriched waters. An example of such a fault 'self-sealing' is found in the LGWF near Green River, Utah in the Paradox basin, where fault outcrop shows surface and sub-surface fractures filled with calcium carbonate (CaCO3). The LGWF cuts through multiple reservoirs and seal layers piercing a reservoir of naturally occurring CO2, allowing it to leak into overlying aquifers. As the CO2-charged water from shallower aquifers migrates towards atmosphere, a decrease in pCO2 leads to supersaturation of water with respect to CaCO3, which precipitates in the fractures of the fault damage zone. In order to test the nature, extent and time-frame of the fault sealing, we developed reactive flow simulations of the LGWF. Model parameters were chosen based on hydrologic measurements from literature. Model geochemistry was constrained by water analysis of the adjacent Crystal Geyser and observations from a scientific drilling test conducted at the site. Precipitation of calcite in the top portion of the fault model led to a decrease in the porosity value of the damage zone, while clay precipitation led to a decrease in the porosity value of the fault core. We found that the results were sensitive to the fault architecture

Measurement and modelling of reactive transport in geological barriers for nuclear waste containment.

Science.gov (United States)

Xiong, Qingrong; Joseph, Claudia; Schmeide, Katja; Jivkov, Andrey P

2015-11-11

Compacted clays are considered as excellent candidates for barriers to radionuclide transport in future repositories for nuclear waste due to their very low hydraulic permeability. Diffusion is the dominant transport mechanism, controlled by a nano-scale pore system. Assessment of the clays' long-term containment function requires adequate modelling of such pore systems and their evolution. Existing characterisation techniques do not provide complete pore space information for effective modelling, such as pore and throat size distributions and connectivity. Special network models for reactive transport are proposed here using the complimentary character of the pore space and the solid phase. This balances the insufficient characterisation information and provides the means for future mechanical-physical-chemical coupling. The anisotropy and heterogeneity of clays is represented using different length parameters and percentage of pores in different directions. Resulting networks are described as mathematical graphs with efficient discrete calculus formulation of transport. Opalinus Clay (OPA) is chosen as an example. Experimental data for the tritiated water (HTO) and U(vi) diffusion through OPA are presented. Calculated diffusion coefficients of HTO and uranium species are within the ranges of the experimentally determined data in different clay directions. This verifies the proposed pore network model and validates that uranium complexes are diffusing as neutral species in OPA. In the case of U(vi) diffusion the method is extended to account for sorption and convection. Rather than changing pore radii by coarse grained mathematical formula, physical sorption is simulated in each pore, which is more accurate and realistic.

Reactive Transport Models with Geomechanics to Mitigate Risks of CO2 Utilization and Storage

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Deo, Milind [Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States); Huang, Hai [Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States); Kweon, Hyukmin [Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States); Guo, Luanjing [Univ. of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT (United States)

2016-03-28

Reactivity of carbon dioxide (CO₂), rocks and brine is important in a number of practical situations in carbon dioxide sequestration. Injectivity of CO₂ will be affected by near wellbore dissolution or precipitation. Natural fractures or faults containing specific minerals may reactivate leading to induced seismicity. In this project, we first examined if the reactions between CO₂, brine and rocks affect the nature of the porous medium and properties including petrophysical properties in the timeframe of the injection operations. This was done by carrying out experiments at sequestration conditions (2000 psi for corefloods and 2400 psi for batch experiments, and 600°C) with three different types of rocks – sandstone, limestone and dolomite. Experiments were performed in batch mode and corefloods were conducted over a two-week period. Batch experiments were performed with samples of differing surface area to understand the impact of surface area on overall reaction rates. Toughreact, a reactive transport model was used to interpret and understand the experimental results. The role of iron in dissolution and precipitation reactions was observed to be significant. Iron containing minerals – siderite and ankerite dissolved resulting in changes in porosity and permeability. Corefloods and batch experiments revealed similar patterns. With the right cationic balance, there is a possibility of precipitation of iron bearing carbonates. The results indicate that during injection operations mineralogical changes may lead to injectivity enhancements near the wellbore and petrophysical changes elsewhere in the system. Limestone and dolomite cores showed consistent dissolution at the entrance of the core. The dissolution led to formation of wormholes and interconnected dissolution zones. Results indicate that near wellbore dissolution in these rock-types may lead to rock failure. Micro-CT images of the cores before and after the experiments

Variably Saturated Flow and Multicomponent Biogeochemical Reactive Transport Modeling of a Uranium Bioremediation Field Experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yabusaki, Steven B.; Fang, Yilin; Williams, Kenneth H.; Murray, Christopher J.; Ward, Anderson L.; Dayvault, Richard; Waichler, Scott R.; Newcomer, Darrell R.; Spane, Frank A.; Long, Philip E.

2011-01-01

Field experiments at a former uranium mill tailings site have identified the potential for stimulating indigenous bacteria to catalyze the conversion of aqueous uranium in the +6 oxidation state to immobile solid-associated uranium in the +4 oxidation state. This effectively removes uranium from solution resulting in groundwater concentrations below actionable standards. Three-dimensional, coupled variably-saturated flow and biogeochemical reactive transport modeling of a 2008 in situ uranium bioremediation field experiment is used to better understand the interplay of transport rates and biogeochemical reaction rates that determine the location and magnitude of key reaction products. A comprehensive reaction network, developed largely through previous 1-D modeling studies, was used to simulate the impacts on uranium behavior of pulsed acetate amendment, seasonal water table variation, spatially-variable physical (hydraulic conductivity, porosity) and geochemical (reactive surface area) material properties. A principal challenge is the mechanistic representation of biologically-mediated terminal electron acceptor process (TEAP) reactions whose products significantly alter geochemical controls on uranium mobility through increases in pH, alkalinity, exchangeable cations, and highly reactive reduction products. In general, these simulations of the 2008 Big Rusty acetate biostimulation field experiment in Rifle, Colorado confirmed previously identified behaviors including (1) initial dominance by iron reducing bacteria that concomitantly reduce aqueous U(VI), (2) sulfate reducing bacteria that become dominant after ∼30 days and outcompete iron reducers for the acetate electron donor, (3) continuing iron-reducer activity and U(VI) bioreduction during dominantly sulfate reducing conditions, and (4) lower apparent U(VI) removal from groundwater during dominantly sulfate reducing conditions. New knowledge on simultaneously active metal and sulfate reducers has been

SKA2 Methylation is Involved in Cortisol Stress Reactivity and Predicts the Development of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) After Military Deployment

OpenAIRE

Boks, Marco P; Rutten, Bart P F; Geuze, Elbert; Houtepen, Lotte C; Vermetten, Eric; Kaminsky, Zachary; Vinkers, Christiaan H

2015-01-01

Genomic variation in the SKA2 gene has recently been identified as a promising suicide biomarker. In light of its role in glucocorticoid receptor transactivation, we investigated whether SKA2 DNA methylation influences cortisol stress reactivity and is involved in the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Increased SKA2 methylation was significantly associated with lower cortisol stress reactivity in 85 healthy individuals exposed to the Trier Social Stress Test (B=?173.40, t=...

Generalization of Wilemski-Fixman-Weiss decoupling approximation to the case involving multiple sinks of different sizes, shapes, and reactivities.

Science.gov (United States)

Uhm, Jesik; Lee, Jinuk; Eun, Changsun; Lee, Sangyoub

2006-08-07

We generalize the Wilemski-Fixman-Weiss decoupling approximation to calculate the transient rate of absorption of point particles into multiple sinks of different sizes, shapes, and reactivities. As an application we consider the case involving two spherical sinks. We obtain a Laplace-transform expression for the transient rate that is in excellent agreement with computer simulations. The long-time steady-state rate has a relatively simple expression, which clearly shows the dependence on the diffusion constant of the particles and on the sizes and reactivities of sinks, and its numerical result is in good agreement with the known exact result that is given in terms of recursion relations.

Diffusive–Dispersive and Reactive Fronts in Porous Media

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Haberer, Christina M.; Muniruzzaman, Muhammad; Grathwohl, Peter

2015-01-01

, across the unsaturated–saturated interface, under both conservative and reactive transport conditions. As reactive system we considered the abiotic oxidation of Fe2+ in the presence of O2. We studied the reaction kinetics in batch experiments and its coupling with diffusive and dispersive transport...... processes by means of one-dimensional columns and two-dimensional flow-through experiments, respectively. A noninvasive optode technique was used to track O2 transport into the initially anoxic porous medium at highly resolved spatial and temporal scales. The results show significant differences...

The importance of parameter variances, correlations lengths, and cross-correlations in reactive transport models: key considerations for assessing the need for microscale information

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Reimus, Paul W [Los Alamos National Laboratory

2010-12-08

A process-oriented modeling approach is implemented to examine the importance of parameter variances, correlation lengths, and especially cross-correlations in contaminant transport predictions over large scales. It is shown that the most important consideration is the correlation between flow rates and retardation processes (e.g., sorption, matrix diffusion) in the system. lf flow rates are negatively correlated with retardation factors in systems containing multiple flow pathways, then characterizing these negative correlation(s) may have more impact on reactive transport modeling than microscale information. Such negative correlations are expected in porous-media systems where permeability is negatively correlated with clay content and rock alteration (which are usually associated with increased sorption). Likewise, negative correlations are expected in fractured rocks where permeability is positively correlated with fracture apertures, which in turn are negatively correlated with sorption and matrix diffusion. Parameter variances and correlation lengths are also shown to have important effects on reactive transport predictions, but they are less important than parameter cross-correlations. Microscale information pertaining to contaminant transport has become more readily available as characterization methods and spectroscopic instrumentation have achieved lower detection limits, greater resolution, and better precision. Obtaining detailed mechanistic insights into contaminant-rock-water interactions is becoming a routine practice in characterizing reactive transport processes in groundwater systems (almost necessary for high-profile publications). Unfortunately, a quantitative link between microscale information and flow and transport parameter distributions or cross-correlations has not yet been established. One reason for this is that quantitative microscale information is difficult to obtain in complex, heterogeneous systems. So simple systems that lack the

Feedback stabilization of electrostatic reactive instabilities

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Richards, R.K.

1976-01-01

A general theory for the feedback stabilization of electrostatic reactive instabilities is developed which includes the effects of dissipation in the plasma and frequency dependence in the sensor-suppressor elements and in the external feedback circuit. This theory is compared to experiments involving particular reactive instability, an interchange mode, found in a magnetic mirror device; these results are found to be in good agreement with theory. One noteworthy result is that a frequency dependence in the overall gain and phase shift of the feedback loop can cause destabilization at large gain. Multimode feedback stabilization is studied using the spatial variation of two interchange modes to separate them such that each can be acted upon individually by the feedback system. The transfer function of the plasma is also examined. This analysis is used for mode identification and location of the pole positions. As an example of using feedback as a diagnostic tool, instability induced transport is studied. Here feedback is used to control the amplitude of fluctuations at saturation

Emergency response planning for transport accidents involving radioactive materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

1982-03-01

The document presents a basic discussion of the various aspects and philosophies of emergency planning and preparedness along with a consideration of the problems which might be encountered in a transportation accident involving a release of radioactive materials. Readers who are responsible for preparing emergency plans and procedures will have to decide on how best to apply this guidance to their own organizational structures and will also have to decide on an emergency planning and preparedness philosophy suitable to their own situations

PFLOTRAN: Reactive Flow & Transport Code for Use on Laptops to Leadership-Class Supercomputers

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hammond, Glenn E.; Lichtner, Peter C.; Lu, Chuan; Mills, Richard T.

2012-04-18

PFLOTRAN, a next-generation reactive flow and transport code for modeling subsurface processes, has been designed from the ground up to run efficiently on machines ranging from leadership-class supercomputers to laptops. Based on an object-oriented design, the code is easily extensible to incorporate additional processes. It can interface seamlessly with Fortran 9X, C and C++ codes. Domain decomposition parallelism is employed, with the PETSc parallel framework used to manage parallel solvers, data structures and communication. Features of the code include a modular input file, implementation of high-performance I/O using parallel HDF5, ability to perform multiple realization simulations with multiple processors per realization in a seamless manner, and multiple modes for multiphase flow and multicomponent geochemical transport. Chemical reactions currently implemented in the code include homogeneous aqueous complexing reactions and heterogeneous mineral precipitation/dissolution, ion exchange, surface complexation and a multirate kinetic sorption model. PFLOTRAN has demonstrated petascale performance using 2{sup 17} processor cores with over 2 billion degrees of freedom. Accomplishments achieved to date include applications to the Hanford 300 Area and modeling CO{sub 2} sequestration in deep geologic formations.

Reactive transport at the pore-scale: Geological Labs on Chip studies (GLoCs) for CO2 storage in saline aquifers

Science.gov (United States)

Azaroual, M. M.; Lassin, A., Sr.; André, L., Sr.; Devau, N., Sr.; Leroy, P., Sr.

2017-12-01

The near well bore of CO2 injection in saline aquifer is the main sensitive part of the targeted carbone storage reservoirs. The recent development of microfluidics tools mimicking porous media of geological reservoirs allowed studying physical, physico-chemical and thermodynamic mechanisms. We used the GLoCs "Geological Labs on Chip" to study dynamic and reactive transport processes at the pore scale induced by the CO2 geological storage. The present work is a first attempt to reproduce, by reactive transport modeling, an experiment of calcium carbonate precipitation during the co-injection of two aqueous solutions in a GLoC device. For that purpose, a new kinetics model, based on the transition-state-theory and on surface complexation modeling, was developed to describe the co-precipitation of amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) and calcite. ACC precipitates and creates surface complexation sites from which calcite can nucleate and create new surface complexation sites. When the kinetics of calcite precipitation are fast enough, the consumption of matter leads to the dissolution of ACC. The modeling results were first compared to batch experiments (from the literature) and then applied with success to dynamic experiment observations carried out on a GLoC device (from the literature). On the other hand, we evaluated the solubility of CO2 in capillary waters that increases between 5 to 10 folds for reservoir conditions (200 bar and 100°C) compared to the bulk water. The GLoCs tools started to address an excellent and much finer degree of processes control (reactive transport processes, mixing effects, minerals precipitation and dissolution kinetics, etc.) thanks to in situ analysis and characterization techniques, allowing access in real time to relevant properties. Current investigations focus on key parameters influencing the flowing dynamics and trapping mechanisms (relative permeability, capillary conditions, kinetics of dissolution and precipitation of minerals).

Use of a multi-species reactive transport model to simulate chloride ingress in mortar exposed to NaCl solution or sea-water

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Mads Mønster; De Weerdt, K.; Johannesson, Björn

2015-01-01

Simulations of ion ingress in Portland cement mortar using a multi-species reactive mass transport model are compared with experimental test results. The model is an extended version of the Poisson–Nernst–Planck equations, accounting for chemical equilibrium. Saturated mortar samples were exposed...

Identification of functional amino acid residues involved in polyamine and agmatine transport by human organic cation transporter 2.

Science.gov (United States)

Higashi, Kyohei; Imamura, Masataka; Fudo, Satoshi; Uemura, Takeshi; Saiki, Ryotaro; Hoshino, Tyuji; Toida, Toshihiko; Kashiwagi, Keiko; Igarashi, Kazuei

2014-01-01

Polyamine (putrescine, spermidine and spermine) and agmatine uptake by the human organic cation transporter 2 (hOCT2) was studied using HEK293 cells transfected with pCMV6-XL4/hOCT2. The Km values for putrescine and spermidine were 7.50 and 6.76 mM, and the Vmax values were 4.71 and 2.34 nmol/min/mg protein, respectively. Spermine uptake by hOCT2 was not observed at pH 7.4, although it inhibited both putrescine and spermidine uptake. Agmatine was also taken up by hOCT2, with Km value: 3.27 mM and a Vmax value of 3.14 nmol/min/mg protein. Amino acid residues involved in putrescine, agmatine and spermidine uptake by hOCT2 were Asp427, Glu448, Glu456, Asp475, and Glu516. In addition, Glu524 and Glu530 were involved in putrescine and spermidine uptake activity, and Glu528 and Glu540 were weakly involved in putrescine uptake activity. Furthermore, Asp551 was also involved in the recognition of spermidine. These results indicate that the recognition sites for putrescine, agmatine and spermidine on hOCT2 strongly overlap, consistent with the observation that the three amines are transported with similar affinity and velocity. A model of spermidine binding to hOCT2 was constructed based on the functional amino acid residues.

Assessment of the long-term stability of cementitious barriers of radioactive waste repositories by using digital-image-based microstructure generation and reactive transport modelling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Galindez, Juan Manuel; Molinero, Jorge

2010-01-01

Cement-based grout plays a significant role in the design and performance of nuclear waste repositories: used correctly, it can enhance their safety. However, the high water-to-binder ratios, which are required to meet the desired workability and injection ability at early age, lead to high porosity that may affect the durability of this material and undermine its long-term geochemical performance. In this paper, a new methodology is presented in order to help the process of mix design which best meets the compromise between these two conflicting requirements. It involves the combined use of the computer programs CEMHYD3D for the generation of digital-image-based microstructures and CrunchFlow, for the reactive transport calculations affecting the materials so simulated. This approach is exemplified with two grout types, namely, the so-called Standard mix 5/5, used in the upper parts of the structure, and the 'low-pH' P308B, to be injected at higher depths. The results of the digital reconstruction of the mineralogical composition of the hardened paste are entirely logical, as the microstructures display high degrees of hydration, large porosities and low or nil contents of aluminium compounds. Diffusion of solutes in the pore solution was considered to be the dominant transport process. A single scenario was studied for both mix designs and their performances were compared. The reactive transport model adequately reproduces the process of decalcification of the C-S-H and the precipitation of calcite, which is corroborated by empirical observations. It was found that the evolution of the deterioration process is sensitive to the chemical composition of groundwater, its effects being more severe when grout is set under continuous exposure to poorly mineralized groundwater. Results obtained appear to indicate that a correct conceptualization of the problem was accomplished and support the assumption that, in absence of more reliable empirical data, it might

Transcriptional and physiological changes during Mycobacterium tuberculosis reactivation from non-replicating persistence

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Peicheng Du

2016-08-01

Full Text Available Mycobacterium tuberculosis can persist for years in the hostile environment of the host in a non-replicating or slowly replicating state. While active disease predominantly results from reactivation of a latent infection, the molecular mechanisms of M. tuberculosis reactivation are still poorly understood. We characterized the physiology and global transcriptomic profiles of M. tuberculosis during reactivation from hypoxia-induced non-replicating persistence. We found that M. tuberculosis reactivation upon reaeration was associated with a lag phase, in which the recovery of cellular physiological and metabolic functions preceded the resumption of cell replication. Enrichment analysis of the transcriptomic dynamics revealed changes to many metabolic pathways and transcription regulons/subnetworks that orchestrated the metabolic and physiological transformation in preparation for cell division. In particular, we found that M. tuberculosis reaeration lag phase is associated with down-regulation of persistence-associated regulons/subnetworks, including DosR, MprA, SigH, SigE and ClgR, as well as metabolic pathways including those involved in the uptake of lipids and their catabolism. More importantly, we identified a number of up-regulated transcription regulons and metabolic pathways, including those involved in metal transport and remobilization, second messenger-mediated responses, DNA repair and recombination, and synthesis of major cell wall components. We also found that inactivation of the major alternative sigma factors SigE or SigH disrupted exit from persistence, underscoring the importance of the global transcriptional reprogramming during M. tuberculosis reactivation. Our observations suggest that M. tuberculosis lag phase is associated with a global gene expression reprogramming that defines the initiation of a reactivation process.

9 CFR 11.40 - Prohibitions and requirements concerning persons involved in transportation of certain horses.

Science.gov (United States)

2010-01-01

... concerning persons involved in transportation of certain horses. 11.40 Section 11.40 Animals and Animal Products ANIMAL AND PLANT HEALTH INSPECTION SERVICE, DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE ANIMAL WELFARE HORSE... certain horses. (a) Each person who ships, transports, or otherwise moves, or delivers or receives for...

Imaging geochemical heterogeneities using inverse reactive transport modeling: An example relevant for characterizing arsenic mobilization and distribution

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Fakhreddine, Sarah; Lee, Jonghyun; Kitanidis, Peter K.

2016-01-01

groundwater parameters. Specifically, we simulate the mobilization of arsenic via kinetic oxidative dissolution of As-bearing pyrite due to dissolved oxygen in the ambient groundwater, which is an important mechanism for arsenic release in groundwater both under natural conditions and engineering applications......The spatial distribution of reactive minerals in the subsurface is often a primary factor controlling the fate and transport of contaminants in groundwater systems. However, direct measurement and estimation of heterogeneously distributed minerals are often costly and difficult to obtain. While...

Grotthuss Transport of Iodide in EMIM/I3 Ionic Crystal.

Science.gov (United States)

McDaniel, Jesse G; Yethiraj, Arun

2018-01-11

Highly ionic environments can mediate unusual chemical reactions that would otherwise be considered impossible based on chemical intuition. For example, the formation of a chemical bond between two iodide anions to form a divalent polyiodide anion is seemingly prohibited due to Coulombic repulsion. Using ab initio molecular dynamics simulations, we show that in the 1-ethyl-3-methylimidazolium (EMIM)/I 3 ionic crystal, the reactive formation of divalent and even trivalent polyiodide anions occurs with extremely small energetic barriers, due to the electrostatic field of the ionic lattice. A practical consequence of this anomalous reactivity is that iodide anions are efficiently transported within the crystal through a "Grotthuss-exchange" mechanism involving bond-breaking and forming events. We characterize two distinct transport pathways, involving both I 4 2- and I 7 3- intermediates, with fast transport of iodide resulting from the release of an I - anion on the opposite side of the intermediate species from the initial bond formation. The ordered cation arrangement in the crystal provides the necessary electrostatic screening for close approach of anions, suggesting a new counterintuitive approach to obtain high ionic conductivity. This new design principle could be used to develop better solid-state electrolytes for batteries, fuel cells, and supercapacitors.

A computational study of the Diels Alder reactions involving acenes: reactivity and aromaticity

Science.gov (United States)

Cheng, Mei-Fun; Li, Wai-Kee

2003-01-01

Ab initio and DFT methods have been used to study the Diels-Alder reactivity and the aromaticity of four linear acenes, namely, naphthalene, anthracene, tetracene and pentacene. In total, eight additional pathways between ethylene and four acenes have been studied and all of them are concerted and exothermic reactions. It is found that the most reactive sites on the acenes are the center ring's meso-carbons. Also, reactivity decreases along the series pentacene > tetracene > anthracene > naphthalene. In addition, the NICS results indicate that the most reactive rings in the acenes are those with the highest aromaticity. These results are consistent with those of other theoretical studies and experiments.

Planning and preparing for emergency response to transport accidents involving radioactive material. Safety guide

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2005-01-01

The objective of this Safety Guide is to provide guidance to the public authorities and others (including consignors, carriers and emergency response authorities) who are responsible for developing and establishing emergency arrangements for dealing effectively and safely with transport accidents involving radioactive material. It may assist those concerned with establishing the capability to respond to such transport emergencies. It provides guidance for those Member States whose involvement with radioactive material is just beginning. It also provides guidance for those Member States that have already developed their radioactive material industries and the attendant emergency plans but that may need to review and improve these plans

TOUGHREACT User's Guide: A Simulation Program for Non-isothermal Multiphase Reactive geochemical Transport in Variably Saturated Geologic Media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Tianfu; Sonnenthal, Eric; Spycher, Nicolas; Pruess, Karsten

2004-01-01

Coupled modeling of subsurface multiphase fluid and heat flow, solute transport and chemical reactions can be used for the assessment of mineral alteration in hydrothermal systems, waste disposal sites, acid mine drainage remediation, contaminant transport, and groundwater quality. A comprehensive non-isothermal multi-component reactive fluid flow and geochemical transport simulator, TOUGHREACT, has been developed. A wide range of subsurface thermo-physical-chemical processes is considered under various thermohydrological and geochemical conditions of pressure, temperature, water saturation, and ionic strength. The program can be applied to one-, two- or three-dimensional porous and fractured media with physical and chemical heterogeneity. The model can accommodate any number of chemical species present in liquid, gas and solid phases. A variety of equilibrium chemical reactions are considered, such as aqueous complexation, gas dissolution/exsolution, and cation exchange. Mineral dissolution/precipitation can proceed either subject to local equilibrium or kinetic conditions. Changes in porosity and permeability due to mineral dissolution and precipitation can be considered. Linear adsorption and decay can be included. For the purpose of future extensions, surface complexation by double layer model is coded in the program. Xu and Pruess (1998) developed a first version of a non-isothermal reactive geochemical transport model, TOUGHREACT, by introducing reactive geochemistry into the framework of the existing multi-phase fluid and heat flow code TOUGH2 (Pruess, 1991). Xu, Pruess, and their colleagues have applied the program to a variety of problems such as: (1) supergene copper enrichment (Xu et al, 2001), (2) caprock mineral alteration in a hydrothermal system (Xu and Pruess, 2001a), and (3) mineral trapping for CO 2 disposal in deep saline aquifers (Xu et al, 2003b and 2004a). For modeling the coupled thermal, hydrological, and chemical processes during heater

Attenuation of pyrite oxidation with a fly ash pre-barrier: Reactive transport modelling of column experiments

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Perez-Lopez, R.; Cama, J.; Nieto, J.M.; Ayora, C.; Saaltink, M.W. [University of Huelva, Huelva (Spain). Dept. of Geology

2009-09-15

Conventional permeable reactive barriers (PRBs) for passive treatment of groundwater contaminated by acid mine drainage (AMD) use limestone as reactive material that neutralizes water acidity. However, the limestone-alkalinity potential ceases as inevitable precipitation of secondary metal-phases on grain surfaces occurs, limiting its efficiency. In the present study, fly ash derived from coal combustion is investigated as an alternative alkalinity generating material for the passive treatment of AMD using solution-saturated column experiments. Unlike conventional systems, the utilization of fly ash in a pre-barrier to intercept the non-polluted recharge water before this water reacts with pyrite-rich wastes is proposed. Chemical variation in the columns was interpreted with the reactive transport code RETRASO. In parallel, kinetics of fly ash dissolution at alkaline pH were studied using flow-through experiments and incorporated into the model. In a saturated column filled solely with pyritic sludge-quartz sand (1: 10), oxidation took place at acidic conditions (pH 3.7). According to SO{sub 4}{sup 2-} release and pH, pyrite dissolution occurred favourably in the solution-saturated porous medium until dissolved O{sub 2} was totally consumed. In a second saturated column, pyrite oxidation took place at alkaline conditions (pH 10.45) as acidity was neutralized by fly ash dissolution in a previous level. At this pH Fe release from pyrite dissolution was immediately depleted as Fe-oxy(hydroxide) phases that precipitated on the pyrite grains, forming Fe-coatings (microencapsulation). With time, pyrite microencapsulation inhibited oxidation in practically 97% of the pyritic sludge. Rapid pyrite-surface passivation decreased its reactivity, preventing AMD production in the relatively short term.

World-wide French experience in research reactor fuel cycle transportation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Raisonnier, D.

1997-01-01

Since 1963 Transnucleaire has safely performed a large number of national and international transports of radioactive material. Transnucleaire has also designed and supplied suitable packagings for all types of nuclear fuel cycle radioactive material from front-end and back-end products and for power or for research reactors. Transportation of the nuclear fuel material for power reactors is made on a regular and industrial basis. The transportation of material for the research reactor fuel cycle is quite different due to the small quantities involved, the categorisation of material and the numerous places of delivery world-wide. Adapted solutions exist, which require a reactive organisation dealing with all the transportation issues for LEU and HEU products as metal, oxide, fresh fuel elements, spent fuel elements including supply of necessary transport packaging and equipment. This presentation will: - explain the choices made by Transnucleaire and its associates to provide and optimise the corresponding services, - demonstrate the capability to achieve, through reliable partnership, transport operations involving new routes, specific equipment and new political constraints while respecting sophisticated safety and security regulations. (author)

Assessment of the radiological risks of road transport accidents involving type A package shipments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lange, F.; Fett, H.J.; Schwarz, G.; Raffestin, D.; Schneider, T.; Gelder, R.; Hughes, J.S.; Shaw, K.B.; Hedberg, B.; Simenstad, P.; Svahn, B.; Hienen, J.F.A.; Jansma, R.

1998-01-01

This paper is an account of work performed within a multi-lateral research project on the radiological risks associated with the transportation of Type A packaged radioactive material. The research project has been performed on behalf of the European Commission and various national agencies of the participating countries and involved organizations and institutes of five EU Member States, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Sweden, and the UK. The main objectives of the research project were the assessment and appraisal of the potential radiological risks of road transport accidents involving Type A package shipments in participating EU Member States. Data were collected and include harmonized sets information related to the type, quantity and characteristics of Type A package shipments by road. Such databases were basically non-existent until recently. The results are expected to be valuable to both national agencies and international organizations, with responsibilities for the safe transport of radioactive materials by providing some insight in the carriage of radioactive materials by road making up a major fraction of radioactive material transports. Similarly, a wide body of information has been collected and compiled on road transport accidents in terms of the frequency of occurrence and the severity of accidental impact loads potentially experienced by a Type A package.In addition, the results will facilitate judgement of the adequacy of the IAEA Transport Regulations as far as Type A packages are concerned. (O.M.)

Inference of reactive transport model parameters using a Bayesian multivariate approach

Science.gov (United States)

Carniato, Luca; Schoups, Gerrit; van de Giesen, Nick

2014-08-01

Parameter estimation of subsurface transport models from multispecies data requires the definition of an objective function that includes different types of measurements. Common approaches are weighted least squares (WLS), where weights are specified a priori for each measurement, and weighted least squares with weight estimation (WLS(we)) where weights are estimated from the data together with the parameters. In this study, we formulate the parameter estimation task as a multivariate Bayesian inference problem. The WLS and WLS(we) methods are special cases in this framework, corresponding to specific prior assumptions about the residual covariance matrix. The Bayesian perspective allows for generalizations to cases where residual correlation is important and for efficient inference by analytically integrating out the variances (weights) and selected covariances from the joint posterior. Specifically, the WLS and WLS(we) methods are compared to a multivariate (MV) approach that accounts for specific residual correlations without the need for explicit estimation of the error parameters. When applied to inference of reactive transport model parameters from column-scale data on dissolved species concentrations, the following results were obtained: (1) accounting for residual correlation between species provides more accurate parameter estimation for high residual correlation levels whereas its influence for predictive uncertainty is negligible, (2) integrating out the (co)variances leads to an efficient estimation of the full joint posterior with a reduced computational effort compared to the WLS(we) method, and (3) in the presence of model structural errors, none of the methods is able to identify the correct parameter values.

Identification of functional amino acid residues involved in polyamine and agmatine transport by human organic cation transporter 2.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Kyohei Higashi

Full Text Available Polyamine (putrescine, spermidine and spermine and agmatine uptake by the human organic cation transporter 2 (hOCT2 was studied using HEK293 cells transfected with pCMV6-XL4/hOCT2. The Km values for putrescine and spermidine were 7.50 and 6.76 mM, and the Vmax values were 4.71 and 2.34 nmol/min/mg protein, respectively. Spermine uptake by hOCT2 was not observed at pH 7.4, although it inhibited both putrescine and spermidine uptake. Agmatine was also taken up by hOCT2, with Km value: 3.27 mM and a Vmax value of 3.14 nmol/min/mg protein. Amino acid residues involved in putrescine, agmatine and spermidine uptake by hOCT2 were Asp427, Glu448, Glu456, Asp475, and Glu516. In addition, Glu524 and Glu530 were involved in putrescine and spermidine uptake activity, and Glu528 and Glu540 were weakly involved in putrescine uptake activity. Furthermore, Asp551 was also involved in the recognition of spermidine. These results indicate that the recognition sites for putrescine, agmatine and spermidine on hOCT2 strongly overlap, consistent with the observation that the three amines are transported with similar affinity and velocity. A model of spermidine binding to hOCT2 was constructed based on the functional amino acid residues.

Modeling hydrology and reactive transport in roads: The effect of cracks, the edge, and contaminant properties

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Apul, Defne S.; Gardner, Kevin H.; Eighmy, T. Taylor

2007-01-01

The goal of this research was to provide a tool for regulators to evaluate the groundwater contamination from the use of virgin and secondary materials in road construction. A finite element model, HYDRUS2D, was used to evaluate generic scenarios for secondary material use in base layers. Use of generic model results for particular applications was demonstrated through a steel slag example. The hydrology and reactive transport of contaminants were modeled in a two-dimensional cross section of a road. Model simulations showed that in an intact pavement, lateral velocities from the edge towards the centerline may transport contaminants in the base layer. The dominant transport mechanisms are advection closer to the edge and diffusion closer to the centerline. A shoulder joint in the pavement allows 0.03 to 0.45 m 3 /day of infiltration per meter of joint length as a function of the base and subgrade hydrology and the rain intensity. Scenario simulations showed that salts in the base layer of pavements are depleted by 99% in the first 20 years, whereas the metals may not reach the groundwater in 20 years at any significant concentrations if the pavement is built on adsorbing soils

Reactive Arthritis

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Eren Erken

2013-06-01

Full Text Available Reactive arthritis is an acute, sterile, non-suppurative and inflammatory arthropaty which has occured as a result of an infectious processes, mostly after gastrointestinal and genitourinary tract infections. Reiter syndrome is a frequent type of reactive arthritis. Both reactive arthritis and Reiter syndrome belong to the group of seronegative spondyloarthropathies, associated with HLA-B27 positivity and characterized by ongoing inflammation after an infectious episode. The classical triad of Reiter syndrome is defined as arthritis, conjuctivitis and urethritis and is seen only in one third of patients with Reiter syndrome. Recently, seronegative asymmetric arthritis and typical extraarticular involvement are thought to be adequate for the diagnosis. However, there is no established criteria for the diagnosis of reactive arthritis and the number of randomized and controlled studies about the therapy is not enough. [Archives Medical Review Journal 2013; 22(3.000: 283-299

Carrier-Mediated Transport of Nicotine Across the Inner Blood-Retinal Barrier: Involvement of a Novel Organic Cation Transporter Driven by an Outward H(+) Gradient.

Science.gov (United States)

Tega, Yuma; Kubo, Yoshiyuki; Yuzurihara, Chihiro; Akanuma, Shin-Ichi; Hosoya, Ken-Ichi

2015-09-01

The present study was carried out to investigate the blood-to-retina transport of nicotine across the inner blood-retinal barrier (BRB). Using the in vivo vascular injection method, the blood-to-retina influx clearance of nicotine across the BRB was determined as 131 μL/(min?g retina), which is much higher than that of a nonpermeable paracellular marker, and blood-to-retina transport of nicotine was inhibited by organic cations such as pyrilamine and verapamil. The nicotine uptake by a conditionally immortalized rat retinal capillary endothelial cell line (TR-iBRB2 cells), an in vitro model of the inner BRB, exhibited time, temperature, and concentration dependence with a Km of 492 μM. These results suggest the involvement of a carrier-mediated transport process in nicotine transport in the inner BRB. The nicotine uptake by TR-iBRB2 cells was stimulated by an outwardly directed H(+) gradient, and the uptake was significantly inhibited by bulky and hydrophobic cationic drugs, whereas inhibitors of organic cation transporters did not show inhibitory effect. These results suggest that the novel organic cation transport system driven by an outwardly directed H(+) gradient is involved in the blood-to-retina transport of nicotine across the inner BRB. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. and the American Pharmacists Association.

Release of Aged Contaminants from weathered sediments: Effects of sorbate speciation on scaling of reactive transport

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chorover, Jon [Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (United States); Perdrial, Nico [Univ. of Arizona, Tucson, AZ (United States); Mueller, Karl [Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States); Strepka, Caleb [Pennsylvania State Univ., University Park, PA (United States); O' Day, Peggy [Univ. of California, Merced, CA (United States); Rivera, Nelson [Univ. of California, Merced, CA (United States); Um, Wooyong [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Chang, Hyun-Shik [Pacific Northwest National Lab. (PNNL), Richland, WA (United States); Steefel, Carl [Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States); Thompson, Aaron [Univ. of Georgia, Athens, GA (United States)

2012-08-14

Hanford sediments impacted by hyperalkaline high level radioactive waste have undergone incongruent silicate mineral weathering concurrent with contaminant uptake (Chorover et al., 2008). In this project, we studied the impact of background pore water (BPW) on strontium, cesium and iodine desorption and transport in Hanford sediments that were experimentally weathered by contact with simulated hyperalkaline tank waste leachate (STWL) solutions. Using those lab-weathered Hanford sediments (HS) and model precipitates formed during nucleation from homogeneous STWL solutions (HN), we (i) provided thorough characterization of reaction products over a matrix of field-relevant gradients in contaminant concentration, P_CO2, and reaction time; (ii) improved molecular-scale understanding of how sorbate speciation controls contaminant desorption from weathered sediments upon removal of caustic sources; and (iii) developed a mechanistic, predictive model of meso- to field-scale contaminant reactive transport under these conditions. Below, we provide some detailed descriptions of our results from this three year study, recently completed following a one-year no cost extension.

Release of aged contaminants from weathered sediments: Effects of sorbate speciation on scaling of reactive transport

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Chorover, Jon; Perdrial, Nico; Mueller, Karl; Strepka, Caleb; O’Day, Peggy; Rivera, Nelson; Um, Wooyong; Chang, Hyun-Shik; Steefel, Carl; Thompson, Aaron

2012-11-05

Hanford sediments impacted by hyperalkaline high level radioactive waste have undergone incongruent silicate mineral weathering concurrent with contaminant uptake. In this project, we studied the impact of background pore water (BPW) on strontium, cesium and iodine desorption and transport in Hanford sediments that were experimentally weathered by contact with simulated hyperalkaline tank waste leachate (STWL) solutions. Using those lab-weathered Hanford sediments (HS) and model precipitates formed during nucleation from homogeneous STWL solutions (HN), we (i) provided thorough characterization of reaction products over a matrix of field-relevant gradients in contaminant concentration, partial pressure of carbon dioxide, and reaction time; (ii) improved molecular-scale understanding of how sorbate speciation controls contaminant desorption from weathered sediments upon removal of caustic sources; and (iii) developed a mechanistic, predictive model of meso- to field-scale contaminant reactive transport under these conditions. In this final report, we provide detailed descriptions of our results from this three-year study, completed in 2012 following a one-year no cost extension.

Study of the exposures received by the persons involved in the transportation of radioactive materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hamard, J.; Sousselier, Y.

1983-01-01

An important step in the optimization process applied to exposures in the field of the transport of radioactive materials is an accurate inventory of the exposures actually received by the workers. The results of this study underlines that nearly all the doses received are well below the threshold values for the classification of the workers as occasionally exposed and a fortiori as professionally exposed and consequently no personal monitoring should be necessary for them. Thus the inventory of exposures is somewhat difficult as the workers implied in the transport process are not classified as exposed workers and not subject to personnal or collective dosimetry. Therefore a good knowledge of the exposures received during the transport of irradiated fuels should require a systematic follow up of this kind of transport all along their route including a careful dosimetric monitoring of the workers taking part in the transport. On the other hand, the reduction of the doses obtained by increasing the mechanization involves very high monetary costs as compared to the reduction of the detriment. Perhaps a more important reduction of the exposures could be attained by a better protection in the cars or lorries used for the transport of categories A and B packages. But it seems that in the case of the transports, the optimization is applied mainly during the conception and the testing of the packages and only little progress will be possible without involving disproportionated monetary costs. 4 references, 10 tables

Experience in the analysis of accidents and incidents involving the transport of radioactive materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Warner-Jones, S.M.; Hughes, J.S.; Shaw, K.B.

2002-01-01

Some half a million packages containing radioactive materials are transported to, from and within the UK annually. Accidents and incidents involving these shipments are rare. However, there is always the potential for such an event, which could lead to a release of the contents of a package or an increase in radiation level caused by damaged shielding. These events could result in radiological consequences for transport workers. As transport occurs in the public environment, such events could also lead to radiation exposures of members of the public. The UK Department for Transport (DfT), together with the Health and Safety Executive (HSE) have supported, for almost 20 years, work to compile, analyse and report on accidents and incidents that occur during the transport of radioactive materials. Annual reports on these events have been produced for twelve years. The details of these events are recorded in the Radioactive Materials Transport Event Database (RAMTED) maintained by the National Radiological Protection Board on behalf of the DfT and HSE. Information on accidents and incidents dates back to 1958. RAMTED currently includes information of 708 accidents and incidents, covering the period 1958 to 2000. This paper presents a summary of the data covering this period, identifying trends and lessons learned together with a discussion of some examples. It was found that, historically, the most significant exposures were received as a result of accidents involving the transport of industrial radiography sources. However, the frequency and severity of these events has decreased considerably in the later years of this study due to improvements in training, awareness and equipment. The International Atomic Energy Agency and the Nuclear Energy Agency, have established the international nuclear event scale (INES), which is described in detail in a users' guide. The INES has been revised to fully include transport events, and the information in RAMTED has been reviewed

SKA2 Methylation is Involved in Cortisol Stress Reactivity and Predicts the Development of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) after Military Deployment

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Boks, Marco P.; Rutten, Bart P F; Geuze, Elbert; Houtepen, Lotte C.; Vermetten, Eric; Kaminsky, Zachary; Vinkers, Christiaan H.

2016-01-01

Genomic variation in the SKA2 gene has recently been identified as a promising suicide biomarker. In light of its role in glucocorticoid receptor transactivation, we investigated whether SKA2 DNA methylation influences cortisol stress reactivity and is involved in the development of post-traumatic

Reactive dispersive contaminant transport in coastal aquifers: Numerical simulation of a reactive Henry problem

KAUST Repository

Nick, H.M.; Raoof, A.; Centler, F.; Thullner, M.; Regnier, P.

2013-01-01

The reactive mixing between seawater and terrestrial water in coastal aquifers influences the water quality of submarine groundwater discharge. While these waters come into contact at the seawater groundwater interface by density driven flow

TP1 - A computer program for the calculation of reactivity and kinetic parameters by one-dimensional neutron transport perturbation theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kobayashi, K.

1979-03-01

TP1, a FORTRAN-IV program based on transport theory, has been developed to determine reactivity effects and kinetic parameters such as effective delayed neutron fractions and mean generation time by applying the usual perturbation formalism for one-dimensional geometry. Direct and adjoint angular dependent neutron fluxes are read from an interface file prepared by using the one-dimensional Ssub(n)-code DTK which provides options for slab, cylindrical and spherical geometry. Multigroup cross sections which are equivalent to those of the DTK-calculations are supplied in the SIGM-block which is also read from an interface file. This block which is usually produced by the code GRUCAL should contain the necessary delayed neutron data, which can be added to the original SIGMN-block by using the code SIGMUT. Two perturbation options are included in TP1: a) the usual first oder perturbation theory can be applied to determine probe reactivities, b) assuming that there are available direct fluxes for the unperturbed reactor system and adjoint fluxes for the perturbed system, the exact reactivity effect induced by the perturbation can be determined by an exact perturbation calculation. According to the input specifications, the output lists the reactivity contributions for each neutron reaction process in the desired detailed spatial and energy group resolution. (orig./RW) [de

Assessment of events involving transport of radioactive materials in France, 1999-2011

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-01-01

This report presents transport events involving radioactive materials that occurred in France from 1999 to 2011 and entered in the IRSN's database. For each of the 1,304 events recorded, many parameters have been collected and analysed from information listed in the declarations and reports of events sent by users (type of event, purpose, package design, INES level, etc.). The number of events declared in 2010 and 2011 is slightly higher than the average of 100 events per year. The two main reasons for declaration concern errors in transport documentation or labelling and handling mishaps. The new data confirm the downward trend in frequency of package and vehicle contaminations. A short description of outstanding events in 2010 and 2011 is included. This assessment also gives an outline of the actions recommended by IRSN to avoid recurrence of declared events and improve the safety of radioactive material transport. (authors)

Modeling Bimolecular Reactive Transport With Mixing-Limitation: Theory and Application to Column Experiments

Science.gov (United States)

Ginn, T. R.

2018-01-01

The challenge of determining mixing extent of solutions undergoing advective-dispersive-diffusive transport is well known. In particular, reaction extent between displacing and displaced solutes depends on mixing at the pore scale, that is, generally smaller than continuum scale quantification that relies on dispersive fluxes. Here a novel mobile-mobile mass transfer approach is developed to distinguish diffusive mixing from dispersive spreading in one-dimensional transport involving small-scale velocity variations with some correlation, such as occurs in hydrodynamic dispersion, in which short-range ballistic transports give rise to dispersed but not mixed segregation zones, termed here ballisticules. When considering transport of a single solution, this approach distinguishes self-diffusive mixing from spreading, and in the case of displacement of one solution by another, each containing a participant reactant of an irreversible bimolecular reaction, this results in time-delayed diffusive mixing of reactants. The approach generates models for both kinetically controlled and equilibrium irreversible reaction cases, while honoring independently measured reaction rates and dispersivities. The mathematical solution for the equilibrium case is a simple analytical expression. The approach is applied to published experimental data on bimolecular reactions for homogeneous porous media under postasymptotic dispersive conditions with good results.

Using travel times to simulate multi-dimensional bioreactive transport in time-periodic flows.

Science.gov (United States)

Sanz-Prat, Alicia; Lu, Chuanhe; Finkel, Michael; Cirpka, Olaf A

2016-04-01

In travel-time models, the spatially explicit description of reactive transport is replaced by associating reactive-species concentrations with the travel time or groundwater age at all locations. These models have been shown adequate for reactive transport in river-bank filtration under steady-state flow conditions. Dynamic hydrological conditions, however, can lead to fluctuations of infiltration velocities, putting the validity of travel-time models into question. In transient flow, the local travel-time distributions change with time. We show that a modified version of travel-time based reactive transport models is valid if only the magnitude of the velocity fluctuates, whereas its spatial orientation remains constant. We simulate nonlinear, one-dimensional, bioreactive transport involving oxygen, nitrate, dissolved organic carbon, aerobic and denitrifying bacteria, considering periodic fluctuations of velocity. These fluctuations make the bioreactive system pulsate: The aerobic zone decreases at times of low velocity and increases at those of high velocity. For the case of diurnal fluctuations, the biomass concentrations cannot follow the hydrological fluctuations and a transition zone containing both aerobic and obligatory denitrifying bacteria is established, whereas a clear separation of the two types of bacteria prevails in the case of seasonal velocity fluctuations. We map the 1-D results to a heterogeneous, two-dimensional domain by means of the mean groundwater age for steady-state flow in both domains. The mapped results are compared to simulation results of spatially explicit, two-dimensional, advective-dispersive-bioreactive transport subject to the same relative fluctuations of velocity as in the one-dimensional model. The agreement between the mapped 1-D and the explicit 2-D results is excellent. We conclude that travel-time models of nonlinear bioreactive transport are adequate in systems of time-periodic flow if the flow direction does not change

A chromate-contaminated site in southern Switzerland – Part 2: Reactive transport modeling to optimize remediation options

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wanner, Christoph; Eggenberger, Urs; Mäder, Urs

2012-01-01

A 2D horizontal reactive transport model of a chromate-contaminated site near Rivera, Switzerland, was developed using the computer code CrunchFlow to evaluate site remediation strategies. Transport processes were defined according to the results of an existing hydrological model, and the definition of geochemical (reactive) processes is based on the results of a detailed mineralogical and geochemical site characterization leading to a comprehensive conceptual site model. Kinetics of naturally occurring Cr(VI) reduction by Fe(II) and natural solid organic matter is quantified by fitting measured Cr isotope ratios to a modeled 1D section along the best constrained flow line. The simulation of Cr isotope fractionation was also incorporated into the 2D model. Simulation of the measured present day Cr(VI) plume and δ 53 Cr value distribution was used for the 2D model calibration and corresponds to a situation where only monitored natural attenuation (MNA) is occurring. Other 2D model runs simulate alternate excavation scenarios. The simulations show that with an excavation of the top 2–4 m the groundwater Cr(VI) plume can be minimized, and that a deeper excavation depth only diminishes the plume if all the contaminants can be removed. A combination of an excavation of the top 2–4 m and monitoring of the ongoing natural Cr(VI) reduction is suggested as the most ecological and economical remediation strategy, even though a remaining time period with ongoing subsoil Cr(VI) contamination in the order of 1 ka is predicted.

Reactive transport model of the formation of oxide-type Ni-laterite profiles (Punta Gorda, Moa Bay, Cuba)

Science.gov (United States)

Domènech, Cristina; Galí, Salvador; Villanova-de-Benavent, Cristina; Soler, Josep M.; Proenza, Joaquín A.

2017-10-01

Oxide-type Ni-laterite deposits are characterized by a dominant limonite zone with goethite as the economically most important Ni ore mineral and a thin zone of hydrous Mg silicate-rich saprolite beneath the magnesium discontinuity. Fe, less soluble, is mainly retained forming goethite, while Ni is redeposited at greater depth in a Fe(III) and Ni-rich serpentine (serpentine II) or in goethite, where it adsorbs or substitutes for Fe in the mineral structure. Here, a 1D reactive transport model, using CrunchFlow, of Punta Gorda oxide-type Ni-laterite deposit (Moa Bay, Cuba) formation is presented. The model reproduces the formation of the different laterite horizons in the profile from an initial, partially serpentinized peridotite, in 106 years, validating the conceptual model of the formation of this kind of deposits in which a narrow saprolite horizon rich in Ni-bearing serpentine is formed above peridotite parent rock and a thick limonite horizon is formed over saprolite. Results also confirm that sorption of Ni onto goethite can explain the weight percent of Ni found in the Moa goethite. Sensitivity analyses accounting for the effect of key parameters (composition, dissolution rate, carbonate concentration, quartz precipitation) on the model results are also presented. It is found that aqueous carbonate concentration and quartz precipitation significantly affects the laterization process rate, while the effect of the composition of secondary serpentine or of mineral dissolution rates is minor. The results of this reactive transport modeling have proven useful to validate the conceptual models derived from field observations.

Identification of a transporter Slr0982 involved in ethanol tolerance in cyanobacterium Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Yanan eZhang

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Cyanobacteria have been engineered to produce ethanol through recent synthetic biology efforts. However, one major challenge to the cyanobacterial systems for high-efficiency ethanol production is their low tolerance to the ethanol toxicity. With a major goal to identify novel transporters involved in ethanol tolerance, we constructed gene knockout mutants for 58 transporter-encoding genes of Synechocystis sp. PCC 6803 and screened their tolerance change under ethanol stress. The efforts allowed discovery of a mutant of slr0982 gene encoding an ATP-binding cassette transporter which grew poorly in BG11 medium supplemented with 1.5% (v/v ethanol when compared with the wild type, and the growth loss could be recovered by complementing slr0982 in the ∆slr0982 mutant, suggesting that slr0982 is involved in ethanol tolerance in Synechocystis. To decipher the tolerance mechanism involved, a comparative metabolomic and network-based analysis of the wild type and the ethanol-sensitive ∆slr0982 mutant was performed. The analysis allowed the identification of four metabolic modules related to slr0982 deletion in the ∆slr0982 mutant, among which metabolites like sucrose and L-pyroglutamic acid which might be involved in ethanol tolerance, were found important for slr0982 deletion in the ∆slr0982 mutant. This study reports on the first transporter related to ethanol tolerance in Synechocystis, which could be a useful target for further tolerance engineering. In addition, metabolomic and network analysis provides important findings for better understanding of the tolerance mechanism to ethanol stress in Synechocystis.

Oxidants, Antioxidants, and the Beneficial Roles of Exercise-Induced Production of Reactive Species

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Elisa Couto Gomes

2012-01-01

Full Text Available This review offers an overview of the influence of reactive species produced during exercise and their effect on exercise adaptation. Reactive species and free radicals are unstable molecules that oxidize other molecules in order to become stable. Although they play important roles in our body, they can also lead to oxidative stress impairing diverse cellular functions. During exercise, reactive species can be produced mainly, but not exclusively, by the following mechanisms: electron leak at the mitochondrial electron transport chain, ischemia/reperfusion and activation of endothelial xanthine oxidase, inflammatory response, and autooxidation of catecholamines. Chronic exercise also leads to the upregulation of the body's antioxidant defence mechanism, which helps minimize the oxidative stress that may occur after an acute bout of exercise. Recent studies show a beneficial role of the reactive species, produced during a bout of exercise, that lead to important training adaptations: angiogenesis, mitochondria biogenesis, and muscle hypertrophy. The adaptations occur depending on the mechanic, and consequently biochemical, stimulus within the muscle. This is a new area of study that promises important findings in the sphere of molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in the relationship between oxidative stress and exercise.

Oxidants, Antioxidants, and the Beneficial Roles of Exercise-Induced Production of Reactive Species

Science.gov (United States)

Gomes, Elisa Couto; Silva, Albená Nunes; de Oliveira, Marta Rubino

2012-01-01

This review offers an overview of the influence of reactive species produced during exercise and their effect on exercise adaptation. Reactive species and free radicals are unstable molecules that oxidize other molecules in order to become stable. Although they play important roles in our body, they can also lead to oxidative stress impairing diverse cellular functions. During exercise, reactive species can be produced mainly, but not exclusively, by the following mechanisms: electron leak at the mitochondrial electron transport chain, ischemia/reperfusion and activation of endothelial xanthine oxidase, inflammatory response, and autooxidation of catecholamines. Chronic exercise also leads to the upregulation of the body's antioxidant defence mechanism, which helps minimize the oxidative stress that may occur after an acute bout of exercise. Recent studies show a beneficial role of the reactive species, produced during a bout of exercise, that lead to important training adaptations: angiogenesis, mitochondria biogenesis, and muscle hypertrophy. The adaptations occur depending on the mechanic, and consequently biochemical, stimulus within the muscle. This is a new area of study that promises important findings in the sphere of molecular and cellular mechanisms involved in the relationship between oxidative stress and exercise. PMID:22701757

Final Project Report: Release of aged contaminants from weathered sediments: Effects of sorbate speciation on scaling of reactive transport

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jon Chorover, University of Arizona; Peggy O' €™Day, University of California, Merced; Karl Mueller, Penn State University; Wooyong Um, Pacific Northwest National Laboratory; Carl Steefel, Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory

2012-10-01

Hanford sediments impacted by hyperalkaline high level radioactive waste have undergone incongruent silicate mineral weathering concurrent with contaminant uptake. In this project, we studied the impact of background pore water (BPW) on strontium, cesium and iodine desorption and transport in Hanford sediments that were experimentally weathered by contact with simulated hyperalkaline tank waste leachate (STWL) solutions. Using those lab-weathered Hanford sediments (HS) and model precipitates formed during nucleation from homogeneous STWL solutions (HN), we (i) provided detailed characterization of reaction products over a matrix of field-relevant gradients in contaminant concentration, PCO2, and reaction time; (ii) improved molecular-scale understanding of how sorbate speciation controls contaminant desorption from weathered sediments upon removal of caustic sources; and (iii) developed a mechanistic, predictive model of meso- to field-scale contaminant reactive transport under these conditions.

Spent fuel transportation accident: a state's involvement

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Neuweg, M.

1978-01-01

On February 9, 1978 at 8:20 p.m., the duty officer for the Illinois Radiological Assistance Team was notified that a shipment containing uranium and plutonium was involved in an accident near Gibson City, Illinois on Route 54. It was reported that a pig containing an unknown amount of uranium and plutonium was involved. The Illinois District 6A State Police were called to the scene and secured the area. The duty officer in the meantime learned after numerous telephone calls, approximately 1 hour after the first notice was received, that the pig actually was a 48,000 pound cask containing 6 spent fuel rods and the tractor-trailer had split apart and was blocking one lane of the highway. The shipment had departed from Dresden Nuclear Power Station, Morris, Illinois, enroute to Babcox and Wilcox in Lynchburg, Virginia. Initial reports indicated the vehicle had split apart. Actually, the semi-trailer bed had buckled beneath the cask due to apparent excess stress. The cask remained entirely intact and was not damaged, but the state highway was closed to traffic. The State Radiological Assistance Team was dispatched and arrived on the scene at 12:45 a.m. Immediate radiation monitoring revealed a reading of 4 milliroentgen per hour at 10 feet from the cask. No contamination existed nor was anyone exposed to radiation unnecessarily. The cask was transferred to a Tri-State semi-trailer vehicle the following morning at approximately 6:30 a.m. At 9:30 a.m., February 10, the new vehicle was again enroute to its destination. This incident demonstrated typical occurrences involving transportation radiation accident: misinformation and/or lack of information on the initial response notification, inaccuracies of radiation monitorings at the scene of the accident, inconsistencies concerning the occurrences of the accident and unfamiliar terminology utilized by personnel first on the scene, i.e., pig, cask, vehicle split apart, etc

Uncertainty in reactive transport geochemical modelling

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Oedegaard-Jensen, A.; Ekberg, C.

2005-01-01

Full text of publication follows: Geochemical modelling is one way of predicting the transport of i.e. radionuclides in a rock formation. In a rock formation there will be fractures in which water and dissolved species can be transported. The composition of the water and the rock can either increase or decrease the mobility of the transported entities. When doing simulations on the mobility or transport of different species one has to know the exact water composition, the exact flow rates in the fracture and in the surrounding rock, the porosity and which minerals the rock is composed of. The problem with simulations on rocks is that the rock itself it not uniform i.e. larger fractures in some areas and smaller in other areas which can give different water flows. The rock composition can be different in different areas. In additions to this variance in the rock there are also problems with measuring the physical parameters used in a simulation. All measurements will perturb the rock and this perturbation will results in more or less correct values of the interesting parameters. The analytical methods used are also encumbered with uncertainties which in this case are added to the uncertainty from the perturbation of the analysed parameters. When doing simulation the effect of the uncertainties must be taken into account. As the computers are getting faster and faster the complexity of simulated systems are increased which also increase the uncertainty in the results from the simulations. In this paper we will show how the uncertainty in the different parameters will effect the solubility and mobility of different species. Small uncertainties in the input parameters can result in large uncertainties in the end. (authors)

Interaction of UV laser pulses with reactive dusty plasmas

NARCIS (Netherlands)

van de Wetering, F.M.J.H.; Beckers, J.; Nijdam, S.; Oosterbeek, W.; Kovacevic, E.; Berndt, J.

2016-01-01

This contribution deals with the effects of UV photons on the synthesis and transport of nanoparticles in reactive complex plasmas (capacitively coupled RF discharge). First measurements showed that the irradiation of a reactive acetylene-argon plasma with high-energy, ns UV laser pulses (355 nm, 75

Coupling diffusion and high-pH precipitation/dissolution in the near field of a HLW repository in clay by means of reactive solute transport models

Science.gov (United States)

Samper, J.; Font, I.; Yang, C.; Montenegro, L.

2004-12-01

The reference concept for a HLW repository in clay in Spain includes a 75 cm thick bentonite buffer which surrounds canisters. A concrete sustainment 20 cm thick is foreseen between the bentonite buffer and the clay formation. The long term geochemical evolution of the near field is affected by a high-pH hyperalkaline plume induced by concrete. Numerical models of multicomponent reactive transport have been developped in order to quantify the evolution of the system over 1 Ma. Water flow is negligible once the bentonite buffer is saturated after about 20 years. Therefore, solute transport occurs mainly by diffusion. Models account for aqueous complexation, acid-base and redox reactions, cation exchange, and mineral dissolution precipitation in the bentonite, the concrete and the clay formation. Numerical results obtained witth CORE2D indicate that the high-pH plume causes significant changes in porewater chemistry both in the bentonite buffer and the clay formation. Porosity changes caused by mineral dissolution/precipitation are extremely important. Therefore, coupled modes of diffusion and reactive transport accounting for changes in porosity caused by mineral precipitation are required in order to obtain realistic predictions.

Second-order splitting schemes for a class of reactive systems

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ren Zhuyin; Pope, Stephen B.

2008-01-01

We consider the numerical time integration of a class of reaction-transport systems that are described by a set of ordinary differential equations for primary variables. In the governing equations, the terms involved may require the knowledge of secondary variables, which are functions of the primary variables. Specifically, we consider the case where, given the primary variables, the evaluation of the secondary variables is computationally expensive. To solve this class of reaction-transport equations, we develop and demonstrate several computationally efficient splitting schemes, wherein the portions of the governing equations containing chemical reaction terms are separated from those parts containing the transport terms. A computationally efficient solution to the transport sub-step is achieved through the use of linearization or predictor-corrector methods. The splitting schemes are applied to the reactive flow in a continuously stirred tank reactor (CSTR) with the Davis-Skodjie reaction model, to the CO+H 2 oxidation in a CSTR with detailed chemical kinetics, and to a reaction-diffusion system with an extension of the Oregonator model of the Belousov-Zhabotinsky reaction. As demonstrated in the test problems, the proposed splitting schemes, which yield efficient solutions to the transport sub-step, achieve second-order accuracy in time

An Assessment of Factors Affecting Reactive Transport of Biodegradable BTEX in an Unconfined Aquifer System, Tehran Oil Refinery, Iran

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

A. Agah

2012-12-01

Full Text Available Risk-based assessment methods are commonly used at the contaminated sites by hydrocarbon pollutants. This paper presents the results of a two-dimensional finite volume model of reactive transport of biodegradable BTEX which have been developed for the saturated zone of an unconfined aquifer in the Pump station area of Tehran oil refinery, Iran. The model governing equations were numerically solved by modification of a general commercial software called PHOENICS. To reduce costs in general, many input parameters of a model are often approximated based on the used values in the contaminated sites with same conditions. It was not fully recognised the effect of errors in these inputs on modelling outputs. Thus, a sensitivity analysis was carried out to determine the influence of parameters variability on the results of model. For this analysis, the sensitivity of the model to changes in the dispersivity, distribution coefficient, parameters of Monod, Michaelis-Menten, first- and zero- order kinetics modes on the BTEX contaminant plume were examined by performing several simulations. It was found that the model is sensitive to changes in dispersivity and parameters of Michaelis-Menten, first- and zero- order kinetics model. On the other hand, the predictions for plumes assuming Monod kinetics are similar, even if different values for parameterization are chosen. The reason for this insensibility is that degradation is not limited by microbial kinetics in the simulation, but by dispersive mixing. Quantifying the effect of changes in model input parameters on the modelling results is essential when it is desired to recognise which model parameters are more vital on the fate and transport of reactive pollutants. Furthermore, this process can provide an insight into understanding pollutant transportation mechanisms.

A KDE-Based Random Walk Method for Modeling Reactive Transport With Complex Kinetics in Porous Media

Science.gov (United States)

Sole-Mari, Guillem; Fernà ndez-Garcia, Daniel; Rodríguez-Escales, Paula; Sanchez-Vila, Xavier

2017-11-01

In recent years, a large body of the literature has been devoted to study reactive transport of solutes in porous media based on pure Lagrangian formulations. Such approaches have also been extended to accommodate second-order bimolecular reactions, in which the reaction rate is proportional to the concentrations of the reactants. Rather, in some cases, chemical reactions involving two reactants follow more complicated rate laws. Some examples are (1) reaction rate laws written in terms of powers of concentrations, (2) redox reactions incorporating a limiting term (e.g., Michaelis-Menten), or (3) any reaction where the activity coefficients vary with the concentration of the reactants, just to name a few. We provide a methodology to account for complex kinetic bimolecular reactions in a fully Lagrangian framework where each particle represents a fraction of the total mass of a specific solute. The method, built as an extension to the second-order case, is based on the concept of optimal Kernel Density Estimator, which allows the concentrations to be written in terms of particle locations, hence transferring the concept of reaction rate to that of particle location distribution. By doing so, we can update the probability of particles reacting without the need to fully reconstruct the concentration maps. The performance and convergence of the method is tested for several illustrative examples that simulate the Advection-Dispersion-Reaction Equation in a 1-D homogeneous column. Finally, a 2-D application example is presented evaluating the need of fully describing non-bilinear chemical kinetics in a randomly heterogeneous porous medium.

Portable digital reactivity meter for power reactors

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Steffen, G [Nuklear-Ingenieur Service G.m.b.H., Hanau (Germany, F.R.)

1977-07-01

A digital reactivity meter has been developed, which can be used for all kinds of kinetic reactivity measurements in PWR's and BWR's. The input signals may be supplied by standard neutron detectors of the reactor. The hardware configuration consists of a minicomputer with ADC and DAC, a 'Silent' terminal and a high speed paper tape reader/punch. It is easily transportable. The reactivity meter solves the inverse kinetics equations for 6 delayed neutron groups, simultaneously for up to 8 logarithmic or linear neutron flux signals. It has been successfully tested at Biblis A PWR and the KRB BWR.

Ab-Initio Modelling Of Surface Site Reactivity And Fluid Transport In Clay Minerals Case Study: Pyrophyllite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Churakov, S.V.

2005-01-01

Pyrophyllite, Al 2 [Si 4 O 10 ](OH) 2 , is the simplest structural prototype for 2:1 dioctahedral phyllosilicate. Because the net electric charge in pyrophyllite is zero, it is the best candidate for investigating the non electrostatic contribution to sorption and transport phenomena in clays. Using ab-initio simulations, we have investigated the reactivity and structure of the water-solid interface on the basal plane and edge sites of pyrophyllite. The calculations predict slightly hydrophobic behaviour of the basal plane. For the high water coverage (100), (110) and (-110), lateral facets have a lower energy than for the (010), (130) and (-130) surfaces. Analysis of the surface reactivity reveals that the =Al-OH groups are most easily protonated on the (010), (130) and (-130) facets. The =Al-O-Si= sites will be protonated on the (100), (130), (110), (-110) and (-130) surfaces. The =Al-OH 2 complexes are more easily de-protonated than the =Si-OH and =Al-OH sites. A spontaneous, reversible exchange of the protons between the solution and the edge sites has been observed in ab-initio molecular dynamics simulations at 300 K. Such near-surface proton diffusion may result in a significant contribution to the diffusion coefficients measured in neutron scattering experiments. (author)

Analysis on tank truck accidents involved in road hazardous materials transportation in china.

Science.gov (United States)

Shen, Xiaoyan; Yan, Ying; Li, Xiaonan; Xie, Chenjiang; Wang, Lihua

2014-01-01

Due to the sheer size and capacity of the tanker and the properties of cargo transported in the tank, hazmat tanker accidents are more disastrous than other types of vehicle accidents. The aim of this study was to provide a current survey on the situation of accidents involving tankers transporting hazardous materials in China. Detailed descriptions of 708 tanker accidents associated with hazmat transportation in China from 2004 to 2011 were analyzed to identify causes, location, types, time of occurrence, hazard class for materials involved, consequences, and the corresponding probability. Hazmat tanker accidents mainly occurred in eastern (38.1%) and southwest China (12.3%). The most frequent hazmat tanker accidents involved classes 2, 3, and 8. The predominant accident types were rollover (29.10%), run-off-the-road (16.67%), and rear-end collisions (13.28%), with a high likelihood of a large spill occurring. About 55.93% of the accidents occurred on freeways and class 1 roads, with the spill percentage reaching 75.00% and the proportion of spills that occurred in the total accidents amounting to 77.82%, of which 61.72% are considered large spills. The month with the highest accident probability was July (12.29%), and most crashes occurred during the early morning (4:00-6:00 a.m.) and midday (10:00 a.m.-12:00 p.m.) hours, 19.63% versus 16.10%. Human-related errors (73.8%) and vehicle-related defects (19.6%) were the primary reasons for hazmat tanker crashes. The most common outcomes of a hazmat tanker accident was a spill without further events (55.51%), followed by a release with fire (7.77%), and release with an explosion (2.54%). The safety situation of China's hazmat tanker transportation is grim. Such accidents not only have high spill percentages and consistently large spills but they can also cause serious consequences, such as fires and explosions. Improving the training of drivers and the quality of vehicles, deploying roll stability aids, enhancing

Integrated reactive self-assessment for programmatic learning

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Corcoran, W.R.

1996-01-01

This paper presents a generalized method for using reactive self-assessment. The application is to programmatic learning involving the integration of reactive self-assessment results over a period of time. This paper also presents some of the results of one application of the process. Self-assessment, in general, is the assessment conducted or sponsored by an individual or organization of its own activities for the purpose of detecting improvement opportunities, either of the corrective or the enhancement types. Reactive self-assessment is a self-assessment activity conducted in reaction to a shortfall event. An integrative reactive self-assessment is a self-assessment that integrates a set of reactive self-assessment results. Programmatic learning is increasing the knowledge base in a program area. Self-assessment, in general, and reactive self-assessment, in particular, are required by federal quality requirements. One such program area is nuclear power plant testing, which is also required by federal quality requirements. Any program area could have been selected, but this one was selected because it was involved in the Chernobyl accident, the most consequential nuclear power accident up until the time of this writing. Other consequential accidents involving nuclear power plant testing were the Browns Ferry fire and the Salem overspeed event. (The author, of course, does not conduct nuclear power plant testing but is doing a self-assessment as if he were acting for an organization that did testing.)

Reactive transport modeling of chemical and isotope data to identify degradation processes of chlorinated ethenes in a diffusion-dominated media

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Chambon, Julie Claire Claudia; Damgaard, Ida; Jeannottat, Simon

. Degradation and transport processes of chlorinated ethenes are not well understood in such geological settings, therefore risk assessment and remediation at these sites are particularly challenging. In this work, a combined approach of chemical and isotope analysis on core samples, and reactive transport...... the source zone (between 6 and 12 mbs). Concentrations and stable isotope ratios of the mother compounds and their daughter products, as well as redox parameters, fatty acids and microbial data, were analyzed with discrete sub-sampling along the cores. More samples (each 5 mm) were collected around...... of dechlorination and degradation pathways (biotic reductive dechlorination or abiotic β-elimination with iron minerals) in three core profiles. The model includes diffusion in the matrix, sequential reductive dechlorination, abiotic degradation, isotope fractionation due to degradation and due to diffusion...

Phast4Windows: A 3D graphical user interface for the reactive-transport simulator PHAST

Science.gov (United States)

Charlton, Scott R.; Parkhurst, David L.

2013-01-01

Phast4Windows is a Windows® program for developing and running groundwater-flow and reactive-transport models with the PHAST simulator. This graphical user interface allows definition of grid-independent spatial distributions of model properties—the porous media properties, the initial head and chemistry conditions, boundary conditions, and locations of wells, rivers, drains, and accounting zones—and other parameters necessary for a simulation. Spatial data can be defined without reference to a grid by drawing, by point-by-point definitions, or by importing files, including ArcInfo® shape and raster files. All definitions can be inspected, edited, deleted, moved, copied, and switched from hidden to visible through the data tree of the interface. Model features are visualized in the main panel of the interface, so that it is possible to zoom, pan, and rotate features in three dimensions (3D). PHAST simulates single phase, constant density, saturated groundwater flow under confined or unconfined conditions. Reactions among multiple solutes include mineral equilibria, cation exchange, surface complexation, solid solutions, and general kinetic reactions. The interface can be used to develop and run simple or complex models, and is ideal for use in the classroom, for analysis of laboratory column experiments, and for development of field-scale simulations of geochemical processes and contaminant transport.

Oxidation of trichloroethylene, toluene, and ethanol vapors by a partially saturated permeable reactive barrier

Science.gov (United States)

Mahmoodlu, Mojtaba G.; Hassanizadeh, S. Majid; Hartog, Niels; Raoof, Amir

2014-08-01

The mitigation of volatile organic compound (VOC) vapors in the unsaturated zone largely relies on the active removal of vapor by ventilation. In this study we considered an alternative method involving the use of solid potassium permanganate to create a horizontal permeable reactive barrier for oxidizing VOC vapors. Column experiments were carried out to investigate the oxidation of trichloroethylene (TCE), toluene, and ethanol vapors using a partially saturated mixture of potassium permanganate and sand grains. Results showed a significant removal of VOC vapors due to the oxidation. We found that water saturation has a major effect on the removal capacity of the permeable reactive layer. We observed a high removal efficiency and reactivity of potassium permanganate for all target compounds at the highest water saturation (Sw = 0.6). A change in pH within the reactive layer reduced oxidation rate of VOCs. The use of carbonate minerals increased the reactivity of potassium permanganate during the oxidation of TCE vapor by buffering the pH. Reactive transport of VOC vapors diffusing through the permeable reactive layer was modeled, including the pH effect on the oxidation rates. The model accurately described the observed breakthrough curve of TCE and toluene vapors in the headspace of the column. However, miscibility of ethanol in water in combination with produced water during oxidation made the modeling results less accurate for ethanol. A linear relationship was found between total oxidized mass of VOC vapors per unit volume of permeable reactive layer and initial water saturation. This behavior indicates that pH changes control the overall reactivity and longevity of the permeable reactive layer during oxidation of VOCs. The results suggest that field application of a horizontal permeable reactive barrier can be a viable technology against upward migration of VOC vapors through the unsaturated zone.

Reactive Transport Modeling of the Yucca Mountain Site, Nevada

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

G. Bodvarsson

2004-01-01

The Yucca Mountain site has a dry climate and deep water table, with the repository located in the middle of an unsaturated zone approximately 600 m thick. Radionuclide transport processes from the repository to the water table are sensitive to the unsaturated zone flow field, as well as to sorption, matrix diffusion, radioactive decay, and colloid transport mechanisms. The unsaturated zone flow and transport models are calibrated against both physical and chemical data, including pneumatic pressure, liquid saturation, water potential, temperature, chloride, and calcite. The transport model predictions are further compared with testing specific to unsaturated zone transport: at Alcove 1 in the Exploratory Studies Facility (ESF), at Alcove 8 and Niche 3 of the ESF, and at the Busted Butte site. The models are applied to predict the breakthroughs at the water table for nonsorbing and sorbing radionuclides, with faults shown as the important paths for radionuclide transport. Daughter products of some important radionuclides, such as 239 Pu and 241 Am, have faster transport than the parents and must be considered in the unsaturated zone transport model. Colloid transport is significantly affected by colloid size, but only negligibly affected by lunetic declogging (reverse filtering) mechanisms. Unsaturated zone model uncertainties are discussed, including the sensitivity of breakthrough to the active fracture model parameter, as an example of uncertainties related to detailed flow characteristics and fracture-matrix interaction. It is expected that additional benefits from the unsaturated zone barrier for transport can be achieved by full implementation of the shadow zone concept immediately below the radionuclide release points in the waste emplacement drifts

A reactive transport model for mercury fate in contaminated soil--sensitivity analysis.

Science.gov (United States)

Leterme, Bertrand; Jacques, Diederik

2015-11-01

We present a sensitivity analysis of a reactive transport model of mercury (Hg) fate in contaminated soil systems. The one-dimensional model, presented in Leterme et al. (2014), couples water flow in variably saturated conditions with Hg physico-chemical reactions. The sensitivity of Hg leaching and volatilisation to parameter uncertainty is examined using the elementary effect method. A test case is built using a hypothetical 1-m depth sandy soil and a 50-year time series of daily precipitation and evapotranspiration. Hg anthropogenic contamination is simulated in the topsoil by separately considering three different sources: cinnabar, non-aqueous phase liquid and aqueous mercuric chloride. The model sensitivity to a set of 13 input parameters is assessed, using three different model outputs (volatilized Hg, leached Hg, Hg still present in the contaminated soil horizon). Results show that dissolved organic matter (DOM) concentration in soil solution and the binding constant to DOM thiol groups are critical parameters, as well as parameters related to Hg sorption to humic and fulvic acids in solid organic matter. Initial Hg concentration is also identified as a sensitive parameter. The sensitivity analysis also brings out non-monotonic model behaviour for certain parameters.

Ultrafast Carrier Relaxation in InN Nanowires Grown by Reactive Vapor Transport

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Zervos Matthew

2008-01-01

Full Text Available Abstract We have studied femtosecond carrier dynamics in InN nanowires grown by reactive vapor transport. Transient differential absorption measurements have been employed to investigate the relaxation dynamics of photogenerated carriers near and above the optical absorption edge of InN NWs where an interplay of state filling, photoinduced absorption, and band-gap renormalization have been observed. The interface between states filled by free carriers intrinsic to the InN NWs and empty states has been determined to be at 1.35 eV using CW optical transmission measurements. Transient absorption measurements determined the absorption edge at higher energy due to the additional injected photogenerated carriers following femtosecond pulse excitation. The non-degenerate white light pump-probe measurements revealed that relaxation of the photogenerated carriers occurs on a single picosecond timescale which appears to be carrier density dependent. This fast relaxation is attributed to the capture of the photogenerated carriers by defect/surface related states. Furthermore, intensity dependent measurements revealed fast energy transfer from the hot photogenerated carriers to the lattice with the onset of increased temperature occurring at approximately 2 ps after pulse excitation.

Modelling the dispersion and transport of reactive pollutants in a deep urban street canyon: Using large-eddy simulation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhong, Jian; Cai, Xiao-Ming; Bloss, William James

2015-01-01

This study investigates the dispersion and transport of reactive pollutants in a deep urban street canyon with an aspect ratio of 2 under neutral meteorological conditions using large-eddy simulation. The spatial variation of pollutants is significant due to the existence of two unsteady vortices. The deviation of species abundance from chemical equilibrium for the upper vortex is greater than that for the lower vortex. The interplay of dynamics and chemistry is investigated using two metrics: the photostationary state defect, and the inferred ozone production rate. The latter is found to be negative at all locations within the canyon, pointing to a systematic negative offset to ozone production rates inferred by analogous approaches in environments with incomplete mixing of emissions. This study demonstrates an approach to quantify parameters for a simplified two-box model, which could support traffic management and urban planning strategies and personal exposure assessment. - Highlights: • Large-eddy simulation reproduces two unsteady vortices seen in a lab experiment. • Reactive pollutants in an urban street canyon exhibit significant spatial variation. • O 3 production rate inferred by the NO x -O 3 -steady-state-defect approach is discussed. • Ground level sourced pollutants are largely trapped within the lower vortex. • A method of quantifying parameters of a two-box model is developed. - Reactive pollutants in a deep street canyon exhibit significant spatial variation driven by two unsteady vortices. A method of quantifying parameters of a two-box model is developed

Modeling the fate transport of cesium in crushed granite

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lee, C.B.; Kuo, Y.M.; Hsu, C.N.; Li, M.H.; Cheng, H.P.; Teng, S.P.

2005-01-01

Full text of publication follows: In order to assess the safety of a underground radwaste repository, reactive transport models suitable for evaluating the fate and transport of radionuclides need to be established based on experimental observation and analysis. The goal of this study is to construct adequate models simulating the reactive transport of cesium (Cs) in crushed granite through a systematic analysis, where synthetic groundwater (SGW) and synthetic seawater (SSW) were employed as the liquid phase. To build such models, this study applied N 2 -BET, x-ray diffraction (XRD), polar-microscopy/ auto-radiography, and solid-phase digestion for the analysis of granite, kinetic batch tests for the characterization of sorption/desorption of Cs, and multi-stage advection-dispersion column tests for the determination of major transport processes and the calibration/validation of hypothesized reactive transport models. Based on the results of solid phase analysis and batch tests, a two-site Langmuir kinetic model has been determined capable of appropriately describing Cs sorption/desorption under test conditions. From the results of non-reactive HTO column tests, a mobile/immobile transport model was proposed to capture the major transport processes in our column system. However, the combination of the two-site Langmuir model and the mobile/immobile transport model failed to provide numerical breakthrough curves matching the Cs experimental breakthroughs. It implied that our model needs to be further refined. To achieve this, the setup of our column test needs to be modified first to reduce the volume of column connecting space, so that the effect of extra diffusion/dispersion on breakthroughs would be minimized and major transport characteristics can be clearly revealed. Moreover, more investigations on the reaction mechanisms and transport processes of the reactive transport system must be conducted. (authors)

Preliminary reactive geochemical transport simulation study on CO2 geological sequestration at the Changhua Coastal Industrial Park Site, Taiwan

Science.gov (United States)

Sung, R.; Li, M.

2013-12-01

assumed throughout the simulation domain. Comparisons among simulated results with different mesh systems of nested meshes and non-nested meshes and considerations of multiphase reactive transport and physical transport were demonstrated in this study. Preliminary results of injection CO2 for 50 years are: (1) about 7 wt.% of injected CO2 was trapped as carbonate minerals mainly as ankerite; (2) porosities were decreased by 0.014 % and increased by 0.102 % at the injection point and beneath the cap rock, respectively, and were subsequently decreased with time due to minerals precipitation mostly as illite and ankerite; (3) differences of simulated aquifer responses between reactive transport and physical transport were insignificant; and (4) projected CO2 plumes with the nested meshes was smaller than those by the non-nested meshes after cease of CO2 injection. Keywords: CO2-Saline-Mineral Interaction, Reactive Geochemical Transport, TOUGHREACT, Mineral Trapping Assessment, Changhua Costal Industrial Park Site, Taiwan Reference: Marini, L., 2006, Geological Sequestration of Carbon Dioxide, Volume 11: Thermodynamics, Kinetics, and Reaction Path Modeling, Elsevier Science, pp.470. Xu, T., J. A. Apps and K. Pruess, 2004, Numerical simulation of CO2 disposal by mineral trapping in deep aquifers, Applied Geochemistry, Vol. 19:917-936.

Fracture Characterization in Reactive Fluid-Fractured Rock Systems Using Tracer Transport Data

Science.gov (United States)

Mukhopadhyay, S.

2014-12-01

Fractures, whether natural or engineered, exert significant controls over resource exploitation from contemporary energy sources including enhanced geothermal systems and unconventional oil and gas reserves. Consequently, fracture characterization, i.e., estimating the permeability, connectivity, and spacing of the fractures is of critical importance for determining the viability of any energy recovery program. While some progress has recently been made towards estimating these critical fracture parameters, significant uncertainties still remain. A review of tracer technology, which has a long history in fracture characterization, reveals that uncertainties exist in the estimated parameters not only because of paucity of scale-specific data but also because of knowledge gaps in the interpretation methods, particularly in interpretation of tracer data in reactive fluid-rock systems. We have recently demonstrated that the transient tracer evolution signatures in reactive fluid-rock systems are significantly different from those in non-reactive systems (Mukhopadhyay et al., 2013, 2014). For example, the tracer breakthrough curves in reactive fluid-fractured rock systems are expected to exhibit a long pseudo-state condition, during which tracer concentration does not change by any appreciable amount with passage of time. Such a pseudo-steady state condition is not observed in a non-reactive system. In this paper, we show that the presence of this pseudo-steady state condition in tracer breakthrough patterns in reactive fluid-rock systems can have important connotations for fracture characterization. We show that the time of onset of the pseudo-steady state condition and the value of tracer concentration in the pseudo-state condition can be used to reliably estimate fracture spacing and fracture-matrix interface areas.

Calculations of reactivity based in the solution of the Neutron transport equation in X Y geometry and Lineal perturbation theory

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Valle G, E. del; Mugica R, C.A.

2005-01-01

In our country, in last congresses, Gomez et al carried out reactivity calculations based on the solution of the diffusion equation for an energy group using nodal methods in one dimension and the TPL approach (Lineal Perturbation Theory). Later on, Mugica extended the application to the case of multigroup so much so much in one as in two dimensions (X Y geometry) with excellent results. Presently work is carried out similar calculations but this time based on the solution of the neutron transport equation in X Y geometry using nodal methods and again the TPL approximation. The idea is to provide a calculation method that allows to obtain in quick form the reactivity solving the direct problem as well as the enclosed problem of the not perturbed problem. A test problem for the one that results are provided for the effective multiplication factor is described and its are offered some conclusions. (Author)

Simulating the reactive transport of nitrogen species in a regional irrigated agricultural groundwater system

Science.gov (United States)

Bailey, R. T.; Gates, T. K.

2011-12-01

The fate and transport of nitrogen (N) species in irrigated agricultural groundwater systems is governed by irrigation patterns, cultivation practices, aquifer-surface water exchanges, and chemical reactions such as oxidation-reduction, volatilization, and sorption, as well as the presence of dissolved oxygen (O2). We present results of applying the newly-developed numerical model RT3D-AG to a 50,400-ha regional study site within the Lower Arkansas River Valley in southeastern Colorado, where elevated concentrations of NO3 have been observed in both groundwater and surface water during the recent decade. Furthermore, NO3 has a strong influence on the fate and transport of other contaminants in the aquifer system such as selenium (Se) through inhibition of reduction of dissolved Se as well as oxidation of precipitate Se from outcropped and bedrock shale. RT3D-AG, developed by appending the multi-species reactive transport finite-difference model RT3D with modular packages that account for variably-saturated transport, the cycling of carbon (C) and N, and the fate and transport of O2 within the soil and aquifer system, simulates organic C and organic N decomposition and mineralization, oxidation-reduction reactions, and sorption. System sources/sinks consist of applied fertilizer and manure; crop uptake of ammonium (NH4) and NO3 during the growing season; mass of O2, NO3, and NH4 associated with irrigation water and canal seepage; mass of O2, NO3, and NH4 transferred to canals and the Arkansas River from the aquifer; and dead root mass and after-harvest stover mass incorporated into the soil organic matter at the end of the growing season. Chemical reactions are simulated using first-order Monod kinetics, wherein the rate of reaction is dependent on the concentration of the reactants as well as temperature and water content of the soil. Fertilizer and manure application timing and loading, mass of seasonal crop uptake, and end-of-season root mass and stover mass are

Soybean SAT1 (Symbiotic Ammonium Transporter 1) encodes a bHLH transcription factor involved in nodule growth and NH4+ transport.

Science.gov (United States)

Chiasson, David M; Loughlin, Patrick C; Mazurkiewicz, Danielle; Mohammadidehcheshmeh, Manijeh; Fedorova, Elena E; Okamoto, Mamoru; McLean, Elizabeth; Glass, Anthony D M; Smith, Sally E; Bisseling, Ton; Tyerman, Stephen D; Day, David A; Kaiser, Brent N

2014-04-01

Glycine max symbiotic ammonium transporter 1 was first documented as a putative ammonium (NH4(+)) channel localized to the symbiosome membrane of soybean root nodules. We show that Glycine max symbiotic ammonium transporter 1 is actually a membrane-localized basic helix-loop-helix (bHLH) DNA-binding transcription factor now renamed Glycine max bHLH membrane 1 (GmbHLHm1). In yeast, GmbHLHm1 enters the nucleus and transcriptionally activates a unique plasma membrane NH4(+) channel Saccharomyces cerevisiae ammonium facilitator 1. Ammonium facilitator 1 homologs are present in soybean and other plant species, where they often share chromosomal microsynteny with bHLHm1 loci. GmbHLHm1 is important to the soybean rhizobium symbiosis because loss of activity results in a reduction of nodule fitness and growth. Transcriptional changes in nodules highlight downstream signaling pathways involving circadian clock regulation, nutrient transport, hormone signaling, and cell wall modification. Collectively, these results show that GmbHLHm1 influences nodule development and activity and is linked to a novel mechanism for NH4(+) transport common to both yeast and plants.

Interfacial microstructure and shear strength of reactive air brazed oxygen transport membrane ceramic-metal alloy joints

Science.gov (United States)

FR, Wahid Muhamad; Yoon, Dang-Hyok; Raju, Kati; Kim, Seyoung; Song, Kwang-sup; Yu, Ji Haeng

2018-01-01

To fabricate a multi-layered structure for maximizing oxygen production, oxygen transport membrane (OTM) ceramics need to be joined or sealed hermetically metal supports for interfacing with the peripheral components of the system. Therefore, in this study, Ag-10 wt% CuO was evaluated as an effective filler material for the reactive air brazing of dense Ce0.9Gd0.1O2-δ-La0.7Sr0.3MnO3±δ (GDC-LSM) OTM ceramics. Thermal decomposition in air and wetting behavior of the braze filler was performed. Reactive air brazing was performed at 1050 °C for 30 min in air to join GDC-LSM with four different commercially available high temperature-resistant metal alloys, such as Crofer 22 APU, Inconel 600, Fecralloy, and AISI 310S. The microstructure and elemental distribution of the ceramic-ceramic and ceramic-metal interfaces were examined from polished cross-sections. The mechanical shear strength at room temperature for the as-brazed and isothermally aged (800 °C for 24 h) joints of all the samples was compared. The results showed that the strength of the ceramic-ceramic joints was decreased marginally by aging; however, in the case of metal-ceramic joints, different decreases in strengths were observed according to the metal alloy used, which was explained based on the formation of different oxide layers at the interfaces.

Low-level radioactive waste involved in transportation events

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cashwell, C.E.

1990-01-01

The Radioactive Materials Incident Report (RMIR) database contains information about radioactive materials transportation accidents and incidents that have occurred in the United States from 1971 through 1989. Using data from RMIR, this paper will provide detailed information on transportation accidents and incidents that have occurred with low-level radioactive wastes. Additionally, overview data on the number of transport accidents and incidents that have occurred and by what transport mode will also be provided. 4 refs., 6 tabs

TOUGHREACT User's Guide: A Simulation Program for Non-isothermal Multiphase Reactive Geochemical Transport in Variably Saturated Geologic Media, V1.2.1

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Xu, Tianfu; Sonnenthal, Eric; Spycher, Nicolas; Pruess, Karsten

2008-01-01

Coupled modeling of subsurface multiphase fluid and heat flow, solute transport, and chemical reactions can be applied to many geologic systems and environmental problems, including geothermal systems, diagenetic and weathering processes, subsurface waste disposal, acid mine drainage remediation, contaminant transport, and groundwater quality. TOUGHREACT has been developed as a comprehensive non-isothermal multi-component reactive fluid flow and geochemical transport simulator to investigate these and other problems. A number of subsurface thermo-physical-chemical processes are considered under various thermohydrological and geochemical conditions of pressure, temperature, water saturation, and ionic strength. TOUGHREACT can be applied to one-, two- or three-dimensional porous and fractured media with physical and chemical heterogeneity. The code can accommodate any number of chemical species present in liquid, gas and solid phases. A variety of equilibrium chemical reactions are considered, such as aqueous complexation, gas dissolution/exsolution, and cation exchange. Mineral dissolution/precipitation can take place subject to either local equilibrium or kinetic controls, with coupling to changes in porosity and permeability and capillary pressure in unsaturated systems. Chemical components can also be treated by linear adsorption and radioactive decay. The first version of the non-isothermal reactive geochemical transport code TOUGHREACT was developed (Xu and Pruess, 1998) by introducing reactive geochemistry into the framework of the existing multi-phase fluid and heat flow code TOUGH2 (Pruess, 1991). TOUGHREACT was further enhanced with the addition of (1) treatment of mineral-water-gas reactive-transport under boiling conditions, (2) an improved HKF activity model for aqueous species, (3) gas species diffusion coefficients calculated as a function of pressure, temperature, and molecular properties, (4) mineral reactive surface area formulations for fractured

Second Reactivation of Neurocysticercosis: A Case Report

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Shim, Young Sup; Hwang, Hee Young; Choi, Hye Young; Kim, Jee Eun; Kim, Hyung Sik [Gil Hospital, Incheon (Korea, Republic of)

2010-02-15

This report describes the first case involving a second reactivation of neurocysticercosis. There was peripheral enhancement and surrounding edema at multiple calcified lesions in both cerebral hemispheres on the brain MRI. One must be aware of the possibility of reactivation of neurocysticercosis to make the correct diagnosis

Toward a better understanding of the complex geochemical processes governing subsurface contaminant transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Puls, R.W.

1990-01-01

Identification and understanding of the geochemical processes, including ion exchange, precipitation, organic partitioning, chemisorption, aqueous complexation, and colloidal stability and transport, controlling subsurface contamination is essential for making accurate predictions of the fate and transport of these constituents. Current approaches to quantify the effect of these processes primarily involve laboratory techniques, including the use of closed static systems (batch experiments) where small amounts of aquifer solids or minerals are contacted with an aqueous phase containing the components of interest for relatively short durations; and dynamic systems (column experiments) where a larger segment of the aquifer is investigated by analyzing the breakthrough profiles of reactive and non-reactive species. Both approaches are constrained by differences in scale, alteration of media during sample collection and use, and spatial variability. More field reactivity studies are needed to complement established laboratory approaches for the determination of retardation factors and scaling factors, corroboration of batch and column results, and validation of sampling techniques. These studies also serve to accentuate areas of geochemical process research where data deficiencies exist, such as the kinetics of adsorption-desorption, metal-organic-mineral interactions, and colloidal mobility. The advantages and disadvantages of the above approaches are discussed in the context of achieving a more completely integrated approach to geochemical transport experiments, with supportive data presented from selected studies. (Author) (16 refs., 4 figs., 2 tabs.)

Dual continuum models of fully coupled non-isothermal multiphase flow and reactive transport in porous media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zheng, L.; Samper, J.

2005-01-01

Full text of publication follows: Double porosity, double permeability and dual continuum models (DCM) are widely used for modeling preferential water flow and mass transport in unsaturated and fractured media. Here we present a DCM of fully coupled non-isothermal multiphase flow and reactive transport model for the FEBEX compacted bentonite, a material which exhibits a double porosity behavior.. FEBEX (Full-scale Engineered Barrier EXperiment) is a demonstration and research project dealing with the bentonite engineered barrier designed for sealing and containment of a high level radioactive waste repository. Our DCM considers inter-aggregate macro-pores, and intra-aggregate and interlayer micro-pores. Two types of DCMs are tested: the dual continuum connected matrix (DCCM) and the dual continuum dis connected matrix (DCDM). Liquid flow in macro-pores is described with a mass conservation equation accounting for Darcian flow, chemical and thermal osmosis. In DCCM, water flux in micropores is calculated with a modified Darcy's law by adding a chemical osmosis term. A simple mass balance equation is used for DCDM which contains a storage and a water exchange term for water in micropores. A mixed type of water exchange term is adopted which includes a second order term accounting for water transfer due to the difference in liquid pressure and a first order term accounting for the gradient in chemical osmosis pressure. Equations of mass conservation for liquid, gas and heat in macro-pores and liquid mass conservation in micropores are solved by using a Newton-Raphson method. Two transport equations with a coupling interaction term are used to describe solute transport in macro- and micro-pores. The coupling term contains a first order diffusion term and a convection term (solute exchange due to water exchange). Transport equations as well as chemical reactions in the two domains are solved by means of a sequential iteration method. All these feature have been

Predictive modeling of reactive wetting and metal joining.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

van Swol, Frank B.

2013-09-01

The performance, reproducibility and reliability of metal joints are complex functions of the detailed history of physical processes involved in their creation. Prediction and control of these processes constitutes an intrinsically challenging multi-physics problem involving heating and melting a metal alloy and reactive wetting. Understanding this process requires coupling strong molecularscale chemistry at the interface with microscopic (diffusion) and macroscopic mass transport (flow) inside the liquid followed by subsequent cooling and solidification of the new metal mixture. The final joint displays compositional heterogeneity and its resulting microstructure largely determines the success or failure of the entire component. At present there exists no computational tool at Sandia that can predict the formation and success of a braze joint, as current capabilities lack the ability to capture surface/interface reactions and their effect on interface properties. This situation precludes us from implementing a proactive strategy to deal with joining problems. Here, we describe what is needed to arrive at a predictive modeling and simulation capability for multicomponent metals with complicated phase diagrams for melting and solidification, incorporating dissolutive and composition-dependent wetting.

Equilibrium, kinetic and reactive transport models for Pu: employing numerical methods to uncover the nature of the intrinsic colloid

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Schwantes, Jon M.; Batchelor, Bill

2000-01-01

Future missions for the Department of Defense include processing plutonium for vitrification and conversion to mixed oxide fuels for commercial use. Such processing could result in the production of Pu-containing waste and unplanned releases of Pu to the environment. Some releases related to plutonium processing have occurred in the past. However, scientists are currently not able to explain the observed behavior of plutonium in natural systems. For example, classical filtration theory predicts that plutonium transport within groundwater should be limited to a few tens of meters. Experimental observations, however, show that plutonium is present in groundwater at distances orders of magnitude farther away from its source than predicted. Before adequate disposal practices can be designed for plutonium, its behavior in these systems must be better understood. The overall goal of this project is to develop equilibrium, kinetic and reactive transport models that describe the behavior of Pu in aqueous systems and to apply these models to natural and engineered systems

Reactive chemicals and process hazards

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Surianarayanan, M.

2016-01-01

Exothermic chemical reactions are often accompanied by significant heat release, and therefore, need a thorough investigation before they are taken to a plant scale. Sudden thermal energy releases from exothermic decompositions and runaway reactions have contributed to serious fire and explosions in several chemical process plants. Similarly, thermal runaway had also occurred in storage and transportation of reactive chemicals. The secondary events of thermal runaway reactions can be rupture of process vessel, toxic spills and release of explosive vapor clouds or combination of these also. The explosion hazards are governed by the system thermodynamics and kinetics of the thermal process. Theoretical prediction of limiting temperature is difficult due to process complexities. Further, the kinetic data obtained through classical techniques, at conditions far away from runaway situation, is often not valid for assessing the runaway behavior of exothermic processes. The main focus of this lecture is to discuss the causes and several contributing factors for thermal runaway and instability and present analyses of the methodologies of the new instrumental techniques for assessing the thermal hazards of reactive chemicals during processing, storage and transportation. (author)

Reactive-transport model for the prediction of the uniform corrosion behaviour of copper used fuel containers

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

King, F.; Kolar, M.; Maak, P.

2008-01-01

Used fuel containers in a deep geological repository will be subject to various forms of corrosion. For containers made from oxygen-free, phosphorus-doped copper, the most likely corrosion processes are uniform corrosion, underdeposit corrosion, stress corrosion cracking, and microbiologically influenced corrosion. The environmental conditions within the repository are expected to evolve with time, changing from warm and oxidizing initially to cool and anoxic in the long-term. In response, the corrosion behaviour of the containers will also change with time as the repository environment evolve. A reactive-transport model has been developed to predict the time-dependent uniform corrosion behaviour of the container. The model is based on an experimentally-based reaction scheme that accounts for the various chemical, microbiological, electrochemical, precipitation/dissolution, adsorption/desorption, redox, and mass-transport processes at the container surface and in the compacted bentonite-based sealing materials within the repository. Coupling of the electrochemical interfacial reactions with processes in the bentonite buffer material allows the effect of the evolution of the repository environment on the corrosion behaviour of the container to be taken into account. The Copper Corrosion Model for Uniform Corrosion predicts the time-dependent corrosion rate and corrosion potential of the container, as well as the evolution of the near-field environment

Red blood cells augment transport of reactive metabolites of monocrotaline from liver to lung in isolated and tandem liver and lung preparations

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Pan, L.C.; Lame, M.W.; Morin, D.; Wilson, D.W.; Segall, H.J. (Department of Veterinary Pharmacology, University of California, Davis (United States))

1991-09-01

Monocrotaline (MCT) is a pyrrolizidine alkaloid that causes pulmonary hypertension in rats by mechanisms which remain largely unknown. MCT is thought to be activated in the liver to a reactive intermediate that is transported to the lung where it causes endothelial injury. The authors previous pharmacokinetic work demonstrated significant sequestration of radioactivity in red blood cells (RBCs) of rats treated with (14C)MCT. To determine whether this RBC sequestration might be important in the transport of reactive MCT metabolites, they compared the effect of inclusion of RBCs in the perfusion buffer on the extent of covalent binding of (14C)MCT to rat lungs in tandem liver-lung preparations. The potential effect of RBCs in stabilizing reactive intermediates was evaluated by preperfusion of isolated liver preparations with (14C)MCT with and without RBCs, separation and washing of the RBC fraction, and subsequent (90 min later) perfusion of washed RBCs or buffer alone in isolated perfused lungs. Covalent binding to lung tissues was determined by exhaustive methanol/chloroform extractions of unbound label from homogenized lung tissue followed by scintillation counting of residual 14C. Covalent binding was expressed as picomole MCT molecular weight equivalents/mg protein. Comparison of the relative capability of these isolated organ preparations for conversion of MCT to polar metabolites was done by extraction and HPLC analysis of perfusate at the end of the experiment. Isolated livers converted 65-85% of MCT to polar metabolites compared with less than 5% conversion in the isolated lungs. Inclusion of RBCs in the buffer of tandem lung liver preparations perfused with 400 microM (14C)MCT increased the covalent binding to the lung from 97 {plus minus} 25 (buffer alone) to 182 {plus minus} 36 (buffer + RBC) pmol/mg protein.

Red blood cells augment transport of reactive metabolites of monocrotaline from liver to lung in isolated and tandem liver and lung preparations

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Pan, L.C.; Lame, M.W.; Morin, D.; Wilson, D.W.; Segall, H.J.

1991-01-01

Monocrotaline (MCT) is a pyrrolizidine alkaloid that causes pulmonary hypertension in rats by mechanisms which remain largely unknown. MCT is thought to be activated in the liver to a reactive intermediate that is transported to the lung where it causes endothelial injury. The authors previous pharmacokinetic work demonstrated significant sequestration of radioactivity in red blood cells (RBCs) of rats treated with [14C]MCT. To determine whether this RBC sequestration might be important in the transport of reactive MCT metabolites, they compared the effect of inclusion of RBCs in the perfusion buffer on the extent of covalent binding of [14C]MCT to rat lungs in tandem liver-lung preparations. The potential effect of RBCs in stabilizing reactive intermediates was evaluated by preperfusion of isolated liver preparations with [14C]MCT with and without RBCs, separation and washing of the RBC fraction, and subsequent (90 min later) perfusion of washed RBCs or buffer alone in isolated perfused lungs. Covalent binding to lung tissues was determined by exhaustive methanol/chloroform extractions of unbound label from homogenized lung tissue followed by scintillation counting of residual 14C. Covalent binding was expressed as picomole MCT molecular weight equivalents/mg protein. Comparison of the relative capability of these isolated organ preparations for conversion of MCT to polar metabolites was done by extraction and HPLC analysis of perfusate at the end of the experiment. Isolated livers converted 65-85% of MCT to polar metabolites compared with less than 5% conversion in the isolated lungs. Inclusion of RBCs in the buffer of tandem lung liver preparations perfused with 400 microM [14C]MCT increased the covalent binding to the lung from 97 ± 25 (buffer alone) to 182 ± 36 (buffer + RBC) pmol/mg protein

Reactive oxygen species in unstimulated hemocytes of the pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas: a mitochondrial involvement.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Ludovic Donaghy

Full Text Available The Pacific oyster Crassostrea gigas is a sessile bivalve mollusc whose homeostasis relies, at least partially, upon cells circulating in hemolymph and referred to as hemocytes. Oyster's hemocytes have been reported to produce reactive oxygen species (ROS, even in absence of stimulation. Although ROS production in bivalve molluscs is mostly studied for its defence involvement, ROS may also be involved in cellular and tissue homeostasis. ROS sources have not yet been described in oyster hemocytes. The objective of the present work was to characterize the ROS sources in unstimulated hemocytes. We studied the effects of chemical inhibitors on the ROS production and the mitochondrial membrane potential (Δψ(m of hemocytes. First, this work confirmed the specificity of JC-10 probe to measure Δψ(m in oyster hemocytes, without being affected by ΔpH, as reported in mammalian cells. Second, results show that ROS production in unstimulated hemocytes does not originate from cytoplasmic NADPH-oxidase, nitric oxide synthase or myeloperoxidase, but from mitochondria. In contrast to mammalian cells, incubation of hemocytes with rotenone (complex I inhibitor had no effect on ROS production. Incubation with antimycin A (complex III inhibitor resulted in a dose-dependent ROS production decrease while an over-production is usually reported in vertebrates. In hemocytes of C. gigas, the production of ROS seems similarly dependent on both Δψ(m and ΔpH. These findings point out differences between mammalian models and bivalve cells, which warrant further investigation about the fine characterization of the electron transfer chain and the respective involvement of mitochondrial complexes in ROS production in hemocytes of bivalve molluscs.

Reactive transport modeling of processes controlling the distribution and natural attenuation of phenolic compounds in a deep sandstone aquifer

Science.gov (United States)

Mayer, K. U.; Benner, S. G.; Frind, E. O.; Thornton, S. F.; Lerner, D. N.

2001-12-01

Reactive solute transport modeling was utilized to evaluate the potential for natural attenuation of a contaminant plume containing phenolic compounds at a chemical producer in the West Midlands, UK. The reactive transport simulations consider microbially mediated biodegradation of the phenolic compounds (phenols, cresols, and xylenols) by multiple electron acceptors. Inorganic reactions including hydrolysis, aqueous complexation, dissolution of primary minerals, formation of secondary mineral phases, and ion exchange are considered. One-dimensional (1D) and three-dimensional (3D) simulations were conducted. Mass balance calculations indicate that biodegradation in the saturated zone has degraded approximately 1-5% of the organic contaminant plume over a time period of 47 years. Simulations indicate that denitrification is the most significant degradation process, accounting for approximately 50% of the organic contaminant removal, followed by sulfate reduction and fermentation reactions, each contributing 15-20%. Aerobic respiration accounts for less than 10% of the observed contaminant removal in the saturated zone. Although concentrations of Fe(III) and Mn(IV) mineral phases are high in the aquifer sediment, reductive dissolution is limited, producing only 5% of the observed mass loss. Mass balance calculations suggest that no more than 20-25% of the observed total inorganic carbon (TIC) was generated from biodegradation reactions in the saturated zone. Simulations indicate that aerobic biodegradation in the unsaturated zone, before the contaminant entered the aquifer, may have produced the majority of the TIC observed in the plume. Because long-term degradation is limited to processes within the saturated zone, use of observed TIC concentrations to predict the future natural attenuation may overestimate contaminant degradation by a factor of 4-5.

Arsenic in groundwater of the Red River floodplain, Vietnam: Controlling geochemical processes and reactive transport modeling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Postma, Diederik Jan; Larsen, Flemming; Hue, N.T.M.

2007-01-01

The mobilization of arsenic (As) to the groundwater was studied in a shallow Holocene aquifer on the Red River flood plain near Hanoi, Vietnam. The groundwater chemistry was investigated in a transect of 100 piezometers. Results show an anoxic aquifer featuring organic carbon decomposition......(III) but some As(V) is always found. Arsenic correlates well with NH4, relating its release to organic matter decomposition and the source of As appears to be the Fe-oxides being reduced. Part of the produced Fe(II) is apparently reprecipitated as siderite containing less As. Results from sediment extraction...... chemistry over depth is homogeneous and a reactive transport model was constructed to quantify the geochemical processes along the vertical groundwater flow component. A redox zonation model was constructed using the partial equilibrium approach with organic carbon degradation in the sediment as the only...

[Hyper-reactive malarial splenomegaly].

Science.gov (United States)

Maazoun, F; Deschamps, O; Barros-Kogel, E; Ngwem, E; Fauchet, N; Buffet, P; Froissart, A

2015-11-01

Hyper-reactive malarial splenomegaly is a rare and severe form of chronic malaria. This condition is a common cause of splenomegaly in endemic areas. The pathophysiology of hyper-reactive malarial splenomegaly involves an intense immune reaction (predominantly B cell-driven) to repeated/chronic infections with Plasmodium sp. The diagnosis may be difficult, due to a poorly specific clinical presentation (splenomegaly, fatigue, cytopenias), a long delay between residence in a malaria-endemic area and onset of symptoms, and a frequent absence of parasites on conventional thin and thick blood smears. A strongly contributive laboratory parameter is the presence of high levels of total immunoglobulin M. When the diagnostic of hyper-reactive malarial splenomegaly is considered, search for anti-Plasmodium antibodies and Plasmodium nucleic acids (genus and species) by PCR is useful. Diagnosis of hyper-reactive malarial splenomegaly relies on the simultaneous presence of epidemiological, clinical, biological and follow-up findings. Regression of both splenomegaly and hypersplenism following antimalarial therapy allows the differential diagnosis with splenic lymphoma, a common complication of hyper-reactive malarial splenomegaly. Although rare in Western countries, hyper-reactive malarial splenomegaly deserves increased medical awareness to reduce the incidence of incorrect diagnosis, to prevent progression to splenic lymphoma and to avoid splenectomy. Copyright © 2015 Société nationale française de médecine interne (SNFMI). Published by Elsevier SAS. All rights reserved.

Phast4Windows: a 3D graphical user interface for the reactive-transport simulator PHAST.

Science.gov (United States)

Charlton, Scott R; Parkhurst, David L

2013-01-01

Phast4Windows is a Windows® program for developing and running groundwater-flow and reactive-transport models with the PHAST simulator. This graphical user interface allows definition of grid-independent spatial distributions of model properties-the porous media properties, the initial head and chemistry conditions, boundary conditions, and locations of wells, rivers, drains, and accounting zones-and other parameters necessary for a simulation. Spatial data can be defined without reference to a grid by drawing, by point-by-point definitions, or by importing files, including ArcInfo® shape and raster files. All definitions can be inspected, edited, deleted, moved, copied, and switched from hidden to visible through the data tree of the interface. Model features are visualized in the main panel of the interface, so that it is possible to zoom, pan, and rotate features in three dimensions (3D). PHAST simulates single phase, constant density, saturated groundwater flow under confined or unconfined conditions. Reactions among multiple solutes include mineral equilibria, cation exchange, surface complexation, solid solutions, and general kinetic reactions. The interface can be used to develop and run simple or complex models, and is ideal for use in the classroom, for analysis of laboratory column experiments, and for development of field-scale simulations of geochemical processes and contaminant transport. Published 2012. This article is a U.S. Government work and is in the public domain in the USA.

Membrane proteins involved in transport, vesicle traffic and Ca(2+) signaling increase in beetroots grown in saline soils.

Science.gov (United States)

Lino, Bárbara; Chagolla, Alicia; E González de la Vara, Luis

2016-07-01

By separating plasma membrane proteins according to their hydropathy from beetroots grown in saline soils, several proteins probably involved in salt tolerance were identified by mass spectrometry. Beetroots, as a salt-tolerant crop, have developed mechanisms to cope with stresses associated with saline soils. To observe which plasma membrane (PM) proteins were more abundant in beet roots grown in saline soils, beet root plants were irrigated with water or 0.2 M NaCl. PM-enriched membrane preparations were obtained from these plants, and their proteins were separated according to their hydropathy by serial phase partitioning with Triton X-114. Some proteins whose abundance increased visibly in membranes from salt-grown beetroots were identified by mass spectrometry. Among them, there was a V-type H(+)-ATPase (probably from contaminating vacuolar membranes), which increased with salt at all stages of beetroots' development. Proteins involved in solute transport (an H(+)-transporting PPase and annexins), vesicle traffic (clathrin and synaptotagmins), signal perception and transduction (protein kinases and phospholipases, mostly involved in calcium signaling) and metabolism, appeared to increase in salt-grown beetroot PM-enriched membranes. These results suggest that PM and vacuolar proteins involved in transport, metabolism and signal transduction increase in beet roots adapted to saline soils. In addition, these results show that serial phase partitioning with Triton X-114 is a useful method to separate membrane proteins for their identification by mass spectrometry.

SCRAM reactivity calculations with the KIKO3D code

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hordosy, G.; Kerszturi, A.; Maraczy, Cs.; Temesvari, E.

1999-01-01

Discrepancies between calculated static reactivities and measured reactivities evaluated with reactivity meters led to investigating SCRAM with the KIKO3D dynamic code, The time and space dependent neutron flux in the reactor core during the rod drop measurement was calculated by the KIKO3D nodal diffusion code. For calculating the ionisation chamber signals the Green function technique was applied. The Green functions of ionisation chambers were evaluated via solving the neutron transport equation in the reflector regions with the MCNP Monte Carlo code. The detector signals during asymmetric SCRAM measurements were calculated and compared with measured data using the inverse point kinetics transformation. The sufficient agreement validates the KIKO3D code to determine the reactivities after SCRAM. (Authors)

Modulation of adipocyte lipogenesis by octanoate: involvement of reactive oxygen species

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Han Jianrong

2006-07-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background Octanoate is a medium-chain fatty acid (MCFA that is rich in milk and tropical dietary lipids. It also accounts for 70% of the fatty acids in commercial medium chain triglycerides (MCT. Use of MCT for weight control tracks back to early 1950s and is highlighted by recent clinical trials. The molecular mechanisms of the weight reduction effect remain not completely understood. The findings of significant amounts of MCFA in adipose tissue in MCT-fed animals and humans suggest a direct influence of MCFA on fat cell functions. Methods 3T3-L1 adipocytes were treated with octanoate in a high glucose culture medium supplemented with 10% fetal bovine serum and 170 nM insulin. The effects on lipogenesis, fatty acid oxidation, cellular concentration of reactive oxygen species (ROS, and the expression and activity of peroxisome proliferator receptor gamma (PPARγ and its associated lipogenic genes were assessed. In selected experiments, long-chain fatty acid oleate, PPARγ agonist troglitazone, and antioxidant N-acetylcysteine were used in parallel. Effects of insulin, L-carnitine, and etomoxir on β-oxidation were also measured. Results β-oxidation of octanoate was primarily independent of CPT-I. Treatment with octanoate was linked to an increase in ROS in adipocytes, a decrease in triglyceride synthesis, and reduction of lipogenic gene expression. Co-treatment with troglitazone, N-acetylcysteine, or over-expression of glutathione peroxidase largely reversed the effects of octanoate. Conclusion These findings suggest that octanoate-mediated inactivation of PPARγ might contribute to the down regulation of lipogenic genes in adipocytes, and ROS appears to be involved as a mediator in this process.

Interplay between subsurface structural heterogeneity and multi-species reactive transport in human health risk predictions

Science.gov (United States)

Henri, C.; Fernandez-Garcia, D.; de Barros, F.

2013-12-01

The increasing presence of toxic chemicals released in the subsurface has led to a rapid growth of social concerns and to the need to develop and employ models that can predict the impact of groundwater contamination in human health under uncertainty. Monitored natural attenuation is a common remediation action in many contamination cases and represents an attractive decontamination method. However, natural attenuation can lead to the production of subspecies of distinct toxicity that may pose challenges in pollution management strategies. The actual threat that these contaminants pose to human health and ecosystems greatly depends on the interplay between the complexity of the geological system and the toxicity of the pollutants and their byproducts. In this work, we examine the interplay between multispecies reactive transport and the heterogeneous structure of the contaminated aquifer on human health risk predictions. The structure and organization of hydraulic properties of the aquifer can lead to preferential flow channels and fast contamination pathways. Early travel times, associated to channeling effects, are intuitively perceived as an indicator for high risk. However, in the case of multi-species systems, early travel times may also lead a limited production of daughter species that may contain higher toxicity as in the case of chlorinated compounds. In this work, we model a Perchloroethylene (PCE) contamination problem followed by the sequential first-order production/biodegradation of its daughter species Trichloroethylene (TCE), Dichloroethylene (DCE) and Vinyl Chlorine (VC). For this specific case, VC is known to be a highly toxic contaminant. By performing numerical experiments, we evaluate transport for two distinct three-dimensional aquifer structures. First, a multi-Gaussian hydraulic conductivity field and secondly, a geostatistically equivalent connected field. These two heterogeneity structures will provide two distinct ranges of mean travel

On Perturbation Components Correspondence between Diffusion and Transport

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

G. Palmiotti

2012-11-01

We have established a correspondence between perturbation components in diffusion and transport theory. In particular we have established the correspondence between the leakage perturbation component of the diffusion theory to that of the group self scattering in transport theory. This has been confirmed by practical applications on sodium void reactivity calculations of fast reactors. Why this is important for current investigations? Recently, there has been a renewed interest in designing fast reactors where the sodium void reactivity coefficient is minimized. In particular the ASTRID8,9 reactor concept has been optimized with this goal in mind. The correspondence on the leakage term that has been established here has a twofold implication for the design of this kind of reactors. First, this type of reactor has a radial reflector; therefore, as shown before, the sodium void reactivity coefficient calculation requires the use of transport theory. The minimization of the sodium reactivity coefficient is normally done by increasing the leakage component that has a negative sign. The correspondence established in this paper allows to directly look at this component in transport theory. The second implication is related to the uncertainty evaluation on sodium void reactivity. As it has shown before, the total sodium void reactivity effect is the result of a large compensation (opposite sign) between the scattering (called often spectral) component and the leakage one. Consequently, one has to evaluate separately the uncertainty on each separate component and then combine them statistically. If one wants to compute the cross section sensitivity coefficients of the two different components, the formulation established in this paper allows to achieve this goal by playing on the contribution to the sodium void reactivity coming from the group self scattering of the sodium cross section.

Transportation accidents/incidents involving radioactive materials (1971-1991)

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cashwell, C.E.; McClure, J.D.

1993-01-01

In 1981, Sandia National Laboratories developed the Radioactive Materials Incident Report (RMIR) database to support its research and development activities for the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE). The RMIR database contains information on transportation accidents/incidents with radioactive materials that have occurred since 1971. The RMIR classifies a transportation accident/incident in one of six ways: as a transportation accident, a handling accident, a reported incident, missing or stolen, cask weeping, or other. This paper will define these terms and provide detailed examples of each. (J.P.N.)

Reactivity and neutron emission measurements of highly burnt PWR fuel rod samples

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Murphy, M.F.; Jatuff, F.; Grimm, P.; Seiler, R.; Brogli, R.; Meier, G.; Berger, H.-D.; Chawla, R.

2006-01-01

Fuel rods with burnup values beyond 50 GWd/t are characterised by relatively large amounts of fission products and a high abundance of major and minor actinides. Of particular interest is the change in the reactivity of the fuel as a function of burnup and the capability of modern codes to predict this change. In addition, the neutron emission from burnt fuel has important implications for the design of transport and storage facilities. Measurements have been made of the reactivity effects and the neutron emission rates of highly burnt uranium oxide and mixed oxide fuel rod samples coming from a pressurised water reactor (PWR). The reactivity measurements have been made in a PWR lattice in the PROTEUS zero-energy reactor moderated in turn with: water, a water and heavy water mixture and water containing boron. A combined transport flask and sample changer was used to insert the 400 mm long burnt fuel rod segments into the reactor. Both control rod compensation and reactor period methods were used to determine the reactivities of the samples. For the range of burnup values investigated, an interesting exponential relationship has been found between the neutron emission rate and the measured reactivity

TOUGHREACT User's Guide: A Simulation Program for Non-isothermal Multiphase Reactive Geochemical Transport in Variably Saturated Geologic Media, V1.2.1

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Xu, Tianfu; Sonnenthal, Eric; Spycher, Nicolas; Pruess, Karsten

2008-09-29

Coupled modeling of subsurface multiphase fluid and heat flow, solute transport, and chemical reactions can be applied to many geologic systems and environmental problems, including geothermal systems, diagenetic and weathering processes, subsurface waste disposal, acid mine drainage remediation, contaminant transport, and groundwater quality. TOUGHREACT has been developed as a comprehensive non-isothermal multi-component reactive fluid flow and geochemical transport simulator to investigate these and other problems. A number of subsurface thermo-physical-chemical processes are considered under various thermohydrological and geochemical conditions of pressure, temperature, water saturation, and ionic strength. TOUGHREACT can be applied to one-, two- or three-dimensional porous and fractured media with physical and chemical heterogeneity. The code can accommodate any number of chemical species present in liquid, gas and solid phases. A variety of equilibrium chemical reactions are considered, such as aqueous complexation, gas dissolution/exsolution, and cation exchange. Mineral dissolution/precipitation can take place subject to either local equilibrium or kinetic controls, with coupling to changes in porosity and permeability and capillary pressure in unsaturated systems. Chemical components can also be treated by linear adsorption and radioactive decay. The first version of the non-isothermal reactive geochemical transport code TOUGHREACT was developed (Xu and Pruess, 1998) by introducing reactive geochemistry into the framework of the existing multi-phase fluid and heat flow code TOUGH2 (Pruess, 1991). TOUGHREACT was further enhanced with the addition of (1) treatment of mineral-water-gas reactive-transport under boiling conditions, (2) an improved HKF activity model for aqueous species, (3) gas species diffusion coefficients calculated as a function of pressure, temperature, and molecular properties, (4) mineral reactive surface area formulations for fractured

Desulfurization Sorbents for Transport-Bed Applications

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Gupta, Raghubir P.; Turk, Brian S.; Vierheilig, Albert A.

1997-01-01

This project extends the prior work on the development of fluidizable zinc titanate particles using a spray-drying technique to impart high reactivity and attrition resistance. The specific objectives are: (1) To develop highly reactive and attrition-resistant zinc titanate sorbents in 40- to 150-(micro)m particle size range for transport reactor applications; (2) To transfer sorbent production technology to private sector; and (3) To provide technical support to Sierra Pacific Clean Coal Technology Demonstration plant and FETC's Hot-Gas Desulfurization Process Development Unit (PDU), both employing a transport reactor system

A cellular model of memory reconsolidation involves reactivation-induced destabilization and restabilization at the sensorimotor synapse in Aplysia.

Science.gov (United States)

Lee, Sue-Hyun; Kwak, Chuljung; Shim, Jaehoon; Kim, Jung-Eun; Choi, Sun-Lim; Kim, Hyoung F; Jang, Deok-Jin; Lee, Jin-A; Lee, Kyungmin; Lee, Chi-Hoon; Lee, Young-Don; Miniaci, Maria Concetta; Bailey, Craig H; Kandel, Eric R; Kaang, Bong-Kiun

2012-08-28

The memory reconsolidation hypothesis suggests that a memory trace becomes labile after retrieval and needs to be reconsolidated before it can be stabilized. However, it is unclear from earlier studies whether the same synapses involved in encoding the memory trace are those that are destabilized and restabilized after the synaptic reactivation that accompanies memory retrieval, or whether new and different synapses are recruited. To address this issue, we studied a simple nonassociative form of memory, long-term sensitization of the gill- and siphon-withdrawal reflex in Aplysia, and its cellular analog, long-term facilitation at the sensory-to-motor neuron synapse. We found that after memory retrieval, behavioral long-term sensitization in Aplysia becomes labile via ubiquitin/proteasome-dependent protein degradation and is reconsolidated by means of de novo protein synthesis. In parallel, we found that on the cellular level, long-term facilitation at the sensory-to-motor neuron synapse that mediates long-term sensitization is also destabilized by protein degradation and is restabilized by protein synthesis after synaptic reactivation, a procedure that parallels memory retrieval or retraining evident on the behavioral level. These results provide direct evidence that the same synapses that store the long-term memory trace encoded by changes in the strength of synaptic connections critical for sensitization are disrupted and reconstructed after signal retrieval.

Analysis of void reactivity measurements in full MOX BWR physics experiments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ando, Yoshihira; Yamamoto, Toru; Umano, Takuya

2008-01-01

In the full MOX BWR physics experiments, FUBILA, four 9x9 test assemblies simulating BWR full MOX assemblies were located in the center of the core. Changing the in-channel moderator condition of the four assemblies from 0% void to 40% and 70% void mock-up, void reactivity was measured using Amplified Source Method (ASM) technique in the subcritical cores, in which three fission chambers were located. ASM correction factors necessary to express the consistency of the detector efficiency between measured core configurations were calculated using collision probability cell calculation and 3D-transport core calculation with the nuclear data library, JENDL-3.3. Measured reactivity worth with ASM correction factor was compared with the calculated results obtained through a diffusion, transport and continuous energy Monte Carlo calculation respectively. It was confirmed that the measured void reactivity worth was reproduced well by calculations. (author)

''Use of perturbative methods to break down the variation of reactivity between two systems''

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Perruchot-Triboulet, S.; Sanchez, R.

1997-01-01

The modification of the isotopic composition, the temperature or even accounting for across section uncertainties in one part of a nuclear reactor core, affects the value of the effective multiplication factor. A new tool allows the analysis of the reactivity effect generated by the modification of the system. With the help of the direct and adjoint fluxes, a detailed balance of reactivity, between the compared systems, is done for each isotopic cross section. After the presentation of the direct and adjoint transport equations in the context of the multigroup code transport APOLLO2, this note describes the method, based on perturbation theory, for the analysis of the reactivity variation. An example application is also given. (author)

When bad guys become good ones: the key role of reactive oxygen species and nitric oxide in the plant responses to abiotic stress

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Fernanda Dos Santos Farnese

2016-04-01

Full Text Available The natural environment of plants is composed of a complex set of abiotic stresses and their ability to respond to these stresses is highly flexible and finely balanced through the interaction between signaling molecules. In this review, we highlight the integrated action between reactive oxygen species (ROS and reactive nitrogen species (RNS, particularly nitric oxide (NO, involved in the acclimation to different abiotic stresses. Under stressful conditions, the biosynthesis transport and the metabolism of ROS and NO influence plant response mechanisms. The enzymes involved in ROS and NO synthesis and scavenging can be found in different cells compartments and their temporal and spatial locations are determinant for signaling mechanisms. Both ROS and NO are involved in long distances signaling (ROS wave and GSNO transport, promoting an acquired systemic acclimation to abiotic stresses. The mechanisms of abiotic stresses response triggered by ROS and NO involve some general steps, as the enhancement of antioxidant systems, but also stress-specific mechanisms, according to the stress type (drought, hypoxia, heavy metals, etc, and demand the interaction with other signaling molecules, such as MAPK, plant hormones and calcium. The transduction of ROS and NO bioactivity involves post-translational modifications of proteins, particularly S-glutathionylation for ROS, and S-nitrosylation for NO. These changes may alter the activity, stability, and interaction with other molecules or subcellular location of proteins, changing the entire cell dynamics and contributing to the maintenance of homeostasis. However, despite the recent advances about the roles of ROS and NO in signaling cascades, many challenges remain, and future studies focusing on the signaling of these molecules in planta are still necessary.

When Bad Guys Become Good Ones: The Key Role of Reactive Oxygen Species and Nitric Oxide in the Plant Responses to Abiotic Stress.

Science.gov (United States)

Farnese, Fernanda S; Menezes-Silva, Paulo E; Gusman, Grasielle S; Oliveira, Juraci A

2016-01-01

The natural environment of plants is composed of a complex set of abiotic stresses and their ability to respond to these stresses is highly flexible and finely balanced through the interaction between signaling molecules. In this review, we highlight the integrated action between reactive oxygen species (ROS) and reactive nitrogen species (RNS), particularly nitric oxide (NO), involved in the acclimation to different abiotic stresses. Under stressful conditions, the biosynthesis transport and the metabolism of ROS and NO influence plant response mechanisms. The enzymes involved in ROS and NO synthesis and scavenging can be found in different cells compartments and their temporal and spatial locations are determinant for signaling mechanisms. Both ROS and NO are involved in long distances signaling (ROS wave and GSNO transport), promoting an acquired systemic acclimation to abiotic stresses. The mechanisms of abiotic stresses response triggered by ROS and NO involve some general steps, as the enhancement of antioxidant systems, but also stress-specific mechanisms, according to the stress type (drought, hypoxia, heavy metals, etc.), and demand the interaction with other signaling molecules, such as MAPK, plant hormones, and calcium. The transduction of ROS and NO bioactivity involves post-translational modifications of proteins, particularly S-glutathionylation for ROS, and S-nitrosylation for NO. These changes may alter the activity, stability, and interaction with other molecules or subcellular location of proteins, changing the entire cell dynamics and contributing to the maintenance of homeostasis. However, despite the recent advances about the roles of ROS and NO in signaling cascades, many challenges remain, and future studies focusing on the signaling of these molecules in planta are still necessary.

MFS Transporters and GABA Metabolism Are Involved in the Self-Defense Against DON in Fusarium graminearum

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Qinhu Wang

2018-04-01

Full Text Available Trichothecene mycotoxins, such as deoxynivalenol (DON produced by the fungal pathogen, Fusarium graminearum, are not only important for plant infection but are also harmful to human and animal health. Trichothecene targets the ribosomal protein Rpl3 that is conserved in eukaryotes. Hence, a self-defense mechanism must exist in DON-producing fungi. It is reported that TRI (trichothecene biosynthesis 101 and TRI12 are two genes responsible for self-defense against trichothecene toxins in Fusarium. In this study, however, we found that simultaneous disruption of TRI101 and TRI12 has no obvious influence on DON resistance upon exogenous DON treatment in F. graminearum, suggesting that other mechanisms may be involved in self-defense. By using RNA-seq, we identified 253 genes specifically induced in DON-treated cultures compared with samples from cultures treated or untreated with cycloheximide, a commonly used inhibitor of eukaryotic protein synthesis. We found that transporter genes are significantly enriched in this group of DON-induced genes. Of those genes, 15 encode major facilitator superfamily transporters likely involved in mycotoxin efflux. Significantly, we found that genes involved in the metabolism of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA, a known inducer of DON production in F. graminearum, are significantly enriched among the DON-induced genes. The GABA biosynthesis gene PROLINE UTILIZATION 2-2 (PUT2-2 is downregulated, while GABA degradation genes are upregulated at least twofold upon treatment with DON, resulting in decreased levels of GABA. Taken together, our results suggest that transporters influencing DON efflux are important for self-defense and that GABA mediates the balance of DON production and self-defense in F. graminearum.

Status of transport events involving radioactive materials which occurred in France between 1999 and 2011

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2013-01-01

This report presents transport events involving radioactive materials, occurred on French territory from 1999 to 2011, listed in the IRSN's database. 1,304 events have been recorded. For each of them, many parameters have been collected and analysed from information listed in the notifications and reports of the events sent by users (type of event, purpose, package design, level on the INES scale...). The numbers of events notified in 2010 and 2011 are slightly higher than the average of 100 events per year. The two main causes of notification concern documentation errors (in transport documents or labeling) and handling mishaps. The downward trend of frequency of package or conveyance contaminations has been confirmed. A short description of the outstanding events occurred in 2010 and 2011 is proposed. This synthesis also gives an outline of the actions recommended by IRSN to avoid recurrence of the notified events and improve the safety of the transports of radioactive materials

The Escherichia coli COG1738 Member YhhQ Is Involved in 7-Cyanodeazaguanine (preQ0 Transport

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Rémi Zallot

2017-02-01

Full Text Available Queuosine (Q is a complex modification of the wobble base in tRNAs with GUN anticodons. The full Q biosynthesis pathway has been elucidated in Escherichia coli. FolE, QueD, QueE and QueC are involved in the conversion of guanosine triphosphate (GTP to 7-cyano-7-deazaguanine (preQ0, an intermediate of increasing interest for its central role in tRNA and DNA modification and secondary metabolism. QueF then reduces preQ0 to 7-aminomethyl-7-deazaguanine (preQ1. PreQ1 is inserted into tRNAs by tRNA guanine(34 transglycosylase (TGT. The inserted base preQ1 is finally matured to Q by two additional steps involving QueA and QueG or QueH. Most Eubacteria harbor the full set of Q synthesis genes and are predicted to synthesize Q de novo. However, some bacteria only encode enzymes involved in the second half of the pathway downstream of preQ0 synthesis, including the signature enzyme TGT. Different patterns of distribution of the queF, tgt, queA and queG or queH genes are observed, suggesting preQ0, preQ1 or even the queuine base being salvaged in specific organisms. Such salvage pathways require the existence of specific 7-deazapurine transporters that have yet to be identified. The COG1738 family was identified as a candidate for a missing preQ0/preQ1 transporter in prokaryotes, by comparative genomics analyses. The existence of Q precursor salvage was confirmed for the first time in bacteria, in vivo, through an indirect assay. The involvement of the COG1738 in salvage of a Q precursor was experimentally validated in Escherichia coli, where it was shown that the COG1738 family member YhhQ is essential for preQ0 transport.

Interconnection and transportation networks: adjustments and stability; Reseaux d'interconnexion et de transport: reglages et stabilite

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Bornard, P. [Reseau de Transport d' Electricite (RTE), Div. Systeme Electrique, 92 - Paris la Defense (France); Pavard, M. [Electricite de France (EDF), 75 - Paris (France); Testud, G. [Reseau de Transport d' Electricite (RTE), Dept. Exploitation du Systeme Electrique, 92 - Paris la Defense (France)

2005-10-01

Keeping the mastery of the safety of a power transportation system and respecting the contractual commitments with respect to the network users implies the implementation of efficient frequency and voltage adjustment systems. This article presents a synthetic overview of the methods and means implemented to ensure the adjustment of the voltage and frequency and the stability of very-high voltage power transportation networks: 1 - recalls of the general problem; 2 - frequency and active power adjustment: adapting generation to consumption, adapting consumption to generation; 3 - voltage and reactive power adjustment: duality of the voltage-reactive compensation adjustment, compensation of the reactive power, voltage adjustment chain, voltage adjustment of very high voltage networks, collapse of the voltage plan; 4 - alternators stability: static stability, transient stability, numerical simulation methods, stability improvement; 5 - conclusion. (J.S.)

Laboratory investigations into the reactive transport module of carbon dioxide sequestration and geochemical simulation

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Heidaryan, E. [Islamic Azad Univ., Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of). Masjidosolayman Branch; Enayati, M.; Mokhtari, B. [Iranian Offshore Oil Co., Tehran (Iran, Islamic Republic of)

2008-07-01

Over long time periods, geological sequestration in some systems shows mineralization effects or mineral sequestration of carbon dioxide, converting the carbon dioxide to a less mobile form. However, a detailed investigation of these geological systems is needed before disposing of carbon dioxide into these formations. Depleted oil and gas reservoirs and underground aquifers are proposed candidates for carbon dioxide injection. This paper presented an experimental investigation into the reactive transport module for handling aquifer sequestration of carbon dioxide and modeling of simultaneous geochemical reactions. Two cases of laboratory carbon dioxide sequestration experiments, conducted for different rock systems were modeled using the fully coupled geochemical compositional simulator. The relevant permeability relationships were compared to determine the best fit with the experimental results. The paper discussed the theory of modeling; geochemical reactions and mineral trapping of carbon dioxide; and application simulator for modeling including the remodeling of flow experiments. It was concluded that simulated changes in porosity and permeability could mimic experimental results to some extent. The study satisfactorily simulated the results of experimental observations and permeability results could be improved if the Kozeny-Carman equation was replaced by the Civan power law. 6 refs., 2 tabs., 21 figs.

Comparing FRACHEM and TOUGHREACT for reactive transport modelingof brine-rock interactions in enhanced geothermal systems (EGS)

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Andre, L.; Spycher, N.; Xu, T.; Pruess, K.; Vuataz, F.-D.

2005-11-15

Coupled modelling of fluid flow and reactive transport ingeothermal systems is challenging because of reservoir conditions such ashigh temperatures, elevated pressures and sometimes high salinities ofthe formation fluids. Thermal hydrological-chemical (THC) codes, such asFRACHEM and TOUGHREACT, have been developed to evaluate the long-termhydrothermal and chemical evolution of exploited reservoirs. In thisstudy, the two codes were applied to model the same geothermal reservoir,to forecast reservoir evolution using respective thermodynamic andkinetic input data. A recent (unreleased) TOUGHREACT version allows theuse of either an extended Debye-Hu?ckel or Pitzer activity model forcalculating activity coefficients, while FRACHEM was designed to use thePitzer formalism. Comparison of models results indicate that differencesin thermodynamic equilibrium constants, activity coefficients andkinetics models can result in significant differences in predictedmineral precipitation behaviour and reservoir-porosity evolution.Differences in the calculation schemes typically produce less differencein model outputs than differences in input thermodynamic and kineticdata, with model results being particularly sensitive to differences inion-interaction parameters for highsalinity systems.

The Involvement of Thaumatin-Like Proteins in Plant Food Cross-Reactivity: A Multicenter Study Using a Specific Protein Microarray

Science.gov (United States)

Palacín, Arantxa; Rivas, Luis A.; Gómez-Casado, Cristina; Aguirre, Jacobo; Tordesillas, Leticia; Bartra, Joan; Blanco, Carlos; Carrillo, Teresa; Cuesta-Herranz, Javier; Bonny, José A. Cumplido; Flores, Enrique; García-Alvarez-Eire, Mar G.; García-Nuñez, Ignacio; Fernández, Francisco J.; Gamboa, Pedro; Muñoz, Rosa; Sánchez-Monge, Rosa; Torres, Maria; Losada, Susana Varela; Villalba, Mayte; Vega, Francisco; Parro, Victor; Blanca, Miguel; Salcedo, Gabriel; Díaz-Perales, Araceli

2012-01-01

Cross-reactivity of plant foods is an important phenomenon in allergy, with geographical variations with respect to the number and prevalence of the allergens involved in this process, whose complexity requires detailed studies. We have addressed the role of thaumatin-like proteins (TLPs) in cross-reactivity between fruit and pollen allergies. A representative panel of 16 purified TLPs was printed onto an allergen microarray. The proteins selected belonged to the sources most frequently associated with peach allergy in representative regions of Spain. Sera from two groups of well characterized patients, one with allergy to Rosaceae fruit (FAG) and another against pollens but tolerant to food-plant allergens (PAG), were obtained from seven geographical areas with different environmental pollen profiles. Cross-reactivity between members of this family was demonstrated by inhibition assays. Only 6 out of 16 purified TLPs showed noticeable allergenic activity in the studied populations. Pru p 2.0201, the peach TLP (41%), chestnut TLP (24%) and plane pollen TLP (22%) proved to be allergens of probable relevance to fruit allergy, being mainly associated with pollen sensitization, and strongly linked to specific geographical areas such as Barcelona, Bilbao, the Canary Islands and Madrid. The patients exhibited >50% positive response to Pru p 2.0201 and to chestnut TLP in these specific areas. Therefore, their recognition patterns were associated with the geographical area, suggesting a role for pollen in the sensitization of these allergens. Finally, the co-sensitizations of patients considering pairs of TLP allergens were analyzed by using the co-sensitization graph associated with an allergen microarray immunoassay. Our data indicate that TLPs are significant allergens in plant food allergy and should be considered when diagnosing and treating pollen-food allergy. PMID:22970164

The involvement of thaumatin-like proteins in plant food cross-reactivity: a multicenter study using a specific protein microarray.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Arantxa Palacín

Full Text Available Cross-reactivity of plant foods is an important phenomenon in allergy, with geographical variations with respect to the number and prevalence of the allergens involved in this process, whose complexity requires detailed studies. We have addressed the role of thaumatin-like proteins (TLPs in cross-reactivity between fruit and pollen allergies. A representative panel of 16 purified TLPs was printed onto an allergen microarray. The proteins selected belonged to the sources most frequently associated with peach allergy in representative regions of Spain. Sera from two groups of well characterized patients, one with allergy to Rosaceae fruit (FAG and another against pollens but tolerant to food-plant allergens (PAG, were obtained from seven geographical areas with different environmental pollen profiles. Cross-reactivity between members of this family was demonstrated by inhibition assays. Only 6 out of 16 purified TLPs showed noticeable allergenic activity in the studied populations. Pru p 2.0201, the peach TLP (41%, chestnut TLP (24% and plane pollen TLP (22% proved to be allergens of probable relevance to fruit allergy, being mainly associated with pollen sensitization, and strongly linked to specific geographical areas such as Barcelona, Bilbao, the Canary Islands and Madrid. The patients exhibited >50% positive response to Pru p 2.0201 and to chestnut TLP in these specific areas. Therefore, their recognition patterns were associated with the geographical area, suggesting a role for pollen in the sensitization of these allergens. Finally, the co-sensitizations of patients considering pairs of TLP allergens were analyzed by using the co-sensitization graph associated with an allergen microarray immunoassay. Our data indicate that TLPs are significant allergens in plant food allergy and should be considered when diagnosing and treating pollen-food allergy.

A novel ABCG-like transporter of Trypanosoma cruzi is involved in natural resistance to benznidazole

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Bianca Zingales

2015-05-01

Full Text Available Benznidazole (BZ is one of the two drugs used for Chagas disease treatment. Nevertheless therapeutic failures of BZ have been reported, which were mostly attributed to variable drug susceptibility among Trypanosoma cruzi strains. ATP-binding cassette (ABC transporters are involved in a variety of translocation processes and some members have been implicated in drug resistance. Here we report the characterisation of the first T. cruzi ABCG transporter gene, named TcABCG1, which is over-expressed in parasite strains naturally resistant to BZ. Comparison of TcABCG1 gene sequence of two TcI BZ-resistant strains with CL Brener BZ-susceptible strain showed several single nucleotide polymorphisms, which determined 11 amino acid changes. CL Brener transfected with TcI transporter genes showed 40-47% increased resistance to BZ, whereas no statistical significant increment in drug resistance was observed when CL Brener was transfected with the homologous gene. Only in the parasites transfected with TcI genes there was 2-2.6-fold increased abundance of TcABCG1 transporter protein. The analysis in wild type strains also suggests that the level of TcABCG1 transporter is related to BZ natural resistance. The characteristics of untranslated regions of TcABCG1 genes of BZ-susceptible and resistant strains were investigated by computational tools.

Involvement of the carboxyl-terminal region of the yeast peroxisomal half ABC transporter Pxa2p in its interaction with Pxa1p and in transporter function.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cheng-Yi Chuang

Full Text Available The peroxisome is a single membrane-bound organelle in eukaryotic cells involved in lipid metabolism, including β-oxidation of fatty acids. The human genetic disorder X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy (X-ALD is caused by mutations in the ABCD1 gene (encoding ALDP, a peroxisomal half ATP-binding cassette [ABC] transporter. This disease is characterized by defective peroxisomal β-oxidation and a large accumulation of very long-chain fatty acids in brain white matter, adrenal cortex, and testis. ALDP forms a homodimer proposed to be the functional transporter, whereas the peroxisomal transporter in yeast is a heterodimer comprising two half ABC transporters, Pxa1p and Pxa2p, both orthologs of human ALDP. While the carboxyl-terminal domain of ALDP is engaged in dimerization, it remains unknown whether the same region is involved in the interaction between Pxa1p and Pxa2p.Using a yeast two-hybrid assay, we found that the carboxyl-terminal region (CT of Pxa2p, but not of Pxa1p, is required for their interaction. Further analysis indicated that the central part of the CT (designated CT2 of Pxa2p was indispensable for its interaction with the carboxyl terminally truncated Pxa1_NBD. An interaction between the CT of Pxa2p and Pxa1_NBD was not detected, but could be identified in the presence of Pxa2_NBD-CT1. A single mutation of two conserved residues (aligned with X-ALD-associated mutations at the same positions in ALDP in the CT2 of the Pxa2_NBD-CT protein impaired its interaction with Pxa1_NBD or Pxa1_NBD-CT, resulting in a mutant protein that exhibited a proteinase K digestion profile different from that of the wild-type protein. Functional analysis of these mutant proteins on oleate plates indicated that they were defective in transporter function.The CT of Pxa2p is involved in its interaction with Pxa1p and in transporter function. This concept may be applied to human ALDP studies, helping to establish the pathological mechanism for CT-related X

Actin filaments and microtubules are involved in different membrane traffic pathways that transport sphingolipids to the apical surface of polarized HepG2 cells

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Zegers, MMP; Zaal, KJM; van Ijzendoorn, SCD; Klappe, K; Hoekstra, D

In polarized HepG2 hepatoma cells, sphingolipids are transported to the apical, bile canalicular membrane by two different transport routes, as revealed with fluorescently tagged sphingolipid analogs. One route involves direct, transcytosis-independent transport of Golgi-derived glucosylceramide and

Mining the enzymes involved in the detoxification of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in sugarcane.

Science.gov (United States)

Kurama, Eiko E; Fenille, Roseli C; Rosa, Vicente E; Rosa, Daniel D; Ulian, Eugenio C

2002-07-01

Summary Adopting the sequencing of expressed sequence tags (ESTs) of a sugarcane database derived from libraries induced and not induced by pathogens, we identified EST clusters homologous to genes corresponding to enzymes involved in the detoxification of reactive oxygen species. The predicted amino acids of these enzymes are superoxide dismutases (SODs), glutathione-S-transferase (GST), glutathione peroxidase (GPX), and catalases. Three MnSOD mitochondrial precursors and 10 CuZnSOD were identified in sugarcane: the MnSOD mitochondrial precursor is 96% similar to the maize MnSOD mitochondrial precursor and, of the 10 CuZnSOD identified, seven were 98% identical to maize cytosolic CuZnSOD4 and one was 67% identical to putative peroxisomal CuZnSOD from Arabidopsis. Three homologues to class Phi GST were 87-88% identical to GST III from maize. Five GPX homologues were identified: three were homologous to cytosolic GPX from barley, one was 88% identical to phospholipid hydroperoxide glutathione peroxidase (PHGPX) from rice, and the last was 71% identical to GPX from A. thaliana. Three enzymes similar to maize catalase were identified in sugarcane: two were similar to catalase isozyme 3 and catalase chain 3 from maize, which are mitochondrial, and one was similar to catalase isozyme 1 from maize, whose location is peroxisomal subcellular. All enzymes were induced in all sugarcane libraries (flower, seed, root, callus, leaves) and also in the pathogen-induced libraries, except for CuZnSOD whose cDNA was detected in none of the libraries induced by pathogens (Acetobacter diazotroficans and Herbaspirillum rubrisubalbicans). The expression of the enzymes SOD, GST, GPX, and catalases involved in the detoxification was examined using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction in cDNA from leaves of sugarcane under biotic stress conditions, inoculated with Puccinia melanocephala, the causal agent of sugarcane rust disease.

Contaminant transport at a waste residue deposit: 1. Inverse flow and non-reactive transport modelling

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Sonnenborg, Torben Obel; Engesgaard, Peter Knudegaard; Rosbjerg, Dan

1996-01-01

An application of an inverse flow and transport model to a contaminated aquifer is presented. The objective of the study is to identify physical and nonreactive flow and transport parameters through an optimization approach. The approach can be classified as a statistical procedure, where a flow...... to steady state versus transient flow conditions and to the amount of hydraulic and solute data used is investigated. The flow parameters, transmissivity and leakage factor, are estimated simultaneously with the transport parameters: source strength, porosity, and longitudinal dispersivity. This paper...

Reactive Agility Performance in Handball; Development and Evaluation of a Sport-Specific Measurement Protocol.

Science.gov (United States)

Spasic, Miodrag; Krolo, Ante; Zenic, Natasa; Delextrat, Anne; Sekulic, Damir

2015-09-01

There is no current study that examined sport-specific tests of reactive-agility and change-of-direction-speed (CODS) to replicate real-sport environment in handball (team-handball). This investigation evaluated the reliability and validity of two novel tests designed to assess reactive-agility and CODS of handball players. Participants were female (25.14 ± 3.71 years of age; 1.77 ± 0.09 m and 74.1 ± 6.1 kg) and male handball players (26.9 ± 4.1 years of age; 1.90 ± 0.09 m and 93.90±4.6 kg). Variables included body height, body mass, body mass index, broad jump, 5-m sprint, CODS and reactive-agility tests. Results showed satisfactory reliability for reactive-agility-test and CODS-test (ICC of 0.85-0.93, and CV of 2.4-4.8%). The reactive-agility and CODS shared less than 20% of the common variance. The calculated index of perceptual and reactive capacity (P&RC; ratio between reactive-agility- and CODS-performance) is found to be valid measure in defining true-game reactive-agility performance in handball in both genders. Therefore, the handball athletes' P&RC should be used in the evaluation of real-game reactive-agility performance. Future studies should explore other sport-specific reactive-agility tests and factors associated to such performance in sports involving agile maneuvers. Key pointsReactive agility and change-of-direction-speed should be observed as independent qualities, even when tested over the same course and similar movement templateThe reactive-agility-performance of the handball athletes involved in defensive duties is closer to their non-reactive-agility-score than in their peers who are not involved in defensive dutiesThe handball specific "true-game" reactive-agility-performance should be evaluated as the ratio between reactive-agility and corresponding CODS performance.

An adaptive hybrid EnKF-OI scheme for efficient state-parameter estimation of reactive contaminant transport models

KAUST Repository

El Gharamti, Mohamad; Valstar, Johan R.; Hoteit, Ibrahim

2014-01-01

Reactive contaminant transport models are used by hydrologists to simulate and study the migration and fate of industrial waste in subsurface aquifers. Accurate transport modeling of such waste requires clear understanding of the system's parameters, such as sorption and biodegradation. In this study, we present an efficient sequential data assimilation scheme that computes accurate estimates of aquifer contamination and spatially variable sorption coefficients. This assimilation scheme is based on a hybrid formulation of the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) and optimal interpolation (OI) in which solute concentration measurements are assimilated via a recursive dual estimation of sorption coefficients and contaminant state variables. This hybrid EnKF-OI scheme is used to mitigate background covariance limitations due to ensemble under-sampling and neglected model errors. Numerical experiments are conducted with a two-dimensional synthetic aquifer in which cobalt-60, a radioactive contaminant, is leached in a saturated heterogeneous clayey sandstone zone. Assimilation experiments are investigated under different settings and sources of model and observational errors. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed hybrid EnKF-OI scheme successfully recovers both the contaminant and the sorption rate and reduces their uncertainties. Sensitivity analyses also suggest that the adaptive hybrid scheme remains effective with small ensembles, allowing to reduce the ensemble size by up to 80% with respect to the standard EnKF scheme. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.

An adaptive hybrid EnKF-OI scheme for efficient state-parameter estimation of reactive contaminant transport models

KAUST Repository

El Gharamti, Mohamad

2014-09-01

Reactive contaminant transport models are used by hydrologists to simulate and study the migration and fate of industrial waste in subsurface aquifers. Accurate transport modeling of such waste requires clear understanding of the system\\'s parameters, such as sorption and biodegradation. In this study, we present an efficient sequential data assimilation scheme that computes accurate estimates of aquifer contamination and spatially variable sorption coefficients. This assimilation scheme is based on a hybrid formulation of the ensemble Kalman filter (EnKF) and optimal interpolation (OI) in which solute concentration measurements are assimilated via a recursive dual estimation of sorption coefficients and contaminant state variables. This hybrid EnKF-OI scheme is used to mitigate background covariance limitations due to ensemble under-sampling and neglected model errors. Numerical experiments are conducted with a two-dimensional synthetic aquifer in which cobalt-60, a radioactive contaminant, is leached in a saturated heterogeneous clayey sandstone zone. Assimilation experiments are investigated under different settings and sources of model and observational errors. Simulation results demonstrate that the proposed hybrid EnKF-OI scheme successfully recovers both the contaminant and the sorption rate and reduces their uncertainties. Sensitivity analyses also suggest that the adaptive hybrid scheme remains effective with small ensembles, allowing to reduce the ensemble size by up to 80% with respect to the standard EnKF scheme. © 2014 Elsevier Ltd.

One-Dimensional Transport with Equilibrium Chemistry (OTEQ) - A Reactive Transport Model for Streams and Rivers

Science.gov (United States)

Runkel, Robert L.

2010-01-01

OTEQ is a mathematical simulation model used to characterize the fate and transport of waterborne solutes in streams and rivers. The model is formed by coupling a solute transport model with a chemical equilibrium submodel. The solute transport model is based on OTIS, a model that considers the physical processes of advection, dispersion, lateral inflow, and transient storage. The equilibrium submodel is based on MINTEQ, a model that considers the speciation and complexation of aqueous species, acid-base reactions, precipitation/dissolution, and sorption. Within OTEQ, reactions in the water column may result in the formation of solid phases (precipitates and sorbed species) that are subject to downstream transport and settling processes. Solid phases on the streambed may also interact with the water column through dissolution and sorption/desorption reactions. Consideration of both mobile (waterborne) and immobile (streambed) solid phases requires a unique set of governing differential equations and solution techniques that are developed herein. The partial differential equations describing physical transport and the algebraic equations describing chemical equilibria are coupled using the sequential iteration approach. The model's ability to simulate pH, precipitation/dissolution, and pH-dependent sorption provides a means of evaluating the complex interactions between instream chemistry and hydrologic transport at the field scale. This report details the development and application of OTEQ. Sections of the report describe model theory, input/output specifications, model applications, and installation instructions. OTEQ may be obtained over the Internet at http://water.usgs.gov/software/OTEQ.

Assessment of the radiological risks of road transport accidents involving Type A packages

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Lange, F.; Fett, H.J.; Schwarz, G.; Raffestin, D.; Schneider, T.; Gelder, R.; S. Hughes, J.; B. Shaw, K.; Hedberg, B.; Simenstad, P.; Svahn, B.; Heinen, J.F.A. van; Jansma, R.

2001-01-01

An assessment and evaluation of the potential radiological risks of transport accidents involving Type A package shipments by road have been performed by five EU Member States, France, Germany, Sweden, The Netherlands, and the UK. The analysis involved collection and analysis of information on a national basis related to the type, volume, and characteristics of Type A package consignments, the associated radioactive traffic, and the expected frequency and consequences of potential vehicular road transport accidents. It was found that the majority of Type A packaged radioactive material shipments by road is related to applications of non-special form radioactive material, i.e. radiopharmaceuticals, radiochemicals etc., in medicine, research, and industry and special form material contained in radiography and other radiation sources, e.g. gauging equipment. The annual volumes of Type A package shipments of radiopharmaceuticals and radiochemicals by road differ considerably between the participating EU Member States from about 12,000 Type A packages in Sweden to about 240,000 in the Netherlands. The broad range reflects to a large extent the supply of radioactive material for the national populations and the production and distribution operations prevailing in the participating EU Member States (some are producer countries, others are not!). Very few standard package designs weighing from about 1-25 kg are predominant in Type A package shipments in all participating countries. Type A packages contain typically a range of radioactivity from a few mega becquerels to a few tens of giga becquerels, the average package activity contents is in terms of fractions of A 2 about 0.01, i.e. about one hundredth of a Type A package contents limits. Based on a probabilistic risk assessment method it has been concluded that the expected frequencies of occurrence of vehicular road transport accidents with the potential to result in an environmental release - including radiologically

Biogeochemical reactive-diffusive transport of heavy metals in Lake Coeur d'Alene sediments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Sevinc Sengoer, S.; Spycher, Nicolas F.; Ginn, Timothy R.; Sani, Rajesh K.; Peyton, Brent

2007-01-01

Decades of runoff from precious-metal mining operations in the Lake Coeur d'Alene Basin, Idaho, have left the sediments in this lake heavily enriched with toxic metals, most notably Zn, Pb and Cu, together with As. The bioavailability, fate and transport of these metals in the sediments are governed by complex biogeochemical processes. In particular, indigenous microbes are capable of catalyzing reactions that detoxify their environments, and thus constitute an important driving component in the biogeochemical cycling of these metals. Here, the development of a quantitative model to evaluate the transport and fate of Zn, Pb and Cu in Lake Coeur d'Alene sediments is reported. The current focus is on the investigation and understanding of local-scale processes, rather than the larger-scale dynamics of sedimentation and diagenesis, with particular emphasis on metal transport through reductive dissolution of Fe hydroxides. The model includes 1-D inorganic diffusive transport coupled to a biotic reaction network including consortium biodegradation kinetics with multiple terminal electron acceptors and syntrophic consortium biotransformation dynamics of redox front. The model captures the mobilization of metals initially sorbed onto hydrous ferric oxides, through bacterial reduction of Fe(III) near the top of the sediment column, coupled with the precipitation of metal sulfides at depth due to biogenic sulfide production. Key chemical reactions involve the dissolution of ferrihydrite and precipitation of siderite and Fe sulfide. The relative rates of these reactions play an important role in the evolution of the sediment pore-water chemistry, notably pH, and directly depend on the relative activity of Fe and SO 4 reducers. The model captures fairly well the observed trends of increased alkalinity, sulfide, Fe and heavy metal concentrations below the sediment-water interface, together with decreasing terminal electron acceptor concentrations with depth, including the

Method of allowing for resonances in calculating reactivity values

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kumpf, H.

1985-01-01

On the basis of the integral transport equation for the source density an expression has been derived for calculating reactivity values taking resonances in the core and in the sample into account. The model has been used for evaluating reactivities measured in the Rossendorf SEG IV configuration. It is shown that the influence of resonances in the core can be kept tolerable, if a sufficiently thick buffer zone of only slightly absorbing non-resonant material is arranged between the sample and the core. (author)

Assessment of reactivity devices for CANDU-6 with DUPIC fuel

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jeong, Chang Joon; Choi, Hang Bok

1998-01-01

Reactivity device characteristics for a CANDU-6 reactor loaded with DUPIC fuel have been assessed. A transport code WIMS-AECL and a three-dimensional diffusion code RFSP were used for the lattice parameter generation and the core calculation, respectively. Three major reactivity devices have been assessed for their inherent functions. For the zone controller system, damping capability for spatial oscillation was investigated. The restart capability of the adjuster system was investigated. The shim operation and power stepback calculation were also performed to confirm the compatibility of the current adjuster rod system. The mechanical control absorber was assessed for the capability to compensate the temperature reactivity feedback following a power reduction. This study has shown that the current reactivity device systems retain their functions when used in a DUPIC fuel CANDU reactor

Integrated Process Design and Control of Multi-element Reactive Distillation Processes

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mansouri, Seyed Soheil; Sales-Cruz, Mauricio; Huusom, Jakob Kjøbsted

2016-01-01

In this work, integrated process design and control of reactive distillation processes involving multi-elements is presented. The reactive distillation column is designed using methods and tools which are similar in concept to non-reactive distillation design methods, such as driving force approach....... The methods employed in this work are based on equivalent element concept. This concept facilitates the representation of a multi-element reactive system as equivalent binary light and heavy key elements. First, the reactive distillation column is designed at the maximum driving force where through steady...

A reactive transport modelling approach to assess the leaching potential of hydraulic fracturing fluids associated with coal seam gas extraction

Science.gov (United States)

Mallants, Dirk; Simunek, Jirka; Gerke, Kirill

2015-04-01

Coal Seam Gas production generates large volumes of "produced" water that may contain compounds originating from the use of hydraulic fracturing fluids. Such produced water also contains elevated concentrations of naturally occurring inorganic and organic compounds, and usually has a high salinity. Leaching of produced water from storage ponds may occur as a result of flooding or containment failure. Some produced water is used for irrigation of specific crops tolerant to elevated salt levels. These chemicals may potentially contaminate soil, shallow groundwater, and groundwater, as well as receiving surface waters. This paper presents an application of scenario modelling using the reactive transport model for variably-saturated media HP1 (coupled HYDRUS-1D and PHREEQC). We evaluate the fate of hydraulic fracturing chemicals and naturally occurring chemicals in soil as a result of unintentional release from storage ponds or when produced water from Coal Seam Gas operations is used in irrigation practices. We present a review of exposure pathways and relevant hydro-bio-geo-chemical processes, a collation of physico-chemical properties of organic/inorganic contaminants as input to a set of generic simulations of transport and attenuation in variably saturated soil profiles. We demonstrate the ability to model the coupled processes of flow and transport in soil of contaminants associated with hydraulic fracturing fluids and naturally occurring contaminants.

Systematic Integrated Process Design and Control of Reactive Distillation Processes Involving Multi-elements

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Mansouri, Seyed Soheil; Sales-Cruz, Mauricio; Huusom, Jakob Kjøbsted

2016-01-01

driving force approach. Next, through analytical, steady-state and closed-loop dynamic analysis it is verified that the control structure, disturbance rejection and energy requirement of the reactive distillation column is better than any other operation point that is not at the maximum driving force...

The Tournemire industrial analogue: reactive-transport modelling of cement-clay interfaces

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Watson, C.; Wilson, J.; Benbow, S.; Savage, D.; Walker, C.; Norris, S.

2012-01-01

, which remained in contact with the natural mud-stone for 15-20 years. Subsequently the boreholes have been over-cored, extracted and mineralogical characterisation has been performed. A reactive transport model of the Tournemire system has been set up using the general-purpose modelling tool QPAC (developed by Quintessa). Both the cement and mud-stone regions were represented in the model, which included aqueous speciation, kinetic models of mineral precipitation and dissolution and full coupling between porosity changes and transport of aqueous species. A solid solution model was used to represent the C-S-H gel in the cement section, with (tobermorite-like and jennite-like) C-S-H phases allowed to precipitate in the mud-stone. Full details can be found in Watson et al. (NDA RWMD Report QRS-1523A-1 v1.1, 2011). The main features observed at Tournemire were replicated by the model, including porosity variations and precipitation of carbonates, K-feldspar, ettringite and calcite. It was found that ion exchange needed to be included in order for C-S-H minerals to precipitate in the mud-stone, providing a better match with the mineralogical investigations. The inclusion of surface complexation processes on the montmorillonite present in the mud-stone, however, led to limited calcite growth at the cement-mud-stone interface; unlike samples taken from the Tournemire site that have a visible line of crusty carbonates along the interface. This perhaps indicates that surface complexation has not played an important role in the mineralogical evolution to date at Tournemire. This may be due to smectite (montmorillonite) not being the principal clay mineral in the mud-stone. This study was carried out as part of the Long-Term Cement Studies (LCS) project, an international collaboration between Posiva (Finland), JAEA (Japan), NDA (UK), SKB (Sweden) and Nagra (Switzerland) aimed at furthering the understanding of cement-rock interactions. (authors)

Characterization of an AtCCX5 gene from Arabidopsis thaliana that involves in high-affinity K+ uptake and Na+ transport in yeast

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zhang, Xinxin; Zhang, Min; Takano, Tetsuo; Liu, Shenkui

2011-01-01

Highlights: → The AtCCX5 protein coding a putative cation calcium exchanger was characterized. → AtCCX5 expressed in yeast was localized in the plasma membrane and nuclear periphery. → AtCCX5 protein did not show the same transport properties as the CAXs. → AtCCX5 protein involves in mediating high-affinity K + uptake in yeast. → AtCCX5 protein also involves in Na + transport in yeast. -- Abstract: The gene for a putative cation calcium exchanger (CCX) from Arabidopsis thaliana, AtCCX5, was cloned and its function was analyzed in yeast. Green fluorescent protein-tagged AtCCX5 expressed in yeast was localized in the plasma membrane and nuclear periphery. The yeast transformants expressing AtCCX5 were created and their growth in the presence of various cations (K + , Na + , Ca 2+ , Mg 2+ , Fe 2+ , Cu 2+ , Co 2+ , Cd 2+ , Mn 2+ , Ba 2+ , Ni 2+ , Zn 2+ , and Li + ) were analyzed. AtCCX5 expression was found to affect the response to K + and Na + in yeast. The AtCCX5 transformant also showed a little better growth to Zn 2+ . The yeast mutant 9.3 expressing AtCCX5 restored growth of the mutant on medium with low K + (0.5 mM), and also suppressed its Na + sensitivity. Ion uptake experiments showed that AtCCX5 mediated relatively high-affinity K + uptake and was also involved in Na + transport in yeast. Taken together, these findings suggest that the AtCCX5 is a novel transport protein involves in mediating high-affinity K + uptake and Na + transport in yeast.

Simulation of variable-density flow and transport of reactive and nonreactive solutes during a tracer test at Cape Cod, Massachusetts

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Hubao; Schwartz, Frank W.; Wood, Warren W.; Garabedian, S.P.; LeBlanc, D.R.

1998-01-01

A multispecies numerical code was developed to simulate flow and mass transport with kinetic adsorption in variable-density flow systems. The two-dimensional code simulated the transport of bromide (Br−), a nonreactive tracer, and lithium (Li+), a reactive tracer, in a large-scale tracer test performed in a sand-and-gravel aquifer at Cape Cod, Massachusetts. A two-fraction kinetic adsorption model was implemented to simulate the interaction of Li+ with the aquifer solids. Initial estimates for some of the transport parameters were obtained from a nonlinear least squares curve-fitting procedure, where the breakthrough curves from column experiments were matched with one-dimensional theoretical models. The numerical code successfully simulated the basic characteristics of the two plumes in the tracer test. At early times the centers of mass of Br− and Li+ sank because the two plumes were closely coupled to the density-driven velocity field. At later times the rate of downward movement in the Br− plume due to gravity slowed significantly because of dilution by dispersion. The downward movement of the Li+ plume was negligible because the two plumes moved in locally different velocity regimes, where Li+ transport was retarded relative to Br−. The maximum extent of downward transport of the Li+ plume was less than that of the Br− plume. This study also found that at early times the downward movement of a plume created by a three-dimensional source could be much more extensive than the case with a two-dimensional source having the same cross-sectional area. The observed shape of the Br− plume at Cape Cod was simulated by adding two layers with different hydraulic conductivities at shallow depth across the region. The large dispersion and asymmetrical shape of the Li+ plume were simulated by including kinetic adsorption-desorption reactions.

Markets in real electric networks require reactive prices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hogan, W.W.

1996-01-01

Extending earlier seminal work, the author finds that locational spot price differences in an electric network provide the natural measure of the appropriate internodal transport charge. However, the problem of loop flow requires different economic intuition for interpreting the implications of spot pricing. The Direct Current model, which is the usual approximation for estimating spot prices, ignores reactive power effects; this approximation is best when thermal constraints create network congestion. However, when voltage constraints are problematic, the DC Load model is insufficient; a full AC Model is required to determine both real and reactive spot prices. 16 figs., 3 tabs., 22 refs

Coupled models in porous media: reactive transport and fractures

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Amir, L.

2008-12-01

This thesis deals with numerical simulation of coupled models for flow and transport in porous media. We present a new method for coupling chemical reactions and transport by using a Newton-Krylov method, and we also present a model of flow in fractured media, based on a domain decomposition method that takes into account the case of intersecting fractures. This study is composed of three parts: the first part contains an analysis, and implementation, of various numerical methods for discretizing advection-diffusion problems, in particular by using operator splitting methods. The second part is concerned with a fully coupled method for modeling transport and chemistry problems. The coupled transport-chemistry model is described, after discretization in time, by a system of nonlinear equations. The size of the system, namely the number of grid points times the number a chemical species, precludes a direct solution of the linear system. To alleviate this difficulty, we solve the system by a Newton-Krylov method, so as to avoid forming and factoring the Jacobian matrix. In the last part, we present a model of flow in 3D for intersecting fractures, by using a domain decomposition method. The fractures are treated as interfaces between sub-domains. We show existence and uniqueness of the solution, and we validate the model by numerical tests. (author)

Maintenance Policy in Public-Transport Involving Government Subsidy

Science.gov (United States)

Pasaribu, U. S.; Bayuzetra, Y.; Gunawan, L. E.; Husniah, H.

2018-02-01

A public transport with government subsidy is considered to encourage the sustainability of the transportation. The transportations revenue is determined by the maximum of the uptimes of the vehicle. In this paper, we study a one-dimensional maintenance policy for new vehicle which is characterized by age parameter. We consider that the degradation of the vehicle is affected by the age of the vehicle, and modelled by using a one-dimensional approach. The owner performs both preventive and corrective maintenance actions, and the preventive maintenance action will reduce the vehicle failure rate and hence it will decrease the corrective maintenance cost during the life time of the vehicle. The decision problem for the owner is to find the optimal preventive maintenance time of the vehicle of each subsidy option offered by maximizing the expected profit for each subsidy.

Scenario-based transportation planning with involvement of metropolitan planning organizations.

Science.gov (United States)

2009-01-01

The Office of Virginia's Secretary of Transportation identified 21 transportation policies and 42 performance criteria in Virginia's long-range multimodal transportation plan, VTrans2025. A subsequent planning effort, VTrans2035, provided direction f...

Disruption of a cystine transporter downregulates expression of genes involved in sulfur regulation and cellular respiration

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jessica A. Simpkins

2016-06-01

Full Text Available Cystine and cysteine are important molecules for pathways such as redox signaling and regulation, and thus identifying cellular deficits upon deletion of the Saccharomyces cerevisiae cystine transporter Ers1p allows for a further understanding of cystine homeostasis. Previous complementation studies using the human ortholog suggest yeast Ers1p is a cystine transporter. Human CTNS encodes the protein Cystinosin, a cystine transporter that is embedded in the lysosomal membrane and facilitates the export of cystine from the lysosome. When CTNS is mutated, cystine transport is disrupted, leading to cystine accumulation, the diagnostic hallmark of the lysosomal storage disorder cystinosis. Here, we provide biochemical evidence for Ers1p-dependent cystine transport. However, the accumulation of intracellular cystine is not observed when the ERS1 gene is deleted from ers1-Δ yeast, supporting the existence of modifier genes that provide a mechanism in ers1-Δ yeast that prevents or corrects cystine accumulation. Upon comparison of the transcriptomes of isogenic ERS1+ and ers1-Δ strains of S. cerevisiae by DNA microarray followed by targeted qPCR, sixteen genes were identified as being differentially expressed between the two genotypes. Genes that encode proteins functioning in sulfur regulation, cellular respiration, and general transport were enriched in our screen, demonstrating pleiotropic effects of ers1-Δ. These results give insight into yeast cystine regulation and the multiple, seemingly distal, pathways that involve proper cystine recycling.

Reactivations of emotional memory in the hippocampus-amygdala system during sleep.

Science.gov (United States)

Girardeau, Gabrielle; Inema, Ingrid; Buzsáki, György

2017-11-01

The consolidation of context-dependent emotional memory requires communication between the hippocampus and the basolateral amygdala (BLA), but the mechanisms of this process are unknown. We recorded neuronal ensembles in the hippocampus and BLA while rats learned the location of an aversive air puff on a linear track, as well as during sleep before and after training. We found coordinated reactivations between the hippocampus and the BLA during non-REM sleep following training. These reactivations peaked during hippocampal sharp wave-ripples (SPW-Rs) and involved a subgroup of BLA cells positively modulated during hippocampal SPW-Rs. Notably, reactivation was stronger for the hippocampus-BLA correlation patterns representing the run direction that involved the air puff than for the 'safe' direction. These findings suggest that consolidation of contextual emotional memory occurs during ripple-reactivation of hippocampus-amygdala circuits.

The involvement of altered vesicle transport in redistribution of Ca2+, Mg2+-ATPase in cholestatic rat liver

NARCIS (Netherlands)

Song, J. Y.; van Noorden, C. J.; Frederiks, W. M.

1998-01-01

Vectorial sorting of plasma membrane protein-containing vesicles is essential for the establishment and maintenance of cell polarity. In the present study, the involvement of altered vesicle transport in the redistribution of membrane-bound Ca2+, Mg2+-ATPase resulting from cholestasis was

Understanding arsenic mobilization using reactive transport modeling of groundwater hydrochemistry in the Datong basin study plot, China.

Science.gov (United States)

Mapoma, Harold Wilson Tumwitike; Xie, Xianjun; Pi, Kunfu; Liu, Yaqing; Zhu, Yapeng

2016-03-01

This paper discusses the reactive transport and evolution of arsenic along a selected flow path in a study plot within the central part of Datong basin. The simulation used the TOUGHREACT code. The spatial and temporal trends in hydrochemistry and mineral volume fraction along a flow path were observed. Furthermore, initial simulation of major ions and pH fits closely to the measured data. The study shows that equilibrium conditions may be attained at different stress periods for each parameter simulated. It is noted that the variations in ionic chemistry have a greater impact on arsenic distribution while reducing conditions drive the mobilization of arsenic. The study concluded that the reduction of Fe(iii) and As(v) and probably SO4/HS cycling are significant factors affecting localized mobilization of arsenic. Besides cation exchange and water-rock interaction, incongruent dissolution of silicates is also a significant control mechanism of general chemistry of the Datong basin aquifer.

Reactive transport modeling of uranium 238 and radium 226 in groundwater of the Königstein uranium mine, Germany

Science.gov (United States)

Nitzsche, O.; Merkel, B.

Knowledge of the transport behavior of radionuclides in groundwater is needed for both groundwater protection and remediation of abandoned uranium mines and milling sites. Dispersion, diffusion, mixing, recharge to the aquifer, and chemical interactions, as well as radioactive decay, should be taken into account to obtain reliable predictions on transport of primordial nuclides in groundwater. This paper demonstrates the need for carrying out rehabilitation strategies before closure of the Königstein in-situ leaching uranium mine near Dresden, Germany. Column experiments on drilling cores with uranium-enriched tap water provided data about the exchange behavior of uranium. Uranium breakthrough was observed after more than 20 pore volumes. This strong retardation is due to the exchange of positively charged uranium ions. The code TReAC is a 1-D, 2-D, and 3-D reactive transport code that was modified to take into account the radioactive decay of uranium and the most important daughter nuclides, and to include double-porosity flow. TReAC satisfactorily simulated the breakthrough curves of the column experiments and provided a first approximation of exchange parameters. Groundwater flow in the region of the Königstein mine was simulated using the FLOWPATH code. Reactive transport behavior was simulated with TReAC in one dimension along a 6000-m path line. Results show that uranium migration is relatively slow, but that due to decay of uranium, the concentration of radium along the flow path increases. Results are highly sensitive to the influence of double-porosity flow. Résumé La protection des eaux souterraines et la restauration des sites miniers et de prétraitement d'uranium abandonnés nécessitent de connaître le comportement des radionucléides au cours de leur transport dans les eaux souterraines. La dispersion, la diffusion, le mélange, la recharge de l'aquifère et les interactions chimiques, de même que la décroissance radioactive, doivent être

COLLOID-FACILITATED TRANSPORT OF RADIONUCLIDES THROUGH THE VADOSE ZONE

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Flury, Markus

2003-01-01

Contaminants have leaked into the vadose zone at the USDOE Hanford reservation. It is important to understand the fate and transport of these contaminants to design remediation strategies and long-term waste management plans at the Hanford reservation. Colloids may play an important role in fate and transport of strongly sorbing contaminants, such as Cs or Pu. This project seeks to improve the basic understanding of colloid and colloid-facilitated transport of contaminants in the vadose zone. The specific objectives addressed are: (1) Determine the structure, composition, and surface charge characteristics of colloidal particles formed under conditions similar to those occurring during leakage of waste typical of Hanford tank supernatants into soils and sediments surrounding the tanks. (2) Characterize the mutual interactions between colloids, contaminant, and soil matrix in batch experiments under various ionic strength and pH conditions. We will investigate the nature of the solid-liquid interactions and the kinetics of the reactions. (3) Evaluate mobility of colloids through soil under different degrees of water saturation and solution chemistry (ionic strength and pH). (4) Determine the potential of colloids to act as carriers to transport the contaminant through the vadose zone and verify the results through comparison with field samples collected under leaking tanks. (5) Improve conceptual characterization of colloid-contaminant-soil interactions and colloid-facilitated transport for implementation into reactive chemical transport models. This project was in part supported by an NSF-IGERT grant to Washington State University. The IGERT grant provided funding for graduate student research and education, and two graduate students were involved in the EMSP project. The IGERT program also supported undergraduate internships. The project is part of a larger EMSP program to study fate and transport of contaminants under leaking Hanford waste tanks. The project has

Combining water-rock interaction experiments with reaction path and reactive transport modelling to predict reservoir rock evolution in an enhanced geothermal system

Science.gov (United States)

Kuesters, Tim; Mueller, Thomas; Renner, Joerg

2016-04-01

Reliably predicting the evolution of mechanical and chemical properties of reservoir rocks is crucial for efficient exploitation of enhanced geothermal systems (EGS). For example, dissolution and precipitation of individual rock forming minerals often result in significant volume changes, affecting the hydraulic rock properties and chemical composition of fluid and solid phases. Reactive transport models are typically used to evaluate and predict the effect of the internal feedback of these processes. However, a quantitative evaluation of chemo-mechanical interaction in polycrystalline environments is elusive due to poorly constrained kinetic data of complex mineral reactions. In addition, experimentally derived reaction rates are generally faster than reaction rates determined from natural systems, likely a consequence of the experimental design: a) determining the rate of a single process only, e.g. the dissolution of a mineral, and b) using powdered sample materials and thus providing an unrealistically high reaction surface and at the same time eliminating the restrictions on element transport faced in-situ for fairly dense rocks. In reality, multiple reactions are coupled during the alteration of a polymineralic rocks in the presence of a fluid and the rate determining process of the overall reactions is often difficult to identify. We present results of bulk rock-water interaction experiments quantifying alteration reactions between pure water and a granodiorite sample. The rock sample was chosen for its homogenous texture, small and uniform grain size (˜0.5 mm in diameter), and absence of pre-existing alteration features. The primary minerals are plagioclase (plg - 58 vol.%), quartz (qtz - 21 vol.%), K-feldspar (Kfs - 17 vol.%), biotite (bio - 3 vol.%) and white mica (wm - 1 vol.%). Three sets of batch experiments were conducted at 200 ° C to evaluate the effect of reactive surface area and different fluid path ways using (I) powders of the bulk rock with

Organic cation transporter 1 (OCT1 is involved in pentamidine transport at the human and mouse blood-brain barrier (BBB.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Gayathri N Sekhar

Full Text Available Pentamidine is an effective trypanocidal drug used against stage 1 Human African Trypanosomiasis (HAT. At the blood-brain barrier (BBB, it accumulates inside the endothelial cells but has limited entry into the brain. This study examined transporters involved in pentamidine transport at the human and mouse BBB using hCMEC/D3 and bEnd.3 cell lines, respectively. Results revealed that both cell lines expressed the organic cation transporters (OCT1, OCT2 and OCT3, however, P-gp was only expressed in hCMEC/D3 cells. Polarised expression of OCT1 was also observed. Functional assays found that ATP depletion significantly increased [3H]pentamidine accumulation in hCMEC/D3 cells (***p<0.001 but not in bEnd.3 cells. Incubation with unlabelled pentamidine significantly decreased accumulation in hCMEC/D3 and bEnd.3 cells after 120 minutes (***p<0.001. Treating both cell lines with haloperidol and amantadine also decreased [3H]pentamidine accumulation significantly (***p<0.001 and **p<0.01 respectively. However, prazosin treatment decreased [3H]pentamidine accumulation only in hCMEC/D3 cells (*p<0.05, and not bEnd.3 cells. Furthermore, the presence of OCTN, MATE, PMAT, ENT or CNT inhibitors/substrates had no significant effect on the accumulation of [3H]pentamidine in both cell lines. From the data, we conclude that pentamidine interacts with multiple transporters, is taken into brain endothelial cells by OCT1 transporter and is extruded into the blood by ATP-dependent mechanisms. These interactions along with the predominant presence of OCT1 in the luminal membrane of the BBB contribute to the limited entry of pentamidine into the brain. This information is of key importance to the development of pentamidine based combination therapies which could be used to treat CNS stage HAT by improving CNS delivery, efficacy against trypanosomes and safety profile of pentamidine.

Expanding the role of reactive transport models in critical zone processes

Science.gov (United States)

Li, Li; Maher, Kate; Navarre-Sitchler, Alexis; Druhan, Jennifer; Meile, Christof; Lawrence, Corey; Moore, Joel; Perdrial, Julia; Sullivan, Pamela; Thompson, Aaron; Jin, Lixin; Bolton, Edward W.; Brantley, Susan L.; Dietrich, William E.; Mayer, K. Ulrich; Steefel, Carl; Valocchi, Albert J.; Zachara, John M.; Kocar, Benjamin D.; McIntosh, Jennifer; Tutolo, Benjamin M.; Kumar, Mukesh; Sonnenthal, Eric; Bao, Chen; Beisman, Joe

2017-01-01

Models test our understanding of processes and can reach beyond the spatial and temporal scales of measurements. Multi-component Reactive Transport Models (RTMs), initially developed more than three decades ago, have been used extensively to explore the interactions of geothermal, hydrologic, geochemical, and geobiological processes in subsurface systems. Driven by extensive data sets now available from intensive measurement efforts, there is a pressing need to couple RTMs with other community models to explore non-linear interactions among the atmosphere, hydrosphere, biosphere, and geosphere. Here we briefly review the history of RTM development, summarize the current state of RTM approaches, and identify new research directions, opportunities, and infrastructure needs to broaden the use of RTMs. In particular, we envision the expanded use of RTMs in advancing process understanding in the Critical Zone, the veneer of the Earth that extends from the top of vegetation to the bottom of groundwater. We argue that, although parsimonious models are essential at larger scales, process-based models offer tools to explore the highly nonlinear coupling that characterizes natural systems. We present seven testable hypotheses that emphasize the unique capabilities of process-based RTMs for (1) elucidating chemical weathering and its physical and biogeochemical drivers; (2) understanding the interactions among roots, micro-organisms, carbon, water, and minerals in the rhizosphere; (3) assessing the effects of heterogeneity across spatial and temporal scales; and (4) integrating the vast quantity of novel data, including “omics” data (genomics, transcriptomics, proteomics, metabolomics), elemental concentration and speciation data, and isotope data into our understanding of complex earth surface systems. With strong support from data-driven sciences, we are now in an exciting era where integration of RTM framework into other community models will facilitate process

H{sup +}/peptide transporter (PEPT2) is expressed in human epidermal keratinocytes and is involved in skin oligopeptide transport

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Kudo, Michiko; Katayoshi, Takeshi; Kobayashi-Nakamura, Kumiko [DHC Corporation Laboratories, Division 2, 2-42 Hamada, Mihama-ku, Chiba 261-0025 (Japan); Akagawa, Mitsugu [Department of Biological Chemistry, Division of Applied Life Science, Graduate School of Life and Environmental Sciences, Osaka Prefecture University, 1-1 Gakuen-cho, Naka-ku, Sakai 599-8531 (Japan); Tsuji-Naito, Kentaro, E-mail: knaito@dhc.co.jp [DHC Corporation Laboratories, Division 2, 2-42 Hamada, Mihama-ku, Chiba 261-0025 (Japan)

2016-07-08

Peptide transporter 2 (PEPT2) is a member of the proton-coupled oligopeptide transporter family, which mediates the cellular uptake of oligopeptides and peptide-like drugs. Although PEPT2 is expressed in many tissues, its expression in epidermal keratinocytes remains unclear. We investigated PEPT2 expression profile and functional activity in keratinocytes. We confirmed PEPT2 mRNA expression in three keratinocyte lines (normal human epidermal keratinocytes (NHEKs), immortalized keratinocytes, and malignant keratinocytes) by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and quantitative real-time RT-PCR. In contrast to PEPT1, PEPT2 expression in the three keratinocytes was similar or higher than that in HepG2 cells, used as PEPT2-positive cells. Immunolocalization analysis using human skin showed epidermal PEPT2 localization. We studied keratinocyte transport function by measuring the oligopeptide content using liquid chromatography/tandem mass spectrometry. Glycylsarcosine uptake in NHEKs was pH-dependent, suggesting that keratinocytes could absorb small peptides in the presence of an inward H{sup +} gradient. We also performed a skin-permeability test of several oligopeptides using skin substitute, suggesting that di- and tripeptides pass actively through the epidermis. In conclusion, PEPT2 is expressed in keratinocytes and involved in skin oligopeptide uptake. -- Highlights: •PEPT2 is expressed in keratinocytes, which are more common than other skin cells. •Immunolocalization analysis using human skin revealed epidermal PEPT2 localization. •Keratinocytes could absorb small peptides in the presence of an inward H{sup +} gradient. •Di- and tripeptide pass actively through the epidermis.

Transportation incidents involving Canadian shipments of radioactive material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jardine, J.M.

1979-06-01

This paper gives a brief statement of the legislation governing the transportation of radioactive materials in Canada, reviews the types of shipments made in Canada in 1977, and surveys the transportation incidents that have been reported to the Atomic Energy Control Board over the period 1947-1978. Some of the more significant incidents are described in detail. A totAl of 135 incidents occurred from 1947 to 1978, during which time there were 644750 shipments of radioactive material in Canada

Reactive histiocytosis of the orbit and posterior segment in a dog.

Science.gov (United States)

Pumphrey, Stephanie A; Pizzirani, Stefano; Pirie, Christopher G; Sato, Amy F; Buckley, Faith I

2013-05-01

We present a case of reactive histiocytic disease involving the orbit, optic nerve, retina, and choroid in a Border Collie dog initially presenting for vision loss. Long-term partial return of vision has been achieved with systemic immunosuppression. Anterior segment and ocular surface manifestations of reactive histiocytic disease in dogs are relatively common. Posterior segment and orbital involvement, however, are minimally documented in the existing literature. To the authors' knowledge, this is the first report of disease confined to the orbit and posterior segment as well as the first report of vision loss as a presenting complaint for reactive histiocytic disease. Clinical, magnetic resonance imaging, cytologic, and histopathologic findings are reviewed. © 2012 American College of Veterinary Ophthalmologists.

Transport perturbation theory in nuclear reactor analysis

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Nishigori, Takeo; Takeda, Toshikazu; Selvi, S.

1985-01-01

Perturbation theory is formulated on the basis of transport theory to obtain a formula for the reactivity changes due to possible variations of cross sections. Useful applications to cell homogenization are presented for the whole core calculation in transport and in diffusion theories. (author)

Building Conceptual Models of Field-Scale Uranium Reactive Transport in a Dynamic Vadose Zone-Aquifer-River System

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Yabusaki, Steven B.; Fang, Yilin; Waichler, Scott R.

2008-01-01

Subsurface simulation is being used to build, test, and couple conceptual process models to better understand controls on a 0.4 km by 1.0 km uranium plume that has persisted above the drinking water standard in the groundwater of the Hanford 300 Area over the last 15 years. At this site, uranium-contaminated sediments in the vadose zone and aquifer are subject to significant variations in water levels and velocities driven by the diurnal, weekly, seasonal, and episodic Columbia River stage dynamics. Groundwater flow reversals typically occur twice a day with significant exchange of river water and groundwater in the near-river aquifer. Mixing of the dilute solution chemistry of the river with the groundwater complicates the uranium sorption behavior as the mobility of U(VI) has been shown experimentally to be a function of pH, carbonate, calcium, and uranium. Furthermore, uranium mass transfer between solid and aqueous phases has been observed to be rate-limited in the context of the high groundwater velocities resulting from the river stage fluctuations and the highly transmissive sediments (hydraulic conductivities ∼1500 m/d). One- and two-dimensional vertical cross-sectional simulations of variably-saturated flow and reactive transport, based on laboratory-derived models of distributed rate mass transfer and equilibrium multicomponent surface complexation, are used to assess uranium transport at the dynamic vadose zone aquifer interface as well as changes to uranium mobility due to incursions of river water into the aquifer

Development of supporting system for emergency response to maritime transport accidents involving radioactive material

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Odano, N.; Matsuoka, T.; Suzuki, H.

2004-01-01

National Maritime Research Institute has developed a supporting system for emergency response of competent authority to maritime transport accidents involving radioactive material. The supporting system for emergency response has functions of radiation shielding calculation, marine diffusion simulation, air diffusion simulation and radiological impact evaluation to grasp potential hazard of radiation. Loss of shielding performance accident and loss of sealing ability accident were postulated and impact of the accidents was evaluated based on the postulated accident scenario. Procedures for responding to emergency were examined by the present simulation results

Efficiency improvement of the investment and innovation activities in the transport facility construction field with public-private partnership involvement

Science.gov (United States)

Shibayeva, Marina; Serebryakova, Yelena; Shalnev, Oleg

2017-10-01

Growing demand to increase the investment volume in modernization and development projects for transport infrastructure define the urgency of the current study. The amount of private sector investments in the field is insufficient to implement the projects for road construction due to their significant capital intensity and long payoff period. The implementation of social significant infrastructure projects on the principles of public-private partnership is one of the key strategic directions of growth for transport facilities. The authors come up with a concept and methodology for modeling the investment and innovation activity in the transport facility construction. Furthermore, there is developed a model to find the balance between public and private sector investments in implementing construction projects for transport infrastructure with involvement of PPP (further - public-private partnership). The suggested concepts aim to improve the efficiency rate of the investment and innovation activity in the field of transport facility construction on the basis of public and private sectors collaboration.

The development of high performance numerical simulation code for transient groundwater flow and reactive solute transport problems based on local discontinuous Galerkin method

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suzuki, Shunichi; Motoshima, Takayuki; Naemura, Yumi; Kubo, Shin; Kanie, Shunji

2009-01-01

The authors develop a numerical code based on Local Discontinuous Galerkin Method for transient groundwater flow and reactive solute transport problems in order to make it possible to do three dimensional performance assessment on radioactive waste repositories at the earliest stage possible. Local discontinuous Galerkin Method is one of mixed finite element methods which are more accurate ones than standard finite element methods. In this paper, the developed numerical code is applied to several problems which are provided analytical solutions in order to examine its accuracy and flexibility. The results of the simulations show the new code gives highly accurate numeric solutions. (author)

Unsaturated transport of inorganic cations in undisturbed soil columns

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jardine, P.M.; Jacobs, G.K.

1990-01-01

The unsaturated transport of Sr, Co, and Ca were studied in undisturbed soil columns (14 x 40 cm) of saprolitic shale to evaluate the significance of time dependent mass transfer and multispecies competitive exchange during transport. Observed breakthrough curves (BTCs) for Sr and Co were delayed relative to nonreactive Br BTC indicating that the former tracers were adsorbed by the soil. Effluent concentrations of Sr and Co were modeled with the classical convective dispersive (CD) equation and nonequilibrium mass transfer considerations did not appear necessary. Cation exchange equilibria relationships obtained from both shake batch and miscible displacement methods adequately described the thermodynamic processes which were prevalent during transport. These results suggest that the preferential transport of a reactive tracer is negligible for the realistic unsaturated conditions used in the study, and that the massive saprolite within the soil is a chemically active constituent during transport of reactive solutes. The implications of these findings for modeling in-situ subsurface contaminant transport are discussed. 7 refs., 9 figs

Reactive oxygen species are involved in lipopolysaccharide-induced intrauterine growth restriction and skeletal development retardation in mice.

Science.gov (United States)

Xu, De-Xiang; Chen, Yuan-Hua; Zhao, Lei; Wang, Hua; Wei, Wei

2006-12-01

and skeletal development retardation. However, aminoguanidine, a selective inhibitor of inducible nitric oxide synthase, had little effect. Furthermore, lipopolysaccharide-induced intrauterine fetal death, intrauterine fetal growth restriction, and skeletal development retardation were associated with lipid peroxidation and glutathione depletion in maternal liver, placenta, and fetal liver. Alpha-phenyl-N-t-butylnitrone significantly attenuated lipopolysaccharide-induced lipid peroxidation and glutathione depletion in maternal liver, placenta, and fetal liver. Maternal lipopolysaccharide exposure at late gestational stages results in intrauterine fetal growth restriction and skeletal development retardation in mice. Reactive oxygen species might be, at least in part, involved in lipopolysaccharide-induced intrauterine fetal growth restriction and skeletal development retardation.

Mixing induced reactive transport in fractured crystalline rocks

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Martinez-Landa, Lurdes; Carrera, Jesus; Dentz, Marco; Fernàndez-Garcia, Daniel; Nardí, Albert; Saaltink, Maarten W.

2012-01-01

In this paper the solute retention properties of crystalline fractured rocks due to mixing-induced geochemical reactions are studied. While fractured media exhibit paths of fast flow and transport and thus short residence times for conservative solutes, at the same time they promote mixing and dilution due to strong heterogeneity, which leads to sharp concentration contrasts. Enhanced mixing and dilution have a double effect that favors crystalline fractured media as a possible host medium for nuclear waste disposal. Firstly, peak radionuclide concentrations are attenuated and, secondly, mixing-induced precipitation reactions are enhanced significantly, which leads to radionuclide immobilization. An integrated framework is presented for the effective modeling of these flow, transport and reaction phenomena, and the interaction between them. In a simple case study, the enhanced dilution and precipitation potential of fractured crystalline rocks are systematically studied and quantified and contrasted it to retention and attenuation in an equivalent homogeneous formation.

The GARP Complex Is Involved in Intracellular Cholesterol Transport via Targeting NPC2 to Lysosomes.

Science.gov (United States)

Wei, Jian; Zhang, Ying-Yu; Luo, Jie; Wang, Ju-Qiong; Zhou, Yu-Xia; Miao, Hong-Hua; Shi, Xiong-Jie; Qu, Yu-Xiu; Xu, Jie; Li, Bo-Liang; Song, Bao-Liang

2017-06-27

Proper intracellular cholesterol trafficking is critical for cellular function. Two lysosome-resident proteins, NPC1 and NPC2, mediate the egress of low-density lipoprotein-derived cholesterol from lysosomes. However, other proteins involved in this process remain largely unknown. Through amphotericin B-based selection, we isolated two cholesterol transport-defective cell lines. Subsequent whole-transcriptome-sequencing analysis revealed two cell lines bearing the same mutation in the vacuolar protein sorting 53 (Vps53) gene. Depletion of VPS53 or other subunits of the Golgi-associated retrograde protein (GARP) complex impaired NPC2 sorting to lysosomes and caused cholesterol accumulation. GARP deficiency blocked the retrieval of the cation-independent mannose 6-phosphate receptor (CI-MPR) to the trans-Golgi network. Further, Vps54 mutant mice displayed reduced cellular NPC2 protein levels and increased cholesterol accumulation, underscoring the physiological role of the GARP complex in cholesterol transport. We conclude that the GARP complex contributes to intracellular cholesterol transport by targeting NPC2 to lysosomes in a CI-MPR-dependent manner. Copyright © 2017 The Author(s). Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Measurements of total OH reactivity during PROPHET-AMOS 2016

Science.gov (United States)

Rickly, P.; Sakowski, J.; Bottorff, B.; Lew, M.; Stevens, P. S.; Sklaveniti, S.; Locoge, N.; Dusanter, S.

2017-12-01

As one of the main oxidant in the atmosphere, the hydroxyl radical (OH) initiates the oxidation of volatile organic compounds that can lead to the formation of ozone and secondary organic aerosols. Understanding both the sources and sinks of OH is therefore important to address issues related to air quality and climate change. Measurements of total OH reactivity can provide an important test of our understanding of the OH radical budget. Recent measurements of total reactivity in many environments have been greater than calculated based on the measured concentration of VOCs, suggesting that important OH sinks in these environments are not well characterized. Measurements of total OH reactivity were performed in a forested environment during the PROPHET - AMOS field campaign (Program for Research on Oxidants: PHotochemisty, Emissions, and Transport - Atmospheric Measurements of Oxidants in Summer) using the Comparative Reactivity Method (CRM) and the Total OH Loss Rate Method (TOHLM). The site is characterized by large emissions of isoprene and monoterpenes and low anthropogenic influence. Measurements of total OH reactivity using these two techniques agree to within their respective uncertainties, giving confidence in the measured OH reactivity. In addition, measurements of trace gases (VOCs, NOx, O3) were used to perform a comprehensive apportionment of OH sinks. These measurements are used in a chemical model using the Master Chemical Mechanism to calculate the expected OH reactivity. The results will be compared to previous measurements of total OH reactivity at this site.

Intrinsic photocatalytic assessment of reactively sputtered TiO₂ films.

Science.gov (United States)

Rafieian, Damon; Driessen, Rick T; Ogieglo, Wojciech; Lammertink, Rob G H

2015-04-29

Thin TiO2 films were prepared by DC magnetron reactive sputtering at different oxygen partial pressures. Depending on the oxygen partial pressure during sputtering, a transition from metallic Ti to TiO2 was identified by spectroscopic ellipsometry. The crystalline nature of the film developed during a subsequent annealing step, resulting in thin anatase TiO2 layers, displaying photocatalytic activity. The intrinsic photocatalytic activity of the catalysts was evaluated for the degradation of methylene blue (MB) using a microfluidic reactor. A numerical model was employed to extract the intrinsic reaction rate constants. High conversion rates (90% degradation within 20 s residence time) were observed within these microreactors because of the efficient mass transport and light distribution. To evaluate the intrinsic reaction kinetics, we argue that mass transport has to be accounted for. The obtained surface reaction rate constants demonstrate very high reactivity for the sputtered TiO2 films. Only for the thinnest film, 9 nm, slightly lower kinetics were observed.

Appetitive Motivation and Negative Emotion Reactivity among Remitted Depressed Youth

Science.gov (United States)

Hankin, Benjamin L.; Wetter, Emily K.; Flory, Kate

2012-01-01

Depression has been characterized as involving altered appetitive motivation and emotional reactivity. Yet no study has examined objective indices of emotional reactivity when the appetitive/approach system is suppressed in response to failure to attain a self-relevant goal and desired reward. Three groups of youth (N = 98, ages 9-15; remitted…

A Novel Nano/Micro-Fluidic Reactor for Evaluation of Pore-Scale Reactive Transport

Science.gov (United States)

Werth, C. J.; Alcalde, R.; Ghazvini, S.; Sanford, R. A.; Fouke, B. W.; Valocchi, A. J.

2017-12-01

The reactive transport of pollutants in groundwater can be affected by the presence of stressor chemicals, which inhibit microbial functions. The stressor can be a primary reactant (e.g., trichloroethene), a reaction product (e.g., nitrite from nitrate), or some other chemical present in groundwater (e.g., antibiotic). In this work, a novel nano/microfluidic cell was developed to examine the effect of the antibiotic ciprofloxacin on nitrate reduction coupled to lactate oxidation. The reactor contains parallel boundary channels that deliver flow and solutes on either side of a pore network. The boundary channels are separated from the pore network by one centimeter-long, one micrometer-thick walls perforated by hundreds of nanoslits. The nanoslits allow solute mass transfer from the boundary channels to the pore network, but not microbial passage. The pore network was inoculated with a pure culture of Shewanella oneidensis MR-1, and this was allowed to grow on lactate and nitrate in the presence of ciprofloxacin, all delivered through the boundary channels. Microbial growth patterns suggest inhibition from ciprofloxacin and the nitrate reduction product nitrite, and a dependence on nitrate and lactate mass transfer rates from the boundary channels. A numerical model was developed to interpret the controlling mechanisms, and results indicate cell chemotaxis also affects nitrate reduction and microbial growth. The results are broadly relevant to bioremediation efforts where one or more chemicals that inhibit microbial growth are present and inhibit pollutant degradation rates.

porewater chemistry experiment at Mont Terri rock laboratory. Reactive transport modelling including bacterial activity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Tournassat, Christophe; Gaucher, Eric C.; Leupin, Olivier X.; Wersin, Paul

2010-01-01

Document available in extended abstract form only. An in-situ test in the Opalinus Clay formation, termed pore water Chemistry (PC) experiment, was run for a period of five years. It was based on the concept of diffusive equilibration whereby traced water with a composition close to that expected in the formation was continuously circulated and monitored in a packed off borehole. The main original focus was to obtain reliable data on the pH/pCO 2 of the pore water, but because of unexpected microbially- induced redox reactions, the objective was then changed to elucidate the biogeochemical processes happening in the borehole and to understand their impact on pH/pCO 2 and pH in the low permeability clay formation. The biologically perturbed chemical evolution of the PC experiment was simulated with reactive transport models. The aim of this modelling exercise was to develop a 'minimal-' model able to reproduce the chemical evolution of the PC experiment, i.e. the chemical evolution of solute inorganic and organic compounds (organic carbon, dissolved inorganic carbon etc...) that are coupled with each other through the simultaneous occurrence of biological transformation of solute or solid compounds, in-diffusion and out-diffusion of solute species and precipitation/dissolution of minerals (in the borehole and in the formation). An accurate description of the initial chemical conditions in the surrounding formation together with simplified kinetics rule mimicking the different phases of bacterial activities allowed reproducing the evolution of all main measured parameters (e.g. pH, TOC). Analyses from the overcoring and these simulations evidence the high buffer capacity of Opalinus clay regarding chemical perturbations due to bacterial activity. This pH buffering capacity is mainly attributed to the carbonate system as well as to the clay surfaces reactivity. Glycerol leaching from the pH-electrode might be the primary organic source responsible for

The proinflammatory RAGE/NF-κB pathway is involved in neuronal damage and reactive gliosis in a model of sleep apnea by intermittent hypoxia.

Science.gov (United States)

Angelo, Maria Florencia; Aguirre, Alejandra; Avilés Reyes, Rolando X; Villarreal, Alejandro; Lukin, Jerónimo; Melendez, Matías; Vanasco, Virginia; Barker, Phil; Alvarez, Silvia; Epstein, Alberto; Jerusalinsky, Diana; Ramos, Alberto Javier

2014-01-01

Sleep apnea (SA) causes long-lasting changes in neuronal circuitry, which persist even in patients successfully treated for the acute effects of the disease. Evidence obtained from the intermittent hypoxia (IH) experimental model of SA has shown neuronal death, impairment in learning and memory and reactive gliosis that may account for cognitive and structural alterations observed in human patients. However, little is known about the mechanism controlling these deleterious effects that may be useful as therapeutic targets in SA. The Receptor for Advanced Glycation End products (RAGE) and its downstream effector Nuclear Factor Kappa B (NF-κB) have been related to neuronal death and astroglial conversion to the pro-inflammatory neurodegenerative phenotype. RAGE expression and its ligand S100B were shown to be increased in experimental models of SA. We here used dissociated mixed hippocampal cell cultures and male Wistar rats exposed to IH cycles and observed that NF-κB is activated in glial cells and neurons after IH. To disclose the relative contribution of the S100B/RAGE/NF-κB pathway to neuronal damage and reactive gliosis after IH we performed sequential loss of function studies using RAGE or S100B neutralizing antibodies, a herpes simplex virus (HSV)-derived amplicon vector that induces the expression of RAGEΔcyto (dominant negative RAGE) and a chemical blocker of NF-κB. Our results show that NF-κB activation peaks 3 days after IH exposure, and that RAGE or NF-κB blockage during this critical period significantly improves neuronal survival and reduces reactive gliosis. Both in vitro and in vivo, S100B blockage altered reactive gliosis but did not have significant effects on neuronal survival. We conclude that both RAGE and downstream NF-κB signaling are centrally involved in the neuronal alterations found in SA models, and that blockage of these pathways is a tempting strategy for preventing neuronal degeneration and reactive gliosis in SA.

The proinflammatory RAGE/NF-κB pathway is involved in neuronal damage and reactive gliosis in a model of sleep apnea by intermittent hypoxia.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Maria Florencia Angelo

Full Text Available Sleep apnea (SA causes long-lasting changes in neuronal circuitry, which persist even in patients successfully treated for the acute effects of the disease. Evidence obtained from the intermittent hypoxia (IH experimental model of SA has shown neuronal death, impairment in learning and memory and reactive gliosis that may account for cognitive and structural alterations observed in human patients. However, little is known about the mechanism controlling these deleterious effects that may be useful as therapeutic targets in SA. The Receptor for Advanced Glycation End products (RAGE and its downstream effector Nuclear Factor Kappa B (NF-κB have been related to neuronal death and astroglial conversion to the pro-inflammatory neurodegenerative phenotype. RAGE expression and its ligand S100B were shown to be increased in experimental models of SA. We here used dissociated mixed hippocampal cell cultures and male Wistar rats exposed to IH cycles and observed that NF-κB is activated in glial cells and neurons after IH. To disclose the relative contribution of the S100B/RAGE/NF-κB pathway to neuronal damage and reactive gliosis after IH we performed sequential loss of function studies using RAGE or S100B neutralizing antibodies, a herpes simplex virus (HSV-derived amplicon vector that induces the expression of RAGEΔcyto (dominant negative RAGE and a chemical blocker of NF-κB. Our results show that NF-κB activation peaks 3 days after IH exposure, and that RAGE or NF-κB blockage during this critical period significantly improves neuronal survival and reduces reactive gliosis. Both in vitro and in vivo, S100B blockage altered reactive gliosis but did not have significant effects on neuronal survival. We conclude that both RAGE and downstream NF-κB signaling are centrally involved in the neuronal alterations found in SA models, and that blockage of these pathways is a tempting strategy for preventing neuronal degeneration and reactive gliosis in SA.

Low-intensity laser irradiation at 660 nm stimulates transcription of genes involved in the electron transport chain.

Science.gov (United States)

Masha, Roland T; Houreld, Nicolette N; Abrahamse, Heidi

2013-02-01

Low-intensity laser irradiation (LILI) has been shown to stimulate cellular functions leading to increased adenosine triphosphate (ATP) synthesis. This study was undertaken to evaluate the effect of LILI on genes involved in the mitochondrial electron transport chain (ETC, complexes I-IV) and oxidative phosphorylation (ATP synthase). Four human skin fibroblast cell models were used in this study: normal non-irradiated cells were used as controls while wounded, diabetic wounded, and ischemic cells were irradiated. Cells were irradiated with a 660 nm diode laser with a fluence of 5 J/cm(2) and gene expression determined by quantitative real-time reverse transcription (RT) polymerase chain reaction (PCR). LILI upregulated cytochrome c oxidase subunit VIb polypeptide 2 (COX6B2), cytochrome c oxidase subunit VIc (COX6C), and pyrophosphatase (inorganic) 1 (PPA1) in diabetic wounded cells; COX6C, ATP synthase, H+transporting, mitochondrial Fo complex, subunit B1 (ATP5F1), nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NADH) dehydrogenase (ubiquinone) 1 alpha subcomplex, 11 (NDUFA11), and NADH dehydrogenase (ubiquinone) Fe-S protein 7 (NDUFS7) in wounded cells; and ATPase, H+/K+ exchanging, beta polypeptide (ATP4B), and ATP synthase, H+ transporting, mitochondrial Fo complex, subunit C2 (subunit 9) (ATP5G2) in ischemic cells. LILI at 660 nm stimulates the upregulation of genes coding for subunits of enzymes involved in complexes I and IV and ATP synthase.

Tritium Suicide Selection Identifies Proteins Involved in the Uptake and Intracellular Transport of Sterols in Saccharomyces cerevisiae▿

Science.gov (United States)

Sullivan, David P.; Georgiev, Alexander; Menon, Anant K.

2009-01-01

Sterol transport between the plasma membrane (PM) and the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) occurs by a nonvesicular mechanism that is poorly understood. To identify proteins required for this process, we isolated Saccharomyces cerevisiae mutants with defects in sterol transport. We used Upc2-1 cells that have the ability to take up sterols under aerobic conditions and exploited the observation that intracellular accumulation of exogenously supplied [3H]cholesterol in the form of [3H]cholesteryl ester requires an intact PM-ER sterol transport pathway. Upc2-1 cells were mutagenized using a transposon library, incubated with [3H]cholesterol, and subjected to tritium suicide selection to isolate mutants with a decreased ability to accumulate [3H]cholesterol. Many of the mutants had defects in the expression and trafficking of Aus1 and Pdr11, PM-localized ABC transporters that are required for sterol uptake. Through characterization of one of the mutants, a new role was uncovered for the transcription factor Mot3 in controlling expression of Aus1 and Pdr11. A number of mutants had transposon insertions in the uncharacterized Ydr051c gene, which we now refer to as DET1 (decreased ergosterol transport). These mutants expressed Aus1 and Pdr11 normally but were severely defective in the ability to accumulate exogenously supplied cholesterol. The transport of newly synthesized sterols from the ER to the PM was also defective in det1Δ cells. These data indicate that the cytoplasmic protein encoded by DET1 is involved in intracellular sterol transport. PMID:19060182

Controlling material reactivity using architecture

Science.gov (United States)

Sullivan, Kyle

2017-06-01

The reactivity of thermites can be tailored through selection of several parameters, and can range from very slow burns to rapid deflagrations. 3D printing is a rapidly emerging field, and offers the potential to build architected parts. Here we sought to explore whether controlling such features could be a suitable path forward for gaining additional control of the reactivity. This talk discusses several new methods for preparing thermite samples with controlled architectures using 3D printing. Additionally, we demonstrate that the architecture can play a role in the reactivity of an object. Our results suggest that architecture can be used to tailor the convective and/or advective energy transport during a deflagration, thus enhancing or retarding the reaction. The results are promising in that they give researchers an additional way of controlling the energy release rate without defaulting to the conventional approach of changing the formulation. This work was performed under the auspices of the U.S. Department of Energy by Lawrence Livermore National Laboratory under contract DE-AC52-07NA27344. LLNL-ABS-708525. In collaboration with: Cheng Zhu, Eric Duoss, Matt Durban, Alex Gash, Alexandra Golobic, Michael Grapes, David Kolesky, Joshua Kuntz, Jennifer Lewis, Christopher Spadaccini; LAWRENCE LIVERMORE NATIONAL LAB.

The ALMT Family of Organic Acid Transporters in Plants and Their Involvement in Detoxification and Nutrient Security.

Science.gov (United States)

Sharma, Tripti; Dreyer, Ingo; Kochian, Leon; Piñeros, Miguel A

2016-01-01

About a decade ago, members of a new protein family of anion channels were discovered on the basis of their ability to confer on plants the tolerance toward toxic aluminum ions in the soil. The efflux of Al 3+ -chelating malate anions through these channels is stimulated by external Al 3+ ions. This feature of a few proteins determined the name of the entire protein family as Aluminum-activated Malate Transporters (ALMT). Meanwhile, after several years of research, it is known that the physiological roles of ALMTs go far beyond Al-detoxification. In this review article we summarize the current knowledge on this transporter family and assess their involvement in diverse physiological processes.

The ALMT family of organic acid transporters in plants and their involvement in detoxification and nutrient security

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Tripti Sharma

2016-10-01

Full Text Available About a decade ago, members of a new protein family of anion channels were discovered on the basis of their ability to confer on plants the tolerance towards toxic aluminum ions in the soil. The efflux of Al3+-chelating malate anions through these channels is stimulated by external Al3+ ions. This feature of a few proteins determined the name of the entire protein family as Aluminum-activated Malate Transporters (ALMT. Meanwhile, after several years of research, it is known that the physiological roles of ALMTs go far beyond Al-detoxification. In this review article we summarize the current knowledge on this transporter family and assess their involvement in diverse physiological processes.

Notes on HP1 a software package for simulating variably-saturated water flow, heat transport, solute transport, and biogeochemistry in porous media. HP1 Version 2.2

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Jacques, D.; Simunek, J.

2010-01-15

HP1 is a comprehensive modeling tool in terms of processes and reactions for simulating reactive transport and biogeochemical processes in variably-saturated porous media. HP1 results from coupling the water and solute transport model HYDRUS-1D (Simunek et al., 2009a) and PHREEQC-2 (Parkhurst and Appelo, 1999). This note provides an overview of how to set up and execute a HP1 project using version 2.2.002 of HP1 and version 4.13 of the graphical user interface (GUI) of HYDRUS-1D. A large part of this note are step-by-step instructions for selected examples involving mineral dissolution and precipitation, cation exchange, surface complexation and kinetic degradation networks. The implementation of variably-saturated flow conditions, changing boundary conditions, a layered soil profile or immobile water is also illustrated.

Notes on HP1 a software package for simulating variably-saturated water flow, heat transport, solute transport, and biogeochemistry in porous media. HP1 Version 2.2

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jacques, D.; Simunek, J.

2010-01-01

HP1 is a comprehensive modeling tool in terms of processes and reactions for simulating reactive transport and biogeochemical processes in variably-saturated porous media. HP1 results from coupling the water and solute transport model HYDRUS-1D (Simunek et al., 2009a) and PHREEQC-2 (Parkhurst and Appelo, 1999). This note provides an overview of how to set up and execute a HP1 project using version 2.2.002 of HP1 and version 4.13 of the graphical user interface (GUI) of HYDRUS-1D. A large part of this note are step-by-step instructions for selected examples involving mineral dissolution and precipitation, cation exchange, surface complexation and kinetic degradation networks. The implementation of variably-saturated flow conditions, changing boundary conditions, a layered soil profile or immobile water is also illustrated.

Reactive transport modelling of groundwater chemistry in a chalk aquifer at the watershed scale.

Science.gov (United States)

Mangeret, A; De Windt, L; Crançon, P

2012-09-01

This study investigates thermodynamics and kinetics of water-rock interactions in a carbonate aquifer at the watershed scale. A reactive transport model is applied to the unconfined chalk aquifer of the Champagne Mounts (France), by considering both the chalk matrix and the interconnected fracture network. Major element concentrations and main chemical parameters calculated in groundwater and their evolution along flow lines are in fair agreement with field data. A relative homogeneity of the aquifer baseline chemistry is rapidly reached in terms of pH, alkalinity and Ca concentration since calcite equilibrium is achieved over the first metres of the vadose zone. However, incongruent chalk dissolution slowly releases Ba, Mg and Sr in groundwater. Introducing dilution effect by rainwater infiltration and a local occurrence of dolomite improves the agreement between modelling and field data. The dissolution of illite and opal-CT, controlling K and SiO(2) concentrations in the model, can be approximately tackled by classical kinetic rate laws, but not the incongruent chalk dissolution. An apparent kinetic rate has therefore been fitted on field data by inverse modelling: 1.5×10(-5) mol(chalk)L (-1) water year (-1). Sensitivity analysis indicates that the CO(2) partial pressure of the unsaturated zone is a critical parameter for modelling the baseline chemistry over the whole chalk aquifer. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Final Report Coupling in silico microbial models with reactive transport models to predict the fate of contaminants in the subsurface.

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Lovley, Derek R.

2012-10-31

This project successfully accomplished its goal of coupling genome-scale metabolic models with hydrological and geochemical models to predict the activity of subsurface microorganisms during uranium bioremediation. Furthermore, it was demonstrated how this modeling approach can be used to develop new strategies to optimize bioremediation. The approach of coupling genome-scale metabolic models with reactive transport modeling is now well enough established that it has been adopted by other DOE investigators studying uranium bioremediation. Furthermore, the basic principles developed during our studies will be applicable to much broader investigations of microbial activities, not only for other types of bioremediation, but microbial metabolism in diversity of environments. This approach has the potential to make an important contribution to predicting the impact of environmental perturbations on the cycling of carbon and other biogeochemical cycles.

Podocyte expression of membrane transporters involved in puromycin aminonucleoside-mediated injury.

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Cristina Zennaro

Full Text Available Several complex mechanisms contribute to the maintenance of the intricate ramified morphology of glomerular podocytes and to interactions with neighboring cells and the underlying basement membrane. Recently, components of small molecule transporter families have been found in the podocyte membrane, but expression and function of membrane transporters in podocytes is largely unexplored. To investigate this complex field of investigation, we used two molecules which are known substrates of membrane transporters, namely Penicillin G and Puromycin Aminonucleoside (PA. We observed that Penicillin G pre-administration prevented both in vitro and in vivo podocyte damage caused by PA, suggesting the engagement of the same membrane transporters by the two molecules. Indeed, we found that podocytes express a series of transporters which are known to be used by Penicillin G, such as members of the Organic Anion Transporter Polypeptides (OATP/Oatp family of influx transporters, and P-glycoprotein, a member of the MultiDrug Resistance (MDR efflux transporter family. Expression of OATP/Oatp transporters was modified by PA treatment. Similarly, in vitro PA treatment increased mRNA and protein expression of P-glycoprotein, as well as its activity, confirming the engagement of the molecule upon PA administration. In summary, we have characterized some of the small molecule transporters present at the podocyte membrane, focusing on those used by PA to enter and exit the cell. Further investigation will be needed to understand precisely the role of these transporter families in maintaining podocyte homeostasis and in the pathogenesis of podocyte injury.

Comparison of mass transfer coefficient approach and Nernst-Planck formulation in the reactive transport modeling of Co, Ni, and Ag removal by mixed-bed ion-exchange resins

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Bachet, Martin; Jauberty, Loic; De Windt, Laurent; Dieuleveult, Caroline de; Tevissen, Etienne

2014-01-01

Experiments performed under chemical and flow conditions representative of pressurized water reactors (PWR) primary fluid purification by ion exchange resins (Amberlite IRN9882) are modeled with the OPTIPUR code, considering 1D reactive transport in the mixed-bed column with convective/dispersive transport between beads and electro-diffusive transport within the boundary film around the beads. The effectiveness of the purification in these dilute conditions is highly related to film mass transfer restrictions, which are accounted for by adjustment of a common mass transfer coefficient (MTC) on the experimental initial leakage or modeling of species diffusion through the bead film by the Nernst-Planck equation. A detailed analysis of the modeling against experimental data shows that the Nernst-Planck approach with no adjustable parameters performs as well as, or better than, the MTC approach, particularly to simulate the chromatographic elution of silver by nickel and the subsequent enrichment of the solution in the former metal. (authors)

Theoretical study of some aspects of the nucleo-bases reactivity: definition of new theoretical tools for the study of chemical reactivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Labet, V.

2009-09-01

In this work, three kinds of nucleo-base damages were studied from a theoretical point of view with quantum chemistry methods based on the density-functional theory: the spontaneous deamination of cytosine and its derivatives, the formation of tandem lesion induced by hydroxyl radicals in anaerobic medium and the formation of pyrimidic dimers under exposition to an UV radiation. The complementary use of quantitative static methods allowing the exploration of the potential energy surface of a chemical reaction, and of 'conceptual DFT' principles, leads to information concerning the mechanisms involved and to the rationalization of the differences in the nucleo-bases reactivity towards the formation of a same kind of damage. At the same time, a reflexion was undertaken on the asynchronous concerted mechanism concept, in terms of physical meaning of the transition state, respect of the Maximum Hardness Principle, and determination of the number of primitive processes involved. Finally, a new local reactivity index was developed, relevant to understand the reactivity of a molecular system in an excited state. (author)

Modelling the dispersion and transport of reactive pollutants in a deep urban street canyon: using large-eddy simulation.

Science.gov (United States)

Zhong, Jian; Cai, Xiao-Ming; Bloss, William James

2015-05-01

This study investigates the dispersion and transport of reactive pollutants in a deep urban street canyon with an aspect ratio of 2 under neutral meteorological conditions using large-eddy simulation. The spatial variation of pollutants is significant due to the existence of two unsteady vortices. The deviation of species abundance from chemical equilibrium for the upper vortex is greater than that for the lower vortex. The interplay of dynamics and chemistry is investigated using two metrics: the photostationary state defect, and the inferred ozone production rate. The latter is found to be negative at all locations within the canyon, pointing to a systematic negative offset to ozone production rates inferred by analogous approaches in environments with incomplete mixing of emissions. This study demonstrates an approach to quantify parameters for a simplified two-box model, which could support traffic management and urban planning strategies and personal exposure assessment. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Momentum transfer theory of non-conservative charged particle transport in crossed electric and magnetic fields

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Vrhovac, S.B.; Petrovic, Z.Lj.

1995-01-01

Momentum - transfer approximation is applied to momentum and energy balance equations describing reacting particle swarms in gases in crossed electric and magnetic fields. Transport coefficients of charged particles undergoing both inelastic and reactive, non-particle-conserving collisions with a gas of neutral molecules are calculated. Momentum - transfer theory (MTT) has been developed mainly by Robson and collaborators. It has been applied to a single reactive gas and mixtures of reactive gases in electric field only. MTT has also been applied in crossed electric and magnetic fields recently and independently of our work but the reactive collisions were not considered. Consider a swarm of electrons of charge e and mass m moving with velocity rvec v through a neutral gas under the influence of an applied electric rvec E and magnetic rvec B field. The collision processes which we shall investigate are limited to elastic, inelastic and reactive collisions of electrons with gas molecules. Here we interpret reactive collisions as collisions which produce change in number of the swarm particles. Reactive collisions involve creation (ionization by electron impact) or loss (electron attachment) of swarm particles. We consider only single ionization in approximation of the mass ratio m/m 0 0 are masses of electrons and neutral particles, respectively. We assume that the stage of evolution of the swarm is the hydrodynamic limit (HDL). In HDL, the space - time dependence of all properties is carried by the number density n of swarm particles

Evaluation of criticality criteria for fissile class II packages in transportation

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Thomas, J.T.

1976-01-01

The nuclear criticality safety of packages in transportation is explored systematically by a surface density representation of reflected array criticality of air-spaced units. Typical perturbations to arrays are shown to be related analytically to the corresponding reactivity changes they produce. The reactivity change associated with the removal of three reflecting surfaces from a totally water reflected array is shown to depend upon the fissile material loading of the packages. For U(93.2) metal, the expected reactivity loss can range from 2 to 21%. Replacement of a three-sided reflector of water on a critical array by one of concrete results in a reactivity increase ranging from 0 to 6%. Mass limits established by criticality data for reflected arrays of air-spaced units can provide a minimum, uniform margin of safety, expressible in terms of reactivity, to more reliably specify subcriticality in transport. Mass limits less than those defined by air-spaced units in water-reflected arrays are unnecessary for Fissile Class II packages. (author)

Simulating Hydrologic Flow and Reactive Transport with PFLOTRAN and PETSc on Emerging Fine-Grained Parallel Computer Architectures

Science.gov (United States)

Mills, R. T.; Rupp, K.; Smith, B. F.; Brown, J.; Knepley, M.; Zhang, H.; Adams, M.; Hammond, G. E.

2017-12-01

As the high-performance computing community pushes towards the exascale horizon, power and heat considerations have driven the increasing importance and prevalence of fine-grained parallelism in new computer architectures. High-performance computing centers have become increasingly reliant on GPGPU accelerators and "manycore" processors such as the Intel Xeon Phi line, and 512-bit SIMD registers have even been introduced in the latest generation of Intel's mainstream Xeon server processors. The high degree of fine-grained parallelism and more complicated memory hierarchy considerations of such "manycore" processors present several challenges to existing scientific software. Here, we consider how the massively parallel, open-source hydrologic flow and reactive transport code PFLOTRAN - and the underlying Portable, Extensible Toolkit for Scientific Computation (PETSc) library on which it is built - can best take advantage of such architectures. We will discuss some key features of these novel architectures and our code optimizations and algorithmic developments targeted at them, and present experiences drawn from working with a wide range of PFLOTRAN benchmark problems on these architectures.

Process-based reactive transport model to quantify arsenic mobility during aquifer storage and recovery of potable water.

Science.gov (United States)

Wallis, Ilka; Prommer, Henning; Pichler, Thomas; Post, Vincent; Norton, Stuart B; Annable, Michael D; Simmons, Craig T

2011-08-15

Aquifer storage and recovery (ASR) is an aquifer recharge technique in which water is injected in an aquifer during periods of surplus and withdrawn from the same well during periods of deficit. It is a critical component of the long-term water supply plan in various regions, including Florida, USA. Here, the viability of ASR as a safe and cost-effective water resource is currently being tested at a number of sites due to elevated arsenic concentrations detected during groundwater recovery. In this study, we developed a process-based reactive transport model of the coupled physical and geochemical mechanisms controlling the fate of arsenic during ASR. We analyzed multicycle hydrochemical data from a well-documented affected southwest Floridan site and evaluated a conceptual/numerical model in which (i) arsenic is initially released during pyrite oxidation triggered by the injection of oxygenated water (ii) then largely complexes to neo-formed hydrous ferric oxides before (iii) being remobilized during recovery as a result of both dissolution of hydrous ferric oxides and displacement from sorption sites by competing anions.

Nitrate transport in cucumber leaves is an inducible process involving an increase in plasma membrane H+-ATPase activity and abundance

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Nikolic Miroslav

2012-05-01

Full Text Available Abstract Background The mechanisms by which nitrate is transported into the roots have been characterized both at physiological and molecular levels. It has been demonstrated that nitrate is taken up in an energy-dependent way by a four-component uptake machinery involving high- and low- affinity transport systems. In contrast very little is known about the physiology of nitrate transport towards different plant tissues and in particular at the leaf level. Results The mechanism of nitrate uptake in leaves of cucumber (Cucumis sativus L. cv. Chinese long plants was studied and compared with that of the root. Net nitrate uptake by roots of nitrate-depleted cucumber plants proved to be substrate-inducible and biphasic showing a saturable kinetics with a clear linear non saturable component at an anion concentration higher than 2 mM. Nitrate uptake by leaf discs of cucumber plants showed some similarities with that operating in the roots (e.g. electrogenic H+ dependence via involvement of proton pump, a certain degree of induction. However, it did not exhibit typical biphasic kinetics and was characterized by a higher Km with values out of the range usually recorded in roots of several different plant species. The quantity and activity of plasma membrane (PM H+-ATPase of the vesicles isolated from leaf tissues of nitrate-treated plants for 12 h (peak of nitrate foliar uptake rate increased with respect to that observed in the vesicles isolated from N-deprived control plants, thus suggesting an involvement of this enzyme in the leaf nitrate uptake process similar to that described in roots. Molecular analyses suggest the involvement of a specific isoform of PM H+-ATPase (CsHA1 and NRT2 transporter (CsNRT2 in root nitrate uptake. At the leaf level, nitrate treatment modulated the expression of CsHA2, highlighting a main putative role of this isogene in the process. Conclusions Obtained results provide for the first time evidence that a saturable

Real-Time Reactive Power Distribution in Microgrids by Dynamic Programing

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Levron, Yoash; Beck, Yuval; Katzir, Liran

2017-01-01

In this paper a new real-time optimization method for reactive power distribution in microgrids is proposed. The method enables location of a globally optimal distribution of reactive power under normal operating conditions. The method exploits the typical compact structure of microgrids to obtain...... combination of reactive powers, by means of dynamic programming. Since every single step involves a one-dimensional problem, the complexity of the solution is only linear with the number of clusters, and as a result, a globally optimal solution may be obtained in real time. The paper includes the results...

Respiration and substrate transport rates as well as reactive oxygen species production distinguish mitochondria from brain and liver.

Science.gov (United States)

Gusdon, Aaron M; Fernandez-Bueno, Gabriel A; Wohlgemuth, Stephanie; Fernandez, Jenelle; Chen, Jing; Mathews, Clayton E

2015-09-10

Aberrant mitochondrial function, including excessive reactive oxygen species (ROS) production, has been implicated in the pathogenesis of human diseases. The use of mitochondrial inhibitors to ascertain the sites in the electron transport chain (ETC) resulting in altered ROS production can be an important tool. However, the response of mouse mitochondria to ETC inhibitors has not been thoroughly assessed. Here we set out to characterize the differences in phenotypic response to ETC inhibitors between the more energetically demanding brain mitochondria and less energetically demanding liver mitochondria in commonly utilized C57BL/6J mice. We show that in contrast to brain mitochondria, inhibiting distally within complex I or within complex III does not increase liver mitochondrial ROS production supported by complex I substrates, and liver mitochondrial ROS production supported by complex II substrates occurred primarily independent of membrane potential. Complex I, II, and III enzymatic activities and membrane potential were equivalent between liver and brain and responded to ETC. inhibitors similarly. Brain mitochondria exhibited an approximately two-fold increase in complex I and II supported respiration compared with liver mitochondria while exhibiting similar responses to inhibitors. Elevated NADH transport and heightened complex II-III coupled activity accounted for increased complex I and II supported respiration, respectively in brain mitochondria. We conclude that important mechanistic differences exist between mouse liver and brain mitochondria and that mouse mitochondria exhibit phenotypic differences compared with mitochondria from other species.

Evaluation of synthetic zeolite as engineering passive permeable reactive barrier

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Ibrahim, O.A.A.

2011-01-01

models were used to describe the pollutant transport within the permeable reactive barrier. Based on the obtained results, the following can be concluded: 1. Synthetic zeolite X proposed as a reactive barrier material was successfully prepared and completely characterized using XRD, FTIR, EDX, and SEM techniques. 2. Sorption studies indicated the feasibility of using the prepared zeolite X as a reactive barrier material due to its high capacity, chemical stability and selectivity for the concerned heavy metals (Zn 2+ and Cd 2+ ions). 3. Transport properties of both zinc and cadmium ions through zeolite X packed column have been determined. The hydrodynamic dispersion coefficients needed for describe the migration of Zn 2+ and Cd 2+ ions were determined. 4. Retardation coefficients using linear and nonlinear isotherm models were utilized to determine the capability of the synthesized zeolite X to impede the movement of zinc and cadmium ions carried by the fluid. 5. Transport of contaminants in groundwater systems, which is based on the integration of advection dispersion equation using specific boundary conditions, provides a number of analytical solutions. Some of these solutions have been derived for one dimensional pulse contaminant input or a continuous input.

Involvement of reactive oxygen species in endosperm cap weakening and embryo elongation growth during lettuce seed germination

Science.gov (United States)

Zhang, Yu; Chen, Bingxian; Xu, Zhenjiang; Shi, Zhaowan; Chen, Shanli; Huang, Xi; Chen, Jianxun; Wang, Xiaofeng

2014-01-01

Endosperm cap (CAP) weakening and embryo elongation growth are prerequisites for the completion of lettuce seed germination. Although it has been proposed that the cell wall loosening underlying these processes results from an enzymatic mechanism, it is still unclear which enzymes are involved. Here it is shown that reactive oxygen species (ROS), which are non-enzymatic factors, may be involved in the two processes. In Guasihong lettuce seeds imbibed in water, O2·– and H2O2 accumulated and peroxidase activity increased in the CAP, whereas its puncture force decreased. In addition, in the radicle, the increase in embryo growth potential was accompanied by accumulation of O2·– and an increase in peroxidase activity. Imbibing seeds in 0.3% sodium dichloroisocyanurate (SDIC) reduced endosperm viability and the levels of O2·–, H2O2, and peroxidase activity in the CAP, whereas the decrease in its puncture force was inhibited. However, in the embryo, SDIC did not affect the accumulation of O2·–, peroxidase activity, and the embryo growth potential. As a result, SDIC caused atypical germination, in which the endosperm ruptured at the boundary between the CAP and lateral endosperm. ROS scavengers and ROS generation inhibitors inhibited the CAP weakening and also decreased the embryo growth potential, thus decreasing the percentage of seed germination. Exogenous ROS and ROS generation inducers increased the percentage of CAP rupture to some extent, and the addition of H2O2 to 0.3% SDIC enabled some seeds to undergo typical germination. PMID:24744430

Contents of management plans for incidents and accidents involving the transport of radioactive substances. Guide no. 17, Version of 22/12/2014

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

2014-01-01

This guide presents the essential topics to be developed in a management plan for incidents and accidents involving the transport of radioactive substances for civil use. It does not aim to be exhaustive and could be added to by each party involved in the transport, who can make the necessary adaptations and additions, taking account of the particularities of its shipments and its organisation, as well as those of the company or group to which it belongs. The radioactive substances transport incident and accident management plan is a document comprising a descriptive part and an operational part. It presents the overall response of the party involved in the transport operation to an incident or accident situation concerning one of its shipments and the steps it intends to make in order to support the authorities in charge of this situation, in the best possible conditions. This response is designed to cover the cases of incidents or accidents whether or not they lead to a radiological emergency situation. The guide exclusively concerns: - road transport; - rail transport; - the 'road' and 'rail' parts of multimodal transport operations. The case of an incident or an accident occurring during a particular stop such as a transit site, in a transhipment area (port, airport, railway station, etc.), or in a transport infrastructure, is also covered by the radioactive substances transport incident and accident management plan, which then supports the entities in charge of managing this situation (operator of the transhipment area or the transport infrastructure and - as applicable - their supervisory authorities). The level of risk associated with transport incidents and accidents varies widely, according to the nature and quantities of the materials being carried, the number of shipments made and the package model used. The incident and accident management plan must therefore be tailored to the specific nature of the shipments by the party concerned. The radioactive

Using Reactive Transport Modeling to Evaluate the Source Term at Yucca Mountain

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Y. Chen

2001-12-19

The conventional approach of source-term evaluation for performance assessment of nuclear waste repositories uses speciation-solubility modeling tools and assumes pure phases of radioelements control their solubility. This assumption may not reflect reality, as most radioelements (except for U) may not form their own pure phases. As a result, solubility limits predicted using the conventional approach are several orders of magnitude higher then the concentrations of radioelements measured in spent fuel dissolution experiments. This paper presents the author's attempt of using a non-conventional approach to evaluate source term of radionuclide release for Yucca Mountain. Based on the general reactive-transport code AREST-CT, a model for spent fuel dissolution and secondary phase precipitation has been constructed. The model accounts for both equilibrium and kinetic reactions. Its predictions have been compared against laboratory experiments and natural analogues. It is found that without calibrations, the simulated results match laboratory and field observations very well in many aspects. More important is the fact that no contradictions between them have been found. This provides confidence in the predictive power of the model. Based on the concept of Np incorporated into uranyl minerals, the model not only predicts a lower Np source-term than that given by conventional Np solubility models, but also produces results which are consistent with laboratory measurements and observations. Moreover, two hypotheses, whether Np enters tertiary uranyl minerals or not, have been tested by comparing model predictions against laboratory observations, the results favor the former. It is concluded that this non-conventional approach of source term evaluation not only eliminates over-conservatism in conventional solubility approach to some extent, but also gives a realistic representation of the system of interest, which is a prerequisite for truly understanding the long

Using Reactive Transport Modeling to Evaluate the Source Term at Yucca Mountain

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Y. Chen

2001-01-01

The conventional approach of source-term evaluation for performance assessment of nuclear waste repositories uses speciation-solubility modeling tools and assumes pure phases of radioelements control their solubility. This assumption may not reflect reality, as most radioelements (except for U) may not form their own pure phases. As a result, solubility limits predicted using the conventional approach are several orders of magnitude higher then the concentrations of radioelements measured in spent fuel dissolution experiments. This paper presents the author's attempt of using a non-conventional approach to evaluate source term of radionuclide release for Yucca Mountain. Based on the general reactive-transport code AREST-CT, a model for spent fuel dissolution and secondary phase precipitation has been constructed. The model accounts for both equilibrium and kinetic reactions. Its predictions have been compared against laboratory experiments and natural analogues. It is found that without calibrations, the simulated results match laboratory and field observations very well in many aspects. More important is the fact that no contradictions between them have been found. This provides confidence in the predictive power of the model. Based on the concept of Np incorporated into uranyl minerals, the model not only predicts a lower Np source-term than that given by conventional Np solubility models, but also produces results which are consistent with laboratory measurements and observations. Moreover, two hypotheses, whether Np enters tertiary uranyl minerals or not, have been tested by comparing model predictions against laboratory observations, the results favor the former. It is concluded that this non-conventional approach of source term evaluation not only eliminates over-conservatism in conventional solubility approach to some extent, but also gives a realistic representation of the system of interest, which is a prerequisite for truly understanding the long

The reactivity meter and core reactivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siltanen, P.

1999-01-01

This paper discussed in depth the point kinetic equations and the characteristics of the point kinetic reactivity meter, particularly for large negative reactivities. From a given input signal representing the neutron flux seen by a detector, the meter computes a value of reactivity in dollars (ρ/β), based on inverse point kinetics. The prompt jump point of view is emphasised. (Author)

Open-Source Development of the Petascale Reactive Flow and Transport Code PFLOTRAN

Science.gov (United States)

Hammond, G. E.; Andre, B.; Bisht, G.; Johnson, T.; Karra, S.; Lichtner, P. C.; Mills, R. T.

2013-12-01

Open-source software development has become increasingly popular in recent years. Open-source encourages collaborative and transparent software development and promotes unlimited free redistribution of source code to the public. Open-source development is good for science as it reveals implementation details that are critical to scientific reproducibility, but generally excluded from journal publications. In addition, research funds that would have been spent on licensing fees can be redirected to code development that benefits more scientists. In 2006, the developers of PFLOTRAN open-sourced their code under the U.S. Department of Energy SciDAC-II program. Since that time, the code has gained popularity among code developers and users from around the world seeking to employ PFLOTRAN to simulate thermal, hydraulic, mechanical and biogeochemical processes in the Earth's surface/subsurface environment. PFLOTRAN is a massively-parallel subsurface reactive multiphase flow and transport simulator designed from the ground up to run efficiently on computing platforms ranging from the laptop to leadership-class supercomputers, all from a single code base. The code employs domain decomposition for parallelism and is founded upon the well-established and open-source parallel PETSc and HDF5 frameworks. PFLOTRAN leverages modern Fortran (i.e. Fortran 2003-2008) in its extensible object-oriented design. The use of this progressive, yet domain-friendly programming language has greatly facilitated collaboration in the code's software development. Over the past year, PFLOTRAN's top-level data structures were refactored as Fortran classes (i.e. extendible derived types) to improve the flexibility of the code, ease the addition of new process models, and enable coupling to external simulators. For instance, PFLOTRAN has been coupled to the parallel electrical resistivity tomography code E4D to enable hydrogeophysical inversion while the same code base can be used as a third

Two Step Synthesis of a Non-symmetric Acetylcholinesterase Reactivator

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Vit Koleckar

2007-08-01

Full Text Available The newly developed and very promising acetylcholinesterase reactivator (E-1- (2-hydroxyiminomethylpyridinium-4-(4-hydroxyiminomethylpyridinium-but-2-ene dibromide was prepared using two different pathways via a two-step synthesis involving the appropriate (E-1-(4-bromobut-2-enyl-2- or 4-hydroxyiminomethyl-pyridinium bromides. Afterwards, purities and yields of the desired product prepared by both routes were compared. Finally, its potency to reactivate several nerve agent-inhibited acetylcholinesterases was tested.

Involvement of reactive oxygen species in the electrochemical inhibition of barnacle (Amphibalanus amphitrite) settlement

Science.gov (United States)

Rodolfo E. Perez-Roa; Marc A. Anderson; Dan Rittschof; Christopher G. Hunt; Daniel R. Noguera

2009-01-01

The role of reactive oxygen species (ROS) in electrochemical biofouling inhibition was investigated using a series of abiotic tests and settlement experiments with larvae of the barnacle Amphibalanus amphitrite, a cosmopolitan fouler. Larval settlement, a measure of biofouling potential, was reduced from 43% ± 14% to 5% ± 6% upon the application of...

Probabilistic, sediment-geochemical parameterisation of the groundwater compartment of the Netherlands for spatially distributed, reactive transport modelling

Science.gov (United States)

Janssen, Gijs; Gunnink, Jan; van Vliet, Marielle; Goldberg, Tanya; Griffioen, Jasper

2017-04-01

Pollution of groundwater aquifers with contaminants as nitrate is a common problem. Reactive transport models are useful to predict the fate of such contaminants and to characterise the efficiency of mitigating or preventive measures. Parameterisation of a groundwater transport model on reaction capacity is a necessary step during building the model. Two Dutch, national programs are combined to establish a methodology for building a probabilistic model on reaction capacity of the groundwater compartment at the national scale: the Geological Survey program and the NHI Netherlands Hydrological Instrument program. Reaction capacity is considered as a series of geochemical characteristics that control acid/base condition, redox condition and sorption capacity. Five primary reaction capacity variables are characterised: 1. pyrite, 2. non-pyrite, reactive iron (oxides, siderite and glauconite), 3. clay fraction, 4. organic matter and 5. Ca-carbonate. Important reaction capacity variables that are determined by more than one solid compound are also deduced: 1. potential reduction capacity (PRC) by pyrite and organic matter, 2. cation-exchange capacity (CEC) by organic matter and clay content, 3. carbonate buffering upon pyrite oxidation (CPBO) by carbonate and pyrite. Statistical properties of these variables are established based on c. 16,000 sediment geochemical analyses. The first tens of meters are characterised based on 25 regions using combinations of lithological class and geological formation as strata. Because of both less data and more geochemical uniformity, the deeper subsurface is characterised in a similar way based on 3 regions. The statistical data is used as input in an algoritm that probabilistically calculates the reaction capacity per grid cell. First, the cumulative frequency distribution (cfd) functions are calculated from the statistical data for the geochemical strata. Second, all voxel cells are classified into the geochemical strata. Third, the

The proton-coupled amino acid transporter hPAT1 is the main transporter involved in vigabatrin uptake in intestinal Caco-2 cells

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Nøhr, Martha Kampp; Hansen, Steen Honore'; Brodin, Birger

2012-01-01

transporter hPAT1. The aim of the project was to identify if transporters are involved in cellular uptake of vigabatrin in Caco-2 cells. Methods: The uptake rate of vigabatrin was measured in Caco-2 cells at pH 6.0 or 7.4 for 15 min after application of 0.1 – 25.0 mM vigabatrin. The inhibitory effect...... of selected amino acids and -derivatives on the apical vigabatrin uptake in Caco-2 cells was investigated. Vigabatrin samples were analyzed using liquid chromatography (LC) coupled to a mass selective detector (MSD). Results: The uptake rate of vigabatrin in Caco-2 cells was pH-dependent. The uptake...... of vigabatrin was saturable at pH 6.0 with a Michaelis constant, Km of 12.7 ± 3.7 mM and a maximal flux, Jmax of 3.7 ± 0.5 nmol•min-1•cm-2. The presences of hPAT1 ligands significantly inhibited the uptake of vigabatrin in Caco-2 cells at pH 6.0, whereas hPAT1 non-ligands did not. Discussion: The saturability...

Using a Mechanistic Reactive Transport Model to Represent Soil Organic Matter Dynamics and Climate Sensitivity

Science.gov (United States)

Guerry, N.; Riley, W. J.; Maggi, F.; Torn, M. S.; Kleber, M.

2011-12-01

The nature of long term Soil Organic Matter (SOM) dynamics is uncertain and the mechanisms involved are crudely represented in site, regional, and global models. Recent work challenging the paradigm that SOM is stabilized because of its sequential transformations to more intrinsically recalcitrant compounds motivated us to develop a mechanistic modeling framework that can be used to test hypotheses of SOM dynamics. We developed our C cycling model in TOUGHREACT, an established 3-dimensional reactive transport solver that accounts for multiple phases (aqueous, gaseous, sorbed), multiple species, advection and diffusion, and multiple microbial populations. Energy and mass exchange through the soil boundaries are accounted for via ground heat flux, rainfall, C sources (e.g., exudation, woody, leaf, root litter) and C losses (e.g., CO2 emissions and DOC deep percolation). SOM is categorized according to the various types of compounds commonly found in the above mentioned C sources and microbial byproducts, including poly- and monosaccharides, lignin, amino compounds, organic acids, nucleic acids, lipids, and phenols. Each of these compounds is accounted for by one or more representative species in the model. A reaction network was developed to describe the microbially-mediated processes and chemical interactions of these species, including depolymerization, microbial assimilation, respiration and deposition of byproducts, and incorporation of dead biomass into SOM stocks. Enzymatic reactions are characterized by Michaelis-Menten kinetics, with maximum reaction rates determined by the species' O/C ratio. Microbial activity is further regulated by soil moisture content, O2 availability, pH, and temperature. For the initial set of simulations, literature values were used to constrain microbial Monod parameters, Michaelis-Menten parameters, sorption parameters, physical protection, partitioning of microbial byproducts, and partitioning of litter inputs, although there is

NWMO transportation technical work program

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Hatton, C.

2015-01-01

This paper describes technical work program for the transportation nuclear waste by the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO). Transportation work program involves risk assessment which under normal conditions involves dose assessment to the worker and the public as well as consideration of transportation system routing and operations. It also involves possible accident scenarios using forensic modelling and probability analysis.

NWMO transportation technical work program

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Hatton, C. [Nuclear Waste Management Organization, Toronto, ON (Canada)

2015-07-01

This paper describes technical work program for the transportation nuclear waste by the Nuclear Waste Management Organization (NWMO). Transportation work program involves risk assessment which under normal conditions involves dose assessment to the worker and the public as well as consideration of transportation system routing and operations. It also involves possible accident scenarios using forensic modelling and probability analysis.

A Comparison of Analytical and Numerical Methods for Modeling Dissolution and Other Reactions in Transport Limited Systems

Science.gov (United States)

Hochstetler, D. L.; Kitanidis, P. K.

2009-12-01

Modeling the transport of reactive species is a computationally demanding problem, especially in complex subsurface media, where it is crucial to improve understanding of geochemical processes and the fate of groundwater contaminants. In most of these systems, reactions are inherently fast and actual rates of transformations are limited by the slower physical transport mechanisms. There have been efforts to reformulate multi-component reactive transport problems into systems that are simpler and less demanding to solve. These reformulations include defining conservative species and decoupling of reactive transport equations so that fewer of them must be solved, leaving mostly conservative equations for transport [e.g., De Simoni et al., 2005; De Simoni et al., 2007; Kräutle and Knabner, 2007; Molins et al., 2004]. Complex and computationally cumbersome numerical codes used to solve such problems have also caused De Simoni et al. [2005] to develop more manageable analytical solutions. Furthermore, this work evaluates reaction rates and has reaffirmed that the mixing rate,▽TuD▽u, where u is a solute concentration and D is the dispersion tensor, as defined by Kitanidis [1994], is an important and sometimes dominant factor in determining reaction rates. Thus, mixing of solutions is often reaction-limiting. We will present results from analytical and computational modeling of multi-component reactive-transport problems. The results have applications to dissolution of solid boundaries (e.g., calcite), dissolution of non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) in separate phases, and mixing of saltwater and freshwater (e.g. saltwater intrusion in coastal carbonate aquifers). We quantify reaction rates, compare numerical and analytical results, and analyze under what circumstances which approach is most effective for a given problem. References: DeSimoni, M., et al. (2005), A procedure for the solution of multicomponent reactive transport problems, Water Resources Research, 41

Effect of Freeze-Thaw Cycles on Soil Nitrogen Reactive Transport in a Polygonal Arctic Tundra Ecosystem at Barrow AK Using 3-D Coupled ALM-PFLOTRAN

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, F.; Wang, G.; Painter, S. L.; Tang, G.; Xu, X.; Kumar, J.; Bisht, G.; Hammond, G. E.; Mills, R. T.; Thornton, P. E.; Wullschleger, S. D.

2017-12-01

In Arctic tundra ecosystem soil freezing-thawing is one of dominant physical processes through which biogeochemical (e.g., carbon and nitrogen) cycles are tightly coupled. Besides hydraulic transport, freezing-thawing can cause pore water movement and aqueous species gradients, which are additional mechanisms for soil nitrogen (N) reactive-transport in Tundra ecosystem. In this study, we have fully coupled an in-development ESM(i.e., Advanced Climate Model for Energy, ACME)'s Land Model (ALM) aboveground processes with a state-of-the-art massively parallel 3-D subsurface thermal-hydrology and reactive transport code, PFLOTRAN. The resulting coupled ALM-PFLOTRAN model is a Land Surface Model (LSM) capable of resolving 3-D soil thermal-hydrological-biogeochemical cycles. This specific version of PFLOTRAN has incorporated CLM-CN Converging Trophic Cascade (CTC) model and a full and simple but robust soil N cycle. It includes absorption-desorption for soil NH4+ and gas dissolving-degasing process as well. It also implements thermal-hydrology mode codes with three newly-modified freezing-thawing algorithms which can greatly improve computing performance in regarding to numerical stiffness at freezing-point. Here we tested the model in fully 3-D coupled mode at the Next Generation Ecosystem Experiment-Arctic (NGEE-Arctic) field intensive study site at the Barrow Environmental Observatory (BEO), AK. The simulations show that: (1) synchronous coupling of soil thermal-hydrology and biogeochemistry in 3-D can greatly impact ecosystem dynamics across polygonal tundra landscape; and (2) freezing-thawing cycles can add more complexity to the system, resulting in greater mobility of soil N vertically and laterally, depending upon local micro-topography. As a preliminary experiment, the model is also implemented for Pan-Arctic region in 1-D column mode (i.e. no lateral connection), showing significant differences compared to stand-alone ALM. The developed ALM-PFLOTRAN coupling

Variations in creatine kinase activity and reactive oxygen species levels are involved in capacitation of bovine spermatozoa.

Science.gov (United States)

Córdoba, M; Pintos, L; Beconi, M T

2008-12-01

The generation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) is associated with some factors such as oxidative substrate sources, mitochondrial function and NAD(P)H oxidase activity. In bovine spermatozoa, heparin capacitation produces a respiratory burst sensitive to diphenyleneiodonium (DPI). Creatine kinase (CK) is related to extramitochondrial ATP disponibility. Our purpose was to determine the variation in ROS level and its relation with NAD(P)H oxidase sensitive to DPI and CK participation, as factors involved in redox state and energy generation in capacitation. The chlortetracycline technique was used to evaluate capacitation. CK activity and ROS level were measured by spectrophotometry and spectrofluorometry respectively. The capacitation percentage was increased by heparin or quercetin treatment (P level as control (238.62 +/- 23.47 arbitrary units per 10(8) spermatozoa) (P > 0.05). CK activity decreased by 50% with heparin or quercetin (P level variations were observed in heparin- or quercetin-treated samples (P bovine spermatozoa, capacitation requires equilibrium between oxidative damage susceptibility and ROS levels. CK activity is associated with redox state variation and energy sources. In conclusion, capacitation induction depends on NADPH oxidase and the shuttle creatine-creatine phosphate, both sensitive to DPI.

Large-Eddy Simulation of Chemically Reactive Pollutant Transport from a Point Source in Urban Area

Science.gov (United States)

Du, Tangzheng; Liu, Chun-Ho

2013-04-01

Most air pollutants are chemically reactive so using inert scalar as the tracer in pollutant dispersion modelling would often overlook their impact on urban inhabitants. In this study, large-eddy simulation (LES) is used to examine the plume dispersion of chemically reactive pollutants in a hypothetical atmospheric boundary layer (ABL) in neutral stratification. The irreversible chemistry mechanism of ozone (O3) titration is integrated into the LES model. Nitric oxide (NO) is emitted from an elevated point source in a rectangular spatial domain doped with O3. The LES results are compared well with the wind tunnel results available in literature. Afterwards, the LES model is applied to idealized two-dimensional (2D) street canyons of unity aspect ratio to study the behaviours of chemically reactive plume over idealized urban roughness. The relation among various time scales of reaction/turbulence and dimensionless number are analysed.

An X-ray diffractometer specimen holder for use with reactive and toxic materials

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Huyton, A.; Munden, A.B.

1979-04-01

An X-ray diffractometer specimen holder has been designed for analysis of reactive sodium compounds which will satisfactorily seal the sample from the atmosphere. The holder can be readily filled in a glove-box and is easily transported for mounting on a vertical Philips PW 1051 X-ray diffractometer. It is considered that this holder could also be applied to a wide range of other reactive and toxic materials, e.g. plutonium or its compounds. (author)

Transport Visualization for Studying Mass Transfer and Solute Transport in Permeable Media

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Roy Haggerty

2004-01-01

Understanding and predicting mass transfer coupled with solute transport in permeable media is central to several energy-related programs at the US Department of Energy (e.g., CO 2 sequestration, nuclear waste disposal, hydrocarbon extraction, and groundwater remediation). Mass transfer is the set of processes that control movement of a chemical between mobile (advection-dominated) domains and immobile (diffusion- or sorption-dominated) domains within a permeable medium. Consequences of mass transfer on solute transport are numerous and may include (1) increased sequestration time within geologic formations; (2) reduction in average solute transport velocity by as much as several orders of magnitude; (3) long ''tails'' in concentration histories during removal of a solute from a permeable medium; (4) poor predictions of solute behavior over long time scales; and (5) changes in reaction rates due to mass transfer influences on pore-scale mixing of solutes. Our work produced four principle contributions: (1) the first comprehensive visualization of solute transport and mass transfer in heterogeneous porous media; (2) the beginnings of a theoretical framework that encompasses both macrodispersion and mass transfer within a single set of equations; (3) experimental and analytical tools necessary for understanding mixing and aqueous reaction in heterogeneous, granular porous media; (4) a clear experimental demonstration that reactive transport is often not accurately described by a simple coupling of the convection-dispersion equation with chemical reaction equations. The work shows that solute transport in heterogeneous media can be divided into 3 regimes--macrodispersion, advective mass transfer, and diffusive mass transfer--and that these regimes can be predicted quantitatively in binary media. We successfully predicted mass transfer in each of these regimes and verified the prediction by completing quantitative visualization experiments in each of the regimes, the

Cortical Regions Recruited for Complex Active-Learning Strategies and Action Planning Exhibit Rapid Reactivation during Memory Retrieval

Science.gov (United States)

Voss, Joel L.; Galvan, Ashley; Gonsalves, Brian D.

2011-01-01

Memory retrieval can involve activity in the same sensory cortical regions involved in perception of the original event, and this neural "reactivation" has been suggested as an important mechanism of memory retrieval. However, it is still unclear if fragments of experience other than sensory information are retained and later reactivated during…

The role of self-serving cognitive distortions in reactive and proactive aggression.

Science.gov (United States)

Oostermeijer, Sanne; Smeets, Kirsten C; Jansen, Lucres M C; Jambroes, Tijs; Rommelse, Nanda N J; Scheepers, Floor E; Buitelaar, Jan K; Popma, Arne

2017-12-01

Aggression is often divided into reactive and proactive forms. Reactive aggression is typically thought to encompass 'blaming others' and 'assuming the worst', while proactive aggression relates to 'self-centeredness' and 'minimising/mislabelling'. Our aim was to evaluate relationships between reactive and proactive aggression and cognitive distortions and to test whether changes in these cognitions relate to changes in aggression. A total of 151 adolescents (60% boys; mean age 15.05 years, standard deviation 1.28) were enrolled in an evidence-based intervention to reduce aggression. Due to attrition and anomalous responses, the post-intervention sample involved 80 adolescents. Correlation and linear regression analyses were used to investigate the relationship between cognitive distortions and aggression. Blaming others was related to reactive aggression before the intervention, while all cognitive distortions were related to proactive aggression both pre- and post-intervention. Changes in reactive aggression were uniquely predicted by blaming others, while changes in proactive aggression were predicted by changes in cognitive distortions overall. To our knowledge, this study is the first to show a relationship between changes in cognitive distortions and changes in aggression. Treatment of reactive aggression may benefit from focusing primarily on reducing cognitive distortions involving misattribution of blame to others. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. Copyright © 2017 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Reactive transport predictions for an Olkiluoto. Final repository tunnel unit

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Luukkonen, A.; Nordman, H.

2007-09-01

The presented hydrogeochemical reactive transport calculations concentrate to a defined unit piece (unit cell) of the planned Olkiluoto repository that is under design for spent nuclear fuel. The material properties assigned to the tunnel unit are based on literature as far as possible. Calculations make up geochemical future scenarios on the repository evolution. Most recent predictions on the potential future climate at Olkiluoto are utilised together with estimates how future hydraulic conditions affect the repository. Two climate scenarios are considered in detail. The Weichselian-R scenario is based on the repetition of the last glacial cycle, while the Emissions-M scenario attempts to predict the future groundwater conditions at Olkiluoto in the situation where the atmospheric greenhouse gasses delay the next glacial cycle at least for 100,000 years. The groundwater compositions, considered active at the repository depth in future, are judged in this study. Several geochemical processes are considered active at the repository depth. Calculations concentrate on the changes occurring with time within the tunnel unit. All simulations are done in geochemically reducing conditions. It turns out that sulphur cycling in these conditions is in central role considering the safety assessment studies of Olkiluoto repository. Furthermore, groundwater salinity and cation occupancy within the exchange sites of montmorillonite contributes to sealing properties of the engineered barrier system. Calculations attempt to estimate effects of possible future scenarios for the Olkiluoto repository. The results indicate that the buffer capacities assigned to the tunnel unit are large enough, at least to next 100,000 years, to maintain dissolved sulphide contents low in the groundwater infiltrating through the tunnel engineered barrier system. Geochemical reactions raise the bicarbonate levels within the groundwater. This is a useful buffer if low pH conditions emerge in the

Mechanisms governing the reactivation-dependent destabilization of memories and their role in extinction

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Charlotte Rachael Flavell

2013-12-01

Full Text Available The extinction of learned associations has traditionally been considered to involve new learning, which competes with the original memory for control over behaviour. However, a recent resurgence of interest in reactivation-dependent amnesia has revealed that the retrieval of fear-related memory (with what is essentially a brief extinction session can result in it’s destabilization. This review discusses some of the cellular and molecular mechanisms that are involved in the destabilization of a memory following it’s reactivation and/or extinction, and investigates the evidence that extinction may involve both new learning as well as a partial destabilization-induced erasure of the original memory trace.

Colloid Genesis/Transport and Flow Pathway Alterations Resulting From Interactions of Reactive Waste Solutions and Hanford Vadose Zone Sediments

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Wan, Jiamin; Tokunaga, Tetsu K.

2001-01-01

Leakage of underground tanks containing high-level nuclear waste solutions has been identified at various DOE facilities. The Hanford Site is one the main facilities of concern, with about 2,300 to 3,400 m3 of leaked waste liquids. Radionuclides and other contaminants have been found in elevated concentrations in the vadose zone and groundwater underneath single shell tank farms. We do not currently know the mechanisms responsible for the unexpected deep migration of some contaminants through the vadose zone, and such understanding is urgently needed for planning remediation. Due to the extreme chemical conditions of the tank waste solutions (very high pH, aluminum concentration, and ionic strength), interactions between the highly reactive waste solutions and sediments underneath the tanks can result in dissolution of primary minerals of the sediments and precipitation of secondary phases including colloidal particles. Contaminants can sorb onto and/or co-precipitate with the secondary phases. Therefore transport of strongly associated contaminants on mobile colloids can be substantially greater than without colloids. The overall objective of this research is to improve our understanding on the effects of interactions between the tank waste solution and sediments on deep contaminant migration under Hanford Site conditions. This objective will be achieved through the following four tasks: (1) colloid generation and transport studies, (2) studies on sediment permeability and chemical composition alterations, (3) quantifying associations of contaminants with secondary colloids, and (4) studies on the combined effects of the aforementioned processes on deep contaminant migration

Inhibition of beta-amino acid transport by diamide does not involve the brush border membrane surface

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Chesney, R.W.; Gusowski, N.; Albright, P.

1985-01-01

Diamide (dicarboxylic acid bis-(N,N-dimethylamide) has been shown in previous studies to block the uptake of the beta-amino acid taurine at its high affinity transport site in rat renal cortex slices. Diamide may act by increasing the efflux of taurine from the slice. Studies performed in rat slices again indicate enhanced efflux over 8-12 minutes. The time course of reduced glutathione (GSH) depletion from renal cortex is similar, indicating a potential interaction between GSH depletion and inhibition of taurine accumulation. The effect of 9 mM diamide on the Na+ -dependent accumulation of taurine (10 and 250 microM) by brush border membrane vesicles was examined, and the taurine uptake value both initially and at equilibrium was the same in the presence and absence of diamide. Isolation of the brush border surface and subsequent transport studies of taurine are not influenced by diamide. Thus, diamide inhibition of taurine uptake does not involve physiochemical alteration of the membrane surface where active amino acid transport occurs, despite the thiol-oxidizing properties of this agent. Further, these studies suggest that diamide either acts at the basolateral surface, rather than the brush border surface of rat renal cortex or requires the presence of an intact tubule, capable of metabolism, prior to its inhibitory action

Air transport pilot involvement in general aviation accidents

Science.gov (United States)

1986-01-01

General aviation (GA) fatal accident records of airport transport pilots (ATPs) : were : compared to those of private pilots (PVTs). : ATPs are safer GA pilots than the PVTs. : They have comparable exposure in GA airplanes and account for 7.5% of all...

NIGHTHAWK - A Program for Modeling Saturated Batch and Column Experiments Incorporating Equilibrium and Kinetic Biogeochemistry

Science.gov (United States)

NIGHTHAWK simulates the fate and transport of biogeochemically reactive contaminants in the saturated subsurface. Version 1.2 supports batch and one- dimensional advective-dispersive-reactive transport involving a number of biogeochemical processes, including: microbially-mediate...

A method to obtain new cross-sections transport equivalent

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Palmiotti, G.

1988-01-01

We present a method, that allows the calculation, by the mean of variational principle, of equivalent cross-sections in order to take into account the transport and mesh size effects on reactivity variation calculations. The method validation has been made in two and three dimensions geometries. The reactivity variations calculated in three dimensional hexagonal geometry with seven points by subassembly using two sets of equivalent cross-sections for control rods are in a very good agreement with the ones of a transport, extrapolated to zero mesh size, calculation. The difficulty encountered in obtaining a good flux distribution has lead to the utilisation of a single set of equivalent cross-sections calculated by starting from an appropriated R-Z model that allows to take into account also the axial transport effects for the control rod followers. The global results in reactivity variations are still satisfactory with a good performance for the flux distribution. The main interest of the proposed method is the possibility to simulate a full 3D transport calculation, with fine mesh size, using a 3D diffusion code, with a larger mesh size. The results obtained should be affected by uncertainties, which do not exceed ± 4% for a large LMFBR control rod worth and for very different rod configurations. This uncertainty is by far smaller than the experimental uncertainties. (author). 5 refs, 8 figs, 9 tabs

Hepatitis B virus reactivation during immunosuppressive therapy: Appropriate risk stratification.

Science.gov (United States)

Seto, Wai-Kay

2015-04-28

Our understanding of hepatitis B virus (HBV) reactivation during immunosuppresive therapy has increased remarkably during recent years. HBV reactivation in hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg)-positive individuals has been well-described in certain immunosuppressive regimens, including therapies containing corticosteroids, anthracyclines, rituximab, antibody to tumor necrosis factor (anti-TNF) and hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (HSCT). HBV reactivation could also occur in HBsAg-negative, antibody to hepatitis B core antigen (anti-HBc) positive individuals during therapies containing rituximab, anti-TNF or HSCT.For HBsAg-positive patients, prophylactic antiviral therapy is proven to the effective in preventing HBV reactivation. Recent evidence also demonstrated entecavir to be more effective than lamivudine in this aspect. For HBsAg-negative, anti-HBc positive individuals, the risk of reactivations differs with the type of immunosuppression. For rituximab, a prospective study demonstrated the 2-year cumulative risk of reactivation to be 41.5%, but prospective data is still lacking for other immunosupressive regimes. The optimal management in preventing HBV reactivation would involve appropriate risk stratification for different immunosuppressive regimes in both HBsAg-positive and HBsAg-negative, anti-HBc positive individuals.

Evaluation of the chemical reactivity in lignin precursors using the Fukui function.

Science.gov (United States)

Martinez, Carmen; Rivera, José L; Herrera, Rafael; Rico, José L; Flores, Nelly; Rutiaga, José G; López, Pablo

2008-02-01

The hydroxycinnamyl alcohols: p-coumarol, coniferol and sinapol are considered the basic units and precursors of lignins models. In this work, the specific reactivity of these molecules was studied. We investigate their intrinsic chemical reactivity in terms of the Fukui function, applying the principle of hard and soft acids and bases (HSAB) in the framework of the density functional theory (DFT). Comparisons of their nucleophilic, electrophilic and free radical reactivity show their most probably sites to form linkages among them. It is found that the most reactive sites, for reactions involving free radicals, are the carbons at the beta-position in the p-coumarol and sinapol molecules, whilst the regions around the carbon-oxygen bond of the phenoxyl group are the most reactive in coniferol.

Obtaining incremental multigroup cross sections for CANDU super cells with reactivity devices

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Balaceanu, V.; Constantin, M.

2001-01-01

In the last 20 years a multigroup methodology WIMS - PIJXYZ (WP) was developed and validated at INR Pitesti for obtaining incremental cross sections for reactivity devices in CANDU reactors. This is an alternate methodology to the CANDU classic methodology (experimentally adjusted) based on the POWDERPUFS and MULTICELL computer codes. The 2D supercell calculation performed with the WIMS code, that is a NEA Data Bank transport code, and which produces multigroup cross sections (on 18 energy groups) for CANDU supercell material (standard and perturbed, with and without reactivity devices). To obtain an as correct as possible 3D modelling for the CANDU supercells containing reactivity devices, the WIMS cross sections are used as input data for the PIJXYZ code, thus obtaining homogenized cross sections for CANDU supercells. PIJXYZ is an integral transport code based on the formalism of the first collision probabilities. It is analogue to the SHETAN code and it was created for neutron analyzes at cell level for CANDU type reactors were the reactivity devices are perpendicular to the fuel channels. The coordinate system used in PIJXYZ is a mixed one, namely a rectangular-cylindrical system. The geometric model used in PIJXYZ is presented. The fuel beam is represented by a horizontal cylinder and the reactivity device by a vertical one both cylinders being immersed in the moderator. Two supercell types were considered: a perturbed supercell (containing a reactivity device) and the standard supercell were the place of reactivity device is occupied by the moderator. The incremental cross sections for reactivity device are obtained as differences between the homogenized over supercell cross sections (with reactivity device) and homogenized over standards supercell (without device) cross sections. The PIJXYZ computation may be done on an energy cutting with 2 up to 18 groups. The validation of VIMS - PIJXYZ was done on the basis of several benchmark and by comparison with

Analytical model for advective-dispersive transport involving flexible boundary inputs, initial distributions and zero-order productions

Science.gov (United States)

Chen, Jui-Sheng; Li, Loretta Y.; Lai, Keng-Hsin; Liang, Ching-Ping

2017-11-01

A novel solution method is presented which leads to an analytical model for the advective-dispersive transport in a semi-infinite domain involving a wide spectrum of boundary inputs, initial distributions, and zero-order productions. The novel solution method applies the Laplace transform in combination with the generalized integral transform technique (GITT) to obtain the generalized analytical solution. Based on this generalized analytical expression, we derive a comprehensive set of special-case solutions for some time-dependent boundary distributions and zero-order productions, described by the Dirac delta, constant, Heaviside, exponentially-decaying, or periodically sinusoidal functions as well as some position-dependent initial conditions and zero-order productions specified by the Dirac delta, constant, Heaviside, or exponentially-decaying functions. The developed solutions are tested against an analytical solution from the literature. The excellent agreement between the analytical solutions confirms that the new model can serve as an effective tool for investigating transport behaviors under different scenarios. Several examples of applications, are given to explore transport behaviors which are rarely noted in the literature. The results show that the concentration waves resulting from the periodically sinusoidal input are sensitive to dispersion coefficient. The implication of this new finding is that a tracer test with a periodic input may provide additional information when for identifying the dispersion coefficients. Moreover, the solution strategy presented in this study can be extended to derive analytical models for handling more complicated problems of solute transport in multi-dimensional media subjected to sequential decay chain reactions, for which analytical solutions are not currently available.

Kinetic Controls on the Desorption/Dissolution of Sorbed U(VI) and their Influence on Reactive Transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Zachara, John M.; Chongxuan Liu; Qafoku, Nikolla P.; McKinley, James P.; Catalano, Jeffrey G.; Brown, Gordon E. Jr.; Davis, James A.

2006-01-01

source to groundwater. (2) Measure desorption/dissolution rates of sorbed U(VI), quantify controlling factors, and develop descriptive kinetic models to provide a scientific basis to forecast U(VI) fluxes to groundwater, future plume dynamics, and long-term contaminant attenuation. (3) Establish reaction networks and determine geochemically/ physically realistic reaction parameters to drive state-of-the-art reactive transport modeling of U in vadose zone pore fluids and groundwater

Kinetic Controls on the Desorption/Dissolution of Sorbed U(VI) and Their Influence on Reactive Transport

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

J. M. Zachara; C. Liu; N. Qafoku; J. P. McKinley; J. A. Davis; D. Stoliker; Y. Arai; J. G. Catalano; G. E. Brown, Jr.

2007-01-01

disposal source to groundwater; (2) Measure desorption/dissolution rates of sorbed U(VI), quantify controlling factors, and develop descriptive kinetic models to provide a scientific basis to forecast U(VI) fluxes to groundwater, future plume dynamics, and long-term contaminant attenuation; and (3) Establish reaction networks and determine geochemically/ physically realistic reaction parameters to drive state-of-the-art reactive transport modeling of U in vadose zone pore fluids and groundwater

Exploring the conformational and reactive dynamics of biomolecules in solution using an extended version of the glycine reactive force field

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Monti, Susanna; Corozzi, Alessandro; Fristrup, Peter

2013-01-01

In order to describe possible reaction mechanisms involving amino acids, and the evolution of the protonation state of amino acid side chains in solution, a reactive force field (ReaxFF-based description) for peptide and protein simulations has been developed as an expansion of the previously rep...

Ceramic oxygen transport membrane array reactor and reforming method

Science.gov (United States)

Kelly, Sean M.; Christie, Gervase Maxwell; Robinson, Charles; Wilson, Jamie R; Gonzalez, Javier E.; Doraswami, Uttam R.

2017-10-03

The invention relates to a commercially viable modular ceramic oxygen transport membrane system for utilizing heat generated in reactively-driven oxygen transport membrane tubes to generate steam, heat process fluid and/or provide energy to carry out endothermic chemical reactions. The system provides for improved thermal coupling of oxygen transport membrane tubes to steam generation tubes or process heater tubes or reactor tubes for efficient and effective radiant heat transfer.

Methods for producing thin film charge selective transport layers

Science.gov (United States)

Hammond, Scott Ryan; Olson, Dana C.; van Hest, Marinus Franciscus Antonius Maria

2018-01-02

Methods for producing thin film charge selective transport layers are provided. In one embodiment, a method for forming a thin film charge selective transport layer comprises: providing a precursor solution comprising a metal containing reactive precursor material dissolved into a complexing solvent; depositing the precursor solution onto a surface of a substrate to form a film; and forming a charge selective transport layer on the substrate by annealing the film.

Identifying key controls on the behavior of an acidic-U(VI) plume in the Savannah River Site using reactive transport modeling.

Science.gov (United States)

Bea, Sergio A; Wainwright, Haruko; Spycher, Nicolas; Faybishenko, Boris; Hubbard, Susan S; Denham, Miles E

2013-08-01

Acidic low-level waste radioactive waste solutions were discharged to three unlined seepage basins at the F-Area of the Department of Energy (DOE) Savannah River Site (SRS), South Carolina, USA, from 1955 through 1989. Despite many years of active remediation, the groundwater remains acidic and contaminated with significant levels of U(VI) and other radionuclides. Monitored Natural Attenuation (MNA) is a desired closure strategy for the site, based on the premise that regional flow of clean background groundwater will eventually neutralize the groundwater acidity, immobilizing U(VI) through adsorption. An in situ treatment system is currently in place to accelerate this in the downgradient portion of the plume and similar measures could be taken upgradient if necessary. Understanding the long-term pH and U(VI) adsorption behavior at the site is critical to assess feasibility of MNA along with the in-situ remediation treatments. This paper presents a reactive transport (RT) model and uncertainty quantification (UQ) analyses to explore key controls on the U(VI)-plume evolution and long-term mobility at this site. Two-dimensional numerical RT simulations are run including the saturated and unsaturated (vadose) zones, U(VI) and H(+) adsorption (surface complexation) onto sediments, dissolution and precipitation of Al and Fe minerals, and key hydrodynamic processes are considered. UQ techniques are applied using a new open-source tool that is part of the developing ASCEM reactive transport modeling and analysis framework to: (1) identify the complex physical and geochemical processes that control the U(VI) plume migration in the pH range where the plume is highly mobile, (2) evaluate those physical and geochemical parameters that are most controlling, and (3) predict the future plume evolution constrained by historical, chemical and hydrological data. The RT simulation results show a good agreement with the observed historical pH and concentrations of U(VI), nitrates

Cardiomyocyte hypertrophy induced by Endonuclease G deficiency requires reactive oxygen radicals accumulation and is inhibitable by the micropeptide humanin.

Science.gov (United States)

Blasco, Natividad; Cámara, Yolanda; Núñez, Estefanía; Beà, Aida; Barés, Gisel; Forné, Carles; Ruíz-Meana, Marisol; Girón, Cristina; Barba, Ignasi; García-Arumí, Elena; García-Dorado, David; Vázquez, Jesús; Martí, Ramon; Llovera, Marta; Sanchis, Daniel

2018-06-01

The endonuclease G gene (Endog), which codes for a mitochondrial nuclease, was identified as a determinant of cardiac hypertrophy. How ENDOG controls cardiomyocyte growth is still unknown. Thus, we aimed at finding the link between ENDOG activity and cardiomyocyte growth. Endog deficiency induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) accumulation and abnormal growth in neonatal rodent cardiomyocytes, altering the AKT-GSK3β and Class-II histone deacethylases (HDAC) signal transduction pathways. These effects were blocked by ROS scavengers. Lack of ENDOG reduced mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) replication independently of ROS accumulation. Because mtDNA encodes several subunits of the mitochondrial electron transport chain, whose activity is an important source of cellular ROS, we investigated whether Endog deficiency compromised the expression and activity of the respiratory chain complexes but found no changes in these parameters nor in ATP content. MtDNA also codes for humanin, a micropeptide with possible metabolic functions. Nanomolar concentrations of synthetic humanin restored normal ROS levels and cell size in Endog-deficient cardiomyocytes. These results support the involvement of redox signaling in the control of cardiomyocyte growth by ENDOG and suggest a pathway relating mtDNA content to the regulation of cell growth probably involving humanin, which prevents reactive oxygen radicals accumulation and hypertrophy induced by Endog deficiency. Copyright © 2018 The Authors. Published by Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

WWER safety analysis in case of simultaneous positive reactivity introduction by control rods withdrawal and pure condensate injection

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Kuchin, A.; Ovdiienko, I.; Khalimonchuk, V.

2011-01-01

Results of calculation assessment of positive reactivity insertion rate are presented under condition of simultaneous effect on reactivity of two provided by WWER project reactivity operation systems - extract of regulation group and decrease of boron acid concentration. Showed that maximal positive reactivity insertion rate is achieved at hot zero power and it's too less than limit value 0.07β eff /sec defined by normative document 'Nuclear safety regulation of NPP with pressurized water reactors'. For given reasons concluded that necessity of application of the extended protection PZ-2 actuation time is absent on interval of pure condensate transportation for full exclusion of possibility of positive reactivity insertion simultaneously by two different operation systems. (Authors)

Complementary modelling of radionuclide retention in the near-surface system at Forsmark. Development of a reactive transport model using Forsmark 1.2 data

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Sena, Clara; Grandia, Fidel; Arcos, David; Molinero, Jorge; Duro, Lara (Amphos XXI Consulting S.L., Barcelona (Spain))

2008-10-15

sensitivity analysis of the more relevant parameters considered in the reactive transport numerical models is also presented here. From the main report of the SR-Can project it is stated that Ra is one of the radionuclides with greater contribution to the radioactive doses that might be transferred to the biosphere in the context of repository release. For this reason, Ra was added to the set of radionuclides (Sr, Cs, and U). Another improvement in the numerical simulations presented here is the calculation of the hydrogeochemical steady state of the near-surface system, prior to repository release. This is done to approach the present-day conditions at Forsmark. In addition, radionuclides derived from repository release have been discriminated from those of natural origin, already present in the groundwaters. Radionuclides coming from repository were labelled as RDCs, RDSr, and RDU (RD stands for repository-derived). Ra was not labelled since the presence of this radionuclide in the modelled domain is exclusively attributed to repository release due to the extremely low concentrations observed in the natural waters of Forsmark. The results attained in the reactive transport models built in this work show that the near-surface systems at Forsmark constitute a geochemical reactive barrier able to retain radionuclides by several key processes, namely cation exchange, adsorption on mineral surfaces and precipitation of pure phases and solid solutions. The reactive transport simulations predict that repository-derived Sr, U, and Cs are retained in the solid phase of both Quaternary deposits under study, while Ra is effectively retained in the till deposit only. Ra is not retained in the glacial clay deposit since saturation of barite, which is the only retention mechanism considered in the simulations for this radionuclide, is not reached in this system. The simulations indicate that, in the till deposit, Sr is retained via cation exchange and coprecipitation with calcite, U is

Evaluation of Front Morphological Development of Reactive Solute Transport Using Behavior Diagrams

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Jui-Sheng Chen

2009-01-01

Full Text Available While flowing through porous medium, ground water flow dissolves minerals thereby in creasing medium porosity and ultimately permeability. Reactive fluid flows preferentially into highly permeable zones, which are therefore dissolved most rapidly, producing a further preferential permeability enhancement. Accordingly, slight non-uniformities present in porous medium can be amplified and lead to fingering reaction fronts. The objective of this study is to investigate dissolution-induced porosity changes on reaction front morphology in homogeneous porous medium with two non-uniformities. Four controlling parameters, including up stream pressure gradient, reaction rate constant, non-uniformities spacing and non-uniformity strength ratio are comprehensively considered. By using a modified version of the numerical code, NSPCRT, to conduct a series of numerical simulations, front behavior diagrams are constructed to illustrate the morphologies of reaction fronts under various combinations of these four factors. Simulation results indicate that the two non-uniformities are inhibited into a planar front under low up stream pressure gradient, merge into a single-fingering front under inter mediate up stream pressure gradient, or grow into a double-fingers front under high up stream pressure gradient. More over, the two non-uniformities tend to develop intoadouble-fingering front as the non-uniformity strength ratio in creases from 0.2 to 1.0, and merge into a single-fingering front while the non-uniformity strength ratio in creases from 1.0 to 1.8. When the reaction rate constant is small, the two non-uniformities merge into a single front. Reaction rate constant significantly affects front advancing velocity. The front advancing velocity decreases with the reaction rate constant. Based on these results, front behavior diagrams which de fine the morphologies of the reaction fronts for these four parameters are constructed. Moreover, non

TOURGHREACT: A Simulation Program for Non-isothermal Multiphase Reactive Geochemical Transport in Variably Saturated Geologic Media

OpenAIRE

Xu, Tianfu; Sonnenthal, Eric; Spycher, Nicolas; Pruess, Karsten

2004-01-01

TOUGHREACT is a numerical simulation program for chemically reactive non-isothermal flows of multiphase fluids in porous and fractured media. The program was written in Fortran 77 and developed by introducing reactive geochemistry into the multiphase fluid and heat flow simulator TOUGH2. A variety of subsurface thermo-physical-chemical processes are considered under a wide range of conditions of pressure, temperature, water saturation, ionic strength, and pH and Eh. Interactions between ...

Reaction-Based Reactive Transport Modeling of Iron Reduction and Uranium Immobilization at Area 2 of the NABIR Field Research Center

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Burgos, W.D.

2009-09-02

This report summarizes research conducted in conjunction with a project entitled “Reaction-Based Reactive Transport Modeling of Iron Reduction and Uranium Immobilization at Area 2 of the NABIR Field Research Center”, which was funded through the Integrative Studies Element of the former NABIR Program (now the Environmental Remediation Sciences Program) within the Office of Biological and Environmental Research. Dr. William Burgos (The Pennsylvania State University) was the overall PI/PD for the project, which included Brian Dempsey (Penn State), Gour-Tsyh (George) Yeh (Central Florida University), and Eric Roden (formerly at The University of Alabama, now at the University of Wisconsin) as separately-funded co-PIs. The project focused on development of a mechanistic understanding and quantitative models of coupled Fe(III)/U(VI) reduction in FRC Area 2 sediments. The work builds on our previous studies of microbial Fe(III) and U(VI) reduction, and was directly aligned with the Scheibe et al. ORNL FRC Field Project at Area 2.

Pro-inflammatory effects of interleukin-17A on vascular smooth muscle cells involve NAD(P)H- oxidase derived reactive oxygen species.

Science.gov (United States)

Pietrowski, Eweline; Bender, Bianca; Huppert, Jula; White, Robin; Luhmann, Heiko J; Kuhlmann, Christoph R W

2011-01-01

T cells are known for their contribution to the inflammatory element of atherosclerosis. Recently, it has been demonstrated that the Th17 derived cytokine IL-17 is involved in the pro-inflammatory response of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). The aim of the present study was to examine whether reactive oxygen species (ROS) might be involved in this context. The effect of IL-17A on ROS generation was examined using the fluorescent dye 2'7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein (H(2)DCF) in primary murine VSMC. IL-17A induced an increase in H(2)DCF fluorescence in VSMC, and this effect was blocked by the NAD(P)H-oxidase inhibitor apocynin and siRNA targeting Nox2. The p38-MAPK inhibitors SB203580 and SB202190 dose-dependently reduced the IL-17A induced ROS production. The IL-17A induced release of the pro-inflammatory cytokines IL-6, G-CSF, GM-CSF and MCP-1 from VSMC, as detected by the Luminex technology, was completely abolished by NAD(P)H-oxidase inhibition. Taken together, our data indicate that IL-17A causes the NAD(P)H-oxidase dependent generation of ROS leading to a pro-inflammatory activation of VSMC. Copyright © 2010 S. Karger AG, Basel.

Autophagic cell death induced by reactive oxygen species is involved in hyperthermic sensitization to ionizing radiation in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells.

Science.gov (United States)

Yuan, Guang-Jin; Deng, Jun-Jian; Cao, De-Dong; Shi, Lei; Chen, Xin; Lei, Jin-Ju; Xu, Xi-Ming

2017-08-14

To investigate whether autophagic cell death is involved in hyperthermic sensitization to ionizing radiation in human hepatocellular carcinoma cells, and to explore the underlying mechanism. Human hepatocellular carcinoma cells were treated with hyperthermia and ionizing radiation. MTT and clonogenic assays were performed to determine cell survival. Cell autophagy was detected using acridine orange staining and flow cytometric analysis, and the expression of autophagy-associated proteins, LC3 and p62, was determined by Western blot analysis. Intracellular reactive oxygen species (ROS) were quantified using the fluorescent probe DCFH-DA. Treatment with hyperthermia and ionizing radiation significantly decreased cell viability and surviving fraction as compared with hyperthermia or ionizing radiation alone. Cell autophagy was significantly increased after ionizing radiation combined with hyperthermia treatment, as evidenced by increased formation of acidic vesicular organelles, increased expression of LC3II and decreased expression of p62. Intracellular ROS were also increased after combined treatment with hyperthermia and ionizing radiation. Pretreatment with N-acetylcysteine, an ROS scavenger, markedly inhibited the cytotoxicity and cell autophagy induced by hyperthermia and ionizing radiation. Autophagic cell death is involved in hyperthermic sensitization of cancer cells to ionizing radiation, and its induction may be due to the increased intracellular ROS.

Mitochondria and Reactive Oxygen Species: Physiology and Pathophysiology

Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

Subhashini Bolisetty

2013-03-01

Full Text Available The air that we breathe contains nearly 21% oxygen, most of which is utilized by mitochondria during respiration. While we cannot live without it, it was perceived as a bane to aerobic organisms due to the generation of reactive oxygen and nitrogen metabolites by mitochondria and other cellular compartments. However, this dogma was challenged when these species were demonstrated to modulate cellular responses through altering signaling pathways. In fact, since this discovery of a dichotomous role of reactive species in immune function and signal transduction, research in this field grew at an exponential pace and the pursuit for mechanisms involved began. Due to a significant number of review articles present on the reactive species mediated cell death, we have focused on emerging novel pathways such as autophagy, signaling and maintenance of the mitochondrial network. Despite its role in several processes, increased reactive species generation has been associated with the origin and pathogenesis of a plethora of diseases. While it is tempting to speculate that anti-oxidant therapy would protect against these disorders, growing evidence suggests that this may not be true. This further supports our belief that these reactive species play a fundamental role in maintenance of cellular and tissue homeostasis.

Decreased reactivation of a herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) latency associated transcript (LAT) mutant using the in vivo mouse UV-B model of induced reactivation

Science.gov (United States)

BenMohamed, Lbachir; Osorio, Nelson; Srivastava, Ruchi; Khan, Arif A.; Simpson, Jennifer L.; Wechsler, Steven L.

2015-01-01

Blinding ocular herpetic disease in humans is due to herpes simplex virus type 1 (HSV-1) reactivations from latency, rather than to primary acute infection. The cellular and molecular mechanisms that control the HSV-1 latency-reactivation cycle remain to be fully elucidated. The aim of this study was to determine if reactivation of the HSV-1 latency associated transcript (LAT) deletion mutant (dLAT2903) was impaired in this model, as it is in the rabbit model of induced and spontaneous reactivation and in the explant TG induced reactivation model in mice. The eyes of mice latently infected with wild type HSV-1 strain McKrae (LAT(+) virus) or dLAT2903 (LAT(−) virus) were irradiated with UV-B and reactivation was determined. We found that compared to LAT(−) virus, LAT(+) virus reactivated at a higher rate as determined by shedding of virus in tears on days 3 to 7 after UV-B treatment. Thus, the UV-B induced reactivation model of HSV-1 appears to be a useful small animal model for studying the mechanisms involved in how LAT enhances the HSV-1 reactivation phenotype. The utility of the model for investigating the immune evasion mechanisms regulating the HSV-1 latency/reactivation cycle and for testing the protective efficacy of candidate therapeutic vaccines and drugs are discussed. PMID:26002839

A Coupled Chemical and Mass Transport Model for Concrete Durability

DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

Jensen, Mads Mønster; Johannesson, Björn; Geiker, Mette Rica

2012-01-01

In this paper a general continuum theory is used to evaluate the service life of cement based materials, in terms of mass transport processes and chemical degradation of the solid matrix. The model established is a reactive mass transport model, based on an extended version of the Poisson-Nernst-...

Calculation of research reactor RA power at uncontrolled reactivity changes

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Cupac, S.

1978-01-01

The safety analysis of research reactor RA involves also the calculation of reactor power at uncontrolled reactivity changes. The corresponding computer code, based on Point Kinetics Model has been made. The short review of method applied for solving kinetic equations is given and several examples illustrating the reactor behaviour at various reactivity changes are presented. The results already obtained are giving rather rough picture of reactor behaviour in considered situations. This is the consequence of using simplified feed back and reactor cooling models, as well as temperature reactivity coefficients, which do not correspond to the actual reactor RA structure (which is now only partly fulfilled with 80% enriched uranium fuel). (author) [sr

Preliminary characterization of materials for a reactive transport model validation experiment

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Siegel, M.D.; Ward, D.B.; Cheng, W.C.; Bryant, C.; Chocas, C.S.; Reynolds, C.G.

1993-01-01

The geochemical properties of a porous sand and several tracers (Ni, Br, and Li) have been characterized for use in a caisson experiment designed to validate sorption models used in models of inactive transport. The surfaces of the sand grains have been examined by a combination of techniques including potentiometric titration, acid leaching, optical microscopy, and scanning electron microscopy with energy-dispersive spectroscopy. The surface studies indicate the presence of small amounts of carbonate, kaolinite and iron-oxyhydroxides. Adsorption of nickel, lithium and bromide by the sand was measured using batch techniques. Bromide was not sorbed by the sand. A linear (K d ) or an isotherm sorption model may adequately describe transport of Li; however, a model describing the changes of pH and the concentrations of other solution species as a function of time and position within the caisson and the concomitant effects on Ni sorption may be required for accurate predictions of nickel transport

Transportation safety training

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Jones, E.

1990-01-01

Over the past 25 years extensive federal legislation involving the handling and transport of hazardous materials/waste has been passed that has resulted in numerous overlapping regulations administered and enforced by different federal agencies. The handling and transport of hazardous materials/waste involves a significant number of workers who are subject to a varying degree of risk should an accident occur during handling or transport. Effective transportation training can help workers address these risks and mitigate them, and at the same time enable ORNL to comply with the federal regulations concerning the transport of hazardous materials/waste. This presentation will outline how the Environmental and Health Protection Division's Technical Resources and Training Section at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory, working with transportation and waste disposal personnel, have developed and implemented a comprehensive transportation safety training program to meet the needs of our workers while satisfying appropriate federal regulations. 8 refs., 3 tabs

Evaluation of bituminized waste reactivity

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Camaro, S.; Moulinier, D.

2000-01-01

The bituminization process has been used for conditioning low and medium level (LML) radioactive waste, particularly to immobilize coprecipitation slurries and evaporation concentrates generated by effluent treatment. The process consists in mixing bitumen matrix with inactive soluble and slightly soluble salts added to insolubilize the radionuclides or resulting from the neutralization of acid effluents. This operation is performed at a sufficient temperature - depending on waste composition and bitumen grade to ensure the flow of the resulting mixture into metal containers. Exothermicity due to salts/salts or salts/bitumen reactions depending on the type of waste can be induced during or after the mixing step. This could produce an additional heat emission that the drum must be able to release to avoid a potentially incidental pattern with ignition risk, explaining why the CEA has been involved in evaluating the thermal reactivity of bituminized waste and its repercussions on the bituminization process. Given the difficulty of discriminating each exothermal reaction, the characterization of a global reactivity appears as a further precautionary measure, in addition to the definition of a working safety margin. The CEA has accordingly developed studies on this aspect. The article discusses the experimental methodology developed for the determination of the global reactivity. (authors)

Void coefficient of reactivity calculation for AP-600 core

International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

Suparlina, L.; Budiono, T.A.; Mardha, A.; Tukiran

1998-01-01

Void coefficient of reactivity as one of reactor kinetics parameters has been carried out. The calculation was done into two steps which is cell calculation using WIMSD/4 and core calculation using Batan-2DIFF code programs with the condition of beginning of cycle with all fresh fuels elements and all control rods withdrawn. The one dimension transport program in four neutron energy groups is used to calculate the cell generation of various core materials cell has been calculated in 1/4 fuel element with cluster model and square pitch arrange. Moderator density have been reduced until 20% for the void coefficient of reactivity calculation. Macroscopic cross-section as the out put of WIMSD/4 is being used as the input at the diffusion neutron program for core calculation. The void coefficient of reactivity of the AP-600 core can be determined with regular neutron flux and adjoint in four energy groups and X-Y geometry. The results is shown that the K eff calculation value is different 5.2% from the design data

The addition of organic carbon and nitrate affects reactive transport of heavy metals in sandy aquifers

KAUST Repository

Satyawali, Yamini

2011-04-01

Organic carbon introduction in the soil to initiate remedial measures, nitrate infiltration due to agricultural practices or sulphate intrusion owing to industrial usage can influence the redox conditions and pH, thus affecting the mobility of heavy metals in soil and groundwater. This study reports the fate of Zn and Cd in sandy aquifers under a variety of plausible in-situ redox conditions that were induced by introduction of carbon and various electron acceptors in column experiments. Up to 100% Zn and Cd removal (from the liquid phase) was observed in all the four columns, however the mechanisms were different. Metal removal in column K1 (containing sulphate), was attributed to biological sulphate reduction and subsequent metal precipitation (as sulphides). In the presence of both nitrate and sulphate (K2), the former dominated the process, precipitating the heavy metals as hydroxides and/or carbonates. In the presence of sulphate, nitrate and supplemental iron (Fe(OH)3) (K3), metal removal was also due to precipitation as hydroxides and/or carbonates. In abiotic column, K4, (with supplemental iron (Fe(OH)3), but no nitrate), cation exchange with soil led to metal removal. The results obtained were modeled using the reactive transport model PHREEQC-2 to elucidate governing processes and to evaluate scenarios of organic carbon, sulphate and nitrate inputs. © 2010 Elsevier B.V.

Multiphase Reactive Transport and Platelet Ice Accretion in the Sea Ice of McMurdo Sound, Antarctica

Science.gov (United States)

Buffo, J. J.; Schmidt, B. E.; Huber, C.

2018-01-01

Sea ice seasonally to interannually forms a thermal, chemical, and physical boundary between the atmosphere and hydrosphere over tens of millions of square kilometers of ocean. Its presence affects both local and global climate and ocean dynamics, ice shelf processes, and biological communities. Accurate incorporation of sea ice growth and decay, and its associated thermal and physiochemical processes, is underrepresented in large-scale models due to the complex physics that dictate oceanic ice formation and evolution. Two phenomena complicate sea ice simulation, particularly in the Antarctic: the multiphase physics of reactive transport brought about by the inhomogeneous solidification of seawater, and the buoyancy driven accretion of platelet ice formed by supercooled ice shelf water onto the basal surface of the overlying ice. Here a one-dimensional finite difference model capable of simulating both processes is developed and tested against ice core data. Temperature, salinity, liquid fraction, fluid velocity, total salt content, and ice structure are computed during model runs. The model results agree well with empirical observations and simulations highlight the effect platelet ice accretion has on overall ice thickness and characteristics. Results from sensitivity studies emphasize the need to further constrain sea ice microstructure and the associated physics, particularly permeability-porosity relationships, if a complete model of sea ice evolution is to be obtained. Additionally, implications for terrestrial ice shelves and icy moons in the solar system are discussed.

Calculations of reactivity based in the solution of the Neutron transport equation in X Y geometry and Lineal perturbation theory; Calculos de reactividad basados en la solucion de la Ecuacion de transporte de neutrones en geometria XY y Teoria de perturbacion lineal

Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

Valle G, E. del; Mugica R, C.A. [IPN, ESFM, Departamento de Ingenieria Nuclear, 07738 Mexico D.F. (Mexico)]. e-mail: cmugica@ipn.mx

2005-07-01

In our country, in last congresses, Gomez et al carried out reactivity calculations based on the solution of the diffusion equation for an energy group using nodal methods in one dimension and the TPL approach (Lineal Perturbation Theory). Later on, Mugica extended the application to the case of multigroup so much so much in one as in two dimensions (X Y geometry) with excellent results. Presently work is carried out similar calculations but this time based on the solution of the neutron transport equation in X Y geometry using nodal methods and again the TPL approximation. The idea is to provide a calculation method that allows to obtain in quick form the reactivity solving the direct problem as well as the enclosed problem of the not perturbed problem. A test problem for the one that results are provided for the effective multiplication factor is described and its are offered some conclusions. (Author)

SKA2 Methylation is Involved in Cortisol Stress Reactivity and Predicts the Development of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) After Military Deployment.

Science.gov (United States)

Boks, Marco P; Rutten, Bart P F; Geuze, Elbert; Houtepen, Lotte C; Vermetten, Eric; Kaminsky, Zachary; Vinkers, Christiaan H

2016-04-01

Genomic variation in the SKA2 gene has recently been identified as a promising suicide biomarker. In light of its role in glucocorticoid receptor transactivation, we investigated whether SKA2 DNA methylation influences cortisol stress reactivity and is involved in the development of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Increased SKA2 methylation was significantly associated with lower cortisol stress reactivity in 85 healthy individuals exposed to the Trier Social Stress Test (B=-173.40, t=-2.324, p-value=0.023). Next, we observed that longitudinal decreases in SKA2 methylation after deployment were associated with the emergence of post-deployment PTSD symptoms in a Dutch military cohort (N=93; B=-0.054, t=-3.706, p-value=3.66 × 10(-4)). In contrast, exposure to traumatic stress during deployment by itself resulted in longitudinal increases in SKA2 methylation (B=0.037, t=4.173, p-value=6.98 × 10(-5)). Using pre-deployment SKA2 methylation levels and childhood trauma exposure, we found that the previously published suicide prediction rule significantly predicted post-deployment PTSD symptoms (AUC=0.66, 95% CI: 0.53-0.79) with an optimal sensitivity of 0.81 and specificity of 0.91. Permutation analysis using random methylation loci supported these findings. Together, these data establish the importance of SKA2 for cortisol stress responsivity and the development of PTSD and provide further evidence that SKA2 is a promising biomarker for stress-related disorders including PTSD.