SEQUESTERING CARBON DIOXIDE IN COALBEDS

During the present reporting period, six complementary tasks involving experimentation, model development, and coal characterization were undertaken to meet our project objectives: (1) A second adsorption apparatus, utilizing equipment donated by BP Amoco, was assembled. Having confirmed the reliability of this additional experimental apparatus and procedures, adsorption isotherms for CO{sub 2}, methane, ethane, and nitrogen on wet Fruitland coal and on activated carbon were measured at 319.3 K (115 F) and pressures to 12.4 MPa (1800 psia). These measurements showed good agreement with our previous data and yielded an expected uncertainty of about 3%. The addition of this new facility has allowed us to essentially double our rate of data production. (2) Adsorption isotherms for pure CO{sub 2}, methane, and nitrogen on wet Illinois-6 coal and on activated carbon were measured at 319.3 K (115 F) and pressures to 12.4 MPa (1800 psia) on our first apparatus. The activated carbon measurements showed good agreement with literature data and with measurements obtained on our second apparatus. The expected uncertainty of the data is about 3%. The Illinois-6 adsorption measurements are a new addition to the existing database. Preparations are underway to measure adsorption isotherms for pure methane, carbon dioxide and nitrogen on DESC-8 coal. (3) Adsorption from binary mixtures of methane, nitrogen and CO{sub 2} at a series of compositions was also measured on the wet Fruitland coal at 319.3 K (115 F), using our first apparatus. The nominal compositions of these mixtures are 20%/80%, 40%/60%, 60%/40%, and 80%/20%. The experiments were conducted at pressures from 100 psia to 1800 psia. The expected uncertainty for these binary mixture data varies from 2 to 9%. (4) A study was completed to address the previously-reported rise in the CO{sub 2} absolute adsorption on wet Fruitland coal at 115 F and pressures exceeding 1200 psia. Our additional adsorption measurements on Fruitland coal and on activated carbon show that: (a) the Gibbs adsorption isotherm for CO{sub 2} under study exhibits typical adsorption behavior for supercritical gas adsorption, and (b) a slight variation from Type I absolute adsorption may be observed for CO{sub 2}, but the variation is sensitive to the estimates used for adsorbed phase density. (5) The experimental data were used to evaluate the predictive capabilities of various adsorption models, including the Langmuir/loading ratio correlation, a two-dimensional cubic equation of state (EOS), a new two-dimensional (2-D) segment-segment interactions equation of state, and the simplified local density model (SLD). Our model development efforts have focused on developing the 2-D analog to the Park-Gasem-Robinson (PGR) EOS and an improved form of the SLD model. The new PGR EOS offers two advantages: (a) it has a more accurate repulsive term, which is important for reliable adsorption predictions, and (b) it is a segment-segment interactions model, which should more closely describe the gas-coal interactions during the adsorption process. In addition, a slit form of the SLD model was refined to account more precisely for heterogeneity of the coal surface and matrix swelling. In general, all models performed well for the Type I adsorption exhibited by methane, nitrogen, and carbon dioxide up to 8.3 MPa (average deviations within 2%). In comparison, the SLD model represented the adsorption behavior of all fluids considered within 5% average deviations, including the near-critical behavior of carbon dioxide beyond 8.3 MPa (1200 psia). Work is in progress to (a) derive and implement the biporous form of the SLD model, which would expand the number of structural geometries used to represent the heterogeneity of coal surface; and (b) extend the SLD model to mixture predictions. (6) Proper reduction of our adsorption data requires accurate gas-phase compressibility (Z) factors for methane, ethane, nitrogen and carbon dioxide and their mixtures to properly analyze our experimental adsorption data. A careful evaluation of the current literature, leads us to concluded that an adequate predictive capability for the mixture Z factors dose not exist. Therefore, we have elected to develop such a capability using the Benedict-Webb-Rubin (BWR) equation of state. Specifically, we have used the available pure-fluid and binary mixture data to refit the BWR equation and improve its accuracy significantly; in general, the new BWR EOS parameters yield deviations in the Z factor within 0.2%

Non-negative data-driven mapping of structural connections with application to the neonatal brain

© 2020 Mapping connections in the neonatal brain can provide insight into the crucial early stages of neurodevelopment that shape brain organisation and lay the foundations for cognition and behaviour. Diffusion MRI and tractography provide unique opportunities for such explorations, through estimation of white matter bundles and brain connectivity. Atlas-based tractography protocols, i.e. a priori defined sets of masks and logical operations in a template space, have been commonly used in the adult brain to drive such explorations. However, rapid growth and maturation of the brain during early development make it challenging to ensure correspondence and validity of such atlas-based tractography approaches in the developing brain. An alternative can be provided by data-driven methods, which do not depend on predefined regions of interest. Here, we develop a novel data-driven framework to extract white matter bundles and their associated grey matter networks from neonatal tractography data, based on non-negative matrix factorisation that is inherently suited to the non-negative nature of structural connectivity data. We also develop a non-negative dual regression framework to map group-level components to individual subjects. Using in-silico simulations, we evaluate the accuracy of our approach in extracting connectivity components and compare with an alternative data-driven method, independent component analysis. We apply non-negative matrix factorisation to whole-brain connectivity obtained from publicly available datasets from the Developing Human Connectome Project, yielding grey matter components and their corresponding white matter bundles. We assess the validity and interpretability of these components against traditional tractography results and grey matter networks obtained from resting-state fMRI in the same subjects. We subsequently use them to generate a parcellation of the neonatal cortex using data from 323 new-born babies and we assess the robustness and reproducibility of this connectivity-driven parcellation

Gray’s revised Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory in relation to Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity and Tourette-like behaviors in the general population

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) and Tourette Syndrome (TS) present as distinct conditions clinically; however, they show comorbidity and inhibitory control deficits have been proposed to underlie both. The role of reinforcement sensitivity in ADHD has been studied previously, but no study has addressed this in relation to TS-like behaviors in the general population. The present study examined these associations within the remit of the revised Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory (rRST). One hundred and thirty-eight participants completed psychometric measures of the rRST, and self-report checklists for ADHD- and TS-like behaviors

The Topographic Signature of Ecosystem Climate Sensitivity in the Western United States

It has been suggested that hillslope topography can produce hydrologic refugia, sites where ecosystem productivity is relatively insensitive to climate variation. However, the ecological impacts and spatial distribution of these sites are poorly resolved across gradients in climate. We quantified the response of ecosystem net primary productivity to changes in the annual climatic water balance for 30 years using pixel‐specific linear regression (30‐m resolution) across the western United States. The standardized slopes of these models represent ecosystem climate sensitivity and provide a means to identify drought‐resistant ecosystems. Productive and resistant ecosystems were most frequent in convergent hillslope positions, especially in semiarid climates. Ecosystems in divergent positions were moderately resistant to climate variability, but less productive relative to convergent positions. This topographic effect was significantly dampened in hygric and xeric climates. In aggregate, spatial patterns of ecosystem sensitivity can be implemented for regional planning to maximize conservation in landscapes more resistant to perturbations

Spin density wave dislocation in chromium probed by coherent x-ray diffraction

We report on the study of a magnetic dislocation in pure chromium. Coherent x-ray diffraction profiles obtained on the incommensurate Spin Density Wave (SDW) reflection are consistent with the presence of a dislocation of the magnetic order, embedded at a few micrometers from the surface of the sample. Beyond the specific case of magnetic dislocations in chromium, this work may open up a new method for the study of magnetic defects embedded in the bulk.Comment: 8 pages, 7 figure

Development and application of the Ecological Risk due to Flow Alteration (ERFA) methodology in Cambodia – progress on the TEFRIC project

The hydrological characteristics of a river exert critical controls on aquatic ecosystems. A river’s flow regime (characterised by variability, magnitude, frequency, duration, timing and rate of change of discharge) is central to sustaining aquatic biodiversity and ecosystem integrity. All elements of this regime influence some aspect of riverine ecosystems. Changes in river discharge due to climate change or water resources management have the potential for ecological impacts. The science of environmental flows has developed in order to determine flow regimes necessary to maintain economically, socially and ecologically important ecosystem services

Development of understanding in hydro-climate services in India to inform food and water security

This project aims to improve understanding of hydro-climate services in India in order to inform food and water security. It involves collaboration between UCL and the Centre for Ecology and Hydrology (CEH) in the UK and the National Institute of Hydrology (NIH), Roorkee and Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Bombay in India. This report is structured around the three main themes of the project: catchment hydrological modelling, assessment of environmental flows under climate change, and a feasibility study to assess the potential of developing guidance for India similar to that of the Flood Estimation Handbook for the UK

A Mechanistic Paradigm for Broad-Spectrum Antivirals that Target Virus-Cell Fusion

10.1371/journal.ppat.1003297PLoS Pathogens94

The Intentional Use of Service Recovery Strategies to Influence Consumer Emotion, Cognition and Behaviour

Service recovery strategies have been identified as a critical factor in the success of. service organizations. This study develops a conceptual frame work to investigate how specific service recovery strategies influence the emotional, cognitive and negative behavioural responses of . consumers., as well as how emotion and cognition influence negative behavior. Understanding the impact of specific service recovery strategies will allow service providers' to more deliberately and intentionally engage in strategies that result in positive organizational outcomes. This study was conducted using a 2 x 2 between-subjects quasi-experimental design. The results suggest that service recovery has a significant impact on emotion, cognition and negative behavior. Similarly, satisfaction, negative emotion and positive emotion all influence negative behavior but distributive justice has no effect