Micron-sized Spinel Crystals In High Level Waste Glass Compositions: Determination Of Crystal Size And Crystal Fraction

The compositions utilized for immobilization of high-level nuclear wastes (HLW) are controlled using glass property models to avoid the deleterious effects of crystallization in the high-level waste (HLW) vitrification melters. The type and size of the crystals that precipitate during melter operations (typically at 1150 °C) and idling (∼1000 °C) are significantly impacted by glass composition and thermal history. This study was conducted to measure the impact of melt composition and heat treatment temperature on crystal size and fraction. A matrix of 31 multi-component glasses canvasing the expected Hanford HLW compositional space was developed and the glasses fabricated, and heat treated at 850, 900, and 950 °C. The crystal amounts, as determined by X-ray diffraction, varied from 0.2 to 41.0 wt.%. Spinel concentrations ranged from 0.0 to 13.8 wt.%. One glass of the matrix did not precipitate spinel and contained 0.2 wt.% RuO2, which was assumed to be undissolved from the melting process. All compositions contained crystals in the as-quenched glass. All of the spinel-based crystals present in the glasses were less than 10 μm in diameter, as determined by scanning electron microscopy with image analysis. Composition and temperature dependent models were generated using the resulting data and the best model fit was obtained by only considering spinel concentrations (R2 = 0.87). Two glasses were unable to be characterized because of an inability to process the glass under the conditions of this study. Those glasses were utilized to give insight into a potential multi-component constraint to aid in future statistical composition designs

Gate-to-gate life cycle inventory assessment of North American end-of-life vehicle management processes

Life cycle analysis (LCA) will be used to increase the understanding of and consequently improve the end-of-life vehicle (ELV) management process currently employed in North America by: (1) Showing the complete flow in ELV dismantling and shredding systems; (2) Demonstrating the variability in the processes; and (3) Managing this variability so as to close and surmount the gaps in these processes (e.g., improve the recovery and recycling of scrap materials, such as plastics, from pre-shredder ELVs). A literature review and case studies were conducted in cooperation with industrial recycling partners on operating ELV management facilities such as dismantlers, auto wreckers, and shredders. Successful ELV practices, unit operations, and/or technologies were identified and their practical constraints and issues of concern examined. Using the case study information and supplemental data, a life cycle inventory (LCI) of typical ELV management processes has been constructed. The LCA approach is used to examine the efficiencies of the vehicle end-of-life (VEOL) dismantling process. The mass flows of parts and/or materials (types and quantities) that are removed preferentially and directed for reuse, remanufacturing, pre-shredder recycling, and/or disposal, were assessed relative to the amount of vehicles entering the end-of-life phase. Similarly, dismantling process inefficiencies are characterized in terms of the mass flow of leftover ELV hulks and dismantled parts purged from inventory that are shipped for shredding and metals recovery. Shredding process efficiencies and inefficiencies are assessed in terms of both the flow of shredded ferrous and non-ferrous metals products recovered, as well as flow of shredder residue (SR) generated and directed for disposal, relative to the quantity of material directed for shredding. As much as 116.3 kg/tonne (11.6% weight) of the ELVs entering the dismantling process are recovered and directed for either, reuse, remanufacturing or recycling, including the recovered fluids; 5.7% weight of the ELVs processed consisted of parts recovered for reuse. Of the materials directed for shredding - ELV hulks and scrapped-out parts and other oversized, metals-rich scrap - 808 kg/tonne (80.8% weight) are recovered in the shredded ferrous and non-ferrous metals products and 192 kg/tonne (19.2% weight) is accounted for in the shredder residue

Geo-Environmental Approaches for the Analysis and Assessment of Groundwater Resources at Catchment-Scale

This book focuses on the tools and methods used for tackling the complexity of the different hydrological and hydrogeological set-ups, the hydrodynamic patterns, the site specifications, and the wide variability of internal and external factors and/or processes on the catchment-scale level that impose the need for combined integrated approaches of robust methods. This Special Issue aims to provide successful applications or new insights on the stand-alone or joint considerations of groundwater resources assessment and characterization methods and explore new state-of-the-art methodological concepts in light of a rapidly changing environment

Inverse Problems in data-driven multi-scale Systems Medicine: application to cancer physiology

Systems Medicine is an interdisciplinary framework involving reciprocal feedback between clinical investigation and mathematical modeling/analysis. Its aim is to improve the understanding of complex diseases by integrating knowledge and data across multiple levels of biological organization. This Thesis focuses on three inverse problems, arising from three kinds of data and related to cancer physiology, at different scales: tissues, cells, molecules. The general assumption of this piece of research is that cancer is associated toa path ological glucose consumption and, in fact, its functional behavior can be assessed by nuclear medicine experiments using [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) as a radioactive tracer mimicking the glucose properties. At tissue-scale, this Thesis considers the Positron Emission Tomography (PET) imaging technique, and deals with two distinct issues within compartmental analysis. First, this Thesis presents a compartmental approach, referred to as reference tissue model, for the estimation of FDG kinetics inside cancer tissues when the arterial blood input of the system is unknown. Then, this Thesis proposes an efficient and reliable method for recovering the compartmental kinetic parameters for each PET image pixel in the context of parametric imaging, exploiting information on the tissue physiology. Standard models in compartmental analysis assume that phosphorylation and dephosphorylation of FDG occur in the same intracellular cytosolic volume. Advances in cell biochemistry have shown that the appropriate location of dephosphorylation is the endoplasmic reticulum (ER). Therefore, at cell-scale, this Thesis formalizes a biochemically-driven compartmental model accounting for the specific role played by the ER, and applies it to the analysis of in vitro experiments on FDG uptake by cancer cell cultures obtained with a LigandTracer (LT) device. Finally, at molecule-scale, this Thesis provides a preliminary mathematical investigation of a chemical reaction network (CRN), represented by a huge Molecular Interaction Map (MIM), describing the biochemical interactions occurring between signaling proteins in specific pathways within a cancer cell. The main issue addressed in this case is the network parameterization problem, i.e. how to determine the reaction rate coefficients from protein concentration data

The Southern Engine of Growth and Hard Commodity Prices : Does China Lead to Disruptive Development

The 2003 to 2008 commodity boom was the longest period of rising commodity prices seen since the Second World War. The main drivers of base metal prices were increasing Demand from China, Inflexible Supply from within the Global Mining Industry and the increased participation of Financial Actors in commodity markets.This research examines the role of the main drivers in the 2003 to 2008 commodity boom,and their impact on the future behaviour of hard-commodity prices. The persistence of these drivers,despite the interruption due to the financial crisis towards the end of 2008, leads us to conclude that the Boom is the start of an expansionary phase of a commodity Super Cycle.China's increase in base-metals consumption has directly led to demand disruptions in the global commodity markets. Indirectly, it has affected the global mining sector and influenced a change in perception of financial actors. China's growth has been a disruptive element in traditional commodity price behaviour.Given the commodity pessimism since the 1950s, the current rise in commodity prices has implications for development policy. The orthodoxy of deteriorating terms of trade of commodities relative to manufactures, price volatility, the low income elasticity of demand and the nature of the global mining industry, are all challenged by the rising trend in commodity prices.Hard-commodity-exporting countries have an opportunity to benefit from the current and expected growth of commodity prices in the medium term. For base-metal ore abundant countries,commodity optimism may well define the next fifty years of global economic development

Dairy Sector: Opportunities and Sustainability Challenges

Achieving success along the entire production and supply chain of a dairy sector depends explicitly on adopting a sustainable 'state of the art' approach. In this regard, understanding key sustainability indicators and challenges with a holistic approach is vital. Appropriate design, application of novel technologies, implementation of life cycle analysis, upgradation and optimization of the entire production line are some of the key factors to be measured. In addition, it is vital that due consideration is given to demands of the producers, consumers, and dependent industries. Nevertheless, concern for the environment, social security and economy of the region should not be ignored. Precise planning ('on-farm' and 'off-farm') assumes importance especially when circular economy strategies needs to be considered. With these as background, this book is focused towards identifying present opportunities and overcoming future sustainability challenges in the global dairy sector

The Nexus Between Security Sector Governance/Reform and Sustainable Development Goal-16

This Security Sector Reform (SSR) Paper offers a universal and analytical perspective on the linkages between Security Sector Governance (SSG)/SSR (SSG/R) and Sustainable Development Goal-16 (SDG-16), focusing on conflict and post-conflict settings as well as transitional and consolidated democracies. Against the background of development and security literatures traditionally maintaining separate and compartmentalized presence in both academic and policymaking circles, it maintains that the contemporary security- and development-related challenges are inextricably linked, requiring effective measures with an accurate understanding of the nature of these challenges. In that sense, SDG-16 is surely a good step in the right direction. After comparing and contrasting SSG/R and SDG-16, this SSR Paper argues that human security lies at the heart of the nexus between the 2030 Agenda of the United Nations (UN) and SSG/R. To do so, it first provides a brief overview of the scholarly and policymaking literature on the development-security nexus to set the background for the adoption of The Agenda 2030. Next, it reviews the literature on SSG/R and SDGs, and how each concept evolved over time. It then identifies the puzzle this study seeks to address by comparing and contrasting SSG/R with SDG-16. After making a case that human security lies at the heart of the nexus between the UN’s 2030 Agenda and SSG/R, this book analyses the strengths and weaknesses of human security as a bridge between SSG/R and SDG-16 and makes policy recommendations on how SSG/R, bolstered by human security, may help achieve better results on the SDG-16 targets. It specifically emphasizes the importance of transparency, oversight, and accountability on the one hand, and participative approach and local ownership on the other. It concludes by arguing that a simultaneous emphasis on security and development is sorely needed for addressing the issues under the purview of SDG-16

Big Data in Bioeconomy

This edited open access book presents the comprehensive outcome of The European DataBio Project, which examined new data-driven methods to shape a bioeconomy. These methods are used to develop new and sustainable ways to use forest, farm and fishery resources. As a European initiative, the goal is to use these new findings to support decision-makers and producers – meaning farmers, land and forest owners and fishermen. With their 27 pilot projects from 17 countries, the authors examine important sectors and highlight examples where modern data-driven methods were used to increase sustainability. How can farmers, foresters or fishermen use these insights in their daily lives? The authors answer this and other questions for our readers. The first four parts of this book give an overview of the big data technologies relevant for optimal raw material gathering. The next three parts put these technologies into perspective, by showing useable applications from farming, forestry and fishery. The final part of this book gives a summary and a view on the future. With its broad outlook and variety of topics, this book is an enrichment for students and scientists in bioeconomy, biodiversity and renewable resources

The Impact of Constitutional Philosophy on Economic Regulation

This article addresses the intentions of the framers with regard to governmental participation in and control of business activity. This topic is particularly timely today as the U.S. defends its international position and considers the relevance of economic regulation enacted as long ago as the late 19th century. We review what worked in the past and consider whether the same solutions can work in the future. As America is governed by the Constitution, we argue that the framers would have chosen the preservation of our economic security and therefore would have disapproved of the current overregulated business environment on pragmatic grounds