151 research outputs found
Challenges to Accurate Estimation of Methane Emission from Septic Tanks with Long Emptying Intervals
Septic tanks in low- and middle-income countries are often not emptied for a long time, potentially resulting in poor pollutant removal efficiency and increased greenhouse gas emissions, including methane (CH₄). We examined the impact of long emptying intervals (4.0–23 years) on the biochemical oxygen demand (BOD) removal efficiency of 15 blackwater septic tanks and the CH₄ emission rates of 23 blackwater septic tanks in Hanoi. The average BOD removal efficiency was 37% (−2–65%), and the average CH₄ emission rate was 10.9 (2.2–26.8) g/(cap·d). The emptying intervals were strongly negatively correlated with BOD removal efficiency (R = −0.676, p = 0.006) and positively correlated with CH₄ emission rates (R = 0.614, p = 0.001). CH₄ emission rates were positively correlated with sludge depth (R = 0.596, p = 0.002), but against expectation, negatively correlated with BOD removal efficiency (R = −0.219, p = 0.451). These results suggest that shortening the emptying interval improves the BOD removal efficiency and reduces the CH₄ emission rate. Moreover, the CH₄ emission estimation of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which is a positive conversion of BOD removal, might be inaccurate for septic tanks with long emptying intervals. Our findings suggest that emptying intervals, sludge depth, and per-capita emission factors reflecting long emptying intervals are potential parameters for accurately estimating CH₄ emissions from septic tanks
Revisiting geochemical controls on patterns of carbonate deposition through the lens of multiple pathways to mineralization
The carbonate sedimentary record contains diverse compositions and textures that reflect the evolution of oceans and atmospheres through geological time. Efforts to reconstruct paleoenvironmental conditions from these deposits continue to be hindered by the need for process-based models that can explain observed shifts in carbonate chemistry and form. Traditional interpretations assume minerals precipitate and grow by classical ion-by-ion addition processes but are unable to reconcile a number of unusual features contained in Proterozoic carbonates. The realization that diverse organisms produce high Mg carbonate skeletal structures by non-classical pathways involving amorphous intermediates raises the question of whether similar processes are also active in sedimentary environments. This study examines the hypothesis that non-classical pathways to mineralization are the physical basis for some of the carbonate morphologies and compositions observed in natural and laboratory settings. We designed experiments with a series of different solution Mg : Ca ratios and saturation environments to investigate the effects on carbonate phase, Mg content, and morphology. Our observations of diverse carbonate mineral compositions and textures suggest geochemical conditions bias the mineralization pathway by a systematic relationship to Mg : Ca ratio and the abundance of carbonate ions. Environments with low Mg levels produce calcite crystallites with 0–12 mol% MgCO_3. In contrast, the combination of high initial Mg : Ca and rapidly increasing saturation opens a non-classical pathway that begins with extensive precipitation of an amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC). This phase slowly transforms to aggregates of very high Mg calcite nanoparticles whose structures and compositions are similar to natural disordered dolomites. The non-classical pathways are favored when the local environment contains sufficient Mg to inhibit calcite growth through increased solubility—a thermodynamic factor, and achieves saturation with respect to ACC on a timescale that is shorter than the rate of aragonite nucleation—a kinetic factor. Aragonite is produced when Mg levels are high but saturation is insufficient for ACC precipitation. The findings provide a physical basis for anecdotal claims that the interplay of kinetic and thermodynamic factors underlies patterns of carbonate precipitation and suggest the need to expand traditional interpretations of geological carbonate formation to include non-classical pathways to mineralization
The effect of synthetic octacalcium phosphate in a collagen scaffold on the osteogenicity of mesenchymal stem cells
Although the efficacy of the in vivo osteogenic capabilities of synthetic octacalcium phosphate (OCP) crystal implantation can be explained through its stimulatory capacity for the differentiation of the host osteoblastic cell lineage, direct evidence that OCP supports bone regeneration by osteogenic cells in vivo has not been shown. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) isolated from 4-week-old male Wistar rat long bones were pre-incubated in osteogenic or maintenance medium in the presence or absence of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF). OCP/Collagen (OCP/Col) or collagen disks were seeded with MSCs that had been pre-incubated in osteogenic medium containing bFGF, which exhibited the highest differentiation induction, and then incubated for an additional day. The disks were implanted in critical-sized calvaria defects of 12-week-old male Wistar rats and the specimens were analysed radiographically, histologically, histomorphometrically, and by micro-computed tomography (CT) imaging at 4 and 8 weeks after the implantation. The OCP/Col·MSCs group rapidly induced more bone regeneration, even within 4 weeks, compared to the OCP/Col group without MSCs. The bone mineral density of the OCP/Col·MSCs group was also greater than the OCP/Col group. The Col·MSCs group did not exhibit prominent osteogenicity. These results indicate that OCP crystals in a collagen matrix efficiently promote exogenously introduced osteogenic cells to initiate bone regeneration if the cells are pre-treated in a suitable differentiation condition
Measurement of a small atmospheric ratio
From an exposure of 25.5~kiloton-years of the Super-Kamiokande detector, 900
muon-like and 983 electron-like single-ring atmospheric neutrino interactions
were detected with momentum MeV/, MeV/, and
with visible energy less than 1.33 GeV. Using a detailed Monte Carlo
simulation, the ratio was measured to be , consistent with previous results from the
Kamiokande, IMB and Soudan-2 experiments, and smaller than expected from
theoretical models of atmospheric neutrino production.Comment: 14 pages with 5 figure
Observation of the east-west anisotropy of the atmospheric neutrino flux
The east-west anisotropy, caused by the deflection of primary cosmic rays in
the Earth's magnetic field, is observed for the first time in the flux of
atmospheric neutrinos. Using a 45 kt-year exposure of the
Super-Kamiokande detector, 552 e-like and 633 mu-like horizontally-going
events are selected in the momentum range between 400 and 3000 MeV/c.
The azimuthal distribution of e-like and mu-like events agrees with the
expectation from atmospheric neutrino flux calculations that account for the
geomagnetic field, verifying that the geomagnetic field effects in the
production of atmospheric neutrinos in the GeV energy range are well
understood.Comment: 8 pages,3 figures revtex, submitted to PR
Calibration of Super-Kamiokande Using an Electron Linac
In order to calibrate the Super-Kamiokande experiment for solar neutrino
measurements, a linear accelerator (LINAC) for electrons was installed at the
detector. LINAC data were taken at various positions in the detector volume,
tracking the detector response in the variables relevant to solar neutrino
analysis. In particular, the absolute energy scale is now known with less than
1 percent uncertainty.Comment: 24 pages, 16 figures, Submitted to NIM
Measurement of radon concentrations at Super-Kamiokande
Radioactivity from radon is a major background for observing solar neutrinos
at Super-Kamiokande. In this paper, we describe the measurement of radon
concentrations at Super-Kamiokande, the method of radon reduction, and the
radon monitoring system. The measurement shows that the current low-energy
event rate between 5.0 MeV and 6.5 MeV implies a radon concentration in the
Super-Kamiokande water of less than 1.4 mBq/m.Comment: 11 pages, 4 figure
Evidence for oscillation of atmospheric neutrinos
We present an analysis of atmospheric neutrino data from a 33.0 kiloton-year
(535-day) exposure of the Super-Kamiokande detector. The data exhibit a zenith
angle dependent deficit of muon neutrinos which is inconsistent with
expectations based on calculations of the atmospheric neutrino flux.
Experimental biases and uncertainties in the prediction of neutrino fluxes and
cross sections are unable to explain our observation. The data are consistent,
however, with two-flavor nu_mu nu_tau oscillations with sin^2(2theta)>0.82
and 5x10^-4 < delta m^2 < 6x10^-3 eV^2 at 90% confidence level.Comment: 9 pages (two-column) with 4 figures. Small corrections to Eqn.4 and
Fig.3. Final version to appear in PR
Constraints on neutrino oscillation parameters from the measurement of day-night solar neutrino fluxes at Super-Kamiokande
A search for day-night variations in the solar neutrino flux resulting from
neutrino oscillations has been carried out using the 504 day sample of solar
neutrino data obtained at Super-Kamiokande. The absence of a significant
day-night variation has set an absolute flux independent exclusion region in
the two neutrino oscillation parameter space.Comment: 11 pages, 3 figures, submitted to PRL, single-spacin
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