Flow characteristics and exchange in complex biological systems as observed by pulsed-field-gradient magnetic-resonance imaging

Water flow through model porous media was studied in the presence of surface relaxation, internal magnetic field inhomogeneities and exchange with stagnant water pools with different relaxation behavior, demonstrating how the apparent flow parameters average velocity, volume flow and flow conducting area in these situations depend on the observation time. To investigate the water exchange process a two component biological model system consisting of water flowing through a biofilm reactor (column packed with methanogenic granular sludge beads) was used, before and after a heat treatment to introduce exchange. We show that correction of the stagnant fluid signal amplitude for relaxation at increasing observation time using the observed relaxation times reveals exchange between the two fractions in the system. Further it is demonstrated how this exchange can be quantifie

Functional magnetic resonance microscopy of long- and short-distance water transport in trees

Due to their long life span, changing climatic conditions are of particular importance for trees. Climate changes will affect the water balance, which can become an important limiting factor for photosynthesis and growth. Long-distance water transport in trees is directly related to the transpiration stream and very sensitive to changes in the soil-plant-atmosphere water continuum. Therefore the study of long distance transport gives information about tree response to changing climatic conditions. Here the dynamic behaviour of water transport processes in trees has been studied by the MRI method, which is a direct and non-invasive tool.. MRI flow imaging has been applied to diffuse- and ring-porous trees to study drought stress and the occurrence of xylem vessel cavitations. World-wide unique dedicated MRI hardware is described that allows imaging of sap flow in intact trees with a maximal trunk diameter of 4 cm and height of several meters. This setup is used to investigate xylem and phloem flow in an intact tree quantitatively. Flow is quantified in terms of (averaged) velocity, volume flow (flux) and flow conducting area, either in imaging mode or resolved on the level of annual rings. Results obtained for the same tree, imaged at two different field strengths (0.7 and 3 T), are compared. An overall shortening of observed T2 values is manifest going from 0.7 to 3 T. Although susceptibility artefacts may be present at 3 T, the results are still reliable and the gain in sensitivity due to the higher magnetic field strength results in shorter measurement time (or a better spatial resolution or a higher signal to noise ratio) with respect to the 0.7 T system. By use of such dedicated hardware xylem and phloem flow, and its mutual interaction, can be studied in intact trees in relation to the water balance and in response to environmental (stress) conditions (Chapter 2). To further investigate the effect of susceptibility artefacts on MRI flow imaging by PFG-STE MRI on 3 T, water flow was studied in a number of model porous media with or without surface relaxation, internal magnetic field inhomogeneities (susceptibility artefacts) and exchange with stagnant water pools, mimicking the tree situation (Chapter 3). In such situations a clear dependence of the flow characteristics on the observation time is demonstrated. The most reliable results are obtained at relatively short observation times. This limits the observation of low flow velocities and the discrimination between flowing and non-flowing water. It is shown that correlated displacement-T2 measurements are available to improve the discrimination of flowing and non-flowing water and can be of help to decide about the functional activity of xylem conduits (Chapter 4). A method that reveals exchange between the flowing and stagnant fractions in the system is presented. Further it is demonstrated how this exchange can be quantified (Chapter 3). Xylem flow, flow conducting area and water content in the storage pools of sapwood and cambial zone were investigated simultaneously and non-destructively by MRI in diffuse-porous laurel (Laurus nobilis) and viburnum (Viburnum tinus) trees during a drydown period and recovery after watering (Chapter 4). The development of the drought stress was detected by the decrease in average velocity, volume flow and flow conducting area as observed by MRI flow imaging. A decrease in flow conducting area was observed with a delay of one day in comparison to the observed reduction in average velocity and volume flow. The re-watering of the plants resulted in the fast restore of the flow conducting area to the value observed under well watered conditions, demonstrating that if cavitations had been induced they refilled quite fast. In addition, a significant increase in the average velocity and volume flow was observed, but still lower than the original values. Imaging water content in the cambial zone indicated a gradual decrease of the water content, which speeded up during the drought stress. The rate of decrease was dependent of day/night conditions. Watering resulted in the partial restore of water content in this zone. Water content in sapwood showed a clear diurnal variation. The water storage pool in sapwood depleted quickly upon switching on the light, gradually restoring in the afternoon. Drought stress did not change the character of diurnal variation of water content significantly, but it increased the amplitude of the diurnal variation. Re-watering of the tree resulted in a 10% water loss in sapwood. Thus, for the first time the coupling between water floe in xylem vessels and water content in storage pools was demonstrated. The oldest annual ring was rather inactive in long distance water transport. We found that the transport activity of this ring was not sensitive to any environmental change and that the variation of water content in sapwood was uniform in all annual rings Non-destructive measurements of cavitation were made with MRI to test whether large earlywood vessels of ring-porous xylem are as vulnerable as some standard methods have suggested (Chapter 5). Potted, 3-4 year old Quercus robur L. trees were droughted to water potentials measured with temperature-corrected stem psychrometers. Imaging of (vessel) water content indicated that earlywood cavitation in trunks was not detectible until water potentials dropped below -3 MPa. Most earlywood vessels were cavitated below -4 MPa. Dye perfusions through excised branch segments gave comparable results. Imaging of flow conducting area (FCA) indicated a gradual decline in trunk water conduction that was not solely associated with cavitation, but probably resulted from stomatal closure and too low velocities to be discriminated from non-flowing water. Dye perfusion and FCA indicated a significant portion of earlywood vessels were non-conducting even at the most favorable water potentials. No refilling of embolized vessels was detected in rewatering experiments. Contradictory to the MRI results, standard centrifuge and air-injection methods on Q. robur stem segments indicated complete cavitation at xylem pressures at or below -1 MPa. An artifact in these destructive methods was revealed by experiments on the related species Q. gambelii Nutt. When earlywood vessels became air-filled during collection prior to being refilled in the lab, they became much more vulnerable to cavitation. Residual bubbles left behind in the refilled vessels may be responsible. These results suggest revised protocols for measuring vulnerability curves by destructive methods. An about linear correlation between water potential and decrease of water content in cambial zone of oak (Quercus robur L.) was observed (Chapter 5). <br/

The broad-band X-ray spectrum of the dipping Low Mass X-ray Binary EXO0748--676

We present results of a 0.1-100 keV BeppoSAX observation of the dipping LMXRB EXO 0748-676 performed in 2000 November. During the observation the source exhibited X-ray eclipses, type I X-ray bursts and dipping activity over a wide range of orbital phases. The 0.1-100keV "dip-free"(ie. dipping and eclipsing intervals excluded) spectrum is complex,especially at low-energies where a soft excess is present. Two very different spectral models give satisfactory fits. The first is the progressive covering model, consisting of separately absorbed black body and cut-off power-law components.The second model is an absorbed cut-off power-law together with a moderately ionized absorber with a sub-solar abundance of Fe and a 2.13 keV absorption feature (tentatively identified with Si xiii). This ionized absorber may be the same feature as seen by Chandra during dips from EXO 0748-676.Comment: 7 pages, 5 figures, paper accepted for publication in Astronomy and Astrophysic

Further records of mammal and reptile fauna from the Black Range, near Stawell and the Grampians National Park, Western Victoria

The Field Naturalists Club of Victoria conducted surveys of vertebrate fauna in the Black Range near Stawell and in the Grampians National Park in western Victoria, between 2000 and 2007. Further surveys were conducted at both locations by RMIT University between 2003 and 2010, resulting in additional records of mammals and reptiles including several rare and threatened species. These included Southern Brown Bandicoot Isoodon obesulus, Heath Mouse Pseudomys shortridgei, Swamp Skink Lissolepis coventryi, Mountain Dragon Rankinia diemensis and Fat-tailed Dunnart Sminthopsis crassicaudata. Significant numbers of Southern Brown Bandicoot were captured at one study site in the Grampians that had been subjected to fox-baiting. Several new locality records were obtained for reptiles including Ragged Snake-eyed Skink Cryptoblepharus pannosus, Southern Grass Skink Pseudemoia entrecasteauxii, Eastern Three-lined Skink Bassiana duperreyi, Coventry&#039;s Skink Niveoscincus coventryi and the plain-back colour morph of White&#039;s Skink Liopholis whitii

On the nature of the first transient Z-source XTE J1701-462: its accretion disk structure, neutron star magnetic field strength, and hard tail

Using the data from the Rossi X-Ray Timing Explorer satellite, we investigate the spectral evolution along a "Z" track and a "v" track on the hardness-intensity diagrams of the first transient Z source XTE J1701-462. The spectral analyses suggest that the inner disk radius depends on the mass accretion rate, in agreement with the model prediction, R_in \propto ((dM/dt)_disk)^{2/7}, for a radiation pressure dominated accretion disk interacting with the magnetosphere of a neutron star (NS). The changes in the disk mass accretion rate (dM/dt)_disk are responsible for the evolution of the "Z" or "v" track. The radiation pressure thickens the disk considerably, and also produces significant outflows. The NS surface magnetic field strength, derived from the interaction between the magnetosphere and the radiation pressure dominated accretion disk, is ~(1--3)X10^9 G, which is possibly between normal atoll and Z sources. A significant hard tail is detected in the horizontal branches and we discuss several possible origins of the hard tail

Full-Stokes polarimetry with circularly polarized feeds - Sources with stable linear and circular polarization in the GHz regime

We present a pipeline that allows recovering reliable information for all four Stokes parameters with high accuracy. Its novelty relies on the treatment of the instrumental effects already prior to the computation of the Stokes parameters contrary to conventional methods, such as the M\"uller matrix one. The instrumental linear polarization is corrected across the whole telescope beam and significant Stokes $Q$ and $U$ can be recovered even when the recorded signals are severely corrupted. The accuracy we reach in terms of polarization degree is of the order of 0.1-0.2 %. The polarization angles are determined with an accuracy of almost 1$^{\circ}$. The presented methodology was applied to recover the linear and circular polarization of around 150 Active Galactic Nuclei. The sources were monitored from July 2010 to April 2016 with the Effelsberg 100-m telescope at 4.85 GHz and 8.35 GHz with a cadence of around 1.2 months. The polarized emission of the Moon was used to calibrate the polarization angle. Our analysis showed a small system-induced rotation of about 1$^{\circ}$ at both observing frequencies. Finally, we identify five sources with significant and stable linear polarization; three sources remain constantly linearly unpolarized over the period we examined; a total of 11 sources have stable circular polarization degree $m_\mathrm{c}$ and four of them with non-zero $m_\mathrm{c}$. We also identify eight sources that maintain a stable polarization angle over the examined period. All this is provided to the community for polarization observations reference. We finally show that our analysis method is conceptually different from the traditionally used ones and performs better than the M\"uller matrix method. Although it was developed for a system equipped with circularly polarized feeds it can easily be modified for systems with linearly polarized feeds as well.Comment: 19 pages, 17 figures, accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysics on May 30, 201

Quiescent X-ray variability in the neutron star Be/X-ray transient GRO J1750-27

The Be/X-ray transient GRO J1750-27 exhibited a type-II (giant) outburst in 2015. After the source transited to quiescence, we triggered our multi-year Chandra monitoring programme to study its quiescent behaviour. The programme was designed to follow the cooling of a potentially heated neutron-star crust due to accretion of matter during the preceding outburst, similar to what we potentially have observed before in two other Be/X-ray transients, namely 4U 0115+63 and V 0332+53. However, unlike for these other two systems, we do not find any strong evidence that the neutron-star crust in GRO J1750-27 was indeed heated during the accretion phase. We detected the source at a rather low X-ray luminosity (~10^33 erg/s) during only three of our five observations. When the source was not detected it had very low-luminosity upper limits (<10^32 erg/s; depending on assumed spectral model). We interpret these detections and the variability observed as emission likely due to very low-level accretion onto the neutron star. We also discuss why the neutron-star crust in GRO J1750-27 might not have been heated while the ones in 4U 0115+63 and V 0332+53 possibly were.Comment: 13 pages, 6 figures, 5 tables. Accepted for A&

A change in the quiescent X-ray spectrum of the neutron star low-mass X-ray binary MXB 1659-29

The quasi-persistent neutron star low-mass X-ray binary MXB 1659-29 went into quiescence in 2001, and we have followed its quiescent X-ray evolution since. Observations over the first 4 years showed a rapid drop in flux and temperature of the neutron star atmosphere, interpreted as cooling of the neutron star crust which had been heated during the 2.5 year outburst. However, observations taken approximately 1400 and 2400 days into quiescence were consistent with each other, suggesting the crust had reached thermal equilibrium with the core. Here we present a new Chandra observation of MXB 1659-29 taken 11 years into quiescence and 4 years since the last Chandra observation. This new observation shows an unexpected factor of ~3 drop in count rate and change in spectral shape since the last observation, which cannot be explained simply by continued cooling. Two possible scenarios are that either the neutron star temperature has remained unchanged and there has been an increase in the column density, or, alternatively the neutron star temperature has dropped precipitously and the spectrum is now dominated by a power-law component. The first scenario may be possible given that MXB 1659-29 is a near edge-on system, and an increase in column density could be due to build-up of material in, and a thickening of, a truncated accretion disk during quiescence. But, a large change in disk height may not be plausible if standard accretion disk theory holds during quiescence. Alternatively, the disk may be precessing, leading to a higher column density during this latest observation.Comment: 6 pages, 4 figures, accepted for publication in Ap

Annual Hanford Site Environmental Permitting Status Report

The information contained in, and/or referenced in, this Annual Hanford Site Environmental Permitting Status Report addresses Permit Condition II.W (Other Permits and/or Approvals) of the Dangerous Waste Portion of the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act Permit for the Treatment, Storage, and Disposal of Dangerous Waste, issued by the Washington State Department of Ecology (WA7890008967). Condition II.W specifies that the Permittees are responsible for obtaining all other applicable federal, state, and local permits authorizing the development and operation of the Hanford Facility. This status report also addresses Permit Condition I.E.22, as interpreted in Section 12.1.25 of the Hanford Facility Dangerous Waste Permit Application, General Information Portion (DOE/RL-91-28, Rev. 4), that states this report will be prepared annually and a copy of this report will be placed in the Facility Operating Record, General Information file by October 1 of each year

A closed-loop analysis of grid scale battery systems providing frequency response and reserve services in a variable inertia grid

With increasing penetration of wind and solar generation the deployment of fast response plant, principally batteries, is currently considered necessary to mitigate reduced system inertia and the possibility of demand-supply imbalances. In this work the impact of these factors on battery cycling rates, taking into account the input from the batteries themselves, are analysed by applying the swing equation to a future inertia based on forecast generation mix. The operational capacity of batteries is a determining factor in their cycling rate, though the depth of discharge appears to be less well correlated. It is found that reducing system inertia does not, of itself, significantly impact on frequency volatility where the volatility of the generation to load imbalance is unchanged. However, the potential for a reduction in the damping of frequency deviations as a result of an increase in inverter connected motor drives may have a large impact on battery cycling characteristics. Provision of reserve services from battery systems requires a more complex operational strategy to ensure services are always deliverable and results in a significantly different cycling profile that may lead to greater battery degradation and consequently higher operational costs