• Energy Research
• medical and health sciences close
• University of North Texas close

Nondestructive assay methods that rely on measurement of correlated gamma rays from fission have been proposed as a means to determine the mass of fissile materials. Sensitivity studies for such measurements will require knowledge of the multiplicity of prompt gamma rays from fission; however, a very limited number of multiplicity distributions have been measured. A method is proposed to estimate the average number of gamma rays from any fission process by using the correlation of neutron and gamma emission in fission. Using this method, models for the total prompt gamma ray energy from fission adequately reproduce the measured value for thermal neutron induced fission of {sup 233}U. Likewise, the average energy of prompt gamma rays from fission has been adequately estimated using a simple linear model. Additionally, a method to estimate the multiplicity distribution of prompt gamma rays from fission is proposed based on a measured distribution for {sup 252}Cf. These methods are only approximate at best and should only be used for sensitivity studies. Measurements of the multiplicity distribution of prompt gamma rays from fission should be performed to determine the adequacy of the models proposed in this article.

Abstract Bacterial community succession was investigated in a field-scale subsurface reactor formed by a series of wells that received weekly ethanol additions to re-circulating groundwater. Ethanol additions stimulated denitrification, metal reduction, sulfate reduction and U(VI) reduction to sparingly soluble U(IV). Clone libraries of SSU rRNA gene sequences from groundwater samples enabled tracking of spatial and temporal changes over a 1.5-year period. Analyses showed that the communities changed in a manner consistent with geochemical variations that occurred along temporal and spatial scales. Canonical correspondence analysis revealed that the levels of nitrate, uranium, sulfide, sulfate and ethanol were strongly correlated with particular bacterial populations. As sulfate and U(VI) levels declined, sequences representative of sulfate reducers and metal reducers were detected at high levels. Ultimately, sequences associated with sulfate-reducing populations predominated, and sulfate levels declined as U(VI) remained at low levels. When engineering controls were compared with the population variation through canonical ordination, changes could be related to dissolved oxygen control and ethanol addition. The data also indicated that the indigenous populations responded differently to stimulation for bioreduction; however, the two biostimulated communities became more similar after different transitions in an idiosyncratic manner. The strong associations between particular environmental variables and certain populations provide insight into the establishment of practical and successful remediation strategies in radionuclide-contaminated environments with respect to engineering controls and microbial ecology.

Abstract For many devices space-charge-dominated behavior, including the excitation of space-charge collective modes, can occur in the source region, even when the downstream characteristics are not space-charge-dominated. Furthermore, these modes can remain undamped for many focusing periods. Traditional studies of the source region in particle beam systems have emphasized the behavior of averaged beam characteristics, such as total current, rms beam size, or emittance, rather than the details of the full beam distribution function that are necessary to predict the excitation of collective modes. A primary tool for understanding the detailed evolution of a space-charge-dominated beam in the source region has been the use of simulation in concert with detailed experimental measurement. However, “first-principle” simulations beginning from the emitter surface have often displayed substantial differences from what is measured. This is believed to result from sensitivities in the beam dynamics to small changes in the mechanical characteristics of the gun structure, as well as to similar sensitivities in the numerical methods. Simulations of the beam in the source region using the particle-in-cell WARP code and comparisons to experimental measurements at the University of Maryland are presented to illustrate the complexity in beam characteristics that can occur in the source region. In addition, direct measurement of the beam characteristics can be limited by lack of access to the source region or by difficulties in obtaining enough data to completely characterize the distribution function. Methods are therefore discussed for using simulation to infer characteristics of the beam distribution from the data that can be obtained.

Background: Diet is a modifiable behavior of interest in multiple sclerosis (MS); however, measures of diet in persons with MS have not been vetted for feasibility, acceptability, and validity. Methods: This cross-sectional study examined the Automated Self-Administered 24-H (ASA24) Dietary Assessment Tool in 30 persons with MS and 15 healthy control (HC) participants. Participants were prompted to complete six ASA24 recalls and undergo a standard doubly labeled water (DLW) protocol. Acceptability of ASA24 was assessed using an online questionnaire. Total energy expenditure (TEE) from DLW was compared with ASA24-reported energy intake for assessing validity. Results: All participants completed four or more ASA24 recalls, indicating feasibility of ASA24. Regarding acceptability, the hardest part of completing the ASA24 was remembering everything eaten the previous day. Pearson correlation coefficients between DLW TEE and ASA24 kcal/day were not significant among HC (r = 0.40; p = 0.14) or MS (r = 0.26; p = 0.16) participants. The absolute mean error between DLW TEE and ASA24 among HC participants was 694.96 ± 506.25 mean kcal/day and among MS participants was 585.37 ± 529.02 mean kcal/day; this represents a mean difference of 30 and 25%, respectively. Conclusion: This study established the feasibility and acceptability of ASA24 in persons with MS and provides a foundation regarding the need for further validation research examining appropriate outcomes for supporting dietary interventions.

The High Voltage Converter Modulators (HVCMs) at the Spallation Neutron Source (SNS) have operated in excess of a combined 250,000 hours. Performance and reliability improvements to the HVCM are ongoing to increase modulator availability as accelerator system demands increase. There is a relatively large amount of energy storage in the HVCMs, ∼180 kJ. This energy can be released into unsuppressed faults, cause damage, and increase the time to repair. The “fusing switch” would provide a means to isolate this stored energy from the location of the most common faults. This paper introduces this concept and its application to the HVCMs.

Photosynthetic assimilation of atmospheric carbon dioxide by land plants offers the underpinnings for terrestrial carbon (C) sequestration. A proportion of the C captured in plant biomass is partitioned to roots, where it enters the pools of soil organic C and soil inorganic C and can be sequestered for millennia. Bioenergy crops serve the dual role of providing biofuel that offsets fossil-fuel greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and sequestering C in the soil through extensive root systems. Carbon captured in plant biomass can also contribute to C sequestration through the deliberate addition of biochar to soil, wood burial, or the use of durable plant products. Increasing our understanding of plant, microbial, and soil biology, and harnessing the benefits of traditional genetics and genetic engineering, will help us fully realize the GHG mitigation potential of phytosequestration.

Differences in synchrotron radiation beamline shielding design between the facilities of 3 GeV class and 8 GeV class are discussed with regard to SLAC SSRL and SPring-8 beamlines. Requirements of beamline shielding as well as the accelerator shielding depend on the stored electron energy, and here some factors in beamline shielding depending on the stored energy in particular, are clarified, namely the effect of build up, the effect of double scattering of photons at branch beamlines, and the spread of gas bremsstrahlung.

Abstract Background Increasing energy costs and environmental concerns have motivated engineering microbes for the production of "second generation" biofuels that have better properties than ethanol. Results and conclusion Saccharomyces cerevisiae was engineered with an n-butanol biosynthetic pathway, in which isozymes from a number of different organisms (S. cerevisiae, Escherichia coli, Clostridium beijerinckii, and Ralstonia eutropha) were substituted for the Clostridial enzymes and their effect on n-butanol production was compared. By choosing the appropriate isozymes, we were able to improve production of n-butanol ten-fold to 2.5 mg/L. The most productive strains harbored the C. beijerinckii 3-hydroxybutyryl-CoA dehydrogenase, which uses NADH as a co-factor, rather than the R. eutropha isozyme, which uses NADPH, and the acetoacetyl-CoA transferase from S. cerevisiae or E. coli rather than that from R. eutropha. Surprisingly, expression of the genes encoding the butyryl-CoA dehydrogenase from C. beijerinckii (bcd and etfAB) did not improve butanol production significantly as previously reported in E. coli. Using metabolite analysis, we were able to determine which steps in the n-butanol biosynthetic pathway were the most problematic and ripe for future improvement.