Stabilization of high and low solids Consolidated Incinerator Facility (CIF) waste with super cement

This report details solidification activities using selected Mixed Waste Focus Area technologies with the High and Low Solid waste streams. Ceramicrete and Super Cement technologies were chosen as the best possible replacement solidification candidates for the waste streams generated by the SRS incinerator from a list of several suggested Mixed Waste Focus Area technologies. These technologies were tested, evaluated, and compared to the current Portland cement technology being employed. Recommendation of a technology for replacement depends on waste form performance, process flexibility, process complexity, and cost of equipment and/or raw materials

Oak Ridge National Laboratory Melton Valley Storage Tanks Waste filtration process evaluation

The purpose of this filter study was to evaluate cross-flow filtration as effective solid-liquid separation technology for treating Oak Ridge National Laboratory wastes, outline operating conditions for equipment, examine the expected filter flow rates, and determine proper cleaning.The Gunite Tanks at the Oak Ridge National Laboratory contain heels which are a mixture of sludge, wash water, and bentonite clay. The tanks are to be cleaned out with a variety of flushing techniques and the dilute mixture transferred to another storage tank. One proposal is to transfer this mixture into existing Melton Valley Storage Tanks (MVST), which already contain a large amount of sludge and supernate. The mixed aqueous phase will then be transferred to new MVST, which are prohibited from containing insoluble solids. To separate the solid from the liquid and thereby prevent solids transfer into the new MVST, a technique is needed that can cleanly separate the sludge and bentonite clay from the supernate. One proposed method for solid liquid separation is cross-flow filtration. Cross-flow filtration has been used at the Savannah River and West Valley sites for treatment of tank waste, and is being tested for applicability at other sites. The performance of cross-flow filters with sludge has been tested, but the impact of sludge combined with bentonite clay has not. The objective of this test was to evaluate the feasibility of using cross-flow filters to perform the solid liquid separation required for the mixture of Gunite and MVST tank wastes

Hanford underground storage tank waste filtration process evaluation

The purpose of this filter study was to evaluate cross-flow filtration as effective solid-liquid separation technology for treating Hanford wastes, outline operating conditions for equipment, examine the expected filter flow rates, and determine proper cleaning. Two Hanford waste processing applications have been identified as candidates for the use of cross-flow filtration. The first of the Hanford applications involves filtration of the decanted supernate from sludge leaching and washing operations. This process involves the concentration and removal of dilute (0.05 wt percent) fines from the bulk of the supernate. The second application involves filtration to wash and concentrate the sludge during out-of-tank processing. This process employs a relatively concentrated (8 wt percent) solids feed stream. Filter studies were conducted with simulants to evaluate whether 0.5 micron cross-flow sintered metal Mott filters and 0.1 micron cross-flow Graver filters can perform solid-liquid separation of the solid/liquid waste streams effectively. In cross-flow filtration the fluid to be filtered flows in parallel to the membrane surface and generates shearing forces and/or turbulence across the filter medium. This shearing influences formation of filter cake stabilizing the filtrate flow rate

Hanford phosphate precipitation filtration process evaluation

The purpose of this filter study was to evaluate cross-flow filtration as effective solid-liquid separation technology for treating Hanford wastes, outline operating conditions for equipment, examine the expected filter flow rates, and determine proper cleaning. A proposed Hanford waste pre-treatment process uses sodium hydroxide at high temperature to remove aluminum from sludge. This process also dissolves phosphates. Upon cooling to 40 degrees centigrade the phosphates form a Na7(PO4)2F9H2O precipitate which must be removed prior to further treatment. Filter studies were conducted with a phosphate slurry simulant to evaluate whether 0.5 micron cross-flow sintered metal Mott filters can separate the phosphate precipitate from the wash solutions. The simulant was recirculated through the filters at room temperature and filtration performance data was collected

Cross-Flow Filtration of Department of Energy Hanford Waste Streams Using Sintered Metal Mott and Graver Filters at the Savannah River Technology Center

Treatment processes have been proposed that will utilize cross-flow filtration to filter supernate and concentrated sludge waste streams at a Department of Energy plant in Hanford, Washington. Two waste processing applications have been identified as candidates for this technology. The first of the Hanford applications involves filtration of the decanted supernate from sludge leaching and washing operations. This process requires the concentration and removal of dilute fines from the bulk of the supernate. The second application involves filtration to wash and concentrate the sludge during out-of-tank processing of a relatively concentrated solids feed stream

GMOS IFU observations of the stellar and gaseous kinematics in the centre of NGC 1068

We present a data cube covering the central 10 arcsec of the archetypal active galaxy NGC 1068 over a wavelength range 4200–5400 Å obtained during the commissioning of the integral field unit (IFU) of the Gemini Multi-object Spectrograph (GMOS) installed on the Gemini-North telescope. The data cube shows a complex emission line morphology in the [O iii] doublet and Hβ line. To describe this structure phenomenologically we construct an atlas of velocity components derived from multiple Gaussian component fits to the emission lines. The atlas contains many features which cannot be readily associated with distinct physical structures. While some components are likely to be associated with the expected biconical outflow, others are suggestive of high velocity flows or disc-like structures. As a first step towards interpretation, we seek to identify the stellar disc using kinematical maps derived from the Mg b absorption line feature at 5170 Å and make associations between this and gaseous components in the atlas of emission line components

A double blind, randomised, placebo-controlled trial to evaluate the efficacy of metformin to treat preterm pre-eclampsia (PI2 Trial): study protocol

INTRODUCTION:Pre-eclampsia is a major complication of pregnancy, globally responsible for 60 000 maternal deaths per year, and far more fetal losses. There is no definitive treatment other than delivery. A therapeutic that could quench the disease process would be useful to treat preterm pre-eclampsia, as it could allow these pregnancies to safely continue to a gestation where fetal outcomes are significantly improved. We have published preclinical data to show that metformin, a drug known to be safe in pregnancy and commonly used to treat gestational diabetes, has potent biological effects making it another promising candidate to treat pre-eclampsia. Here, we describe a phase II clinical trial to examine whether administering extended-release metformin may be effective in treating women with preterm pre-eclampsia (PI2 Trial). METHODS:The PI2 Trial is a phase II, double blind, randomised controlled trial that aims to recruit 150 women with preterm pre-eclampsia (gestational age 26+0 to 31+6 weeks) who are being managed expectantly. Participants will be randomised to receive either 3 g of metformin or placebo daily. The primary outcome is time from randomisation until delivery. A delay in delivery of 5 days is assumed to be clinically relevant. The secondary outcomes will be a maternal composite and neonatal composite outcome. All other outcomes will be exploratory. We will record adverse events. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION:This study has ethical approval (Protocol number M16/09/037 Federal Wide Assurance Number 00001372, Institutional Review Board Number IRB0005239), is registered with the Pan African Clinical Trial Registry (PACTR201608001752102) and the South African Medicine Control Council (20170322). Data will be presented at international conferences and published in peer-reviewed journals. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER:PACTR201608001752102; Pre-results.Catherine Cluver, Susan P Walker, Ben W Mol, David Hall, Richard Hiscock, Fiona C Brownfoot, Tu’uhevaha J Kaitu’u-Lino, Stephen Ton

Murchison Widefield Array rapid-response observations of the short GRB 180805A

Abstract Here we present stringent low-frequency (185 MHz) limits on coherent radio emission associated with a short-duration gamma-ray burst (SGRB). Our observations of the short gamma-ray burst (GRB) 180805A were taken with the upgraded Murchison Widefield Array (MWA) rapid-response system, which triggered within 20s of receiving the transient alert from the Swift Burst Alert Telescope, corresponding to 83.7 s post-burst. The SGRB was observed for a total of 30 min, resulting in a $3\sigma$ persistent flux density upper limit of 40.2 mJy beam–1. Transient searches were conducted at the Swift position of this GRB on 0.5 s, 5 s, 30 s and 2 min timescales, resulting in $3\sigma$ limits of 570–1 830, 270–630, 200–420, and 100–200 mJy beam–1, respectively. We also performed a dedispersion search for prompt signals at the position of the SGRB with a temporal and spectral resolution of 0.5 s and 1.28 MHz, respectively, resulting in a $6\sigma$ fluence upper-limit range from 570 Jy ms at DM $=3\,000$ pc cm–3 ( $z\sim 2.5$ ) to 1 750 Jy ms at DM $=200$ pc cm–3 ( $z\sim 0.1)$ , corresponding to the known redshift range of SGRBs. We compare the fluence prompt emission limit and the persistent upper limit to SGRB coherent emission models assuming the merger resulted in a stable magnetar remnant. Our observations were not sensitive enough to detect prompt emission associated with the alignment of magnetic fields of a binary neutron star just prior to the merger, from the interaction between the relativistic jet and the interstellar medium (ISM) or persistent pulsar-like emission from the spin-down of the magnetar. However, in the case of a more powerful SGRB (a gamma-ray fluence an order of magnitude higher than GRB 180805A and/or a brighter X-ray counterpart), our MWA observations may be sensitive enough to detect coherent radio emission from the jet-ISM interaction and/or the magnetar remnant. Finally, we demonstrate that of all current low- frequency radio telescopes, only the MWA has the sensitivity and response times capable of probing prompt emission models associated with the initial SGRB merger event.</jats:p

Expression of CD45RC and Ia Antigen in the Spinal Cord in Acute Experimental Allergic Encephalomyelitis: An Immunocytochemical and Flow Cytometric Study

We performed immunocytochemical studies to analyze the inflammatory infiltrate and major histocompatibility complex class II (Ia) antigen expression in the spinal cord of Lewis rats with acute experimental allergic encephalomyelitis (EAE) induced by inoculation with myelin basic protein and adjuvants. Using antibodies to lymphocyte markers and other monoclonal antibodies we found that during clinical episodes the inflammatory infiltrate was chiefly composed of T lymphocytes and macrophages. The majority of cells in the inflammatory infiltrate were stained by the W3/25 antibody to CD4 and a proportion was stained by OX22 which labels the high molecular weight form of the leucocyte common antigen (CD45RC). CDB+ T cells were sparse and B cells were not detected. There was minimal staining with the OX39 antibody to the interleukin-2 receptor. Presumptive microglia, identified by their dendritic morphology, expressed Ia antigen during the clinical episodes and after recovery. The prominence of Ia antigen expression after recovery could indicate that this la expression was associated with downregulation of the encephalitogenic immune response. We also performed flow cytometry studies on cells extracted from the spinal cord of rats before and during attacks of EAE. With flow cytometry, we found that in established disease a mean of 83(SD, 23)% of CD2+ cells were CD4+, and a mean of 27(SD, 12)% of CD2+ cells were CD45RC+. In rats sampled on the first day of signs, a mean of 43(SD, 22)% of CD2+ cells were CD45RC+. In the cells extracted from the spinal cord of rats with established disease a mean of 47(SD, 32)% of macrophages were CD45RC+. Our study has combined an immunocytochemical assessment of tissue sections with quantitative flow cytometry assessment of cells extracted from the spinal cord of rats with acute EAE. We have shown that the majority of T lymphocytes in the spinal cord are CD45RC-. We have also found prominent Ia expression on dendritic cells in acute EAE and after clinical recovery