Extraction and recovery of cerium(IV) along with fluorine(I) from bastnasite leaching liquor by DEHEHP in [C(8)mim]PF6

BACKGROUND: Ionic liquids (ILs) as environmentally benign solvents have been widely studied in the application of solvent extraction. However, few applications have been successfully industrialized because of the difficult stripping of metal ions or the loss of components of the ILs. More work needs to be done to investigate the extraction behaviour of IL-based extraction systems. In this work, the extraction behaviour of Ce(IV), Th(IV) and some trivalent rare earth (RE) nitrates by di(2-ethylhexyl) 2-ethylhexylphosphonate (DEHEHP) in the IL, 1-methyl-3-octylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate ([C(8)mim]PF6), was investigated and compared with that in the n-heptane system. In particular, the effect of F(I) on the extraction mechanism for Ce(IV) and its separation from Th(IV) was investigated. Otherwise, the recovery efficiency of Ce(IV) and F(I) from a practical bastnasite leach liquor was examined using IL based extraction.

Preparation of KMgF3 and Eu-doped KMgF3 nanocrystals in water-in-oil microemulsions

In this study, KMgF3:Eu2+ luminescent nanocrystals (NCs) were prepared in water/cetyltrimethylammonium bromide (CTAB)/2-octanol microemulsions. The KMgF3:Eu2+ NCs were characterized by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), X-ray diffractometer (XRD), fluorescence spectrum, infrared spectroscopy (IR) and elementary analysis. The results showed that the size of the KMgF3:Eu2+ NCs was hardly affected by water content and surfactant (CTAB) concentration. The emission spectrum showed that the position of the 362 nm peak is due to the K+ sites substituted Eu2+. Two emission peaks located at 589 and 612 nm can be attributed to Eu3+, which exist at two different types of Eu3+ centers: one is Eu3+ at a K+ site, the other is clustering of Eu3+ ions in the interstices of KMgF3 host lattice.

Controlling dispersed state and exfoliation process of clay in polymer matrix

In the present review, the authors do not try to provide a comprehensive review of researches on polymer/clay nanocomposites (PCNs), but some examples to demonstrate different exfoliation processes of the clay in various polymer matrixes and the dispersed state of clay. Interaction between polymers and layered silicates plays an important role in adjusting the exfoliation process of layered silicates and the microstructure of polymer nanocomposites. Properties of polymer/layered silicate nanocomposites mainly depend on the dispersed state of layered silicates. The authors will also address the outline of the present research in the direction of PCNs including the discussion of technical problems and their possible solutions.

Petroleum geological framework and hydrocarbon potential in the Yellow Sea

Sedimentary basins in the Yellow Sea can be grouped tectonically into the North Yellow Sea Basin (NYSB), the northern basin of the South Yellow Sea (SYSNB) and the southern basin of the South Yellow Sea (SYSSB). The NYSB is connected to Anju Basin to the east. The SYSSB extends to Subei Basin to the west. The acoustic basement of basins in the North Yellow Sea and South Yellow Sea is disparate, having different stratigraphic evolution and oil accumulation features, even though they have been under the same stress regime since the Late Triassic. The acoustic basement of the NYSB features China-Korea Platform crystalline rocks, whereas those in the SYSNB and SYSSB are of the Paleozoic Yangtze Platform sedimentary layers or metamorphic rocks. Since the Late Mesozoic terrestrial strata in the eastern of the NYSB (West Korea Bay Basin) were discovered having industrial hydrocarbon accumulation, the oil potential in the Mesozoic strata in the west depression of the basin could be promising, although the petroleum exploration in the South Yellow Sea has made no break-through yet. New deep reflection data and several drilling wells have indicated the source rock of the Mesozoic in the basins of South Yellow Sea, and the Paleozoic platform marine facies in the SYSSB and Central Rise could be the other hosts of oil or natural gas. The Mesozoic hydrocarbon could be found in the Mesozoic of the foredeep basin in the SYSNB that bears potential hydrocarbon in thick Cretaceous strata, and so does the SYSSB where the same petroleum system exists to that of oil-bearing Subei Basin.

渤海海域河流相油藏精细描述技术及应用研究

Aiming at the character of Bohaii Sea area and the heterogeneity of fluvial facies reservoir, litho-geophysics experiments and integrated research of geophysical technologies are carried out. To deal with practical problems in oil fields of Bohai area, such as QHD32-6, Southern BZ25-1 and NP35-2 et al., technology of reservoir description based on seismic data and reservoir geophysical methods is built. In this dissertation, three points are emphasized: ①the integration of multidiscipline; ②the application of new methods and technologies; ③the integration of quiescent and dynamic data. At last, research of geology modeling and reservoir numerical simulation based on geophysical data are integrated. There are several innovative results and conclusion in this dissertation: (1)To deal with problems in shallow sea area where seismic data is the key data, a set of technologies for fine reservoir description based on seismic data in Bohai Sea area are built. All these technologies, including technologies of stratigraphic classification, sedimentary facies identification, structure fine characterization, reservoir description, fluid recognition and integration of geological modeling& reservoir numerical simulation, play an important role in the hydrocarbon exploration and development. In the research of lithology and hydrocarbon-bearing condition, petrophysical experiment is carried out. Outdoors inspection and experiment test data are integrated in seismic forward modeling& inversion research. Through the research, the seismic reflection rules of fluid in porosity are generated. Based on all the above research, seismic data is used to classify rock association, identify sedimentary facies belts and recognition hydrocarbon-bearing condition of reservoir. In this research, the geological meaning of geophysical information is more clear and the ambiguity of geophysical information is efficiently reduced, so the reliability in hydrocarbon forecasting is improved. The methods of multi-scales are developed in microfacies research aiming at the condition of shallow sea area in Bohai Sea: ① make the transformation from seismic information to sedimentary facies reality by discriminant analysis; ②in research of planar sedimentary facies, make microfacies research on seismic scale by technologies integration of seismic multi-attributes analysis& optimization, strata slicing and seismic waveform classification; ③descript the sedimentary facies distribution on scales below seismic resolution with the method of stochastic modeling. In the research of geological modeling and reservoir numerical simulation, the way of bilateral iteration between modeling and numerical simulation is carried out in the geological model correction. This process include several steps: ①make seismic forward modeling based on the reservoir numerical simulation results and geological models; ②get trend residual of forward modeling and real seismic data; ③make dynamic correction of the model according to the above trend residual. The modern integration technology of reservoir fine description research in Bohai Sea area, which is developed in this dissertation, is successfully used in (1)the reserve volume evaluation and development research in BZ25-1 oil field and (2)the tracing while drilling research in QHD32-6 oil field. These application researches show wide application potential in hydrocarbon exploration and development research in other oil fields.

塔里木盆地轮南地区三叠系油气地质模型及油气预测研究

As an important measure to understand oil and gas accumulation during petroleum exploration and development, Petroleum geological model is an integrated system of theories and methods, which includes sedimentology, reservoir geology, structural geology, petroleum geology and other geological theories, and is used to describe or predict the distribution of oil and gas. Progressive exploration and development for oil and gas is commonly used in terrestrial sedimentary basin in China for the oil and gas generation, accumulation and exploitation are very intricate. It is necessary to establish petroleum geological model, adaptive to different periods of progressive exploration and development practice. Meanwhile there is lack of an integrated system of theories and methods of petroleum geological model suitable for different exploration and development stages for oil and gas, because the current different models are intercrossed, which emphasize their different aspects. According to the characteristics of exploration and development for the Triassic oil and gas pool in Lunnan area, Tarim Basin, the Lunnan horst belt was selected as the major study object of this paper. On the basis of the study of petroleum geological model system, the petroleum geological models for different exploration and development stages are established, which could be applied to predict the distribution of oil and gas distribution. The main results are as follows. (1) The generation-accumulation and exploration-development of hydrocarbon are taken as an integrated system during the course of time, so petroleum exploration and development are closely combined. Under the guidance of some philosophical views that the whole world could be understood, the present writer realizes that any one kind of petroleum geological models can be used to predict and guide petroleum exploration and development practice. The writer do not recognize that any one kind of petroleum geological models can be viewed as sole model for guiding the petroleum exploration and development in the world. Based on the differences of extents and details of research work during various stage of exploration and development for oil and gas, the system of classification for petroleum geological models is established, which can be regarded as theoretical basis for progressive petroleum exploration and development. (2) A petroleum geological model was established based on detailed researches on the Triassic stratigraphy, structure, sedimentology and reservoir rocks in the Lunnan area, northern Tarim Basin. Some sub-belt of hydrocarbon accumulation in the Lunnan area are divided and the predominate controlling factors for oil and gas distribution in the Lunnan area are given out. (3) Geological models for Lunnan and Jiefangqudong oil fields were rebuilt by the combinations of seismology and geology, exploration and development, dynamic and static behavior, thus finding out the distribution of potential zones for oil and gas accumulations. Meanwhile Oil and gas accumulations were considered as the important unit in progressive exploration and development, and the classification was made for Lunnan Triassic pools. Petroleum geological model was created through 3D seismic fine interpretation and detailed description of characteristics of reservoir rocks and the distribution of oil and gas, especially for LN3 and LN26 well zones. The possible distribution of Triassic oil traps and their efficiency in the Lunnan area has been forecasted, and quantitative analysis for original oil(water) saturation in oil pools was performed. (4) The concept of oil cell is proposed by the writer for the first time. It represents the relatively oil-rich zones in oil pool, which were formed by the differences of fluid flows during the middle stage of reservoir development. The classification of oil cells is also given out in this paper. After the studies of physical and numerical modeling, the dominant controlling factors for the formation of various oil cells are analyzed. Oil cells are considered as the most important hydrocarbon potential zones after first recovery, which are main object of progressive development adjustment and improvement oil recovery. An example as main target of analysis was made for various oil cells of Triassic reservoir in the LN2 well area. (5) It is important and necessary that the classification of flow unit and the establishment of geological model of flow unit based on analysis of forecast for inter-well reservoir parameters connected with the statistical analysis of reservoir character of horizontal wells. With the help of self-adaptive interpolation and stochastic simulation, the geological model of flow units was built on the basis of division and correlation of flow units, with which the residual oil distribution in TIII reservoir in the LN2 well area after water flooding can be established.

Logging and Recovery in a Highly Concurrent Database

This report addresses the problem of fault tolerance to system failures for database systems that are to run on highly concurrent computers. It assumes that, in general, an application may have a wide distribution in the lifetimes of its transactions. Logging remains the method of choice for ensuring fault tolerance. Generational garbage collection techniques manage the limited disk space reserved for log information; this technique does not require periodic checkpoints and is well suited for applications with a broad range of transaction lifetimes. An arbitrarily large collection of parallel log streams provide the necessary disk bandwidth.

Development of process control methodology for tracking the quality and safety of pain, agitation and sedation management in critical care units

Objective: To develop sedation, pain, and agitation quality measures using process control methodology and evaluate their properties in clinical practice. Design: A Sedation Quality Assessment Tool was developed and validated to capture data for 12-hour periods of nursing care. Domains included pain/discomfort and sedation-agitation behaviors; sedative, analgesic, and neuromuscular blocking drug administration; ventilation status; and conditions potentially justifying deep sedation. Predefined sedation-related adverse events were recorded daily. Using an iterative process, algorithms were developed to describe the proportion of care periods with poor limb relaxation, poor ventilator synchronization, unnecessary deep sedation, agitation, and an overall optimum sedation metric. Proportion charts described processes over time (2 monthly intervals) for each ICU. The numbers of patients treated between sedation-related adverse events were described with G charts. Automated algorithms generated charts for 12 months of sequential data. Mean values for each process were calculated, and variation within and between ICUs explored qualitatively. Setting: Eight Scottish ICUs over a 12-month period. Patients: Mechanically ventilated patients. Interventions: None. Measurements and Main Results: The Sedation Quality Assessment Tool agitation-sedation domains correlated with the Richmond Sedation Agitation Scale score (Spearman [rho] = 0.75) and were reliable in clinician-clinician (weighted kappa; [kappa] = 0.66) and clinician-researcher ([kappa] = 0.82) comparisons. The limb movement domain had fair correlation with Behavioral Pain Scale ([rho] = 0.24) and was reliable in clinician-clinician ([kappa] = 0.58) and clinician-researcher ([kappa] = 0.45) comparisons. Ventilator synchronization correlated with Behavioral Pain Scale ([rho] = 0.54), and reliability in clinician-clinician ([kappa] = 0.29) and clinician-researcher ([kappa] = 0.42) comparisons was fair-moderate. Eight hundred twenty-five patients were enrolled (range, 59-235 across ICUs), providing 12,385 care periods for evaluation (range 655-3,481 across ICUs). The mean proportion of care periods with each quality metric varied between ICUs: excessive sedation 12-38%; agitation 4-17%; poor relaxation 13-21%; poor ventilator synchronization 8-17%; and overall optimum sedation 45-70%. Mean adverse event intervals ranged from 1.5 to 10.3 patients treated. The quality measures appeared relatively stable during the observation period. Conclusions: Process control methodology can be used to simultaneously monitor multiple aspects of pain-sedation-agitation management within ICUs. Variation within and between ICUs could be used as triggers to explore practice variation, improve quality, and monitor this over time

Angiosarcoma, porphyria cutanea tarda, and probable chloracne in a worker exposed to waste oil contaminated with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin

A worker developed angiosarcoma, porphyria cutanea tarda, and skin lesions characteristic of mild chloracne. About 10 years earlier he had been employed at a truck terminal in Saint Louis, Missouri, at a time when it was sprayed with waste oil contaminated with 2,3,7,8-tetrachlorodibenzo-p-dioxin (TCDD). The occurrence of these three rare conditions in a single exposed worker supports the aetiological relation between environmental exposure to TCDD and the subsequent development of soft tissue sarcoma and porphyria cutanea tarda.

An exploration of the positive and negative relationships associated with the development of asthma and atopic disorders in primary school children in Cork

Childhood asthma, allergic rhinitis and eczema are complex heterogenic chronic inflammatory allergic disorders which constitute a major burden to children, their families. The prevalence of childhood allergic disorders is increasing worldwide and merely rudimentary understanding exists regarding causality, or the influence of the environment on disease expression. Phase Three of the International Study of Asthma and Allergy in Childhood (ISAAC) reported that Irish adolescents had the 4th highest eczema and rhinoconjunctivitis prevalence and 3rd highest asthma prevalence in the world. There are no ISAAC data pertaining to young Irish children. In 2002, Sturley reported a high prevalence of current asthma in Cork primary school children aged 6-9 years. This thesis comprises of three cross-sectional studies which examined the prevalence of and associations with childhood allergy and a quasi-retrospective cohort study which observed the natural history of allergy from 6-9 until 11-13 years. Although not part of ISAAC, data was attained by parentally completed ISAAC-based questionnaires, using the ISAAC protocol. The prevalence, natural history and risk factors of childhood allergy in Ireland, as described in this thesis, echo those in worldwide allergy research. The variations of prevalence in different populations worldwide and the recurring themes of associations between childhood allergy and microbial exposures, from farming environments and/or gastrointestinal infections, as shown in this thesis, strengthen the mounting evidence that microbial exposure on GALT may hold the key to the mechanisms of allergy development. In this regard, probiotics may be an area of particular interest in allergy modification. Although their effects in relation to allergy, have been investigated now for several years, our knowledge of their diversity, complex functions and interactions with gut microflora, remain rudimentary. Birth cohort studies which include genomic and microbiomic research are recommended in order to examine the underlying mechanisms and the natural course of allergic diseases.

Infant milk formula manufacture: process and compositional interactions in high dry matter wet-mixes

Infant milk formula (IMF) is fortified milk with composition based on the nutrient content in human mother's milk, 0 to 6 months postpartum. Extensive medical and clinical research has led to advances in the nutritional quality of infant formula; however, relatively few studies have focused on interactions between nutrients and the manufacturing process. The objective of this research was to investigate the impact of composition and processing parameters on physical behaviour of high dry matter (DM) IMF systems with a view to designing more sustainable manufacturing processes. The study showed that commercial IMF, with similar compositions, manufactured by different processes, had markedly different physical properties in dehydrated or reconstituted state. Commercial products made with hydrolysed protein were more heat stable compared to products made with intact protein, however, emulsion quality was compromised. Heat-induced denaturation of whey proteins resulted in increased viscosity of wet-mixes, an effect that was dependant on both whey concentration and interactions with lactose and caseins. Expanding on fundamental laboratory studies, a novel high velocity steam injection process was developed whereby high DM (60%) wet-mixes with lower denaturation/viscosity compared to conventional processes could be achieved; powders produced using this process were of similar quality to those manufactured conventionally. Hydrolysed proteins were also shown to be an effective way of reducing viscosity in heat-treated high DM wet-mixes. In particular, using a whey protein concentrate whereby β-Lactoglobulin was selectively hydrolysed, i.e., α-Lactalbumin remained intact, reduced viscosity of wet-mixes during processing while still providing good emulsification. The thesis provides new insights into interactions between nutrients and/or processing which influence physical stability of IMF both in concentrated liquid and powdered form. The outcomes of the work have applications in such areas as; increasing the DM content of spray drier feeds in order to save energy, and, controlling final powder quality.

An exploration of future trends in environmental education research

This article describes future trends in environmental education (EE) research based on a mixed-methods study where data were collected through a content analysis of peer-reviewed articles published in EE journals between 2005 and 2010; interviews with experts engaged in EE research and sustainability-related fields; surveys with current EE researchers; and convenings with EE researchers and practitioners. We discuss four core thematic findings: (1) EE researchers are highlighting the importance of collective and community learning and action; (2) EE researchers are placing increased emphasis on the intersection of learning within the context of social-ecological communities (e.g. links between environmental quality and human well-being); (3) a pressing need exists for research conducted with urban and diverse populations; and (4) research around social media and other information technologies is of great interest, yet currently is sparse. © 2013 © 2013 Taylor & Francis.

Nutritional control of mRNA isoform expression during developmental arrest and recovery in C. elegans.

Nutrient availability profoundly influences gene expression. Many animal genes encode multiple transcript isoforms, yet the effect of nutrient availability on transcript isoform expression has not been studied in genome-wide fashion. When Caenorhabditis elegans larvae hatch without food, they arrest development in the first larval stage (L1 arrest). Starved larvae can survive L1 arrest for weeks, but growth and post-embryonic development are rapidly initiated in response to feeding. We used RNA-seq to characterize the transcriptome during L1 arrest and over time after feeding. Twenty-seven percent of detectable protein-coding genes were differentially expressed during recovery from L1 arrest, with the majority of changes initiating within the first hour, demonstrating widespread, acute effects of nutrient availability on gene expression. We used two independent approaches to track expression of individual exons and mRNA isoforms, and we connected changes in expression to functional consequences by mining a variety of databases. These two approaches identified an overlapping set of genes with alternative isoform expression, and they converged on common functional patterns. Genes affecting mRNA splicing and translation are regulated by alternative isoform expression, revealing post-transcriptional consequences of nutrient availability on gene regulation. We also found that phosphorylation sites are often alternatively expressed, revealing a common mode by which alternative isoform expression modifies protein function and signal transduction. Our results detail rich changes in C. elegans gene expression as larvae initiate growth and post-embryonic development, and they provide an excellent resource for ongoing investigation of transcriptional regulation and developmental physiology.