Carbon and sulfur cycling by microbial communities in a gypsum-treated oil sands tailings pond

Oil sands tailings ponds receive and store the solid and liquid waste from bitumen extraction and are managed to promote solids densification and water recycling. The ponds are highly stratified due to increasing solids content as a function of depth but can be impacted by tailings addition and removal and by convection due to microbial gas production. We characterized the microbial communities in relation to microbial activities as a function of depth in an active tailings pond routinely treated with gypsum (CaSO(4)·2H(2)O) to accelerate densification. Pyrosequencing of 16S rDNA gene sequences indicated that the aerobic surface layer, where the highest level of sulfate (6 mM) but no sulfide was detected, had a very different community profile than the rest of the pond. Deeper anaerobic layers were dominated by syntrophs (Pelotomaculum, Syntrophus, and Smithella spp.), sulfate- and sulfur-reducing bacteria (SRB, Desulfocapsa and Desulfurivibrio spp.), acetate- and H(2)-using methanogens, and a variety of other anaerobes that have been implicated in hydrocarbon utilization or iron and sulfur cycling. The SRB were most abundant from 10 to 14 mbs, bracketing the zone where the sulfate reduction rate was highest. Similarly, the most abundant methanogens and syntrophs identified as a function of depth closely mirrored the fluctuating methanogenesis rates. Methanogenesis was inhibited in laboratory incubations by nearly 50% when sulfate was supplied at pond-level concentrations suggesting that in situ sulfate reduction can substantially minimize methane emissions. Based on our data, we hypothesize that the emission of sulfide due to SRB activity in the gypsum treated pond is also limited due to its high solubility and oxidation in surface waters.     

Manifold Preserving Features and Regression for Semantic Labelling in High Dimensional Images

Wireless Personal Communications - This paper proposes an combined method for manifold preservation and Subspace Eigenvectors(SE) based regression in high dimensional (HD) images. We studied...     

A Consortium Blockchain Based Overseas Fund Transfer System

Domestic fund transfers are all the time immediate, handier and obtainable however in overseas fund transfer, funds are transferred from payers account to payees account through the correspondent banks, central bank and messaging network which involves intermediaries and allied charges. Blockchain Technology has grabbed the interest of financial systems due to its inventive benefits such as decentralised structure, faster speed, cost-effectiveness and more security over conventional approaches. Adopting Blockchain Technology for overseas fund transfer can overcome the transaction delays, intermediaries’ failures and recurring costs involved in the current system. In this paper, a Consortium Blockchain based overseas fund transfer process is proposed to achieve faster operations, security and transparency. Hyperledger Fabric Blockchain framework has been used for overseas fund transfer process and web-user interface is developed for the same. Simulation results demonstrate the significance of Blockchain as a promising technology for overseas fund transfer process to facilitate speed, security, transparency and efficiency for overseas fund transfer.

     

Borosilicate glass and synroc R&;D for radioactive waste immobilization: An international perspective

This article provides a content analysis of publications on borosilicate glass and synroc, which are most widely used today for the immobilization of high-level radioactive wastes. Covering a period of 30 years, this study highlights the publication trends, the most productive countries, the language most frequently used, and the different categories of publications in these two subject areas. The research focuses on R&D efforts of different institutions and laboratories in these fields. For more information, contact S. Deokattey, Bhabha Atomic Research Centre, Library & Information Services Division, Trombay, Mumbai-400 085, India; e-mail clibscd6@magnum.barc.ernet.in.     

On the Complexity of Distributed Self-Configuration in Wireless Networks

We consider three distributed configuration tasks that arise in the setup and operation of multi-hop wireless networks: partition into coordinating cliques, Hamiltonian cycle formation and conflict-free channel allocation. We show that the probabilities of accomplishing these tasks undergo zero-one phase transitions with respect to the transmission range of individual nodes. We model these tasks as distributed constraint satisfaction problems (DCSPs) and show that, even though they are NP-hard in general, these problems can be solved efficiently on average when the network is operated sufficiently far from the transition region. Phase transition analysis is shown to be a useful mechanism for quantifying the critical range of energy and bandwidth resources needed for the scalable performance of self-configuring wireless networks.     

The effect of temperature on the surface tension and adsorption functions of the Fe-S-O melts – an analysis based on interaction parameters

The present investigation analyses the thermodynamic behaviour of the surfaces and adsorption as a function of temperature and composition in the Fe-S-O melts based on the Butler's equations. The calculated values of the surface tensions exhibit an elevation or depression depending on the type of the added solute at a concentration which coincides with that already present in the system. Generally, the desorption of the solutes as a function of temperature results in an initial increase followed by a decrease in the values of the surface tension. The observations are analyzed based on the surface interaction parameters which are derived in the present research.     

Carotenoids in different body components of Indian shrimps

The quantitative and qualitative distribution of carotenoids in different body components of four species of shrimp (Penaeus monodon, Penaeus indicus, Metapenaeus dobsonii and Parapenaeopsis stylifera) harvested from shallow waters off the Indian coast was assessed. The highest total carotenoid contents were observed in the head (153.1 µg g^?1) and carapace (104.7 µg g^?1) of P stylifera, while the body components of P indicus showed the lowest carotenoid levels. Astaxanthin and its mono‐ and diesters were the major carotenoids (63.5–92.2% of total carotenoids) present in the carotenoid extracts from the shrimps, while the extracts contained low levels of β‐carotene and zeaxanthin. The major fatty acids in the carotenoid extracts were palmitic, heptadecanoic, palmitoleic, stearic and oleic acids. Copyright © 2004 Society of Chemical Industry     

A new design for the pin and V-blocks tribometer

A compact and vacuum compatible design for the generally used pin and V-blocks tribometer is presented. The device has two built-in transducers for measurement of the applied load and friction torque, from which the coefficient of friction is determined. The design, construction and calibration of the transducers are described in detail. The use of the test rig is illustrated by tribotests in air and in high vacuum environments for the study of the tribological behaviour of a bonded solid lubricant film on various substrate materials.