Plumes of discolored water of volcanic origin and possible implications for algal communities. The case of the Home Reef eruption of 2006 (Tonga, Southwest Pacific Ocean)

The Home Reef volcano (Tonga, Southwest Pacific Ocean) erupted in August 2006. Initially a submarine eruption it quickly evolved into a subaerial event upon the formation of an ephemeral island.Remote sensing data from different sensors including MODIS, ASTER, EO-1 ALI and Landsat-7 ETM+ were used to analyze the event, focusing on the plumes of discolored water, ocean chlorophyll-a concentration (OCC) and sea surface temperature.An early classification system for the plumes was devised based on spectral properties and point of origin. Plumes originated at the volcano were named Type-I and those associated to the pumice rafts Type-II.Anomalies in ocean chlorophyll-a concentration, measured using MODIS data, were analyzed and a large bloom, presumably dominated by Trichodesmium sp. was identified. The bloom, which contributed to OCC values 17 times higher than the background, was spatially and temporally coincident with a Type-I plume of discolored water. The OCC increase appears to have been caused by a combined effect of both ocean fertilizations by the subsurface volcanic plume and rising sea surface temperatures.The Home Reef event offers a good candidate for a case of ocean enrichment by a submarine volcano and highlights the need for continuous monitoring of the eruptions even after the end of the explosive, more spectacular stages.     

3D porosity prediction from seismic inversion and neural networks

In this work, we address the problem of transforming seismic reflection data into an intrinsic rock property model. Specifically, we present an application of a methodology that allows interpreters to obtain effective porosity 3D maps from post-stack 3D seismic amplitude data, using measured density and sonic well log data as constraints. In this methodology, a 3D acoustic impedance model is calculated from seismic reflection amplitudes by applying an L₁-norm sparse-spike inversion algorithm in the time domain, followed by a recursive inversion performed in the frequency domain. A 3D low-frequency impedance model is estimated by kriging interpolation of impedance values calculated from well log data. This low-frequency model is added to the inversion result which otherwise provides only a relative numerical scale. To convert acoustic impedance into a single reservoir property, a feed-forward Neural Network (NN) is trained, validated and tested using gamma-ray and acoustic impedance values observed at the well log positions as input and effective porosity values as target. The trained NN is then applied for the whole reservoir volume in order to obtain a 3D effective porosity model. While the particular conclusions drawn from the results obtained in this work cannot be generalized, such results suggest that this workflow can be applied successfully as an aid in reservoir characterization, especially when there is a strong non-linear relationship between effective porosity and acoustic impedance.     

Characteristics of WWTP sludge after drying in greenhouse for agricultural purposes

The sludge generated by sewage treatment which meets regulatory standards can be used in agriculture. With this understanding, the focus of this study is the evaluation of the agricultural characteristics and inorganic substances in excess activated sludge, which was subjected to drying in a greenhouse. The variables (factor) evaluated during the drying process were: type of sludge (digested or not digested), addition of lime to the sludge, and the physical layout and rotation of sludge in the greenhouse. The parameters monitored for this assessment were moisture, volatile solids and pH. The greenhouse cover and sides were made of translucent plastic to allow the penetration of solar radiation and prevent water from entering. A impermeable floor was used. The sludge was generated in sewage treatment plants located in the metropolitan region of Grande Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil. The solar drying of wastewater sludge in a greenhouse presented satisfactory results.     

Status of the plasma generator of the superconducting proton linac

In the framework of the superconducting proton linac (SPL) study at CERN, a new non-cesiated H(-) plasma generator driven by an external 2 MHz RF antenna has been developed and successfully operated at repetition rates of 50 Hz, pulse lengths of up to 3 ms, and average RF powers of up to 3 kW. The coupling efficiency of RF power into the plasma was determined by the cooling water temperatures and the analysis of the RF forward and reflected power and the antenna current and amounts to 50%-60%. The plasma resistance increases between 10 kW and 40 kW RF power from about 0.45 Ω to 0.65 Ω. Measurements of RF power dissipated in the ferrites and the magnets on a test bench show a 5-fold decrease of the power losses for the magnets when they are contained in a Cu box, thus validating the strategy of shielding the magnets with a high electrical conductivity material. An air cooling system was installed in the SPL plasma generator to control the temperatures of the ferrites despite hysteresis losses of several Watts.     

Histology, histochemistry and stereology of the adipose fin of Prochilodus lineatus

The adipose fin is small, nonpared, and usually located medially between the dorsal and caudal fin. Its taxonomic occurrence is very restrict; thus, it represents an important trace for taxon distinction. As it does not play a known vital physiological roll and it is easily removed, it is commonly used in marking and recapture studies. The present study characterizes the adipose fin of Prochilodus lineatus, as it is poorly explored by the literature. The adipose fin consists basically of a loose connective core, covered by a stratified epithelium supported by collagen fibers. At the epithelium, pigmented cells and alarm substance cells are found. Despite the name, adipocytes or lipid droplets are not observed on the structure of the fin.     

Hematopoietic progenitor constituents and adherent cell progenitor morphology isolated from black-rumped agouti (Dasyprocta prymnolopha, Wagler 1831) bone marrow

Stem cells are present in the adult tissues of most diverse species. Bone marrow is recognized to be the most exploited site to obtain stem cells and cell progenitors. The objective of the present study was to characterize hematopoietic progenitor (HP) morphology and analyze the performance of adherent cell progenitors (ACPs) cultivated in vitro from black‐rumped agouti bone marrow (Dasyprocta prymnolopha). Bone marrow aspirates were obtained from tibia crest and used to prepare histological slides and identify cell morphology. Cells were also scattered on culture plates for later isolation, expansion, and quantification. Smears obtained from bone marrow demonstrated HPs at different stages of maturity. In culture, these cells showed fibroblastoid morphology and a strong tendency to form colonies, demonstrated by the presence of cell aggregates, cytoplasmic elongations lying side by side. An 80% cell confluence was observed at 18 days in culture and progressive reduction in the percentage of nonadherent mononuclear cells. After eight passes, a mean cell viability of 96.07% was observed, from a pool of 1.6 × 10⁷ cells (ACP). Thirteen 25‐cm² culture bottles were trypsinized, resuspended in freezing medium, stored in 14 criotubes at a concentration of 1 × 10⁶ cells per milliliter, and placed in liquid nitrogen at ?196°C. Agouti bone marrow demonstrated high plasticity, moreover different HP lines, and a population of adherent cells demonstrated morphology similar to mesenchymal stem cells in culture. Microsc. Res. Tech. 2012. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.     

Pressureless sintering of in-situ toughened Yb α-SiAlON ceramics by adding seed crystals prepared by combustion synthesis

Single-phase Yb α-SiAlON ceramics in-situ toughened by elongated grains were prepared by pressureless sintering, with the crystalline powder prepared by combustion synthesis used as seed crystals. The effects of seed addition on the densification, phase transformation, microstructure development, and mechanical properties of the samples were investigated in detail. From the experimental results, it was found that the added seed crystals could promote the phase transformation and facilitate the growth of elongated grains. By adding seed crystals the fracture toughness of the sintered α-SiAlON ceramics was considerably improved, with no obvious degradation in the bulk density and hardness at the same time.     

Distributed parameters for low-frequency dielectric characterization of liquids with open-ended coaxial cell

The theory of distributed parameters is applied at low frequencies to the open-ended coaxial-line dielectric characterization technique. A procedure is proposed to determine the permittivity of liquids when the sample is placed between two dielectric beads to ensure tight closure. The technique leads to a complex transcendental equation that the authors solve. An ad hoc sample holder is built to implement the proposed method. Measurements of both polar and nonpolar liquids demonstrate the adequacy of the method and its advantages with respect to the lumped-circuit theory in the case of polar samples.     

A New Distribution System Reconfiguration Approach Using Optimum Power Flow and Sensitivity Analysis for Loss Reduction

This paper presents a new approach for distribution system reconfiguration (DSR) based on optimum power flow (OPF) in which the branch statuses (open/close) are represented by continuous functions. In the proposed approach, all branches are initially considered closed, and from the OPF results, a heuristic technique is used to determine the next loop to be broken by opening one switch. Then the list of switches that are candidates to be opened is updated, and the above process is repeated until all loops are broken, making the distribution system radial. This paper includes results and comparisons on test systems utilized in three classical papers published in the technical literature, as well as in a previous paper by the authors. Results obtained on a real large-scale distribution system are also presented     

Evaluation of graded-channel SOI MOSFET operation at high temperatures

This paper presents a comparative analysis between graded-channel (GC) and conventional fully depleted SOI MOSFETs devices operating at high temperatures (up to 300 °C). The electrical characteristics such as threshold voltage and subthreshold slope were obtained experimentally and by two-dimensional numerical simulations. The results indicated that GC transistors present nearly the same behavior as the conventional SOI MOSFET devices with similar channel length. Experimental analysis of the g_m/I_DS ratio and Early voltage demonstrated that in GC devices the low-frequency open-loop gain is significantly improved in comparison to conventional SOI devices at room and at high-temperature due to the Early voltage increase. The multiplication factor and parasitic bipolar transistor gain obtained by two-dimensional numerical simulations allowed the analysis of the breakdown voltage, which was demonstrated to be improved in the GC as compared to conventional SOI transistors in thin silicon layer devices in the whole temperature range under analysis.