Microbial community study of the process- and groundwater of the Sishen Iron-Ore Mine, South Africa

Investigating the microbial community of the Sishen Iron-Ore Mine in South Africa has become a topic of interest. Microorganisms could prove to be useful in bioleaching processes, resulting in the minimisation of the negative impact that certain substances, such as phosphorus (P) and potassium (K), have on the economic functioning of the mine. The objective of this investigation was, therefore, to determine which micro-organisms were indigenously present in the process- and groundwater systems of the mine. Groundwater samples and three different process water samples were collected from the mine, followed by chemical- and microbial community analyses. Microbial inhibition was observed in all the process water samples due to the relatively high levels of copper, chromium and zinc present. Aeromonas hydrophila proved to be the dominant bacterial species in all the process water samples, whereas Pseudomonas aeruginosa and Herbaspirillum spp. were observed in the groundwater of the mine. None of the isolated micro-organisms have been implicated in bioleaching practices, and therefore these organisms will not be included as candidates for the removal of P and K from the iron-ore of the Sishen Iron-Ore Mine.Keywords: Sishen Iron-Ore Mine, microbial community, process water, groundwater, bioleachin

A field based method for pre-concentration of micro organics using solid phase extraction

British Geological Survey (BGS) have been researching micro-organic pollutants for many years in the UK (Gooddy et al 2004, Stuart et al 2012, White et al 2016) and overseas (Sorensen et al 2015). A hindrance to the research, especially overseas, has been the need to transport large volumes of water back to the laboratory and the worry of degradation during transportation prior to LCMS or GCMS analysis. The first step in the LCMS analytical procedure is the solid phase extraction of the micro-organic contaminants onto a small cartridge. This report details the field trial where by BGS, working in conjunction with NLS, carried out the pre-concentration step of sample processing in the field. NLS provided pre-conditioned sorbent Oasis® HLB cartridges supplied in sealed Corning centristar centrifuge tubes. Water samples were run through the cartridges by the field team using a small peristaltic pump prior to sending to NLS for semi-quantative broad screen LCMS analysis. To check the repeatability and the stability of this method the sorbed samples were analysed in duplicate and replicate analysis was carried out over set periods after storage for up to a month. The results from the duplicate replicates are compared to results from the original water sample analysed immediately after sampling. Laboratory and field equipment blanks were included in the trial to check for any contamination introduced by the sampling method and extraction process. Preliminary results demonstrate that for a large range of compounds, and different types of matrices, this method was able to preserve samples for up to a month. Once the procedure had been validated, it was used to investigate the occurrence of micro-pollutants in a rural groundwater, estuarine waters and a range of surface waters receiving treated sewerage outflows. The work was funded under the BGS Development Capabilities programme, and was also supported by the BGS Groundwater Science programme under the Groundwater Protection team. Analytical aspects of this work was undertaken in collaboration with Wayne Civil based at Star Cross National Science Laboratory (NLS)

The Influence of Porosity on Fatigue Crack Initiation in Additively Manufactured Titanium Components

Without post-manufacture HIPing the fatigue life of electron beam melting (EBM) additively manufactured parts is currently dominated by the presence of porosity, exhibiting large amounts of scatter. Here we have shown that the size and location of these defects is crucial in determining the fatigue life of EBM Ti-6Al-4V samples. X-ray computed tomography has been used to characterise all the pores in fatigue samples prior to testing and to follow the initiation and growth of fatigue cracks. This shows that the initiation stage comprises a large fraction of life (>70 %). In these samples the initiating defect was often some way from being the largest (merely within the top 35 % of large defects). Using various ranking strategies including a range of parameters, we found that when the proximity to the surface and the pore aspect ratio were included the actual initiating defect was within the top 3 % of defects ranked most harmful. This lays the basis for considering how the deposition parameters can be optimised to ensure that the distribution of pores is tailored to the distribution of applied stresses in additively manufactured parts to maximise the fatigue life for a given loading cycle

Mapping topography and broad vegetation type to characterise the Boxford meadows SSSI (Unit 2)

Understanding the dynamic relationship between hydrology and ecology in a complex wetland setting should be considered integral to the sustainable management and conservation of wetland habitats and future water resource planning. Wetland hydrology can exhibit considerable spatial complexity as a result of sub surface and surface heterogeneity. The latter of which may be determined by the relationship between spatial topography variation and broad vegetation distribution. Any study to investigate such a relationship must be at a spatial resolution sufficient to identify patterns in surface topography and vegetation type. In this study state of the art survey technology was used to collect and record for subsequent mapping the topographic and vegetation characteristics of the Boxford lowland chalk groundwater dependent terrestrial ecosystem (GDTE). The resultant survey dataset successfully unveiled distinct patterns in topography and vegetation type. The analysis of the data in a Geographical Information System (GIS) desk confirmed for the first time the presence of paleo-channels and a braided fluvial system within the meadows. In addition the combined survey method gives some indication that the type of vegetation present appears to coincide with some of the more distinctive topographical features. The results demonstrate that combining the field survey campaign alongside desk based GIS analysis is an extremely useful and versatile tool and can provide valuable information to support the decision making process for both further scientific investigation and sustainable habitat management

Method for analysing phosphate 18O/16O ratios for waters with high C:P ratios

In this report we outline a method to isolate phosphate as pure Ag3PO4 for waters with high C:P ratios for 18O analysis. This report details a method that can be used to minimise residual organic contamination of the final Ag3PO4, therefore significantly reducing uncertainties in the final interpretation of 18O results. This includes the use of column resins in series to (i) remove the majority of dissolved organic carbon and (ii) isolate/pre-concentrate PO4. This is followed by the use of a modified McLaughlin et al (2004) method for PO4 precipitation, with an additional final hydrogen peroxide clean-up step to remove residual organic matter following precipitation of Ag3PO4. The reagents required for this method are first listed, and then a step-by-step account of the process is outlined. Importantly, it contains adequate detail to be used by other researchers in this field or modified to suit their particular research objectives

Human PKR Transfected into Murine Cells Stimulates Expression of Genes under Control of the HIV1 or HTLV-I LTR

AbstractWe have analyzed the effect of transfection into murine NIH/3T3 cells of the human dsRNA-activated kinase PKR on the expression of the β-galactosidase reporter gene, placed under control of the HIV1 or the HTLV-I LTR. β-Galactosidase expression is stimulated when the reporter plasmids are cotransfected with wild-type PKR but inhibited when cotransfected with a catalytically inactive mutant PKR. In the case of HIV1, β-galactosidase expression was not stimulated when cotransfection was carried out with PKR harboring mutations in the dsRNA binding domains, indicating that stimulation depends on the classical mode of PKR activation through dsRNA binding. In contrast, the dsRNA binding mutants of PKR could still partially stimulate β-galactosidase expression from the HTLV-I LTR, suggesting that PKR activation in this case may involve different/additional mechanisms. These results show that, in addition to the known down-regulation of protein synthesis through eIF2 phosphorylation, PKR can also positively stimulate gene expressionin vivo,most probably through phosphorylation of a substrate distinct from eIF2

A comparison of braking and differential control of road vehicle yaw-sideslip dynamics

Two actuation mechanisms are considered for the comparison of performance capabilities in improving the yaw–sideslip handling characteristics of a road vehicle. Yaw moments are generated either by the use of single-wheel braking or via driveline torque distribution using an overdriven active rear differential. For consistency, a fixed reference vehicle system is used, and the two controllers are synthesized via a single design methodology. Performance measures relate to both open-loop and closed-loop driving demands, and include both on-centre and limit handling manoeuvres