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Satellite-communication effectiveness evaluation is one of the key issues in the field of satellite communication links for satellite operation, maintenance, and emergency communication. However, conventional model-based calculation methods require accurate meteorological parameters, thus not applicable to practical engineering problems. In this paper, a hybrid method, combing direct calculation and equilibrium approximation, is proposed to evaluate the effectiveness of a satellite communication system, with distributed multi-node receiver stations on the earth. Especially, the proposed equilibrium approximation approach is resilient to meteorological factors. Field tests corroborate the feasibility of this new method for real-world problems.

This article proposes a new class of box-like substrate integrated waveguide (SIW) filters with wide stopband. First, a two-pole doublet bandpass filter with one finite-transmission zero (FTZ) is proposed using a new planar dual-mode rectangular SIW cavity, which is realized by TE201 and TE103 modes. TE102, TE202, and TE104 modes are suppressed intrinsically by arranging feeding lines at the horizontal centerline of the dual-mode SIW cavity. Then, a four-pole box-section filter with one FTZ is proposed using one dual-mode and two single-mode rectangular SIW cavities, and the two single-mode cavities have different width-length ratios to further improve the stopband performance. To further improve the cutoff skirt, a new design method for five-pole quasi-elliptic SIW filter is proposed, which is achieved by the four-pole filter loaded by one single-mode SIW cavity. Some design examples with the center frequency of 10 GHz are presented to verify the performance of the proposed dual-mode SIW filters and the design method.

This brief presents a novel shape tunable reflective analog predistortion (RAPD) linearizer with a simple structure. The power-dependent impedance matching network (PIMN) based on parallel Schottky diode is applied to the RAPD linearizer to achieve the shape tuning function. Influence of the PIMN on the impedance of the nonlinear load is analyzed in detail. Two different types of shape tunable linearizers for the solid state power amplifier (SSPA) and the travelling wave tube amplifier (TWTA) are proposed and simulated. The shape tuning capability has been verified by a fabricated C-band RAPD linearizer. Good linearity improvement has been achieved for a C-band 20 W SSPA with the proposed linearizer.

This study investigated the effects of exercise and diet intervention on appetite-regulating hormones and subjective appetite changes in obese children and examined expressions of specific key microRNAs (miRNA, miR). 16 obese children were included in a training program consisting of exercise and diet intervention for 6 weeks. Before and after the intervention, fasting blood was collected to determine appetite-regulating hormones (leptin, ghrelin, and orexin) and miRNA (miR-103a-3p and miR-200a-3p) levels; eating behavior of the children was reported using the Children Eating Behavior Questionnaire (CEBQ). The level of orexin was significantly decreased (P

A novel design method, which can transform the nonlinear circuits design to the impedance matching network (IMN) design, is proposed for wideband analog predistoter (APD) with the characteristics of frequency-dependent gain and phase conversions in this paper. First, the design method for the desired gain and phase conversions is introduced. The ABCD parameters of the IMN can be computed. To simplify the design, the obtained parameters are transformed to the IMN terminal impedance. Then we can only need to design the IMN terminal impedance to obtain the desired transfer characteristics. In the meanwhile, an APD with 4.5 dB gain conversion and 50° phase conversion is designed and simulated to validate the design method for specify gain and phase conversions. The simulated results show good effectiveness of the design method. Second, for wideband application, the complex gain and phase conversions surface design is transformed to the IMN terminal impendence curve versus frequency design. This gives the designers a well-defined strategy for wideband APD design focusing on frequency-dependent phase conversion as well as gain conversion. To validate the proposed method, a wideband APD operating at K-band (17-20 GHz) is designed, fabricated and measured. A linearized 100W K-band TWTA is shown to achieve a noise power ratio (NPR) >20 dB at 3 dB output power back-off, and phase change

Analog predistortion (APD) is an effective technique to improve the linearity of the traveling-wave tube amplifier (TWTA). This paper presents a novel APD linearizer with independently tunable gain and phase conversions. Based on symmetrical dual-branch vector synthetic topology, which avoids introducing the additional delay line, this linearizer achieves a simple circuit structure. Independent tuning of gain and phase conversions of this linearizer is realized by changing the bias voltages of the two branches. Theoretical analysis and tuning process of this linearizer are discussed in detail. Simulated and measured results are in a good agreement, and both of them verify that this linearizer has the independent tuning ability. Furthermore, a 250-W Ka-band TWTA is linearized by this linearizer, and the measurement results demonstrate the effectiveness of this linearizer in TWTA linearization.

PurposeObesity in children and in adolescents can lead to adult cardiovascular diseases, and the gut microbiota plays a crucial role in obesity pathophysiology. Exercise and diet interventions are typical approaches to improve physical condition and to alter the gut microbiota in individuals with obesity. However, whether central hemodynamic parameters including subendocardial viability ratio, the augmentation index standardized to a heart rate of 75/min (AIx75), resting heart rate, and blood pressure, correlate with gut microbiota changes associated with exercise and diet is unclear.MethodsAdolescents (n = 24, 12.88 ± 0.41 years) with obesity completed our 6-week program of endurance and strength exercises along with dietary restriction. Blood and fecal samples were collected, and physical parameters were measured before and 24 h after the last session of the intervention program. Pulse wave analysis using applanation tonometry provided the subendocardial viability ratio, a surrogate measure of microvascular myocardial perfusion, and AIx75, a measure of arterial stiffness and peripheral arteriolar resistance. Correlation analysis detected any associations of anthropometric or central hemodynamic parameters with gut microbiome composition.ResultsExercise and diet interventions significantly reduced body weight, body mass index, body fat, and waist-to-hip ratio, and lowered levels of fasting blood glucose, serum triglycerides, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol. AIx75 and resting heart rate were also significantly reduced after the intervention without changes to systolic or diastolic blood pressure. The ratio of intestinal microbiota Firmicutes to Bacteroidetes displayed a marked increase after intervention. Interventional changes in gut microbiota members were significantly associated with anthropometric and metabolic parameters. Microbial changes were also significantly correlated with central hemodynamic parameters, including subendocardial viability ratio, AIx75, and resting heart rate.ConclusionExercise and diet interventions significantly improved measures of central hemodynamics, including subendocardial viability ratio, AIx75, and resting heart rate, which were correlated with altered gut microbiota in adolescents with obesity. Our findings shed light on the effects and mechanisms underlying exercise and diet interventions on obesity and suggest this approach for treating patients with both cardiovascular disease and obesity.

Cathepsin L (CatL) has been widely known for its involvement in the innate immunity. However, it still remains poorly understand how CatL modulates the immune system of teleosts. Moreover, the CatL of Nile tilapia (NtCatL) has not been cloned or characterized. In this study, the gene encoding NtCatL was cloned, and was characterized by bioinformatics analysis, heterologous expression and protease activity assay. The coding sequence of NtCatL is 1017 bp in length and encodes 338 amino acid residues with a predicted molecular weight of 38.487 kDa and a theoretical isoelectric point of 5.79. NtCatL possesses the features of a typical cathepsin L, including one signal peptide, one propeptide region, and one papain family cysteine protease domain containing four active site residues (Gln 135 , Cys 141 , His 281 , and Asn 305 ). The prediction of protein-protein interaction shows that NtCatL may interact with some functional proteins for realizing an immune function. Real-time quantitative PCR revealed the widespread transcriptional expression of NtCatL in six tissues of healthy Nile tilapia, and the NtCatL mRNA is significantly up-regulated after Streptococcus agalactiae challenge. These results suggest that NtCatL is likely to be involved in the immune reaction of Nile tilapia. Recombinant proteins from the mature domain (residues 117–337) of NtCatL were obtained by heterologous expression using pET28a and Rosetta (DE3) competent cells. A protein product with the high purity was obtained by using TALON Superflow purification rather than adopting HisTrap HP columns. The protease activity of the recombinant protein was verified by using a substrate hydrolyzing assay. This work has cloned and characterized the CatL from Nile tilapia for the first time, and contributes to elucidating the immunological functions of CatL.

The oxidation of pyrite is often one of the main drivers affecting groundwater quality during managed aquifer recharge in deep aquifers. Data and techniques that allow detailed identification and quantification of pyrite oxidation are therefore crucial for assessing and predicting the adverse water quality changes that may be associated with this process. In this study, we explore the benefits of combining stable sulphur isotope analysis with reactive transport modelling to improve the identification and characterisation of pyrite oxidation during an aquifer storage and recovery experiment in a chemically and physically heterogeneous aquifer. We characterise the stable sulphur isotope signal (δ34S) in both the ambient groundwater and the injectant as well as its spatial distribution within the sedimentary sulphur species. The identified stable sulphur isotope signal for pyrite was found to vary between −32 and +34‰, while the signal of the injectant ranged between +9.06 and +14.45‰ during the injection phase of the experiment. Both isotope and hydrochemical data together suggest a substantial contribution of pyrite oxidation to the observed, temporally variable δ34S signals. The variability of the δ34S signal in pyrite and the injectant were both found to complicate the analysis of the stable isotope data. However, the incorporation of the data into a numerical modelling approach allowed to successfully employ the δ34S signatures as a valuable additional constraint for identifying and quantifying the contribution of pyrite oxidation to the redox transformations that occur in response to the injection of oxygenated water.

A low insertion loss (IL) analogue predistorter using non-linear composite right–left-handed transmission line (CRLHTL) is presented. The proposed predistorter consists of two symmetrical CRLHTL unit cells. In the experiment, this predistorter can achieve about 2.2 dB gain expansion and 17° phase shift during 4.4–4.5 GHz with only 4.3 dB IL. A C-band 40 W solid-state power amplifier observes 8.1 dB enhancement in the intermodulation at −6 dB output power backoff when linearised by the proposed predistorter.

Objective The aim of this study was to determine whether a combined exercise and dietary intervention improved cognitive and physical self-control and whether pre-to-post interventional changes in self-control were mediated by changes in body mass index (BMI) and maximal grip strength (MGS), in a sample of obese adolescents. Methods Forty-four obese adolescents were randomly assigned to a combined exercise and dietary program or to a waitlist control group; the data from 36 participants (n = 18 for each group) were analyzed. The combined exercise and dietary program was performed over 6 weeks and was supervised by qualified trainers in a closed boot camp. The exercise consisted primarily of typical aerobic training, sports, outdoor training, yoga, and resistance training. Participants were placed on moderate dietary restriction according to individual target body weight (30 kcal/kg × target weight). The primary outcomes of this study were metrics based on cognitive and physical self-control, assessed by the Stroop task and a handgrip task, respectively. Secondary outcomes included BMI and MGS. Results The combined exercise and dietary intervention significantly improved both cognitive and physical self-control. Similar positive effects were also found for reduced BMI and enhanced MGS. Correlation analyses showed that the reduced BMI and enhanced MGS were significantly closely associated with improved cognitive and physical self-control. The mediation analyses revealed that the pre-to-post intervention changes in BMI and MGS significantly mediated physical self-control, but did not mediate cognitive self-control. Conclusion Our combined exercise and dietary intervention is an effective approach to improve multiple aspects of self-control, reduce BMI, and strengthen MGS among obese adolescents. These findings also suggest that reduced BMI and enhanced MGS mediate specific aspects of self-control.

Uncontrolled leakage from mine tailing ponds can pose a serious environmental threat. Groundwater quality in a semi-arid region with extensive worries about the leakage from one of world's largest tailing ponds is studied herein through an integrated hydrogeochemical analysis and multivariate statistical analysis. Results show that elevated concentrations of NO2(-), B, Mn, NH4(+), F(-), and SO4(2-) in groundwater were probably caused by leakage from the tailing pond and transported with the regional groundwater flow towards downstream Yellow River. While NO2(-) contamination is only limited to areas close to the pond, high B concentrations persist within the contaminated plume originating from the tailing pond. Our current study shows that there is no geochemical evidence for U and Th contamination in groundwater due to leakage from the Bayan Obo tailing pond. Combining effects which includes regional variations, pond leaking and downstream mixing, mineral precipitation and dissolution, redox processes, ion exchange processes and agricultural activities, controlled groundwater hydrogeochemical signatures in the studied area. This study demonstrate that an increase in knowledge of evolution of groundwater quality by integrating field hydrochemical data and multivariate statistical analysis will help understand major water-rock interactions and provide a scientific basis for protection and rational utilization of groundwater resources in this and other tailing-impacted areas.

A reconfigurable analog predistoter (APD) based on tunable impedance matching network (TIMN) is proposed in this brief. Firstly, a design method to specific gain and phase conversions is introduced. The equivalent circuit parameters of the impedance matching network (IMN) can be computed for the desired gain and phase conversions. To simplify the design, these parameters can be transformed to the terminal impedance of the IMN. Then the complicated nonlinear circuits design can be transformed to the IMN design. Secondly, a reconfigurable APD using the proposed method is presented for high tuning capability. By designing the coverage area of the TIMN, an experimental reconfigurable APD for traveling-wave tube amplifiers (TWTAs) & solid-state power amplifiers (SSPAs) is designed and fabricated. The fabricated APD shows more than 21 dB tuning range of gain conversion and 114° tuning range of phase conversion in 5.7–6.3 GHz. Good linearity improvement has been obtained for a 45 W C-band TWTA and a 5 W SSPA only by changing the APD bias voltage.

Renewable energy generation, such as photovoltaic and wind power, has been growing rapidly in recent years. However, as the penetration rate of renewable energy generation grows, the uncertainty and instability of power system increases. Therefore, it is necessary to find a way to contribute toward the massive introduction of renewable energy power generation. In the present study, the authors develop an interconnection-based unit commitment model by using mixed integer linear programming considering the function of batteries. The relationship among battery energy capacity, battery output power capacity, curtailment of renewable energy generation, and fuel cost of thermal units is analyzed using this model. As a result, it is found that increasing both output power capacity and battery capacity can reduce fuel cost and encourage the introduction of renewable energy resources. Furthermore, it was found that the rated output power capacity of the battery is more important than its energy capacity.

Petroleum pollution is a severe environmental issue. Comprehensively revealing the genetic backgrounds of hydrocarbon-degrading microorganisms contributes to developing effective methods for bioremediation of crude oil-polluted environments. Marine bacterium Achromobacter sp. HZ01 is capable of degrading hydrocarbons and producing biosurfactants. In this study, the draft genome (5.5 Mbp) of strain HZ01 has been obtained by Illumina sequencing, containing 5,162 predicted genes. Genome annotation shows that “amino acid metabolism” is the most abundant metabolic pathway. Strain HZ01 is not capable of using some common carbohydrates as the sole carbon sources, which is due to that it contains few genes associated with carbohydrate transport and lacks some important enzymes related to glycometabolism. It contains abundant proteins directly related to petroleum hydrocarbon degradation. AlkB hydroxylase and its homologs were not identified. It harbors a complete enzyme system of terminal oxidation pathway for n-alkane degradation, which may be initiated by cytochrome P450. The enzymes involved in the catechol pathway are relatively complete for the degradation of aromatic compounds. This bacterium lacks several essential enzymes for methane oxidation, and Baeyer-Villiger monooxygenase involved in the subterminal oxidation pathway and cycloalkane degradation was not identified. These results suggest that strain HZ01 degrades n-alkanes via the terminal oxidation pathway, degrades aromatic compounds primarily via the catechol pathway and cannot perform methane oxidation or cycloalkane degradation. Additionally, strain HZ01 possesses abundant genes related to the metabolism of secondary metabolites, including some genes involved in biosurfactant (such as glycolipids and lipopeptides) synthesis. The genome analysis also reveals its genetic basis for nitrogen metabolism, antibiotic resistance, regulatory responses to environmental changes, cell motility, and material transport. The obtained genome data provide us with a better understanding of hydrocarbon-degrading bacteria, which may contribute to the future design of rational strategies for bioremediation of petroleum-polluted marine environments.

Gatekeeper T790 M mutation in EGFR is the most prevalent factor underlying acquired resistance. Acrylamide-bearing quinazoline derivatives are powerful irreversible inhibitors for overcoming resistance. Nevertheless, concerns about the risk of nonspecific covalent modification have motivated the development of novel cysteine-targeting inhibitors. In this paper, we demonstrate that fluoro-substituted olefins can be tuned to alter Michael addition reactivity. Incorporation of these olefins into the quinazoline templates produced potent EGFR inhibitors with improved safety and pharmacokinetic properties. A lead compound 5a was validated against EGFR(WT), EGFR(T790M) as well as A431 and H1975 cancer cell lines. Additionally, compound 5a displayed a weaker inhibition against the EGFR-independent cancer cell line SW620 when compared with afatinib. Oral administration of 5a at a dose of 30 mg/kg induced tumor regression in a murine-EGFR(L858R/T790M) driven H1975 xenograft model. Also, 5a exhibited improved oral bioavailability and safety as well as favorable tissue distribution properties and enhanced brain uptake. These findings provide the basis of a promising strategy toward the treatment of NSCLC patients with drug resistance.

A numerical approach is developed to simulate the formation of pseudomorphs with presence of chemical fluids at the mesoscopic scale. This approach consists of the lattice Boltzmann method (LBM) for transport of chemical species in the pore space, a chemical reaction model including basic kinetics of the coupled dissolution and precipitation reactions, and a mesoscopic model for nucleation and crystal growth. Our study confirms the mechanism of the solution chemistry-driven interface-coupled dissolution-precipitation for the formation of pseudomorphs and identifies several sources for the generation of porosity in the pseudomorphs. We demonstrate that epitaxial precipitation is not necessary and random crystal growth may be more favorable for pseudomorphs. We show that the difference of precipitation barrier on the surface of the primary and secondary minerals should not be too large. Otherwise only the rim of the primary phase is roughly preserved.

Aquifer heterogeneity controls spatial and temporal variability of reactive transport parameters and has significant impacts on subsurface modeling of flow, transport, and remediation. Upscaling (or homogenization) is a process to replace a heterogeneous domain with a homogeneous one such that both reproduce the same response. To make reliable and accurate predictions of reactive transport for contaminant in chemically and physically heterogeneous porous media, subsurface reactive transport modeling needs upscaled parameters such as effective retardation factor to perform field-scale simulations. This paper develops a conceptual model of multimodal reactive mineral facies for upscaling reactive transport parameters of hierarchical heterogeneous porous media. Based on the conceptual model, covariance of hydraulic conductivity, sorption coefficient, flow velocity, retardation factor, and cross-covariance between flow velocity and retardation factor are derived from geostatistical characterizations of a three-dimensional unbounded aquifer system. Subsequently, using a Lagrangian approach the scale-dependent analytical expressions are derived to describe the scaling effect of effective retardation factors in temporal and spatial domains. When time and space scales become sufficiently large, the effective retardation factors approximate their composite arithmetic mean. Correlation between the hydraulic conductivity and the sorption coefficient can significantly affect the values of the effective retardation factor in temporal and spatial domains. When the temporal and spatial scales are relatively small, scaling effect of the effective retardation factors is relatively large. This study provides a practical methodology to develop effective transport parameters for field-scale modeling at which remediation and risk assessment is actually conducted. It does not only bridge the gap between bench-scale measurements to field-scale modeling, but also provide new insights into the influence of hierarchical mineral distribution on effective retardation factor.

Optimizing uncertainty reduction in evaluations of geological CO2 storage site scenarios requires a robust database that allows an accurate reconstruction of the targeted storage rock/fluid volume, especially with respect to spatial heterogeneity. Previous numerical simulations of the Rock Springs Uplift site (southwest Wyoming, USA) relied on a generalized regional database to populate a homogenous rock/fluid volume based on average reservoir properties. The results from this approach yielded general insights into injection/storage characteristics but lacked specificity, resulting in performance assessments plagued by substantial uncertainty. To move from idealistic, highly generalized assessments to realistic, low-risk assessments of the Rock Springs Uplift, it was necessary to acquire high-resolution data specific to the storage site of interest (carbonate and sandstone reservoirs, and confining layers in an 8 km × 8 km area). The foundation of the new database is a 4,000-meter-deep stratigraphic test well, an 8 km × 8 km 3-D seismic survey, 290 meters of high-quality core, a specialized log suite, fluid samples, and a diverse set of analytical laboratory measurements. These data made it possible to correlate seismic attributes with observations from log suites, a VSP survey, core, fluid samples, and laboratory analyses, including continuous permeability scans. From seismic data, 3-D spatial distribution volumes of reservoir and confining layer properties were constructed that represent geological heterogeneity at the targeted CO2 storage site. Consequently, the latest numerical simulations and performance assessments are characterized by substantially lower geological uncertainties. The new CO2 plume migration simulations for a set of defined CO2 injection rates and volumes occupy larger rock/fluid volumes and display pronounced marginal irregularities when compared to early simulations derived from homogenous reservoir parameter volumes. The spatial distributions of the injected CO2 plumes in previous simulations are conical with few marginal irregularities, whereas in the new simulations, the CO2 plumes occupy a larger up-dip volume and display pronounced marginal irregularities. These irregularities denote zones of higher porosity and permeability, such as collapsed breccias associated with karst zones and/or dolomitized grainstone zones in the Madison Limestone. Using the new numerical simulations which include heterogeneous rock/fluid parameter distributions, it is apparent that in all injection/storage scenarios of > 1 Mt/year CO2, substantial displaced fluid production/treatment is essential to manage pressure and maintain the integrity of confining layers. The total dissolved solids concentrations of the formation fluids retrieved from the Madison Limestone range from 80,000 to 90,000 ppm, and will necessitate customized water treatment strategies and facilities at the surface. The new data and upgraded evaluations demonstrate that the Rock Springs Uplift in southwestern Wyoming remains an outstanding large-scale geological CO2 storage site, and provides a realistic basis for designing commercial CO2 injection/storage operations on the Uplift. The 2010 U.S. Environmental Protection Agency Greenhouse Gas Reporting Program reports that in the Greater Green River Basin of southwest Wyoming, the CO2 emissions from stationary sources (sources that emit more than 25,000 tons of CO2 per year) total 29+ million tons annually, or approximately 50 percent of Wyoming's annual CO2 emissions. These CO2 sources include coal-fired power plants, gas and trona processing plants, pipeline compression stations, chemical production facilities, and gas-field complexes, among others. The Rock Springs Uplift in the center of the Greater Green River Basin is ideally located to serve as a large-scale commercial geological CO2 storage facility for half of all of Wyoming's industrial CO2 emissions. The new numerical simulations suggest that the Madison Limestone has the ability to permanently store the annual CO2 emissions from stationary sources in the Greater Green River Basin for 130 years (i.e., a total of 3.8 billion tons). The overlying Paleozoic Weber Sandstone on the Rock Springs Uplift has additional commercial-scale CO2 storage capacity. The Rock Springs Uplift has the attributes to serve as a regional CO2 storage site, and importantly, this site could be used as a storage/surge tank to supply CO2 to EOR projects throughout Wyoming.

Heterogeneities in porosity and permeability of geological CO 2 storage reservoirs and surrounding strata have a significant influence on storage capacity, design of injection wells, CO 2 injection rate, potential leakage, CO 2 plume migration, and risk assessment. This study develops a methodology that applies a transition probability based Markov chain model to generate facies-based heterogeneous fields of reservoir and cap-rock porosity and permeability at the Rock Springs Uplift, Wyoming. This site was chosen for its proximity to the Jim Bridger power plant that generates 18 Mt of CO 2 per year. The heterogeneous fields are then used as input to simulations of CO 2 injection in a numerical domain with geologic strata based on a 3D seismic model. We next use the multiphase flow simulator FEHM in Monte Carlo mode to generate 42 realizations of injection into the Weber sandstone. The model is constrained by two requirements. First, the effects of storage must be contained in the 16 × 16 km working footprint (i.e. the injection pressure pulse and CO 2 plume are not allowed to expand beyond the simulation domain) and second, injection pressures must not exceed 75% of the lithostatic load to limit seismic risks. Analysis of simulation results reveals that: (1) CO 2 storage capacity for the Weber formation in the entire Rock Springs Uplift is 6614 ± 256 Mt at 95% confidence interval, about 36% of a previous estimate based on homogeneous and isotropic properties; (2) single well CO 2 injection rates vary with time and with local permeability distributions. The injectivity at the end of 50 years of injection follows a log normal distribution and reaches a mean of 0.43 Mt/year with a range of 0.06–3.22 Mt/year within two standard deviations (1 σ = 0.09 Mt/year); and (3) CO 2 leakage into the cap-rock (Chugwater formation) is limited to 0.8 ± 3.4 Mt over the 50 years of injection. In addition, brine production rates required to maintain pressure in the working footprint are of nearly equal volume to the injected CO 2 . Within the CO 2 plume at this deep site, CO 2 has density of greater than 80% of the ambient brine, indicating that the CO 2 plume evolution will be controlled more by fluid pressure gradients than by buoyant flow. These results suggest that injection into the Weber sandstone in a single 16 × 16 km working footprint on the Rock Springs Uplift could likely store the total CO 2 output of the Jim Bridger power plant for approximately 35 years with less than 1% leakage into the cap-rock. This plan would require 26 ± 3 injection wells with likely an equal number or more of brine production wells around the perimeter of the working footprint. Assuming wells at a cost of $6M each, this would add less than $1/tonne to the cost of the storage, a small fraction of current capture costs. Finally, brine production on the order of 1 km 3 is required to minimize the risk of geomechanical failure and ensure limited pressure perturbation outside the working footprint.

summary Identification of chemical reaction processes in subsurface environments is a key issue for reactive transport modeling because simulating different processes requires developing different chemical–mathematical models. In this paper, two sorption processes (equilibrium and kinetics) are considered for modeling neptunium and uranium sorption in fractured rock. Based on different conceptualizations of the two processes occurring in fracture and/or matrix media, seven dual-porosity, multi-component reactive transport models are developed. The process models are identified with a stepwise strategy by using multitracer concentration data obtained from a series of transport experiments. In the first step, breakthrough data of a conservative tracer (tritium) obtained from four experiments are used to estimate the flow and non-reactive transport parameters (i.e., mean fluid residence time in fracture, fracture aperture, and matrix tortuosity) common to all the reactive transport models. In the second and third steps, by fixing the common non-reactive flow and transport parameters, the sorption parameters (retardation factor, sorption coefficient, and kinetic rate constant) of each model are estimated using the breakthrough data of reactive tracers, neptunium and uranium, respectively. Based on the inverse modeling results, the seven sorption-process models are discriminated using four model discrimination (or selection) criteria, Akaike information criterion (AIC), modified Akaike information criterion (AICc), Bayesian information criterion (BIC) and Kashyap information criterion (KIC). These criteria suggest the kinetic sorption process for modeling reactive transport of neptunium and uranium transport in both fracture and matrix. This conclusion is confirmed by two chemical criteria, the half reaction time and Damkohler number criterion. 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

We describe preliminary application of the CO2-PENS performance and risk analysis tool to a planned geologic CO2 sequestration demonstration project in the Rock Springs Uplift (RSU), located in south western Wyoming. We use data from the RSU to populate CO2-PENS, an evolving system-level modeling tool developed at Los Alamos National Laboratory. This tool has been designed to generate performance and risk assessment calculations for the geologic sequestration of carbon dioxide. Our approach follows Systems Analysis logic and includes estimates of uncertainty in model parameters and Monte-Carlo simulations that lead to probabilistic results. Probabilistic results provide decision makers with a range in the likelihood of different outcomes. Herein we present results from a newly implemented approach in CO2-PENS that captures site-specific spatially coherent details such as topography on the reservoir/cap-rock interface, changes in saturation and pressure during injection, and dip on overlying aquifers that may be impacted by leakage upward through wellbores and faults. We present simulations of CO2 injection under different uncertainty distributions for hypothetical leaking wells and faults. Although results are preliminary and to be used only for demonstration of the approach, future results of the risk analysis will form the basis for a discussion on methods to reduce uncertainty in the risk calculations. Additionally, we present ideas on using the model to help locate monitoring equipment to detect potential leaks. By maintaining site-specific details in the CO2-PENS analysis we provide a tool that allows more logical presentations to stakeholders in the region.

The Xinjie layered intrusion is one of a number of major ultramafic-mafic bodies hosting Fe-Ti-V deposits and Cu-Ni-PGE sulfide deposits in the Pan-Xi (Panzhihua-Xichang) area of the Sichuan Province, SW China. The Xinjie ultramafic-mafic layered intrusion, genetically related to the Permian plume-related Emeishan flood basalts, consists of three lithological cycles, each representing a sequence from ultramafic to mafic-felsic composition. The basal part of the intrusion is composed of three lithological units, namely, the Marginal Unit (MU), Peridotite Unit (PeU) and Pyroxenite Unit (PyU). In the present study, three major PGE-mineralised Cu-Ni sulfide layers were discovered within the Marginal and Pyroxenite Units. The major base-metal sulfides (BMS) comprise chalcopyrite, pyrrhotite, and pentlandite. Detailed microscopic and microprobe analyses revealed the presence of the sperrylite and Pd-Pt-Bi-Te minerals (merenskyite, moncheite, and michenerite). These PGMs are commonly associated with the BMS, or magnetite coexisting with BMS in the PGE-enriched layers. The 1:1 substitution between Pt and Pd, as well as between Te and Bi, confirms the complete solid-solution series between moncheite and merenskyite. The textural association of the PGMs with BMS and Fe-Ti oxides (magnetite) suggests that the PGMs may have crystallised slightly later than the hosting magnetite and BMS. The formation of magnetite may have played an important role in producing the sulfur-saturated melt and the PGEs thus concentrated in the sulfide liquid during the crystallisation history. It is therefore suggested that the Cu-Ni-PGE-bearing layers in the basal part of the Xinjie intrusion were generated by magma evolution processes.

The Lengshuiqing Cu–Ni sulfide deposit of the Yanbian area in Sichuan Province, SW China, is hosted by relatively small mafic–ultramafic bodies that intruded Mesoproterozoic metavolcanic rocks and schists. The mafic–ultramafic complex is mainly composed of the olivine-hornblende pyroxenite and hornblende gabbro units. 40 Ar/ 39 Ar age, elemental and Sr–Nd–Pb isotopic results of the complex are reported in this paper. 40 Ar/ 39 Ar dating of hornblende yielded an age of 821 ± 1 Ma for the mafic–ultramafic complex. This age is similar to the SHRIMP U–Pb zircon age of 825 ± 12 Ma for the adjacent Gaojiacun mafic–ultramafic complex. This suggests that the Lengshuiqing mafic–ultramafic complex originated from Neoproterozoic mafic magma. The olivine-hornblende pyroxenite unit is characterized by high MgO contents (24.25–28.08%), Mg # values (74.5–78.0) and compatible elements (Cr = 1179–2336 ppm, Ni = 732–1303 ppm), low ΣREE (19.5–44.6 ppm) and other incompatible element contents. The hornblende gabbro unit has MgO = 7.32–12.51%, Mg # = 55.0–69.3, Cr = 37.7–1131 ppm, Ni = 50.0–243 ppm and ΣREE = 37.2–75.4 ppm. Most of the rocks are moderately enriched in LREE ((La/Yb) N = 2.28–7.67), and significantly depleted in Nb–Ta ((Nb/La) PM = 0.17–0.47; (Ta/La) PM = 0.19–0.58), with slightly moderately positive Eu anomalies ( δ Eu = 0.95–1.65). The trace element feature of the ore-bearing samples is similar to that of the rocks in the complex. The variations in major and trace elements can be well explained by magma crystal fractionation. Isotopically, the rocks in Lengshuiqing mafic–ultramafic complex are characterized by low 87 Sr/ 86 Sr(i) (0.7039–0.7044), positive ɛ Nd (i) (+2.2 − +4.3) and low radiogenic Pb values ( 206 Pb/ 204 Pb(i) = 17.382–17.913, 207 Pb/ 204 Pb(i) = 15.518–15.578, 208 Pb/ 204 Pb(i) = 37.227–38.019). The ores also have positive ɛ Nd (i) (+2.4 − +5.4), and low radiogenic Pb values ( 206 Pb/ 204 Pb(i) = 17.256–17.733, 207 Pb/ 204 Pb(i) = 15.484–15.555, 208 Pb/ 204 Pb(i) = 36.924–37.665). All the samples exhibit positive ɛ Nd (i) values, suggesting that their parental magmas were derived from a long-term depleted asthenospheric mantle. The relatively large variations in 87 Sr/ 86 Sr(i) of the ores (0.7012–0.7046) could be ascribed to the interaction between magma and country rocks. A good positive correlation between Nb/La and Nb/Th reveals that crustal assimilation was involved in their genesis. This contamination resulted in the observed depletion of Nb and Ta in rocks and ores. The crustal contamination and fractional crystallization, similar to the process of magmatic assimilation and fractional crystallization (AFC), are thus critical for the formation of the Lengshuiqing Cu–Ni ore deposit. The Neoproterozoic Lengshuiqing Cu–Ni sulfide-bearing mafic–ultramafic intrusions formed in an intraplate continental rift, which was most likely related to a mantle plume underneath the supercontinent Rodinia.

The Gaojiacun mafic-ultramafic intrusive complex in the Yanbian area, Sichuan Province, Southwest China, is a layered intrusive body that underwent intensive magmatic differentiation during two cumulative cycles. SHRIMP (sensitive high-resolution ion microprobe) zircon U-Pb data show that the Gaojiacun complex was formed at 825 ± 12 Ma. These mafic-ultramafic rocks are relatively enriched in light rare-earth elements (LREE) and large-ion lithophile elements (LILE), but are relatively depleted in high-field-strength elements (HFSE). They are characterized by low initial 87Sr/86Sr (0.7045 to 0.7050) and positive ∊Nd(t) values (+1.3 to +4.5). The geochemical data indicate that the parental magma of the mafic/ultramafic rocks was derived from a depleted mantle source, and underwent fractional crystallization and crustal contamination. We suggest that the Gaojiacun complex was formed in a continental rift related to mantle superplume activity beneath the Neoproterozoic supercontinent Rodinia.

The Gaojiacun mafic-ultramafic intrusive complex in the Yanbian area, Sichuan Province, is a stratiform intrusive body that has undergone intensive magmatic differentiation. This intrusive body involves two magmatic accumulating cycles. Systematic U-Pb dating of single zircon grains and40Ar/39Ar dating of hornblende were conducted, and the results showed that the age of hornblende gabbro, which was formed at the main phase of intrusion of the Gaojiacun intrusive complex, is 840–5 Ma, casting doubt on the concept of “Yanbian Ophiolite”. It is believed that the formation of the Gaojiacun intrusive complex seems to be related to a super-mantle plume underneath the super-continent Rodinia. The above research results are helpful for us to get a better understanding of the characteristics of Neoproterozoic tectonic evolution of the Yanbian area in Sichuan Province.

We present a model for upscaling the time-dependent effective retardation factor, \({\widetilde{R}}(t)\), in hierarchical porous media with multimodal reactive mineral facies. The model extends the approach by Deng et al. (Chemosphere 91(3):248–257, 2013) in which they expanded a Lagrangian-based stochastic theory presented by Rajaram (Adv Water Resour 20(4):217–230, 1997) in order to describe the scaling effect of \(\widetilde{R}(t)\). They used a first-order linear approximation in deriving their model to make the derivation tractable. Importantly, the linear approximation is known to be valid only to variances of 0.2. In this note, we show that the model can be derived with a higher-order approximation, which allows for representing variances from 0.2 to 1.0. We present the derivation and use the resulting model to recalculate \(\widetilde{R}(t)\) for the scenario examined by Deng et al. (2013).

Sr isotope geochemical studies (the87Sr/86Sr and δ18O-87Sr/86Sr systems) on the wall rocks and ores from the Lemachang independent Ag deposit in northeastern Yunnan provide strong evidence that the ore-forming fluids had flown through radiogenetically Sr-enriched rocks or strata prior to their entry into the locus of ore precipitation, and water-rock interaction is the main mechanism of Ag ore precipitation. The radiogenetically Sr-enriched source region may be the Proterozoic basement (the Kunyang and Hekou groups). Moreover, the theoretical modeling of the Sr isotopic system indicates that the ore-forming fluids contain as much as 3×10-6 Sr with isotopic composition of Sr being 0.750 and that of oxygen 7.0‰ The ore-forming temperatures were estimated at 150–250°C for the carbonate rock-type ores and at 200–260°C for the clastic rock-type.

This letter describes the construction of conformationally constrained quinazoline analogues. Structure-activity relationship studies led to the identification of the lead compound 9n . Compound 9n exhibits effective in vitro activity against A431(WT,overexpression) and H1975([L858R/T790M]) cancer cell lines but is significantly less effective against EGFR negative cancer cell lines (SW620, A549, and K562). Compound 9n was also assessed for potency in enzymatic assays and in vivo antitumor studies. The results indicated that 9n is a potent kinase inhibitor against both wild-type and T790M mutant EGFR kinase. Meanwhile, an oral administration of 9n at a dose of 200 mg/kg produced a considerable antitumor effect in a A431 xenograft model, as compared to gefitinib. A preliminary pharmacokinetic study of 9n also indicates it has good pharmacokinetic properties, and therefore, it is a good starting point for further development.

[1] This paper presents a methodology for upscaling matrix‐material transport parameters in fractured‐flow dominated systems with multimodal reactive mineral facies. The upscaling method provides a theoretical and practical link between controlled experimental results at the laboratory/bench scale and multikilometer field scales at which contaminant remediation and risk assessment are actually conducted. As sorption reactions in matrix are in part determined by mineral properties, a new conceptual model is developed to reflect the hierarchical structure of reactive mineral facies at the microform, mesoform, and macroform scales. The conceptual model of hierarchical reactive matrix mineral facies is integrated with a dual‐porosity model for simulating diffusion of solutes out of fractures and sorption onto the matrix minerals. By assuming that sorption reactions primarily occur in the rock matrix, we develop a multimodal spatial random function for characterizing both the tortuosity (physical heterogeneity) and sorption coefficient (chemical heterogeneity) at different scales in the rock matrix. The effective tortuosity at the field scale is derived by volume averaging of mass transfer coefficient for a conservative species. Subsequently, using a sorbing species (e.g., uranium), we derive the equations for upscaling the sorption coefficients in a saturated, fractured‐rock system for field‐scale simulations. The effective field‐scale tortuosity and sorption coefficient are related to their mean, variance, integral scale, and domain size along a pathway through a three‐ dimensional flow field. The upscaled values increase with the integral scale and are larger than their geometric mean. Simulations conducted with upscaled sorption coefficients and tortuousities are compared very well with high‐resolution Monte Carlo simulations capturing the parameter spatial variations. Results of this study can be extended to explore scaledependenceofotherimportant transportparametersforfractured‐rocksolutetransport. Citation: Deng, H., Z. Dai, A. Wolfsberg, Z. Lu, M. Ye, and P. Reimus (2010), Upscaling of reactive mass transport in fractured rocks with multimodal reactive mineral facies, Water Resour. Res., 46, W06501, doi:10.1029/2009WR008363.

[1] A significant challenge in contaminant transport modeling is to obtain a mechanistic understanding of transport parameter scaling that accurately addresses the combined influence of physical and chemical heterogeneities at different scales. In this paper, we have developed a scaling methodology to upscale matrix sorption coefficients for fractured-rock systems by characterizing both the tortuosity field (physical heterogeneity) and retardation factor field (chemical heterogeneity) in the rock matrix. We compute the effective tortuosity with a conservative tracer (e.g., tritium), and then using a sorbing tracer (e.g., uranium), we derive the equations for upscaling the sorption coefficients in a saturated, fractured rock system. The derived upscaling equations for the sorption coefficients are verified with Monte Carlo simulations, which are based on a generalized dual-porosity model to enable highly efficient and accurate numerical simulations of diffusive concentration fronts moving between the fractures and matrix material. The scientific results from this study will provide a theoretical and practical link between controlled experimental results at scales increasing from the laboratory bench to the field scale at which risk assessment and contaminant remediation are actually conducted.

The cause of the most marked changes in the evolution of life, which define the first-order stratigraphic boundary between the Precambrian and the Phanerozoic eon, remains enigmatic and a highly topical subject of debate. A global ocean anoxic event, triggered by large-scale hydrogen sulphide (H(2)S) release to surface waters, has been suggested by Wille et al., on the basis of two data sets from South China and Oman, to explain the fundamental biological changes across the Precambrian/Cambrian (PC/C) boundary. Here we report a new precise SHRIMP U-Pb zircon age of 532.3 +/- 0.7 million years (Myr) ago (Fig. 1) for a volcanic ash bed in the critical unit that reflects the ocean anoxic event, the lowermost black shale sequence of the Niutitang Formation in the Guizhou Province, South China. This age is significantly younger than the precise PC/C boundary age of 542.0 +/- 0.3 Myr ago, approximately 10 Myr younger than the extinction of the Ediacaran fauna, and thus challenging the view of a major ocean anoxic event having been responsible for the major changes in the direction of evolution at the PC/C boundary.