Tracer test modeling for characterizing heterogeneity and local-scale residence time distribution in an artificial recharge site

Artificial recharge of aquifers is a technique for improving water quality and increasing groundwater resources. Understanding the fate of a potential contaminant requires knowledge of the residence time distribution (RTD) of the recharged water in the aquifer beneath. A simple way to obtain the RTDs is to perform a tracer test. We performed a pulse injection tracer test in an artificial recharge system through an infiltration basin to obtain the breakthrough curves, which directly yield the RTDs. The RTDs turned out to be very broad and we used a numerical model to interpret them, to characterize heterogeneity, and to extend the model to other flow conditions. The model comprised nine layers at the site scaled to emulate the layering of aquifer deposits. Two types of hypotheses were considered: homogeneous (all flow and transport parameters identical for every layer) and heterogeneous (diverse parameters for each layer). The parameters were calibrated against the head and concentration data in both model types, which were validated quite satisfactorily against 1,1,2-Trichloroethane and electrical conductivity data collected over a long period of time with highly varying flow conditions. We found that the broad RTDs can be attributed to the complex flow structure generated under the basin due to three-dimensionality and time fluctuations (the homogeneous model produced broad RTDs) and the heterogeneity of the media (the heterogeneous model yielded much better fits). We conclude that heterogeneity must be acknowledged to properly assess mixing and broad RTDs, which are required to explain the water quality improvement of artificial recharge basins.Peer ReviewedPostprint (published version

Continuous multi-criteria methods for crop and soil conservation planning on La Colacha (Río Cuarto, Province of Cordoba, Argentina)

Agro-areas of Arroyos Menores (La Colacha) west and south of Rand south of R?o Cuarto (Prov. of Cordoba, Argentina) basins are very fertile but have high soil loses. Extreme rain events, inundations and other severe erosions forming gullies demand urgently actions in this area to avoid soil degradation and erosion supporting good levels of agro production. The authors first improved hydrologic data on La Colacha, evaluated the systems of soil uses and actions that could be recommended considering the relevant aspects of the study area and applied decision support systems (DSS) with mathematic tools for planning of defences and uses of soils in these areas. These were conducted here using multi-criteria models, in multi-criteria decision making (MCDM); first of discrete MCDM to chose among global types of use of soils, and then of continuous MCDM to evaluate and optimize combined actions, including repartition of soil use and the necessary levels of works for soil conservation and for hydraulic management to conserve against erosion these basins. Relatively global solutions for La Colacha area have been defined and were optimised by Linear Programming in Goal Programming forms that are presented as Weighted or Lexicographic Goal Programming and as Compromise Programming. The decision methods used are described, indicating algorithms used, and examples for some representative scenarios on La Colacha area are given

Tracer test modeling for characterizing heterogeneity and local-sacle residence time distribution in an artificial recharge site.

Artificial recharge of aquifers is a technique for improving water quality and increasing groundwater resources. Understanding the fate of a potential contaminant requires knowledge of the residence time distribution (RTD) of the recharged water in the aquifer beneath. A simple way to obtain the RTDs is to perform a tracer test. We performed a pulse injection tracer test in an artificial recharge system through an infiltration basin to obtain the breakthrough curves, which directly yield the RTDs. The RTDs turned out to be very broad and we used a numerical model to interpret them, to characterize heterogeneity, and to extend the model to other flow conditions. The model comprised nine layers at the site scaled to emulate the layering of aquifer deposits. Two types of hypotheses were considered: homogeneous (all flow and transport parameters identical for every layer) and heterogeneous (diverse parameters for each layer). The parameters were calibrated against the head and concentration data in both model types, which were validated quite satisfactorily against 1,1,2-Trichloroethane and electrical conductivity data collected over a long period of time with highly varying flow conditions. We found that the broad RTDs can be attributed to the complex flow structure generated under the basin due to three-dimensionality and time fluctuations (the homogeneous model produced broad RTDs) and the heterogeneity of the media (the heterogeneous model yielded much better fits).We conclude that heterogeneity must be acknowledged to properly assess mixing and broad RTDs, which are required to explain the water quality improvement of artificial recharge basins

Hydrodechlorination of dichloromethane with mono- and bimetallic Pd-Pt on sulfated and tungstated zirconia catalysts

Monometallic (Pt or Pd) and bimetallic (Pt-Pd) catalysts supported on zirconia promoted with sulfate (SZ) or tungsten oxide (WZ) were prepared and tested in the gas-phase hydrodechlorination of dichloromethane. The catalysts showed a high selectivity to non-chlorinated products (between 80% and 90% at 250 °C) being methane the main reaction product. As a general trend, the WZ catalysts yielded significantly higher dichloromethane conversion than the SZ ones, yielding all the catalysts initial conversions higher than 80% at a reaction temperature of 250 °C. However, the former showed a very poor stability regardless of the metallic active phase. On the other hand, the presence of palladium in the sulfated zirconia catalyst avoids deactivation as proved in long-term experiments (80-h time on stream). XPS and elemental analyses of the used catalysts suggest that adsorption of organochlorinated species is a cause of deactivation by blocking the active sites. In the monometallic SZ Pt catalyst, deactivation occurs also by poisoning of the Pt sites by the H 2S resulting from sulfate reduction under the hydrogen-rich gas atmosphere. The metal particle size appears to be a critical point with regard to stability of the catalysts. The one with the highest dispersion showed the highest stability with no signs of deactivation after more than 80 h on streamThe authors are grateful to the Spanish “Ministerio de Ciencia e Innovación (MICINN)” for financial support (projects CTM2008-04751 and CTM2011-28352). J. Bedia acknowledges the Spanish MICINN for financing his research through the “Juan de la Cierva” post-doctoral program. M. Martín Martínez also wishes to thank the MICINN and the European Social Found for her research gran

Los 'Entregables': el paradigma de la evaluación continuada en la universidad

La presente ponencia presenta el método de evaluación utilizado por los autores en la Escuela Universitaria de Ingeniería Técnica Industrial de Barcelona (EUETIB). En concreto, la asignatura que ha servido de plataforma piloto corresponde a la asignatura optativa Electrónica de Adquisición de Datos y Control Industrial, impartida en tercer curso de la especialidad de Electricidad Industrial. El sistema llevado a cabo para la evaluación de los estudiantes se ha basado en una serie de documentos que los autores denominan ‘entregables’. Dichos documentos consisten, básicamente, en un conjunto de plantillas que, de forma periódica, son distribuidas a los alumnos y alumnas para que realicen las actividades demandadas en las mismas. Dichas actividades deben ser realizadas y entregadas de forma individual o en grupo, dependiendo de la actividad concreta a realizar. En la experiencia se han contemplado no solamente actividades teóricas (que engloban a los clásicos problemas), sino también actividades de laboratorio y de simulación. Ello permite unificar la evaluación y mejorar el nexo de las diferentes partes en que se divide la asignatura (teoría, problemas y laboratorio con prácticas de taller de electrónica o de simulación ante el PC).Postprint (published version

Jet Reconstruction in Heavy Ion Collisions

We examine the problem of jet reconstruction at heavy-ion colliders using jet-area-based background subtraction tools as provided by FastJet. We use Monte Carlo simulations with and without quenching to study the performance of several jet algorithms, including the option of filtering, under conditions corresponding to RHIC and LHC collisions. We find that most standard algorithms perform well, though the anti-kt and filtered Cambridge/Aachen algorithms have clear advantages in terms of the reconstructed transverse-momentum offset and dispersion.Comment: 31 pages, 17 figure

Time-related improvement of survival in resectable gastric cancer: the role of Japanese-style gastrectomy with D2 lymphadenectomy and adjuvant chemotherapy

BACKGROUND: We investigated the change of prognosis in resected gastric cancer (RGC) patients and the role of radical surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy. METHODS: We retrospectively analyze the outcome of 426 consecutive patients from 1975 to 2002, divided into 2 time-periods (TP) cohort: Before 1990 (TP1, n = 207) and 1990 or after (TP2; n= 219). Partial gastrectomy and D1-lymphadenetomy was predominant in TP1 and total gastrectomy with D2-lymphadenectomy it was in TP2. Adjuvant chemotherapy consisted of mitomycin C (MMC), 10–20 mg/m2 iv 4 courses or MMC plus Tegafur 500 mg/m2 for 6 months. RESULTS: Positive nodes were similar in TP2/TP1 patients with 56%/59% respectively. Total gastrectomy was done in 56%/45% of TP2/TP1 respectively. Two-drug adjuvant chemotherapy was administered in 65%/18% of TP2/TP1 respectively. Survival at 5 years was 66% for TP2 versus 42% for TP1 patients (p < 0.0001). Survival by stages II, IIIA y IIIB for TP2 versus TP1 patients was 70 vs. 51% (p = 0.0132); 57 vs. 22% (p = 0.0008) y 30 vs. 15% (p = 0.2315) respectively. Multivariate analysis showed that age, stage of disease and period of treatment were independent variables. CONCLUSION: The global prognosis and that of some stages have improved in recent years with case RGC patients treated with surgery and adjuvant chemotherapy

Lack of efficacy of standard doses of ivermectin in severe COVID-19 patients

Ivermectin has recently shown efficacy against SARS-CoV-2 in-vitro. We retrospectively reviewed severe COVID-19 patients receiving standard doses of ivermectin and we compared clinical and microbiological outcomes with a similar group of patients not receiving ivermectin. No differences were found between groups. We recommend the evaluation of high-doses of ivermectin in randomized trials against SARS-CoV-2

La interacción de procesos hidrológicos, químicos y microbiológicos en la formación de películas flotantes ricas en hierro en ambientes acuáticos de pH circumneutro

17 páginas.-- 3 figuras.-- 4 tablas.-- 53 referencias.-- Postprint (Versión editorial)[EN]: The direct contribution of microbial activity to the formation of iron-oxide minerals is difficult to prove in wetlands due to the high reactivity of solid iron phases with different compounds and the variety of redox processes that may occur at each oxic-anoxic boundary. Here, we propose an explanation for the formation of iron-oxide films in wetlands and groundwater seepage areas fed by sandy aquifers based on the interaction of hydrological, chemical and microbiological processes under circumneutral conditions. The presence of a floating iron-oxide film was found to create a boundary at the air-water interface that maintains a suboxic and slightly acidic environment below the film compared with the environments obtained in other free-film wetland areas. The water trapped below this film had an average pH of 6.1, was particularly poor in O2, HCO–3, Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, K+, and Tot-S, and has high concentrations of Tot-P, Tot-Fe, NH+4 and Zn. The formation of a floating iron-oxide film was reproduced under anaerobic conditions after progressive enrichment through the incubation of natural sediment samples in the laboratory. Heterotrophic bacteria belonging to the genus Enterobacter were the dominant bacteria in the enrichments that resulted in the formation of a floating iron-oxide film. The X-ray diffraction patterns showed that the presence of two-line ferrihydrite was common to the iron-oxide films collected in both the natural environment and the laboratory cultures, whereas other iron-oxides (goethite and low-crystalline lepidocrocite) were observed only in the natural environment. This study highlights the role of ubiquitous bacteria, which are generally considered unimportant participants in iron-transformation processes in the environment, and the contribution of both biological and non-biological processes to iron oxidation in natural systems under circumneutral conditions.[ES]: En los humedales, es difícil probar que la actividad microbiana sea la responsable de la formación de óxido de hierro mineral debido, tanto a la gran reactividad del hierro en fase sólida con diferentes sustancias, como a la variedad de procesos redox que pueden ocurrir en cada interfase óxica-anóxica. El presente trabajo propone una explicación, basada en la interacción de procesos hidrológicos, químicos y microbiológicos en condiciones circumneutras, para explicar la formación de un film de óxido de hierro en humedales y manaderos donde aflora agua subterránea proveniente de acuíferos de arenas silíceas. Además, la presencia de un film de óxido de hierro que flota sobre la interfase agua-aire genera condiciones subóxicas y ligeramente ácidas en el agua que queda atrapada debajo, y que son muy distintas a otras zonas libres de film en el mismo humedal. Este agua atrapada bajo el film se caracterizó por presentar un pH medio de 6.1, una menor concentración de O2, HCO–3, Na+, Ca2+, Mg2+, K+, y S total, pero una mayor riqueza en P total, Fe total, NH+4 y Zn. La formación de un film flotante de óxido de hierro se reprodujo en el laboratorio, en condiciones anaeróbicas, tras el enriquecimiento progresivo de las muestras del sedimento natural que habían sido incubadas. En dichos enriquecimientos, donde se produjeron films flotantes de óxido de hierro, la bacteria dominante perteneció al género Enterobacter. Mediante difracción por rayos X, se encontró ferrihidrita con estructura en doble cadena, tanto en el film de muestras naturales como de cultivos de laboratorio. Además se encontraron otros tipos de óxidos minerales (goetita y lepidocrocita de pobre cristalización) sólo en las muestras naturales de film. El presente estudio muestra la relevancia de bacterias ubicuas, hasta ahora consideradas sin importancia en procesos naturales de transformación del hierro, y la participación tanto de procesos bióticos como abióticos en la oxidación del hierro en sistemas naturales sometidos a condiciones circumneutras.We are grateful to Han Golterman for his support and suggestions. We thank Lotte Fleskens and Christien van der Zwart for collaborating with the sediment collection and P-fractionation at the laboratory. This study was partially supported by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Science (CGL2004-03927-C02-01/BOS)Peer reviewe

Tauroursodeoxycholic bile acid arrests axonal degeneration by inhibiting the unfolded protein response in X-linked adrenoleukodystrophy

Altres ajuts: We are indebted to the NIH NeuroBioBank for supplying the case material used for the human studies. This study was supported by grants from the European Leukodystrophy Association [ELA2012-033C1], the Center for Biomedical Research on Rare Diseases (CIBERER) to N.L. and M.R. Locomotor experiments were performed by the SEFALer unit F5 led by A.P. which belongs to the CIBERER structure.The online version of this article (doi:10.1007/s00401-016-1655-9) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users