Release of uranium from rock matrix—a record of glacial meltwater intrusions?

Uranium release observed in a rock matrix around water-carrying fractures was studied using U-series disequilibrium (USD) modelling and mass balance calculations. Several release scenarios were tested, with specific attention to the glacial aspects. The release appears to have occurred in two or three violent episodes during the last 300 ky. A release after the last glaciation can be excluded on mass flow grounds. Continuous release for more than 300 ky can be excluded on radioactive disequilibrium grounds. Repeated inflows of oxic glacial meltwater seem to have triggered the release episodes.     

美国高等职业教育的特点

美国职业教育立法具有阶段性、可操作性、科学性和先行性;高中后为非义务大学教育,包括综合性或研究型大学、普通本科大学和社区学院．社区学院主要承担高等职业教育,实行联邦政府引导、州政府和地方政府分级管理,重心是地方管理;职业教育改革的基本理论主要有人力资本理论和批判理论;形成了形式多样、多维交叉的办学格局,培养目标明确,强调技艺和操作技能,培养中级技术员;人才规格是“5种能力和3种素质”;课程体系包括普通课程、职业课程与学术课程,课程设置具有高度灵活多样和应用性;课程改革主要形式有合作学习、课程整合和STW课程框架;教师任职资格的标准很高,对教师管理非常严格,实行教师资格证书制;产教合作又称为“合作职业教育”,包括以雇主为基础的模式、收办学校模式和学习与就业连结模式;经费来源渠道主要是当地财产税、州政府拨款、联邦政府资助和学生学费．     

Uranium isotopes in groundwater from the continental intercalaire aquifer in Algerian Tunisian Sahara (Northern Africa)

The disequilibrium between ²³⁴U and ²³⁸U is commonly used as a tracer of groundwater flow. This paper aims to identify uranium contents and uranium isotopic disequilibria variation in groundwater sampled from deep Continental Intercalaire aquifer (southern Algeria and Tunisia). Large variations in both U contents (0.006–3.39 ppb) and ²³⁴U/²³⁸U activity ratios (0.4–15.38) are observed. We conduct a first assessment in order to verify whether the results of our investigation support and complete previous hydrogeological and isotopic studies. The dissolved U content and ²³⁴U/²³⁸U activity ratio data were plotted on a two-dimensional diagram that was successfully utilized on sharing the CI aquifer into different compartments submitted to different oxidising/reducing conditions and leads also to distinguished two preferential flow paths in the Nefzaoua/Chott Fejej discharge area. Uranium isotopes disequilibrium indicate that ranium chemistry is mainly controlled by water–rock interaction enhanced by long residence time recognised for this aquifer.     

解悟美国气象经济的发展轨迹和经验

美国政府在引导和规范国内气象经济发展的过程中,始终关注并有效抑制国有气象部门的垄断企图,及时果断地采取措施消除不利于气象事业顺应社会经济和技术发展要求的陈规陋习,适时坚定地扶持充满创造活力的民间资本的竞争努力.可以说,没有这种理智而清醒的管理理念,没有这种不昧于时的前赡眼光和超脱手法,没有这种不拘于内的国际视野和全球战略,是断难有其今天的作为的.我国气象经济的起步较美日等发达国家要晚近40年,更因发展思路不明至今已远远落后于诸多国家.如今面对国内社会经济发展对气象信息日益广泛而精细化的迫切需求,面对全球"气候政治"氛围愈益浓烈的全新形势.特别是"WTO'冲击渡带来的沉重的竞争压力,中国气象经济市场势必将在格局和规则方面进行重大调整.我国在推进气象服务市场化进程中亟需借鉴"美国经验",以确保我国气象事业的健康、协调、可持续发展.     

Characterizing the Relative Contributions of Large Vessels to Total Ocean Noise Fields: A Case Study Using the Gerry E. Studds Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary

In 2006, we used the U.S. Coast Guard’s Automatic Identification System (AIS) to describe patterns of large commercial ship traffic within a U.S. National Marine Sanctuary located off the coast of Massachusetts. We found that 541 large commercial vessels transited the greater sanctuary 3413 times during the year. Cargo ships, tankers, and tug/tows constituted 78% of the vessels and 82% of the total transits. Cargo ships, tankers, and cruise ships predominantly used the designated Boston Traffic Separation Scheme, while tug/tow traffic was concentrated in the western and northern portions of the sanctuary. We combined AIS data with low-frequency acoustic data from an array of nine autonomous recording units analyzed for 2 months in 2006. Analysis of received sound levels (10–1000 Hz, root-mean-square pressure re 1 μPa ± SE) averaged 119.5 ± 0.3 dB at high-traffic locations. High-traffic locations experienced double the acoustic power of less trafficked locations for the majority of the time period analyzed. Average source level estimates (71–141 Hz, root-mean-square pressure re 1 μPa ± SE) for individual vessels ranged from 158 ± 2 dB (research vessel) to 186 ± 2 dB (oil tanker). Tankers were estimated to contribute 2 times more acoustic power to the region than cargo ships, and more than 100 times more than research vessels. Our results indicate that noise produced by large commercial vessels was at levels and within frequencies that warrant concern among managers regarding the ability of endangered whales to maintain acoustic contact within greater sanctuary waters. Electronic supplementary material  The online version of this article (doi:) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.     

Radionuclides in pinon pine (Pinus edulis) nuts from los alamos national laboratory lands and the dose from consumption

Abstract

One of the dominant tree species growing within and around the eastern portion of Los Alamos National Laboratory (LANL), Los Alamos, NM, lands is the pinon pine (Pinus edulis). Pinon pine is used for firewood, fence posts, and building materials and is a source of nuts for food—the seeds are consumed by a wide variety of animals and are also gathered by people in the area and eaten raw or roasted. This study investigated the (1) concentration of ³H, ¹³⁷Cs, ⁹⁰Sr, ^totU, ²³⁸Pu, ^{239, 240}Pu, and²⁴¹ Am in soils (0‐ to 12‐in. [31 cm] depth underneath the tree), pinon pine shoots (PPS), and pinon pine nuts (PPN) collected from LANL lands and regional background (BG) locations, (2) committed effective dose equivalent (CEDE) from the ingestion of nuts, and (3) soil to PPS to PPN concentration ratios (CRs). Most radionuclides, with the exception of ³H in soils, were not significantly higher (p < 0.10) in soils, PPS, and PPN collected from LANL as compared to BG locations, and concentrations of most radionuclides in PPN from LANL have decreased over time. The maximum net CEDE (the CEDE plus two sigma minus BG) at the most conservative ingestion rate (10 lb [4.5 kg]) was 0.0018 mrem (0.018 μSv); this is far below the International Commission on Radiological Protection (all pathway) permissible dose limit of 100 mrem (1000 μSv). Soil‐to‐nut CRs for most radionuclides were within the range of default values in the literature for common fruits and vegetables.     

Nanoscale zero-valent iron/magnetite carbon composites for highly efficient immobilization of U(VI)

Nanoscale zerovalent iron/magnetic carbon (NZVI/MC) composites were successfully synthesized by simply calcining yellow pine and iron precursors. NZVI/MC pyrolyzed at 800°C (NZVI/MC800) had a higher percentage of NZVI and displayed better resistance to aggregation and oxidation of NZVI than samples prepared at other temperatures. The NZVI/MC800 material was applied for the elimination of U(VI) from aqueous solutions. The results suggested that the NZVI/MC800 displayed excellent adsorption capacity (203.94?mg/g) toward U(VI). The significant adsorption capacity and fast adsorption kinetics were attributed to the presence of well-dispersed NZVI, which could quickly reduce U(VI) into U(IV), trapping the guest U(IV) in the porous biocarbon matrix. The removal of U(VI) on the NZVI/MC samples was strongly affected by solution pH. The NZVI/MC samples also displayed outstanding reusability for U(VI) removal after multiple cycles. These findings indicate that NZVI/MC has great potential for remediation of wastewater containing U(VI).     

美军军事极端环境选择的科学表征

介绍了美国陆军研究办公室资助陆军研究实验室环境科学部和陆军军官学校地理与环境工程部,研发了通过地理环境分析提高利用自然环境进行试验和训练的科学判据,实现了表征任意环境试验站点支持试验任务的能力.在地理环境位置分析中,采用了8步骤环境试验站评价分析模型,并给出了理想热带试验区环境条件分析和理想沙漠环境精确的地理学参数分析案例.为最优化试验站点选择,还研发了附加关键自然环境因素评价等级.研究成果的创新在于通过科学的标准将选择全球最佳自然环境进行现场试验和军事行动的需求与地理背景环境联系起来,能够对相关环境试验站的选择进行科学表征和评估,实现装备/材料现场试验与部队训练效益最大化.     

Low-temperature plasma induced phosphate groups onto coffee residue-derived porous carbon for efficient U(VI) extraction

For the continuous utilization of nuclear energy and efficient control of radioactive pollution, low-cost materials with high efficient U(VI) removal are of great importance. In this study, low temperature plasma method was applied for the successful modification of O-phosphorylethanolamine (O-PEA) on the porous carbon materials. The produced materials (Cafe/O-PEA) could adsorb U(VI) efficiently with the maximum sorption capacity of 648.54 mg/g at 1 hr, T=298 K, and pH=6.0, much higher than those of most carbon-based composites. U(VI) sorption was mainly controlled by strong surface complexation. From FTIR, SEM-EDS and XPS analyses, the sorption of U(VI) was related to the complexation with -NH₂, phosphate and -OH groups on Cafe/O-PEA. The low temperature plasma method was an efficient, environmentally friendly and low-cost method for surface modification of materials for the effective enrichment of U(VI) from aqueous solutions.     

微囊藻毒素对真菌和哺乳动物细胞毒害效应的研究

主要探讨微囊藻毒素对真菌和哺乳动物细胞的毒害效果,以及其作为水体生理毒害评价模式细胞的可能。通过毒性试验和单细胞凝胶电泳实验,利用栗酒裂殖酵母细胞（S.pombe）,人肝癌细胞（HepG2）和人脑星形胶质母细胞癌细胞（U87）3种生物模型评估MC对细胞DNA的损伤以及对细胞内氧化自由基水平的影响。并利用栗酒裂殖酵母的基因缺失体,判断MC所诱导的酵母细胞氧化应激路径。研究表明MC通过氧化路径诱导DNA损伤;缺失wis1△和pap1△基因的S.pombe细胞无法诱导ROS生产,wis1△和pap1△缺失型S.pombe细胞在40 mg·L-1-1MC暴露24 h下细胞增殖率仅下降7.3%、7.7%;氧化损伤是MC损伤S.pombe的主要方式;HepG2细胞和U87细胞较S.pombe细胞适于研究、评估MC的毒性。