IMPACT ASSESSMENT OF EXISTING VADOSE ZONE CONTAMINATION AT THE HANFORD SITE SX TANK FARM

The USDOE has initiated an impact assessment of existing vadose zone contamination at the Hanford Site SX tank farm in southeastern Washington State. The assessment followed the Resource Conservation and Recovery Act (RCRA) Corrective Action process to address the impacts of past tank waste releases to the vadose zone at the single-shell tank farm. Numerical models were developed that consider the extent of contamination presently within the vadose zone and predict contaminant movement through the vadose zone to groundwater. The transport of representative mobile (technetium-99) and immobile (cesium-137) constituents was evaluated in modeling. The model considered the accelerated movement of moisture around and beneath single-shell tanks that is attributed to bare, gravel surfaces resulting from the construction of the underground storage tanks. Infiltration, possibly nearing 100 mm yr{sup -1}, is further amplified in the tank farm because of the umbrella effect created by percolating moisture being diverted by the impermeable, sloping surface of the large, 24-m-diameter, buried tank domes. For both the base case (no-action alternative) simulation and a simulation that considered placement of an interim surface barrier to minimize infiltration, predicted, groundwater concentrations for technetium-99 at the SX tank farm boundary were exceedingly high, on the order of 10{sup 6} pCi L{sup -1}. The predicted concentrations are, however, somewhat conservative because of our use of two-dimensional modeling for a three-dimensional problem. A series of simulations were performed, using recharge rates of 50, 30, and 10 mm yr{sup -1}, and compared to the basecase(100 mm yr{sup -1}) results. As expected, lowering meteoric recharge delayed peak arrival times and reduced peak concentrations at the tank farm boundary

The roles of intolerance of uncertainty, anxiety sensitivity and distress tolerance in hoarding disorder compared with OCD and healthy controls

Background: It is suggested that the different psychological vulnerability factors of intolerance of uncertainty (IU), anxiety sensitivity (AS) and distress tolerance (DT) may be in important in hoarding disorder (HD). However, the extent to which these factors are specific to HD compared with other disorders remains unclear. Aims: The current study aimed to investigate differences in IU, AS and DT in three groups: HD (n=66), obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD; n=59) and healthy controls (HCs; n=63). Method: Participants completed an online battery of standardised self-report measures to establish the independent variable of group membership (HD, OCD and HC) and the dependent variables (IU, AS and DT). Results: A MANOVA analysis indicated statistically significant differences in IU, AS and DT between the clinical groups and HCs. Follow-up analyses showed no statistically significant differences between the HD and OCD group for any of the three constructs. The results remained the same when examining the effects of co-morbid HD and OCD. An unexpected finding was the trend for IU, AS and DT to be more severe when HD and OCD were co-morbid. Conclusions: The evidence suggests the absence of a specific relationship between IU, AS or DT in HD and instead is consistent with existing research which suggests that these psychological vulnerability factors are transdiagnostic constructs across anxiety disorders. The implications of the findings are discussed

Simulation of Pollutant Movement in Groundwater Aquifers

A three-dimensional model describing the two-phase (air-water) fluid flow equations in an integrated saturated-unsaturated porous medium was developed. Also, a three-dimensional convective-dispersion equation describing the movement of a conservative, noninteracting tracer in a nonhomogeneous, anisotropic porous medium was developed.! Finite difference forms of these two equations were derived. The two models were linked by the pore water-velocity term. The computer simulator was developed to handle a variety of boundary conditions, such as, constant pressure, constant head, a no-flow boundary, a constant flux, and a time-dependent flux based on rainfall rate. The two-phase fluid flow equations were solved using van implicit scheme to solve for water or air pressures and an explicit scheme to solve for water and air saturations. The tensorial nature of the dispersion coefficient in a Cartesian coordinate system was recognized and the method of characteristics with a numerical tensor transformation was used to solve the convective-dispersion equations. The numerical simulator was tested on problems for which analytical solutions, numerical solutions, and experimental data-are available. The two-phase infiltration model yielded excellent results upon comparison with analytical solutions, numerical simulations, and experimental data. The inclusion of air as a second phase in infiltration problems led to interesting results. The infiltration rate decreased rapidly to a value well below the saturated hydraulic conductivity. As the compressed air was released, the infiltration rate increased for a short period of time, then decreased slightly and remained below the saturated hydraulic conductivity until the end of simulation. This is in contrast to one-phase flow problems in which the saturated hydraulic conductivity is considered to be the lower bound of infiltration rate. The longitudinal and lateral concentration distributions obtained with and without tensor transformation in a homogeneous, isotropic medium and a uniform flow field were compared with known analytical solutions. Excellent agreement was obtained between the numerical solution with tensor transformation and the analytical solution. The solution without the tensor transformation resulted in a steeper concentration distribution than the analytical solution. A typical two-dimensional drainage problem in agriculture was solved in a nonhomogeneous, integrated saturated-unsaturated medium using the total simulator of fluid flow and convective-dispersion equations. A variety of outputs, such as an equipotential map or a moving points' concentration map showing isochlors were obtained at selected time steps. The limitations of the assumptions of a homogeneous and isotropic medium are illustrated by the accumulation of moving points at a transition from a higher to lower permeability. A field-size problem describing the migration of septic-tank wastes around the perimeter of a lake was also considered and solved using the total simulator. This study was an initial thrust at developing a total numerical simulator for miscible displacement in the entire flow domain of saturated and unsaturated regions. The simulator can be applied to environmental problems concerning groundwater contamination from waste disposal sites, provided the values of the input parameters, such as the field dispersivities, are known under field conditions. The uniqueness of the model developed in this study are (1) infiltration was treated as a two-phase (air-water) process, (2) the complete subsurface regime was considered as a unified whole because the flow in the saturated region was integrated with that in the unsaturated region, (3) the model allows consideration of nonhomogeneous porous media and a combination of a variety of realistic boundary conditions, and (4) the tensorial nature of the dispersion coefficients was recognized

Large outbreak of Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever in Iraq, 2022

Background Crimean-Congo haemorrhagic fever (CCHF) is reported sporadically in Iraq. The lack of preventive veterinary activities during 2 years of the coronavirus disease 2019 pandemic (2020 and 2021) led to the largest CCHF outbreak in Iraq since 1979. Objective To describe the epidemiological characteristics of CCHF cases that occurred during the first half of 2022 in Iraq in terms of age, sex, residence, history of contact with another case, and history of contact with animals. Materials and methods This descriptive study included laboratory-confirmed cases of CCHF between 1st January 2022 and 26th June 2022. Frequencies and percentages were used to describe the demographic and epidemiologic criteria of the cases. The epidemic curve of the cases was used to describe the timing and duration of the outbreak. Results In total, there were 219 confirmed cases of CCHF from 1st January 2022 to 26th June 2022. The first confirmed case was reported in March 2022, and cases continued to occur through June 2022. The median age of the cases was 34.5 years. The majority of cases were male (n=130, 59.4%), had an unspecified job (n=126, 57.5%) and lived in southern Iraq (n=142, 64.8%). The first case was reported in week 10 of 2022. Case numbers peaked in week 24 (30 cases were reported), and subsequently declined in week 25 (24 cases were reported). The case fatality rate was 16.4%. Conclusion and recommendations The CCHF outbreak in 2022 was the largest in Iraq since the disease was first reported four decades ago. Identification of CCHF strains in Iraq is recommended, together with exploration of the knowledge, attitudes and practices of high-risk groups for CCHF, and a national survey of CCHF vectors in Iraq

Variability and scaling of hydraulic properties for 200 Area soils, Hanford Site

Over the years, data have been obtained on soil hydraulic properties at the Hanford Site. Much of these data have been obtained as part of recent site characterization activities for the Environmental Restoration Program. The existing data on vadose zone soil properties are, however, fragmented and documented in reports that have not been formally reviewed and released. This study helps to identify, compile, and interpret all available data for the principal soil types in the 200 Areas plateau. Information on particle-size distribution, moisture retention, and saturated hydraulic conductivity (K{sub s}) is available for 183 samples from 12 sites in the 200 Areas. Data on moisture retention and K{sub s} are corrected for gravel content. After the data are corrected and cataloged, hydraulic parameters are determined by fitting the van Genuchten soil-moisture retention model to the data. A nonlinear parameter estimation code, RETC, is used. The unsaturated hydraulic conductivity relationship can subsequently be predicted using the van Genuchten parameters, Mualem`s model, and laboratory-measured saturated hydraulic conductivity estimates. Alternatively, provided unsaturated conductivity measurements are available, the moisture retention curve-fitting parameters, Mualem`s model, and a single unsaturated conductivity measurement can be used to predict unsaturated conductivities for the desired range of field moisture regime

Impact of Science Technology and Innovation (STI) on Economic Growth and Development: A Case Study of Pakistan

The study reports the case study research about the impact of STI on economic growth and development. 305 scientists responded the questionnaire. Out of 305, 94% (288) confirmed that STI has the impact on economic growth and economic development.  In response to the 2nd question, about the impact of their research on economic growth and development, 85 %(260) scientists supported that STI has the positive impact on economic growth. The STI system of Pakistan is also discussed and found that STI system in Pakistan is very weak. To improve STI system of Pakistan, there is dire need of long-term STI policy. Therefore, at the end of the study on the basis of survey results and STI capacity indicator, the policy recommendations and implications of the study are presented. These recommendations are very useful for STI policy makers and planners for Pakistan as well as developing countries, to improve STI situation.&nbsp

Musculoskeletal Disorders and Association with Social Media Use Among University Students at the Quarantine Time Of COVID-19 Outbreak

Introduction: COVID-19 period was characterized by lockdown and quarantine, the aim of this cross-sectional analytical study is to investigate the effect of COVID-19 quarantine on social media use, and its association with musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) among university students. Methods: A cross sectional study was conducted among Al-Quds University students. 317 students (average age of 20.34 years) participated in this study. A self-designed questionnaire was used to collect data which was sent to students on social media using a simple random method in almost all academic year phases. Results: There was a statically significant increase in the following variables during quarantine compared to before (P0.05). There was no statistically significant difference in time spent on exercise before and during quarantine with average time before the quarantine of 0.80 hours to 0.7 hours during the quarantine (P>0.05). There was a statistically significant increase of severity of Musculoskeletal disorders (MSD) as measured by a scale of 0-10 during the quarantine (P<0.05) in terms of severity of headache (2 to 2, 78), neck pain (2.06 to 2.80), and back pain (2.17 to 3). This increase in the three dominant MSD was positively correlated with the hours of use of laptops, computers, and mobile phones, for communication and education (P<0.05). Statistically significant negative correlation was found in between night sleeping hours and severity of MSD reported by students (P<0.05). Age was correlated with less use of social media for leisure and with more exercise (P<0.05). StudentsConclusion: Quarantine increased the time of use of social media, and in turn increases the prevalence and severity of MSD among university