Argumentation and Game Theory

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahwan, Iyad; Larson, Kate

In a large class of multi-agent systems, agents are self-interested in the sense that each agent is interested only in furthering its individual goals, which may or may not coincide with others’ goals. When such agents engage in argument, they would be expected to argue strategically in such a way that makes it more likely for their argumentative goals to be achieved. What we mean by arguing strategically is that instead of making arbitrary arguments, an agent would carefully choose its argumentative moves in order to further its own objectives.

Permeability of continental crust influenced by internal and external forcing

USGS Publications Warehouse

Rojstaczer, S.A.; Ingebritsen, S.E.; Hayba, D.O.

2008-01-01

The permeability of continental crust is so highly variable that it is often considered to defy systematic characterization. However, despite this variability, some order has been gleaned from globally compiled data. What accounts for the apparent coherence of mean permeability in the continental crust (and permeability-depth relations) on a very large scale? Here we argue that large-scale crustal permeability adjusts to accommodate rates of internal and external forcing. In the deeper crust, internal forcing - fluxes induced by metamorphism, magmatism, and mantle degassing - is dominant, whereas in the shallow crust, external forcing - the vigor of the hydrologic cycle - is a primary control. Crustal petrologists have long recognized the likelihood of a causal relation between fluid flux and permeability in the deep, ductile crust, where fluid pressures are typically near-lithostatic. It is less obvious that such a relation should pertain in the relatively cool, brittle upper crust, where near-hydrostatic fluid pressures are the norm. We use first-order calculations and numerical modeling to explore the hypothesis that upper-crustal permeability is influenced by the magnitude of external fluid sources, much as lower-crustal permeability is influenced by the magnitude of internal fluid sources. We compare model-generated permeability structures with various observations of crustal permeability. ?? 2008 The Authors Journal compilation ?? 2008 Blackwell Publishing Ltd.

Eddy current effect on the microwave permeability of Fe-based nanocrystalline flakes with different sizes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wu, Yanhui; Han, Mangui; Tang, Zhongkai; Deng, Longjiang

2014-04-01

The effective permeability values of composites containing Fe-Cu-Nb-Si-B nanocrystalline flakes have been studied within 0.5-10 GHz. Obvious differences in microwave permeability have been observed between large flakes (size range: 23-111 μm, average thickness: 4.5 μm) and small flakes (size range: 3-21 μm, average thickness: 1.3 μm). The initial real part of microwave permeability of large flakes is larger but it is decreasing faster. The larger flakes also show a larger magnetic loss. Taking into account the eddy current effect, the intrinsic microwave permeability values have been extracted based on the modified Maxwell-Garnet law, which have also been verified by the Acher's law. The dependences of skin depth on frequency have been calculated for both kinds of flakes. It is shown that the eddy current effect in the large flakes is significant. However, the eddy current effect can be ignored in the small flakes.

The Effects of Forensics Training on Verbal Aggression and Argumentativeness.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Colbert, Kent R.; Dorff, Todd

A study focused on the effects of forensic participation on two specific traits--argumentativeness and verbal aggression. Two hundred eighty-one high school forensic students participating at a large western forensic tournament in the beginning of the 1990 academic year completed D. A. Infante's Argumentative and Verbal Aggression Scales. Results…

Malaysian Students' Scientific Argumentation: Do Groups Perform Better than Individuals?

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Heng, Lee Ling; Surif, Johari; Seng, Cher Hau

2015-01-01

The practices of argumentation have recently been upheld as an important need to develop students' understanding of scientific concepts. However, the present education system in Malaysia is still largely examination-based and teacher-oriented. Thus, this study aims to examine the mastery level of scientific argumentation and its scheme among…

Influence of overconsolidated condition on permeability evolution in silica sand

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kimura, S.; Kaneko, H.; Ito, T.; Nishimura, O.; Minagawa, H.

2013-12-01

Permeability of sediments is important factors for production of natural gas from natural gas hydrate bearing layers. Methane-hydrate is regarded as one of the potential resources of natural gas. As results of coring and logging, the existence of a large amount of methane-hydrate is estimated in the Nankai Trough, offshore central Japan, where many folds and faults have been observed. In the present study, we investigate the permeability of silica sand specimen forming the artificial fault zone after large displacement shear in the ring-shear test under two different normal consolidated and overconsolidated conditions. The significant influence of overconsolidation ratio (OCR) on permeability evolution is not found. The permeability reduction is influenced a great deal by the magnitude of normal stress during large displacement shearing. The grain size distribution and structure observation in the shear zone of specimen after shearing at each normal stress level are analyzed by laser scattering type particle analyzer and scanning electron microscope, respectively. It is indicated that the grain size and porosity reduction due to the particle crushing are the factor of the permeability reduction. This study is financially supported by METI and Research Consortium for Methane Hydrate Resources in Japan (the MH21 Research Consortium).

Permeability modes in fluctuating lipid membranes with DNA-translocating pores.

PubMed

Moleiro, L H; Mell, M; Bocanegra, R; López-Montero, I; Fouquet, P; Hellweg, Th; Carrascosa, J L; Monroy, F

2017-09-01

Membrane pores can significantly alter not only the permeation dynamics of biological membranes but also their elasticity. Large membrane pores able to transport macromolecular contents represent an interesting model to test theoretical predictions that assign active-like (non-equilibrium) behavior to the permeability contributions to the enhanced membrane fluctuations existing in permeable membranes [Maneville et al. Phys. Rev. Lett. 82, 4356 (1999)]. Such high-amplitude active contributions arise from the forced transport of solvent and solutes through the open pores, which becomes even dominant at large permeability. In this paper, we present a detailed experimental analysis of the active shape fluctuations that appear in highly permeable lipid vesicles with large macromolecular pores inserted in the lipid membrane, which are a consequence of transport permeability events occurred in an osmotic gradient. The experimental results are found in quantitative agreement with theory, showing a remarkable dependence with the density of membrane pores and giving account of mechanical compliances and permeability rates that are compatible with the large size of the membrane pore considered. The presence of individual permeation events has been detected in the fluctuation time-series, from which a stochastic distribution of the permeation events compatible with a shot-noise has been deduced. The non-equilibrium character of the membrane fluctuations in a permeation field, even if the membrane pores are mere passive transporters, is clearly demonstrated. Finally, a bio-nano-technology outlook of the proposed synthetic concept is given on the context of prospective uses as active membrane DNA-pores exploitable in gen-delivery applications based on lipid vesicles. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Applying Argumentation Analysis To Assess the Quality of University Oceanography Students' Scientific Writing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Takao, Allison Y.; Prothero, William A.; Kelly, Gregory J.

2002-01-01

Presents the methods and results of an assessment of students' scientific writing. Studies an introductory oceanography course in a large public university that used an interactive CD-ROM, "Our Dynamic Planet". Analyzes the quality of students' written arguments by using a grading rubric and an argumentation analysis model. Includes 18…

Variations of permeability and pore size distribution of porous media with pressure.

PubMed

Chen, Quan; Kinzelbach, Wolfgang; Ye, Chaohui; Yue, Yong

2002-01-01

Porosity and permeability of porous and fractured geological media decrease with the exploitation of formation fluids such as petroleum, natural gas, or ground water. This may result in ground subsidence and a decrease of recovery of petroleum, natural gas, or ground water. Therefore, an evaluation of the behavior of permeability and porosity under formation fluid pressure changes is important to petroleum and ground water industries. This study for the first time establishes a method, which allows for the measurement of permeability, porosity, and pore size distribution of cores simultaneously. From the observation of the pore size distribution by low-field nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) relaxation time spectrometry the mechanisms of pressure-dependent porosity and permeability change can be derived. This information cannot be obtained by traditional methods. As the large-size pores or fractures contribute significantly to the permeability, their change consequently leads to a large permeability change. The contribution of fractures to permeability is even larger than that of pores. Thus, the permeability of the cores with fractures decreased more than that of cores without fractures during formation pressure decrease. Furthermore, it did not recover during formation pressure increase. It can be concluded that in fractures, mainly plastic deformation takes place, while matrix pores mainly show elastic deformation. Therefore, it is very important to keep an appropriate formation fluid pressure during the exploitation of ground water and petroleum in a fractured formation.

Rapid and reversible enhancement of blood–brain barrier permeability using lysophosphatidic acid

PubMed Central

On, Ngoc H; Savant, Sanjot; Toews, Myron; Miller, Donald W

2013-01-01

The present study characterizes the effects of lysophosphatidic acid (LPA) on blood–brain barrier (BBB) permeability focusing specifically on the time of onset, duration, and magnitude of LPA-induced changes in cerebrovascular permeability in the mouse using both magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and near infrared fluorescence imaging (NIFR). Furthermore, potential application of LPA for enhanced drug delivery to the brain was also examined by measuring the brain accumulation of radiolabeled methotrexate. Exposure of primary cultured brain microvessel endothelial cells (BMECs) to LPA produced concentration-dependent increases in permeability that were completely abolished by clostridium toxin B. Administration of LPA disrupted BBB integrity and enhanced the permeability of small molecular weight marker gadolinium diethylenetriaminepentaacetate (Gd-DTPA) contrast agent, the large molecular weight permeability marker, IRdye800cwPEG, and the P-glycoprotein efflux transporter probe, Rhodamine 800 (R800). The increase in BBB permeability occurred within 3 minutes after LPA injection and barrier integrity was restored within 20 minutes. A decreased response to LPA on large macromolecule BBB permeability was observed after repeated administration. The administration of LPA also resulted in 20-fold enhancement of radiolabeled methotrexate in the brain. These studies indicate that administration of LPA in combination with therapeutic agents may increase drug delivery to the brain. PMID:24045401

There and back again: The life and death of magma permeability in volcanic conduits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wadsworth, F. B.; Vasseur, J.; Llewellin, E. W.; Lavallée, Y.; Kendrick, J. E.; Dobson, K. J.; Heap, M. J.; Kushnir, A. R.; Dingwell, D. B.

2017-12-01

Permeability of magma to gas is one of the key controls on the propoensity for explosive volcanism on the terrestrial planets. The magma filling upper-crustal volcanic conduits must become permeable in order for gas overpressure in pore spaces to dissipate. Once permeable, magma may densify and the pore network may re-seal itself. Permeability may be developed in one or more of 3 end-member pore-space geometries: (1) bubble-dominated, (2) crack-dominated, or (3) particle dominated. We take each geometry in turn and explore how we can scale the evolution of permeability with porosity. To do this we use 3 different data types. First, we compile the large body of published measurements of natural, synthetic and analogue volcanic rocks covering a range of pore space complexity. Second, we compile and conduct in situ measurements of permeability evolution for densifying granular systems or crack-formation in deforming magmas. Third, we conduct stochastic simulations in which we systematically build random heterogeneous porous media from overlapping spheres and use lattice-Boltzmann simulations of fluid flow to find the permeability. These data permit us to isolate individual controls on the permeability in each geometry in turn. Permeability can be readily formed by bubble coalescence, fracturing or fragmentation, and by forced gas percolation. Similarly, permeability can be reduced by bubble shrinking and pinch off, fracture healing, and volcanic welding. We broadly consider the kinetics of these processes and provide useful tools for predicting the longevity of different permeable network types. We summarize these findings by considering the potential of silicic volcanoes to outgas prior to significant overpressure buildup, possibly controlling the liklihood of large explosive behaviour.

New well pattern optimization methodology in mature low-permeability anisotropic reservoirs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Qin, Jiazheng; Liu, Yuetian; Feng, Yueli; Ding, Yao; Liu, Liu; He, Youwei

2018-02-01

In China, lots of well patterns were designed before people knew the principal permeability direction in low-permeability anisotropic reservoirs. After several years’ production, it turns out that well line direction is unparallel with principal permeability direction. However, traditional well location optimization methods (in terms of the objective function such as net present value and/or ultimate recovery) are inapplicable, since wells are not free to move around in a mature oilfield. Thus, the well pattern optimization (WPO) of mature low-permeability anisotropic reservoirs is a significant but challenging task, since the original well pattern (WP) will be distorted and reconstructed due to permeability anisotropy. In this paper, we investigate the destruction and reconstruction of WP when the principal permeability direction and well line direction are unparallel. A new methodology was developed to quantitatively optimize the well locations of mature large-scale WP through a WPO algorithm on the basis of coordinate transformation (i.e. rotating and stretching). For a mature oilfield, large-scale WP has settled, so it is not economically viable to carry out further infill drilling. This paper circumvents this difficulty by combining the WPO algorithm with the well status (open or shut-in) and schedule adjustment. Finally, this methodology is applied to an example. Cumulative oil production rates of the optimized WP are higher, and water-cut is lower, which highlights the potential of the WPO methodology application in mature large-scale field development projects.

Why arguments against infanticide remain convincing: A reply to Räsänen.

PubMed

Rodger, Daniel; Blackshaw, Bruce P; Wilcox, Clinton

2018-03-01

In 'Pro-life arguments against infanticide and why they are not convincing' Joona Räsänen argues that Christopher Kaczor's objections to Giubilini and Minerva's position on infanticide are not persuasive. We argue that Räsänen's criticism is largely misplaced, and that he has not engaged with Kaczor's strongest arguments against infanticide. We reply to each of Räsänen's criticisms, drawing on the full range of Kaczor's arguments, as well as adding some of our own. © 2018 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

News Coverage of Sugar-Sweetened Beverage Taxes: Pro- and Antitax Arguments in Public Discourse

PubMed Central

Gollust, Sarah E.; Jarlenski, Marian P.; Nathanson, Ashley M.; Barry, Colleen L.

2013-01-01

Objectives. We examined news coverage of public debates about large taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) to illuminate how the news media frames the debate and to inform future efforts to promote obesity-related public policy. Methods. We conducted a quantitative content analysis in which we assessed how frequently 30 arguments supporting or opposing SSB taxes appeared in national news media and in news outlets serving jurisdictions where SSB taxes were proposed between January 2009 and June 2011. Results. News coverage included more discrete protax than antitax arguments on average. Supportive arguments about the health consequences and financial benefits of SSB taxes appeared most often. The most frequent opposing arguments focused on how SSB taxes would hurt the economy and how they constituted inappropriate governmental intrusion. Conclusions. News outlets that covered the debate on SSB taxes in their jurisdictions framed the issue in largely favorable ways. However, because these proposals have not gained passage, it is critical for SSB tax advocates to reach audiences not yet persuaded about the merits of this obesity prevention policy. PMID:23597354

News coverage of sugar-sweetened beverage taxes: pro- and antitax arguments in public discourse.

PubMed

Niederdeppe, Jeff; Gollust, Sarah E; Jarlenski, Marian P; Nathanson, Ashley M; Barry, Colleen L

2013-06-01

We examined news coverage of public debates about large taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages (SSBs) to illuminate how the news media frames the debate and to inform future efforts to promote obesity-related public policy. We conducted a quantitative content analysis in which we assessed how frequently 30 arguments supporting or opposing SSB taxes appeared in national news media and in news outlets serving jurisdictions where SSB taxes were proposed between January 2009 and June 2011. News coverage included more discrete protax than antitax arguments on average. Supportive arguments about the health consequences and financial benefits of SSB taxes appeared most often. The most frequent opposing arguments focused on how SSB taxes would hurt the economy and how they constituted inappropriate governmental intrusion. News outlets that covered the debate on SSB taxes in their jurisdictions framed the issue in largely favorable ways. However, because these proposals have not gained passage, it is critical for SSB tax advocates to reach audiences not yet persuaded about the merits of this obesity prevention policy.

On feature augmentation for semantic argument classification of the Quran English translation using support vector machine

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Khaira Batubara, Dina; Arif Bijaksana, Moch; Adiwijaya

2018-03-01

Research on the semantic argument classification requires semantically labeled data in large numbers, called corpus. Because building a corpus is costly and time-consuming, recently many studies have used existing corpus as the training data to conduct semantic argument classification research on new domain. But previous studies have proven that there is a significant decrease in performance when classifying semantic arguments on different domain between the training and the testing data. The main problem is when there is a new argument that found in the testing data but it is not found in the training data. This research carries on semantic argument classification on a new domain that is Quran English Translation by utilizing Propbank corpus as the training data. To recognize the new argument in the training data, this research proposes four new features for extending the argument features in the training data. By using SVM Linear, the experiment has proven that augmenting the proposed features to the baseline system with some combinations option improve the performance of semantic argument classification on Quran data using Propbank Corpus as training data.

“Reader, I Detained Him Under the Mental Health Act”: A Literary Response to Professor Fennell’s Best Interests and Treatment for Mental Disorder

PubMed Central

2008-01-01

This is a response to Professor Fennell's paper on the recent influence and impact of the best interests test on the treatment of patients detained under the Mental Health Act 1983 (MHA) for mental disorder. I discuss two points of general ethical significance raised by Professor Fennell. Firstly, I consider his argument on the breadth of the best interests test, incorporating as it does factors considerably wider than those of medical justifications and the risk of harm. Secondly, I discuss his contention that the apparent permeability of the line between the interests of the patient and the interests of society is something to be concerned about in itself. Since the overarching theme of the paper is the proper place of social and cultural values, my reponse considers the implications of Fennell's arguments in the light of Charlotte Brontë's novel ‘Jane Eyre’, which, through the character of Bertha Mason (the infamous ‘mad woman in the attic’) provides a provocative study of the relationship between mental disorder and society. PMID:18642086

Improved argument-FFT frequency offset estimation for QPSK coherent optical Systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Han, Jilong; Li, Wei; Yuan, Zhilin; Li, Haitao; Huang, Liyan; Hu, Qianggao

2016-02-01

A frequency offset estimation (FOE) algorithm based on fast Fourier transform (FFT) of the signal's argument is investigated, which does not require removing the modulated data phase. In this paper, we analyze the flaw of the argument-FFT algorithm and propose a combined FOE algorithm, in which the absolute of frequency offset (FO) is accurately calculated by argument-FFT algorithm with a relatively large number of samples and the sign of FO is determined by FFT-based interpolation discrete Fourier transformation (DFT) algorithm with a relatively small number of samples. Compared with the previous algorithms based on argument-FFT, the proposed one has low complexity and can still effectively work with a relatively less number of samples.

Role of the Outer Pore Domain in Transient Receptor Potential Vanilloid 1 Dynamic Permeability to Large Cations*

PubMed Central

Munns, Clare H.; Chung, Man-Kyo; Sanchez, Yuly E.; Amzel, L. Mario; Caterina, Michael J.

2015-01-01

Transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) has been shown to alter its ionic selectivity profile in a time- and agonist-dependent manner. One hallmark of this dynamic process is an increased permeability to large cations such as N-methyl-d-glucamine (NMDG). In this study, we mutated residues throughout the TRPV1 pore domain to identify loci that contribute to dynamic large cation permeability. Using resiniferatoxin (RTX) as the agonist, we identified multiple gain-of-function substitutions within the TRPV1 pore turret (N628P and S629A), pore helix (F638A), and selectivity filter (M644A) domains. In all of these mutants, maximum NMDG permeability was substantially greater than that recorded in wild type TRPV1, despite similar or even reduced sodium current density. Two additional mutants, located in the pore turret (G618W) and selectivity filter (M644I), resulted in significantly reduced maximum NMDG permeability. M644A and M644I also showed increased and decreased minimum NMDG permeability, respectively. The phenotypes of this panel of mutants were confirmed by imaging the RTX-evoked uptake of the large cationic fluorescent dye YO-PRO1. Whereas none of the mutations selectively altered capsaicin-induced changes in NMDG permeability, the loss-of-function phenotypes seen with RTX stimulation of G618W and M644I were recapitulated in the capsaicin-evoked YO-PRO1 uptake assay. Curiously, the M644A substitution resulted in a loss, rather than a gain, in capsaicin-evoked YO-PRO1 uptake. Modeling of our mutations onto the recently determined TRPV1 structure revealed several plausible mechanisms for the phenotypes observed. We conclude that side chain interactions at a few specific loci within the TRPV1 pore contribute to the dynamic process of ionic selectivity. PMID:25568328

Role of the outer pore domain in transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 dynamic permeability to large cations.

PubMed

Munns, Clare H; Chung, Man-Kyo; Sanchez, Yuly E; Amzel, L Mario; Caterina, Michael J

2015-02-27

Transient receptor potential vanilloid 1 (TRPV1) has been shown to alter its ionic selectivity profile in a time- and agonist-dependent manner. One hallmark of this dynamic process is an increased permeability to large cations such as N-methyl-D-glucamine (NMDG). In this study, we mutated residues throughout the TRPV1 pore domain to identify loci that contribute to dynamic large cation permeability. Using resiniferatoxin (RTX) as the agonist, we identified multiple gain-of-function substitutions within the TRPV1 pore turret (N628P and S629A), pore helix (F638A), and selectivity filter (M644A) domains. In all of these mutants, maximum NMDG permeability was substantially greater than that recorded in wild type TRPV1, despite similar or even reduced sodium current density. Two additional mutants, located in the pore turret (G618W) and selectivity filter (M644I), resulted in significantly reduced maximum NMDG permeability. M644A and M644I also showed increased and decreased minimum NMDG permeability, respectively. The phenotypes of this panel of mutants were confirmed by imaging the RTX-evoked uptake of the large cationic fluorescent dye YO-PRO1. Whereas none of the mutations selectively altered capsaicin-induced changes in NMDG permeability, the loss-of-function phenotypes seen with RTX stimulation of G618W and M644I were recapitulated in the capsaicin-evoked YO-PRO1 uptake assay. Curiously, the M644A substitution resulted in a loss, rather than a gain, in capsaicin-evoked YO-PRO1 uptake. Modeling of our mutations onto the recently determined TRPV1 structure revealed several plausible mechanisms for the phenotypes observed. We conclude that side chain interactions at a few specific loci within the TRPV1 pore contribute to the dynamic process of ionic selectivity. © 2015 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.

Large Earthquakes Disrupt Groundwater System by Breaching Aquitards

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, C. Y.; Manga, M.; Liao, X.; Wang, L. P.

2016-12-01

Changes of groundwater system by large earthquakes are widely recognized. Some changes have been attributed to increases in the vertical permeability but basic questions remain: How do increases in the vertical permeability occur? How frequent do they occur? How fast does the vertical permeability recover after the earthquake? Is there a quantitative measure for detecting the occurrence of aquitard breaching? Here we attempt to answer these questions by examining data accumulated in the past 15 years. Analyses of increased stream discharges and their geochemistry after large earthquakes show evidence that the excess water originates from groundwater released from high elevations by large increase of the vertical permeability. Water-level data from a dense network of clustered wells in a sedimentary basin near the epicenter of the 1999 M7.6 Chi-Chi earthquake in western Taiwan show that, while most confined aquifers remained confined after the earthquake, about 10% of the clustered wells show evidence of coseismic breaching of aquitards and a great increase of the vertical permeability. Water level in wells without evidence of coseismic breaching of aquitards show similar tidal response before and after the earthquake; wells with evidence of coseismic breaching of aquitards, on the other hand, show distinctly different tidal response before and after the earthquake and that the aquifers became hydraulically connected for many months thereafter. Breaching of aquitards by large earthquakes has significant implications for a number of societal issues such as the safety of water resources, the security of underground waste repositories, and the production of oil and gas. The method demonstrated here may be used for detecting the occurrence of aquitard breaching by large earthquakes in other seismically active areas.

Greater scaffold permeability promotes growth of osteoblastic cells in a perfused bioreactor.

PubMed

Fan, Jie; Jia, Xiaoling; Huang, Yan; Fu, Bingmei M; Fan, Yubo

2015-12-01

Pore size and porosity have been widely acknowledged as important structural factors in tissue-engineered scaffolds. In fact, scaffolds with similar pore size and porosity can provide important and varied permeability due to different pore shape, interconnectivity and tortuosity. However, the effects of scaffold permeability on seeded cells remains largely unknown during tissue regeneration in vitro. In this study, we measured the Darcy permeability (K) of tri-calcium phosphate scaffolds by distributed them into three groups: Low, Medium and High. As a result, the effects of scaffold permeability on cell proliferation, cellular activity and growth in the inner pores were investigated in perfused and static cultures in vitro. Results demonstrated that higher permeable scaffolds exhibited superior performance during bone regeneration in vitro and the advantages of higher scaffold permeability were amplified in perfused culture. Based on these findings, scaffold permeability should be considered in future scaffold fabrications. Copyright © 2013 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.

Analogical-mapping-based comparison tasks as a scaffold for argumentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Emig, Brandon R.

Given the centrality of the argumentation process to science and consequent importance to science education, inviting science students to engage in argumentation and scaffolding that argumentation in order that it lead to learning and not frustration is important. The present research invites small groups of science content learners (54 preservice elementary teachers at a large research university) to use analogical-mapping-based comparison tasks in service of argumentation to determine which of two possible analogues, in this case simple machines, is most closely related to a third. These activities and associated instruction scaffolded student small-groups' argumentation in four ways: (1) supporting new analogical correspondences on the heels of prior correspondences; (2) discerning definitions and descriptions for simple machine elements; (3) identifying and dealing with ambiguity in potential correspondences; and (4) making reflections on prior analogical correspondences in service of their final arguments. Analogical-mapping-based comparison activities scaffolded student small groups both in their argumentation and in content learning about simple machines. Implications, limitations, and directions for future related research are also discussed.

Phenotypic heterogeneity in lung capillary and extra-alveolar endothelial cells. Increased extra-alveolar endothelial permeability is sufficient to decrease compliance.

PubMed

Lowe, Kevin; Alvarez, Diego; King, Judy; Stevens, Troy

2007-11-01

In acute respiratory distress syndrome, pulmonary vascular permeability increases, causing intravascular fluid and protein to move into the lung's interstitium. The classic model describing the formation of pulmonary edema suggests that fluid crossing the capillary endothelium is drawn by negative interstitial pressure into the potential space surrounding extra-alveolar vessels and, as interstitial pressure builds, is forced into the alveolar air space. However, the validity of this model is challenged by animal models of acute lung injury in which extra-alveolar vessels are more permeable than capillaries under a variety of conditions. In the current study, we sought to determine whether extravascular fluid accumulation can be produced because of increased permeability of either the capillary or extra-alveolar endothelium, and whether different pathophysiology results from such site-specific increases in permeability. We perfused isolated lungs with either the plant alkaloid thapsigargin, which increases extra-alveolar endothelial permeability, or with 4alpha-phorbol 12, 13-didecanoate, which increases capillary endothelial permeability. Both treatments produced equal increases in whole lung vascular permeability, but caused fluid accumulations in separate anatomical compartments. Light microscopy of isolated lungs showed that thapsigargin caused fluid cuffing of large vessels, while 4alpha-phorbol 12, 13-didecanoate caused alveolar flooding. Dynamic compliance was reduced in lungs with cuffing of large vessels, but not in lungs with alveolar flooding. Phenotypic differences between vascular segments resulted in site-specific increases in permeability, which have different pathophysiological outcomes. Our findings suggest that insults leading to acute respiratory distress syndrome may increase permeability in extra-alveolar or capillary vascular segments, resulting in different pathophysiological sequela.

Dynamics of clogging in drying porous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaplan, C. Nadir; Mahadevan, L.

2014-11-01

Drying in porous media pervades a range of phenomena from brine evaporation arrested in porous bricks, causing efflorescence, i.e. salt aggregation on the surface where vapor leaves the medium, to clogging of reservoir rocks via salt precipitation when carbon dioxide is injected for geological storage. During the process of drying, the permeability and porosity of the medium may change due to the solute accumulation as a function of the particle concentration, in turn affecting the evaporation rate and the dynamics of the fluid flow imposed by it. To examine the dynamics of these coupled quantities, we develop a multiphase model of the particulate flow of a saline suspension in a porous medium, induced by evaporation. We further provide dimensional arguments as to how the salt concentration and the resulting change in permeability determine the transition between efflorescence and salt precipitation in the bulk. This research was supported by the Air Force Office of Scientific Research (AFOSR) under Award FA9550-09-1-0669-DOD35CAP and the Kavli Institute for Bionano Science and Technology at Harvard University.

A 3D Model for Gas Transfer, Storage and Resulting Displacement in a Permeable Volcanic Edifice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Collinson, Amy; Neuberg, Jurgen

2014-05-01

The total volume of gas in a magma, dissolved and subsequently exsolved, greatly influences the degree of explosiveness of a volcanic system. There is a marked contrast between the behaviour of a volcano in an open system compared to one which is closed. Whilst gas release is evident from surface gas emission measurements, gas storage is also thought to play an important role, as evidenced by large gas emissions after some large dome collapse events, suggesting gas may be stored in large volumes at shallow depths within the dome and edifice. Consequently, it is essential to understand degassing, to appreciate how much gas may be stored and where, and under what conditions it may be transferred or emitted to the atmosphere. We use previous experimental data on permeabilities to create 3D numerical models to investigate gas transport and storage in a permeable volcanic edifice. We combine the continuity equation, Darcy's law and the ideal gas law to derive a partial differential equation which is solved using a finite element method to obtain the gas pressure. The associated pressure gradient is then used within Darcy's law to calculate the gas velocity. In addition, we use the momentum equation to investigate how the presence of gas and variations in permeability influence the rate and degree of deformation in the volcanic edifice. Hence this provides two important surface constraints: gas emissions and surface displacement. Geometries are created to simulate the topography of actual volcanoes and the pressure and permeabilities incorporated into the model as boundary and domain conditions, respectively. This method is applied to investigate a variety of volcanological phenomena affecting gas, for example regions of high permeability due to fractures, or low permeability due to sealing.

Crustal permeability

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gleeson, Tom; Ingebritsen, Steven E.

2016-01-01

Permeability is the primary control on fluid flow in the Earth’s crust and is key to a surprisingly wide range of geological processes, because it controls the advection of heat and solutes and the generation of anomalous pore pressures.  The practical importance of permeability – and the potential for large, dynamic changes in permeability – is highlighted by ongoing issues associated with hydraulic fracturing for hydrocarbon production (“fracking”), enhanced geothermal systems, and geologic carbon sequestration.  Although there are thousands of research papers on crustal permeability, this is the first book-length treatment.  This book bridges the historical dichotomy between the hydrogeologic perspective of permeability as a static material property and the perspective of other Earth scientists who have long recognized permeability as a dynamic parameter that changes in response to tectonism, fluid production, and geochemical reactions. 

Exfoliated BN shell-based high-frequency magnetic core-shell materials.

PubMed

Zhang, Wei; Patel, Ketan; Ren, Shenqiang

2017-09-14

The miniaturization of electric machines demands high frequency magnetic materials with large magnetic-flux density and low energy loss to achieve a decreased dimension of high rotational speed motors. Herein, we report a solution-processed high frequency magnetic composite (containing a nanometal FeCo core and a boron nitride (BN) shell) that simultaneously exhibits high electrical resistivity and magnetic permeability. The frequency dependent complex initial permeability and the mechanical robustness of nanocomposites are intensely dependent on the content of BN insulating phase. The results shown here suggest that insulating magnetic nanocomposites have potential for application in next-generation high-frequency electric machines with large electrical resistivity and permeability.

On a variational approach to some parameter estimation problems

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Banks, H. T.

1985-01-01

Examples (1-D seismic, large flexible structures, bioturbation, nonlinear population dispersal) in which a variation setting can provide a convenient framework for convergence and stability arguments in parameter estimation problems are considered. Some of these examples are 1-D seismic, large flexible structures, bioturbation, and nonlinear population dispersal. Arguments for convergence and stability via a variational approach of least squares formulations of parameter estimation problems for partial differential equations is one aspect of the problem considered.

Coupled Fracture and Flow in Shale in Hydraulic Fracturing

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Carey, J. W.; Mori, H.; Viswanathan, H.

2014-12-01

Production of hydrocarbon from shale requires creation and maintenance of fracture permeability in an otherwise impermeable shale matrix. In this study, we use a combination of triaxial coreflood experiments and x-ray tomography characterization to investigate the fracture-permeability behavior of Utica shale at in situ reservoir conditions (25-50 oC and 35-120 bars). Initially impermeable shale core was placed between flat anvils (compression) or between split anvils (pure shear) and loaded until failure in the triaxial device. Permeability was monitored continuously during this process. Significant deformation (>1%) was required to generate a transmissive fracture system. Permeability generally peaked at the point of a distinct failure event and then dropped by a factor of 2-6 when the system returned to hydrostatic failure. Permeability was very small in compression experiments (< 1 mD), possibly because of limited fracture connectivity through the anvils. In pure share experiments, shale with bedding planes perpendicular to shear loading developed complex fracture networks with narrow apertures and peak permeability of 30 mD. Shale with bedding planes parallel to shear loading developed simple fractures with large apertures and a peak permeability as high as 1 D. Fracture systems held at static conditions for periods of several hours showed little change in effective permeability at hydrostatic conditions as high as 140 bars. However, permeability of fractured systems was a function of hydrostatic pressure, declining in a pseudo-linear, exponential fashion as pressure increased. We also observed that permeability decreased with increasing fluid flow rate indicating that flow did not follow Darcy's Law, possibly due to non-laminar flow conditions, and conformed to Forscheimer's law. The coupled deformation and flow behavior of Utica shale, particularly the large deformation required to initiate flow, indicates the probable importance of activation of existing fractures in hydraulic fracturing and that these fractures can have adequate permeability for the production of hydrocarbon.

A relationship between porosity and permeability of carbonate rock reservoirs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lee, J.; Park, Y.; Jo, Y.; Jeong, J.; Eom, S.

2009-12-01

Most of oil reservoirs in the world occur in carbonate rocks. Thus, characterization of the carbonate reservoirs, including understanding the correlation between porosity and permeability is essentially required to enhance oil recovery. Compared with the other sedimentary rocks such as sandstone and shale, the carbonate rocks would exhibit a wide variety of vertical and horizontal heterogeneities. In general, pores of the carbonate rocks can be affected by mineral dissolution, replacement by other minerals and re-crystallization, which are the post-depositional processes. Permeability has been estimated at a wide scale by thin section image analysis, rock core experiments, geophysical well logging data and large scale aquifer tests. For the same porosity, the permeability might show a wide variation. In this study, a large number of the porosity and the permeability data pairs for world wide carbonate rocks (reservoirs) were collected from many literatures. The porosity and permeability data were grouped according to test scale, the reservoir location and the rock types. As is already known, the relation showed a rather scattered distribution also in this study, not monotonous, which indicates that higher porosity does not mean higher permeability of the rock formation. This study provides the analysis results and implications for oil production of the carbonate reservoirs. This research was funded by Energy Efficiency and Resources Program of KETEP (Korea Institute of Energy Technology Evaluation and Planning), Grant No. 2009T100200058.

The Place of Argumentation in the Pedagogy of School Science.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Newton, Paul; Driver, Rosalind; Osborne, Jonathan

1999-01-01

Examines whether secondary science teachers in England give students opportunities to develop and rehearse the skills of argumentation during their lessons. Finds that classroom discourse was largely teacher-dominated and tended not to foster the reflective discussion of scientific issues. Contains 43 references. (Author/WRM)

Disruption of the outer mitochondrial membrane as a result of large amplitude swelling: the impact of irreversible permeability transition.

PubMed

Petit, P X; Goubern, M; Diolez, P; Susin, S A; Zamzami, N; Kroemer, G

1998-04-10

Upon induction of permeability transition with different agents (Ca2+, tert-butyl hydroperoxide, atractyloside), mouse hepatocyte mitochondria manifest a disruption of outer membrane integrity leading to the release of cytochrome c and apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF), two proteins which are involved in programmed cell death (apoptosis). Chelation of Ca2+ shortly (within 2 min) after its addition to isolated mitochondria reestablished the mitochondrial transmembrane potential (deltapsi(m)), prevented induction of large amplitude swelling and release of both cytochrome c and AIF. In contrast, late Ca2+ chelation (10 min after addition of Ca2+) failed to affect these parameters. Cytochrome c appears to be released through a mechanically damaged outer mitochondrial membrane rather than via a specific release mechanism. These findings clarify the mechanisms through which irreversible permeability transition occurs with subsequent large amplitude swelling culminating in the release of intermembrane proteins from mitochondria. Moreover, they confirm the hypothesis formulated by Skulachev [FEBS Lett. 397 (1996) 7-10 and Q. Rev. Biophys. 29 (1996) 169-2021 linking permeability transition to activation of the apoptogenic catabolic enzymes.

A Robust Geometric Model for Argument Classification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giannone, Cristina; Croce, Danilo; Basili, Roberto; de Cao, Diego

Argument classification is the task of assigning semantic roles to syntactic structures in natural language sentences. Supervised learning techniques for frame semantics have been recently shown to benefit from rich sets of syntactic features. However argument classification is also highly dependent on the semantics of the involved lexicals. Empirical studies have shown that domain dependence of lexical information causes large performance drops in outside domain tests. In this paper a distributional approach is proposed to improve the robustness of the learning model against out-of-domain lexical phenomena.

Permeability and Strength Measurements on Sintered, Porous, Hollow Turbine Blades Made by the American Electro Metal Corporation under Office of Naval Research Contract N-ONR-295 (01)

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Richards, Hadley T.; Livingood, N.B.

1954-01-01

An experimental investigation was made to determine the permeability and strength characteristics of a number of sintered, porous, hollow turbine rotor blades and to determine the effectiveness of the blade fabrication method on permeability control. The test blades were fabricated by the American Electro Metal Corporation under a contract with the Office of Naval Research, Department of the Navy, and were submitted to the NACA for testing. Of the 22 test blades submitted, ten were sintered but not coined, five were sintered and coined, and seven were sintered and not coined but contained perforated reinforcements integral with the blade shells. Representative samples of each group of blades were tested. Large variations in permeability in both chordwise and spanwise directions were found. Local deviations as large as 155 to -85 percent from prescribed values were found in chordwise permeability. Only one blade, an uncoined one, had a chordwise permeability variations which reasonably approached that specified. Even for this blade, local deviations exceeded 10 percent. Spanwise permeability, specified to be held constant, varied as much as 50 percent from root to tip for both an uncoined and a coined blade. Previous NACA analyses have shown that in order to maintain proper control of blade wall temperatures, permeability variations must not exceed plus or minus 10 percent. Satisfactory control of permeability in either the chordwise or the spanwise direction was not achieved in the blades tested. Spin tests made at room temperature for six blades revealed the highest material rupture strength to be 8926 pounds per square inch. This value is about one third the strength required for rotor blades in present-day turbojet engines. The lowest value of blade strength was 1436 pounds per square inch.

Clay and Shale Permeability at Lab to Regional Scale

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Neuzil, C.

2017-12-01

Because clays, shales, and other clay-rich media tend to be only poorly permeable, and are laterally extensive and voluminous, they play key roles in problems as diverse as groundwater supply, waste confinement, exploitation of conventional and unconventional oil and gas, and deformation and failure in the crust. Clay and shale permeability is a crucial but often highly uncertain analysis parameter; direct measurements are challenging, error-prone, and - perhaps most importantly - provide information only at quite small scales. Fortunately, there has been a dramatic increase in clay and shale permeability data from sources that include scientific ocean drilling, nuclear waste repository research, groundwater resource studies, liquid waste and CO2 sequestration, and oil and gas research. The effect of lithology as well as porosity on matrix permeability can now be examined and permeability - scale relations are becoming discernable. A significant number of large-scale permeability estimates have been obtained by inverse methods that essentially treat large-scale flow systems as natural experiments. They suggest surprisingly little scale-dependence in clay and shale permeabilities in subsiding basins and accretionary complexes. Stable continental settings present a different picture; as depths increase beyond 1 km, scale dependence mostly disappears even over the largest areas. At depths less than 1 km, secondary permeability is not always present over areas of 1 - 10 km2, but always evident for areas in excess of about 103 km2. Transmissive fractures have been observed in very low porosity (< 0.03) shales in these settings, but the cause of scale dependence in other cases is unclear; it may reflect time-dependent, or "dynamic" conditions, including irreversible and ongoing changes imposed on subsurface flow systems by human activities.

Fault Zone Permeability Decrease Following Large Earthquakes in a Hydrothermal System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shi, Zheming; Zhang, Shouchuan; Yan, Rui; Wang, Guangcai

2018-02-01

Seismic wave shaking-induced permeability enhancement in the shallow crust has been widely observed. Permeability decrease, however, is seldom reported. In this study, we document coseismic discharge and temperature decrease in a hot spring following the 1996 Lijiang Mw 7.0 and the 2004 Mw 9.0 earthquakes in the Balazhang geothermal field. We use three different models to constrain the permeability change and the mechanism of coseismic discharge decrease, and we use an end-member mixing model for the coseismic temperature change. Our results show that the earthquake-induced permeability decrease in the fault zone reduced the recharge from deep hot water, which may be the mechanism that explains the coseismic discharge and temperature responses. The changes in the hot spring response reflect the dynamic changes in the hydrothermal system; in the future, the earthquake-induced permeability decrease should be considered when discussing controls on permeability.

Large-scale model of flow in heterogeneous and hierarchical porous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chabanon, Morgan; Valdés-Parada, Francisco J.; Ochoa-Tapia, J. Alberto; Goyeau, Benoît

2017-11-01

Heterogeneous porous structures are very often encountered in natural environments, bioremediation processes among many others. Reliable models for momentum transport are crucial whenever mass transport or convective heat occurs in these systems. In this work, we derive a large-scale average model for incompressible single-phase flow in heterogeneous and hierarchical soil porous media composed of two distinct porous regions embedding a solid impermeable structure. The model, based on the local mechanical equilibrium assumption between the porous regions, results in a unique momentum transport equation where the global effective permeability naturally depends on the permeabilities at the intermediate mesoscopic scales and therefore includes the complex hierarchical structure of the soil. The associated closure problem is numerically solved for various configurations and properties of the heterogeneous medium. The results clearly show that the effective permeability increases with the volume fraction of the most permeable porous region. It is also shown that the effective permeability is sensitive to the dimensionality spatial arrangement of the porous regions and in particular depends on the contact between the impermeable solid and the two porous regions.

Introducing Argumentation About Climate Change Socioscientific Issues in a Disadvantaged School

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dawson, Vaille; Carson, Katherine

2018-03-01

Improving the ability of young people to construct arguments about controversial science topics is a desired outcome of science education. The purpose of this research was to evaluate the impact of an argumentation intervention on the socioscientific issue of climate change with Year 10 students in a disadvantaged Australian school. After participation in a professional development workshop on climate change science, socioscientific issues and argumentation, an early career teacher explicitly taught argumentation over four non-consecutive lessons as part of a 4 week (16 lesson) topic on Earth science. Thirty students completed a pre- and post-test questionnaire to determine their understanding of climate change science and their ability to construct an argument about a climate change socioscientific issue. Students' understanding of climate change improved significantly (p < .001) with a large effect size. There was also a significant increase (p < .05) in the number of categories provided in written arguments about a climate change issue. Qualitative data, comprising classroom observation field notes, lesson transcripts, work samples, and teacher and student interviews, were analysed for the extent to which the students' argumentation skills improved. At the end of the intervention, students became aware of the need to justify their decisions with scientific evidence. It is concluded that introducing argumentation about climate change socioscientific issues to students in a disadvantaged school can improve their argumentation skills.

Stress dependence of permeability of intact and fractured shale cores.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van Noort, Reinier; Yarushina, Viktoriya

2016-04-01

Whether a shale acts as a caprock, source rock, or reservoir, understanding fluid flow through shale is of major importance for understanding fluid flow in geological systems. Because of the low permeability of shale, flow is thought to be largely confined to fractures and similar features. In fracking operations, fractures are induced specifically to allow for hydrocarbon exploration. We have constructed an experimental setup to measure core permeabilities, using constant flow or a transient pulse. In this setup, we have measured the permeability of intact and fractured shale core samples, using either water or supercritical CO2 as the transporting fluid. Our measurements show decreasing permeability with increasing confining pressure, mainly due to time-dependent creep. Furthermore, our measurements show that for a simple splitting fracture, time-dependent creep will also eliminate any significant effect of this fracture on permeability. This effect of confinement on fracture permeability can have important implications regarding the effects of fracturing on shale permeability, and hence for operations depending on that.

Role of mitochondrial permeability transition pores in mitochondrial autophagy.

PubMed

Rodriguez-Enriquez, Sara; He, Lihua; Lemasters, John J

2004-12-01

During autophagy, cells rid themselves of damaged and superfluous mitochondria, as well as other organelles. This activation of mitochondrial turnover could be the result of changes in the physiological state of mitochondria. Confocal microscopy and fluorescence techniques indicate that onset of mitochondrial permeability transition is one such change. The mitochondrial permeability transition is a reversible phenomenon whereby the mitochondrial inner membrane becomes freely permeable to solutes of less than 1500 Da. At onset of the mitochondrial permeability transition, mitochondria depolarize, uncouple, and undergo large amplitude swelling due to opening of permeability transition pores, which may form by aggregation of damaged, misfolded membrane proteins. When injurious cellular stresses occur, cells may protect themselves using autophagy to remove damaged mitochondria and mutated mitochondrial DNA. Ca(2+) overloading, reactive oxygen and nitrogen species, decreased mitochondrial membrane potential, and oxidation of pyridine nucleotides and glutathione all promote mitochondrial damage and onset of the mitochondrial permeability transition. The mitochondrial permeability transition is also associated with necrosis and apoptosis after a variety of stimuli. This review emphasizes the role of the mitochondrial permeability transition as a key event in mitochondrial autophagy.

Neural Correlates of Verb Argument Structure Processing

PubMed Central

Thompson, Cynthia K.; Bonakdarpour, Borna; Fix, Stephen C.; Blumenfeld, Henrike K.; Parrish, Todd B.; Gitelman, Darren R.; Mesulam, M.-Marsel

2008-01-01

Neuroimaging and lesion studies suggest that processing of word classes, such as verbs and nouns, is associated with distinct neural mechanisms. Such studies also suggest that subcategories within these broad word class categories are differentially processed in the brain. Within the class of verbs, argument structure provides one linguistic dimension that distinguishes among verb exemplars, with some requiring more complex argument structure entries than others. This study examined the neural instantiation of verbs by argument structure complexity: one-, two-, and three-argument verbs. Stimuli of each type, along with nouns and pseudowords, were presented for lexical decision using an event-related functional magnetic resonance imaging design. Results for 14 young normal participants indicated largely overlapping activation maps for verbs and nouns, with no areas of significant activation for verbs compared to nouns, or vice versa. Pseudowords also engaged neural tissue overlapping with that for both word classes, with more widespread activation noted in visual, motor, and peri-sylvian regions. Examination of verbs by argument structure revealed activation of the supramarginal and angular gyri, limited to the left hemisphere only when verbs with two obligatory arguments were compared to verbs with a single argument. However, bilateral activation was noted when both two- and three-argument verbs were compared to one-argument verbs. These findings suggest that posterior peri-sylvian regions are engaged for processing argument structure information associated with verbs, with increasing neural tissue in the inferior parietal region associated with increasing argument structure complexity. These findings are consistent with processing accounts, which suggest that these regions are crucial for semantic integration. PMID:17958479

Frictional stability-permeability relationships for fractures in shales

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Fang, Yi; Elsworth, Derek; Wang, Chaoyi; Ishibashi, Takuya; Fitts, Jeffrey P.

2017-03-01

There is wide concern that fluid injection in the subsurface, such as for the stimulation of shale reservoirs or for geological CO2 sequestration (GCS), has the potential to induce seismicity that may change reservoir permeability due to fault slip. However, the impact of induced seismicity on fracture permeability evolution remains unclear due to the spectrum of modes of fault reactivation (e.g., stable versus unstable). As seismicity is controlled by the frictional response of fractures, we explore friction-stability-permeability relationships through the concurrent measurement of frictional and hydraulic properties of artificial fractures in Green River shale (GRS) and Opalinus shale (OPS). We observe that carbonate-rich GRS shows higher frictional strength but weak neutral frictional stability. The GRS fracture permeability declines during shearing while an increased sliding velocity reduces the rate of permeability decline. By comparison, the phyllosilicate-rich OPS has lower friction and strong stability while the fracture permeability is reduced due to the swelling behavior that dominates over the shearing induced permeability reduction. Hence, we conclude that the friction-stability-permeability relationship of a fracture is largely controlled by mineral composition and that shale mineral compositions with strong frictional stability may be particularly subject to permanent permeability reduction during fluid infiltration.

Constraining the effects of permeability uncertainty for geologic CO2 sequestration in a basalt reservoir

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jayne, R., Jr.; Pollyea, R.

2016-12-01

Carbon capture and sequestration (CCS) in geologic reservoirs is one strategy for reducing anthropogenic CO2 emissions from large-scale point-source emitters. Recent developments at the CarbFix CCS pilot in Iceland have shown that basalt reservoirs are highly effective for permanent mineral trapping on the basis of CO2-water-rock interactions, which result in the formation of carbonates minerals. In order to advance our understanding of basalt sequestration in large igneous provinces, this research uses numerical simulation to evaluate the feasibility of industrial-scale CO2 injections in the Columbia River Basalt Group (CRBG). Although bulk reservoir properties are well constrained on the basis of field and laboratory testing from the Wallula Basalt Sequestration Pilot Project, there remains significant uncertainty in the spatial distribution of permeability at the scale of individual basalt flows. Geostatistical analysis of hydrologic data from 540 wells illustrates that CRBG reservoirs are reasonably modeled as layered heterogeneous systems on the basis of basalt flow morphology; however, the regional dataset is insufficient to constrain permeability variability at the scale of an individual basalt flow. As a result, permeability distribution for this modeling study is established by centering the lognormal permeability distribution in the regional dataset over the bulk permeability measured at Wallula site, which results in a spatially random permeability distribution within the target reservoir. In order to quantify the effects of this permeability uncertainty, CO2 injections are simulated within 50 equally probable synthetic reservoir domains. Each model domain comprises three-dimensional geometry with 530,000 grid blocks, and fracture-matrix interaction is simulated as interacting continua for the two low permeability layers (flow interiors) bounding the injection zone. Results from this research illustrate that permeability uncertainty at the scale of individual basalt flows may significantly impact both injection pressure accumulation and CO2 distribution.

Frictional stability-permeability relationships for fractures in shales: Friction-Permeability Relationships

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Fang, Yi; Elsworth, Derek; Wang, Chaoyi

There is wide concern that fluid injection in the subsurface, such as for the stimulation of shale reservoirs or for geological CO 2 sequestration (GCS), has the potential to induce seismicity that may change reservoir permeability due to fault slip. However, the impact of induced seismicity on fracture permeability evolution remains unclear due to the spectrum of modes of fault reactivation (e.g., stable versus unstable). As seismicity is controlled by the frictional response of fractures, we explore friction-stability-permeability relationships through the concurrent measurement of frictional and hydraulic properties of artificial fractures in Green River shale (GRS) and Opalinus shale (OPS).more » We observe that carbonate-rich GRS shows higher frictional strength but weak neutral frictional stability. The GRS fracture permeability declines during shearing while an increased sliding velocity reduces the rate of permeability decline. By comparison, the phyllosilicate-rich OPS has lower friction and strong stability while the fracture permeability is reduced due to the swelling behavior that dominates over the shearing induced permeability reduction. Hence, we conclude that the friction-stability-permeability relationship of a fracture is largely controlled by mineral composition and that shale mineral compositions with strong frictional stability may be particularly subject to permanent permeability reduction during fluid infiltration.« less

Instrumentation for Measurement of Gas Permeability of Polymeric Membranes

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Upchurch, Billy T.; Wood, George M.; Brown, Kenneth G.; Burns, Karen S.

1993-01-01

A mass spectrometric 'Dynamic Delta' method for the measurement of gas permeability of polymeric membranes has been developed. The method is universally applicable for measurement of the permeability of any gas through polymeric membrane materials. The usual large sample size of more than 100 square centimeters required for other methods is not necessary for this new method which requires a size less than one square centimeter. The new method should fulfill requirements and find applicability for industrial materials such as food packaging, contact lenses and other commercial materials where gas permeability or permselectivity properties are important.

Hybrid permeable metal-base transistor with large common-emitter current gain and low operational voltage.

PubMed

Feng, Chengang; Yi, Mingdong; Yu, Shunyang; Hümmelgen, Ivo A; Zhang, Tong; Ma, Dongge

2008-04-01

We demonstrate the suitability of N,N'-diphenyl-N,N'-bis(1-naphthylphenyl)-1,1'-biphenyl-4,4'-diamine (NPB), an organic semiconductor widely used in organic light-emitting diodes (OLEDs), for high-gain, low operational voltage nanostructured vertical-architecture transistors, which operate as permeable-base transistors. By introducing vanadium oxide (V2O5) between the injecting metal and NPB layer at the transistor emitter, we reduced the emitter operational voltage. The addition of two Ca layers, leading to a Ca/Ag/Ca base, allowed to obtain a large value of common-emitter current gain, but still retaining the permeable-base transistor character. This kind of vertical devices produced by simple technologies offer attractive new possibilities due to the large variety of available molecular semiconductors, opening the possibility of incorporating new functionalities in silicon-based devices.

AdvoCATE - User Guide

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Denney, Ewen W.

2015-01-01

The basic vision of AdvoCATE is to automate the creation, manipulation, and management of large-scale assurance cases based on a formal theory of argument structures. Its main purposes are for creating and manipulating argument structures for safety assurance cases using the Goal Structuring Notation (GSN), and as a test bed and proof-of-concept for the formal theory of argument structures. AdvoCATE is available for Windows 7, Macintosh OSX, and Linux. Eventually, AdvoCATE will serve as a dashboard for safety related information and provide an infrastructure for safety decisions and management.

After-birth abortion: the intuition argument.

PubMed

Lederman, Zohar

2013-05-01

The argument advanced by Giubilini and Minerva is an important one, but it suffers from some shortcomings. I briefly criticise their reasoning and method and argue that after birth abortion should be limited largely to infants with disabilities. My argument is based not on solid scientific evidence or cold rational reasoning but on intuition, something that has long been discounted as irrelevant in biomedical discourse. I end with a recommendation to all of us: in order to make a change, one should not only choose one's battles, but also one's weapon and mode of attack.

The Nature of the Arguments for Creationism, Intelligent Design, and Evolution

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barnes, Ralph M.; Church, Rebecca A.; Draznin-Nagy, Samuel

2017-03-01

Seventy-two Internet documents promoting creationism, intelligent design (I.D.), or evolution were selected for analysis. The primary goal of each of the 72 documents was to present arguments for creationism, I.D., or evolution. We first identified all arguments in these documents. Each argument was then coded in terms of both argument type (appeal to authority, appeal to empirical evidence, appeal to reason, etc.) and argument topic (age of earth, mechanism of descent with modification, etc.). We then provided a quantitative summary of each argument type and topic for each of the three positions. Three clear patterns were revealed by the data. First, websites promoting evolution were characterized by a narrow focus on appeals to empirical evidence, whereas websites promoting creationism and I.D. were quite heterogeneous in regards to argument type. Second, websites promoting evolution relied primarily on a small number of empirical examples (e.g., fossils, biogeography, homology, etc.), while websites promoting creationism and I.D. used a far greater range of arguments. Finally, websites promoting evolution were narrowly focused on the topic of descent with modification. In contrast, websites promoting creationism tackled a broad range of topics, while websites promoting I.D. were narrowly focused on the issue of the existence of God. The current study provides a quantitative summary of a systematic content analysis of argument type and topic across a large number of frequently accessed websites dealing with origins. The analysis we have used may prove fruitful in identifying and understanding argumentation trends in scientific writing and pseudo-scientific writing.

An integrated workflow for stress and flow modelling using outcrop-derived discrete fracture networks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bisdom, K.; Nick, H. M.; Bertotti, G.

2017-06-01

Fluid flow in naturally fractured reservoirs is often controlled by subseismic-scale fracture networks. Although the fracture network can be partly sampled in the direct vicinity of wells, the inter-well scale network is poorly constrained in fractured reservoir models. Outcrop analogues can provide data for populating domains of the reservoir model where no direct measurements are available. However, extracting relevant statistics from large outcrops representative of inter-well scale fracture networks remains challenging. Recent advances in outcrop imaging provide high-resolution datasets that can cover areas of several hundred by several hundred meters, i.e. the domain between adjacent wells, but even then, data from the high-resolution models is often upscaled to reservoir flow grids, resulting in loss of accuracy. We present a workflow that uses photorealistic georeferenced outcrop models to construct geomechanical and fluid flow models containing thousands of discrete fractures covering sufficiently large areas, that does not require upscaling to model permeability. This workflow seamlessly integrates geomechanical Finite Element models with flow models that take into account stress-sensitive fracture permeability and matrix flow to determine the full permeability tensor. The applicability of this workflow is illustrated using an outcropping carbonate pavement in the Potiguar basin in Brazil, from which 1082 fractures are digitised. The permeability tensor for a range of matrix permeabilities shows that conventional upscaling to effective grid properties leads to potential underestimation of the true permeability and the orientation of principal permeabilities. The presented workflow yields the full permeability tensor model of discrete fracture networks with stress-induced apertures, instead of relying on effective properties as most conventional flow models do.

Corticosterone mediates stress-related increased intestinal permeability in a region-specific manner

PubMed Central

Zheng, Gen; Wu, Shu-Pei; Hu, Yongjun; Smith, David E; Wiley, John W.; Hong, Shuangsong

2012-01-01

Background Chronic psychological stress (CPS) is associated with increased intestinal epithelial permeability and visceral hyperalgesia. It is unknown whether corticosterone (CORT) plays a role in mediating alterations of epithelial permeability in response to CPS. Methods Male rats were subjected to 1-hour water avoidance (WA) stress or subcutaneous CORT injection daily for 10 consecutive days in the presence or absence of corticoid-receptor antagonist RU-486. The visceromotor response (VMR) to colorectal distension (CRD) was measured. The in situ single-pass intestinal perfusion was used to measure intestinal permeability in jejunum and colon simultaneously. Key Results We observed significant decreases in the levels of glucocorticoid receptor (GR) and tight junction proteins in the colon but not the jejunum in stressed rats. These changes were largely reproduced by serial CORT injections in control rats and were significantly reversed by RU-486. Stressed and CORT-injected rats demonstrated a 3-fold increase in permeability for PEG-400 (MW) in colon but not jejunum and significant increase in VMR to CRD, which was significantly reversed by RU-486. In addition, no differences in permeability to PEG-4,000 and PEG-35,000 were detected between control and WA groups. Conclusions & Inferences Our findings indicate that CPS was associated with region-specific decrease in epithelial tight junction protein levels in the colon, increased colon epithelial permeability to low-molecular weight macromolecules which were largely reproduced by CORT treatment in control rats and prevented by RU-486. These observations implicate a novel, region-specific role for CORT as a mediator of CPS-induced increased permeability to macromolecules across the colon epithelium. PMID:23336591

Influence of the spatial distribution of cementation on the permeability and mechanical attributes of sedimentary and fault rocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mozley, P.; Yoon, H.; Williams, R. T.; Goodwin, L. B.

2015-12-01

The spatial distribution of pore-filling authigenic minerals (cements) is highly variable and controlled in large part by the mineralogy of the cements and host sediment grains. Two end-member distributions of cements that commonly occur in sedimentary material are: (1) concretionary, in which precipitation occurred in specific zones throughout the sediment, with intervening areas largely uncemented; and (2) grain-rimming, in which precipitation occurred on grain-surfaces relatively uniformly throughout the rock. Concretions form in rocks in which sediment grains have a different composition from the cement, whereas rim cements form in those that have the same composition. Both the mechanical attributes and permeability of a given volume of rock are affected to a much greater extent by grain rimming cements, which have a significant impact on properties at even low abundances. Concretionary cements have little impact on bulk properties until relatively large volumes have precipitated (~80% cemented) and concretions begin to link up. Precipitation of cement in fault zones also impacts both mechanical and hydrologic properties. Cementation will stiffen and strengthen unlithified sediment, thereby controlling the locus of fracturing in protolith or damage zones. Where fracture networks form in fault damage zones, they are initially high permeability elements. However, progressive cementation greatly diminishes fracture permeability, resulting in cyclical permeability variation linked to fault slip. To quantitatively describe the interactions of groundwater flow, permeability, and patterns and abundance of cements, we use pore-scale modeling of coupled fluid flow, reactive transport, and heterogeneous mineral-surface reactions. By exploring the effects of varying distributions of porosity and mineralogy, which impact patterns of cementation, we provide mechanistic explanations of the interactions of coupled processes under various flow and chemistry conditions.

Pressure sensitivity of low permeability sandstones

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kilmer, N.H.; Morrow, N.R.; Pitman, Janet K.

1987-01-01

Detailed core analysis has been carried out on 32 tight sandstones with permeabilities ranging over four orders of magnitude (0.0002 to 4.8 mD at 5000 psi confining pressure). Relationships between gas permeability and net confining pressure were measured for cycles of loading and unloading. For some samples, permeabilities were measured both along and across bedding planes. Large variations in stress sensitivity of permeability were observed from one sample to another. The ratio of permeability at a nominal confining pressure of 500 psi to that at 5000 psi was used to define a stress sensitivity ratio. For a given sample, confining pressure vs permeability followed a linear log-log relationship, the slope of which provided an index of pressure sensitivity. This index, as obtained for first unloading data, was used in testing relationships between stress sensitivity and other measured rock properties. Pressure sensitivity tended to increase with increase in carbonate content and depth, and with decrease in porosity, permeability and sodium feldspar. However, scatter in these relationships increased as permeability decreased. Tests for correlations between pressure sensitivity and various linear combinations of variables are reported. Details of pore structure related to diagenetic changes appears to be of much greater significance to pressure sensitivity than mineral composition. ?? 1987.

Study on movable fluid of low permeability reservoir with NMR technology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Hongqian; Li, Yajun; Gong, Houjian; Dong, Mingzhe

2018-03-01

Fluid mobility is an important factor affecting the development of low permeability reservoirs. The fluid mobility of 4 core samples obtained from the Shahejie group of Dongying Sag(China) is conducted using the nuclear magnetic resonance analysis technique. The main part of NMR T2 spectrum usually has two form: unimodal and bimodal. When the main part of T2 spectrum is bimodal, water in large pores flows out firstly, while water in small pores can't flow until the centrifugal force is large enough. When the main part of T2 spectrum is unimodal, the water in small pores is easier to flow out. The movable fluid percentage is mainly affected by the pore distribution, permeability and porosity.

Stability of miscible displacements across stratified porous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shariati, Maryam; Yortsos, Yanis C.

2001-08-01

We consider the stability of miscible displacements across stratified porous media, where the heterogeneity is along the direction of displacement. Asymptotic results for long and short wavelengths are derived. It is found that heterogeneity has a long-wave effect on the instability, which, in the absence of gravity, becomes nontrivial when the viscosity profiles are nonmonotonic. In the latter case, profiles with end-point viscosities, predicted to be stable using the Saffman-Taylor criterion, can become unstable, if the permeability contrast in the direction of displacement is sufficiently large. Conversely, profiles with end-point viscosities predicted to be unstable, can become stable, if the permeability decrease in the direction of displacement is sufficiently large. Analogous results are found in the presence of gravity, but without the nonmonotonic restriction on the viscosity profile. The increase or decrease in the propensity for instability as the permeability increases or decreases, respectively, reflects the variation of the two different components of the effective fluid mobility. While permeability remains frozen in space, viscosity varies following the concentration field. Thus, the condition for instability does not solely depend on the overall fluid mobility, as in the case of displacements in homogeneous media, but it is additionally dependent on the permeability variation.

Use of petrophysical data for siting of deep geological repository of radioactive waste

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Petrenko, Liliana; Shestopalov, Vyacheslav

2017-11-01

The paper is devoted to analyzing the petrophysical properties and petrographical characteristics of Volyn region with the view to choosing the least permeable and so the most suitable geological formation for the radioactive waste disposal. On a basis of the petrophysical estimations of the granitoids properties the argumentation of permeability has been developed for the petrotypes of Volyn region. Also method of classification of the petrotypes with their relative rate of suitability for radioactive waste disposal was developed. As a result of studying the perspectives were shown of the zhytomyr and korosten types of the granitoids as host rock for the radioactive waste disposal. According to the results of investigations performed by Swedish researchers a comparative analysis of rocks based on the age of formation, composition, structural features and some petrophysical properties of granitoids as host rocks for repository of radioactive waste was performed. Detail comparison the data of the granitoids of the Forsmark site in Sweden and the data of the granitoids of the Volyn megablock can be one of the next steps in researching the host rocks for the development of the RW disposal system in Ukraine.

[Gut barrier in the critically ill patient: facts and trends].

PubMed

Velasco, Nicolás

2006-08-01

The disturbances of gut barrier in critically ill patients may influence their outcome and prognosis. Experiments in animals show that fasting and stress collaborate to produce intestinal atrophy and translocation of microorganisms and toxins. This fact is one of the main arguments to promote the use of early enteral feeding in critically ill patients. However, the intestinal barrier behaves differently in humans than in animals. The human enteral cells have a good tolerance to fasting and stress, mucosal atrophy is mild and it is not always associated with changes in intestinal permeability. Moreover, the relationship between intestinal permeability with sepsis and bacterial translocation is controversial. This last phenomenon also happens in normal subjects and may be a mechanism to build immunological memory. One of the most important factors that influence bacterial translocation is the microorganism, that under stress conditions can adhere to the intestinal cell and penetrate the intestinal barrier. Splanchnic ischemia and reperfusion is one of the main pathogenic factors in the failure of intestinal barrier. Finally, the fact that the small bowel is an inflammatory target of extra intestinal injuries, explains several clinical situations. The pathophysiology of the intestinal barrier definitely requires more research.

The impacts of effective stress and CO 2 sorption on the matrix permeability of shale reservoir rocks [The impacts of CO 2 sorption and effective stress on the matrix permeability of shale reservoir rocks

DOE PAGES

Wu, Wei; Zoback, Mark D.; Kohli, Arjun H.

2017-05-02

We assess the impacts of effective stress and CO 2 sorption on the bedding-parallel matrix permeability of the Utica shale through pressure pulse-decay experiments. We first measure permeability using argon at relatively high (14.6 MPa) and low (2.8 MPa) effective stresses to assess both pressure dependence and recoverability. We subsequently measure permeability using supercritical CO 2 and again using argon to assess changes due to CO 2 sorption. We find that injection of both argon and supercritical CO 2 reduces matrix permeability in distinct fashion. Samples with permeability higher than 10 –20 m 2 experience a large permeability reduction aftermore » treatment with argon, but a minor change after treatment with supercritical CO 2. However, samples with permeability lower than this threshold undergo a slight change after treatment with argon, but a dramatic reduction after treatment with supercritical CO 2. These results indicate that effective stress plays an important role in the evolution of relatively permeable facies, while CO 2 sorption dominates the change of ultra-low permeability facies. The permeability reduction due to CO 2 sorption varies inversely with initial permeability, which suggests that increased surface area from hydraulic stimulation with CO 2 may be counteracted by sorption effects in ultra-low permeability facies. As a result, we develop a conceptual model to explain how CO 2 sorption induces porosity reduction and volumetric expansion to constrict fluid flow pathways in shale reservoir rocks.« less

The impacts of effective stress and CO 2 sorption on the matrix permeability of shale reservoir rocks [The impacts of CO 2 sorption and effective stress on the matrix permeability of shale reservoir rocks

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wu, Wei; Zoback, Mark D.; Kohli, Arjun H.

We assess the impacts of effective stress and CO 2 sorption on the bedding-parallel matrix permeability of the Utica shale through pressure pulse-decay experiments. We first measure permeability using argon at relatively high (14.6 MPa) and low (2.8 MPa) effective stresses to assess both pressure dependence and recoverability. We subsequently measure permeability using supercritical CO 2 and again using argon to assess changes due to CO 2 sorption. We find that injection of both argon and supercritical CO 2 reduces matrix permeability in distinct fashion. Samples with permeability higher than 10 –20 m 2 experience a large permeability reduction aftermore » treatment with argon, but a minor change after treatment with supercritical CO 2. However, samples with permeability lower than this threshold undergo a slight change after treatment with argon, but a dramatic reduction after treatment with supercritical CO 2. These results indicate that effective stress plays an important role in the evolution of relatively permeable facies, while CO 2 sorption dominates the change of ultra-low permeability facies. The permeability reduction due to CO 2 sorption varies inversely with initial permeability, which suggests that increased surface area from hydraulic stimulation with CO 2 may be counteracted by sorption effects in ultra-low permeability facies. As a result, we develop a conceptual model to explain how CO 2 sorption induces porosity reduction and volumetric expansion to constrict fluid flow pathways in shale reservoir rocks.« less

Generating enhanced site topography data to improve permeable pavement performance assessment methods - presentation

EPA Science Inventory

Permeable pavement surfaces are infiltration based stormwater control measures (SCM) commonly applied in parking lots to decrease impervious area and reduce runoff volume. Many are not optimally designed however, as little attention is given to draining a large enough contributin...

Ground-water flow in low permeability environments

USGS Publications Warehouse

Neuzil, Christopher E.

1986-01-01

Certain geologic media are known to have small permeability; subsurface environments composed of these media and lacking well developed secondary permeability have groundwater flow sytems with many distinctive characteristics. Moreover, groundwater flow in these environments appears to influence the evolution of certain hydrologic, geologic, and geochemical systems, may affect the accumulation of pertroleum and ores, and probably has a role in the structural evolution of parts of the crust. Such environments are also important in the context of waste disposal. This review attempts to synthesize the diverse contributions of various disciplines to the problem of flow in low-permeability environments. Problems hindering analysis are enumerated together with suggested approaches to overcoming them. A common thread running through the discussion is the significance of size- and time-scale limitations of the ability to directly observe flow behavior and make measurements of parameters. These limitations have resulted in rather distinct small- and large-scale approaches to the problem. The first part of the review considers experimental investigations of low-permeability flow, including in situ testing; these are generally conducted on temporal and spatial scales which are relatively small compared with those of interest. Results from this work have provided increasingly detailed information about many aspects of the flow but leave certain questions unanswered. Recent advances in laboratory and in situ testing techniques have permitted measurements of permeability and storage properties in progressively “tighter” media and investigation of transient flow under these conditions. However, very large hydraulic gradients are still required for the tests; an observational gap exists for typical in situ gradients. The applicability of Darcy's law in this range is therefore untested, although claims of observed non-Darcian behavior appear flawed. Two important nonhydraulic flow phenomena, osmosis and ultrafiltration, are experimentally well established in prepared clays but have been incompletely investigated, particularly in undisturbed geologic media. Small-scale experimental results form much of the basis for analyses of flow in low-permeability environments which occurs on scales of time and size too large to permit direct observation. Such large-scale flow behavior is the focus of the second part of the review. Extrapolation of small-scale experimental experience becomes an important and sometimes controversial problem in this context. In large flow systems under steady state conditions the regional permeability can sometimes be determined, but systems with transient flow are more difficult to analyze. The complexity of the problem is enhanced by the sensitivity of large-scale flow to the effects of slow geologic processes. One-dimensional studies have begun to elucidate how simple burial or exhumation can generate transient flow conditions by changing the state of stress and temperature and by burial metamorphism. Investigation of the more complex problem of the interaction of geologic processes and flow in two and three dimensions is just beginning. Because these transient flow analyses have largely been based on flow in experimental scale systems or in relatively permeable systems, deformation in response to effective stress changes is generally treated as linearly elastic; however, this treatment creates difficulties for the long periods of interest because viscoelastic deformation is probably significant. Also, large-scale flow simulations in argillaceous environments generally have neglected osmosis and ultrafiltration, in part because extrapolation of laboratory experience with coupled flow to large scales under in situ conditions is controversial. Nevertheless, the effects are potentially quite important because the coupled flow might cause ultra long lived transient conditions. The difficulties associated with analysis are matched by those of characterizing hydrologic conditions in tight environments; measurements of hydraulic head and sampling of pore fluids have been done only rarely because of the practical difficulties involved. These problems are also discussed in the second part of this paper.

The Whole Point of the Thing: How Nominalisation Might Develop Students' Written Causal Arguments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Carroll, James Edward

2016-01-01

Frustrated that previously taught writing frames seemed to impede his A-level students' historical arguments, James Edward Carroll theorised that the inadequacies he identified in their writing were as much disciplinary as stylistic. Drawing on two discourses that are often largely isolated from each other--genre theory and the work of the history…

Probing the low-frequency vortex dynamics in a nanostructured superconducting strip

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Silva, C. C. de Souza; Raes, B.; Brisbois, J.; Cabral, L. R. E.; Silhanek, A. V.; Van de Vondel, J.; Moshchalkov, V. V.

2016-07-01

We investigate by scanning susceptibility microscopy the response of a thin Pb strip, with a square array of submicron antidots, to a low-frequency ac magnetic field applied perpendicularly to the film plane. By mapping the local permeability of the sample within the field range where vortices trapped by the antidots and interstitial vortices coexist, we observed two distinct dynamical regimes occurring at different temperatures. At a temperature just below the superconducting transition, T /Tc=0.96 , the sample response is essentially dominated by the motion of highly mobile interstitial vortices. However, at a slightly lower temperature, T /Tc=0.93 , the interstitial vortices freeze up leading to a strong reduction of the ac screening length. We propose a simple model for the vortex response in this system which fits well to the experimental data. Our analysis suggests that the observed switching to the high mobility regime stems from a resonant effect, where the period of the ac excitation is just large enough to allow interstitial vortices to thermally hop through the weak pinning landscape produced by random material defects. This argument is further supported by the observation of a pronounced enhancement of the out-of-phase response at the crossover between both dynamical regimes.

The Ĝ infrared search for extraterrestrial civilizations with large energy supplies. I. Background and justification

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wright, J. T.; Mullan, B.; Sigurdsson, S.

We motivate the Ĝ infrared search for extraterrestrial civilizations with large energy supplies. We discuss some philosophical difficulties of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), and how communication SETI circumvents them. We review 'Dysonian SETI', the search for artifacts of alien civilizations, and find that it is highly complementary to traditional communication SETI; the two together might succeed where either one alone has not. We discuss the argument of Hart that spacefaring life in the Milky Way should be either galaxy-spanning or non-existent, and examine a portion of his argument that we call the 'monocultural fallacy'. We discuss some rebuttalsmore » to Hart that invoke sustainability and predict long Galaxy colonization timescales. We find that the maximum Galaxy colonization timescale is actually much shorter than previous work has found (<10{sup 9} yr), and that many 'sustainability' counter-arguments to Hart's thesis suffer from the monocultural fallacy. We extend Hart's argument to alien energy supplies and argue that detectably large energy supplies can plausibly be expected to exist because life has the potential for exponential growth until checked by resources or other limitations, and intelligence implies the ability to overcome such limitations. As such, if Hart's thesis is correct, then searches for large alien civilizations in other galaxies may be fruitful; if it is incorrect, then searches for civilizations within the Milky Way are more likely to succeed than Hart argued. We review some past Dysonian SETI efforts and discuss the promise of new mid-infrared surveys, such as that of WISE.« less

The Ĝ Infrared Search for Extraterrestrial Civilizations with Large Energy Supplies. I. Background and Justification

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wright, J. T.; Mullan, B.; Sigurdsson, S.; Povich, M. S.

2014-09-01

We motivate the Ĝ infrared search for extraterrestrial civilizations with large energy supplies. We discuss some philosophical difficulties of the search for extraterrestrial intelligence (SETI), and how communication SETI circumvents them. We review "Dysonian SETI," the search for artifacts of alien civilizations, and find that it is highly complementary to traditional communication SETI; the two together might succeed where either one alone has not. We discuss the argument of Hart that spacefaring life in the Milky Way should be either galaxy-spanning or non-existent, and examine a portion of his argument that we call the "monocultural fallacy." We discuss some rebuttals to Hart that invoke sustainability and predict long Galaxy colonization timescales. We find that the maximum Galaxy colonization timescale is actually much shorter than previous work has found (<109 yr), and that many "sustainability" counter-arguments to Hart's thesis suffer from the monocultural fallacy. We extend Hart's argument to alien energy supplies and argue that detectably large energy supplies can plausibly be expected to exist because life has the potential for exponential growth until checked by resources or other limitations, and intelligence implies the ability to overcome such limitations. As such, if Hart's thesis is correct, then searches for large alien civilizations in other galaxies may be fruitful; if it is incorrect, then searches for civilizations within the Milky Way are more likely to succeed than Hart argued. We review some past Dysonian SETI efforts and discuss the promise of new mid-infrared surveys, such as that of WISE.

The effect of CO2-fluid-rock interactions on the porosity and permeability of calcite-bearing sandstone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lamy-Chappuis, B.; Yardley, B.; Grattoni, C.

2013-12-01

Brine acidification following CO2 dissolution will initiate fluid-rock interactions that could significantly modify porosity, permeability and therefore the capacity and injectivity of a reservoir. We have investigated experimentally the dissolution of calcite in sandstone cores injected with CO2-saturated brine, and the effect this has on permeability. A series of CT (Computerized Tomography) - monitored experiments were conducted on a Jurassic sandstone (porosity = 30%, permeability = 10mD, calcite content = 5% in the form of dispersed shell fragments). Brine saturated with CO2 at pressures up to 1 MPa was injected into 5cm long, 3.75cm diameter cores at a flow rate of 1 ml/min and room temperature. The data showed quasi-instantaneous dissolution of the calcite even at low CO2 concentrations (0.15 Molar) and high fluid interstitial velocities (1mm/s), with the migration of a calcite dissolution front through the core recorded by successive CT scans. The resulting permeability increase was 60 - 80% whereas the predicted permeability change for the observed increase in porosity is only 10 - 20% using the Kozeny-Carman relationship. This result is particularly significant because the effect of porosity increase on permeability is usually modelled with this relationship, irrespective of the mechanism of porosity increase. Micro-CT scans (pixel resolution: 2.5 microns) of unreacted cores were used to generate 3D porosity models with calcite either treated as solid (pre-reaction model) or converted to pores (post-reaction model). FLUENT simulations performed using these models predicted the observed large relative changes in permeability with calcite dissolution but overestimated absolute permeability by an order of magnitude. This was probably due to the scan resolution being too coarse to correctly model pore throats. The observed large change in permeability for a small change in porosity may have resulted from increase in connectivity, focused dissolution at the pore throats or reduction in tortuosity. SEM (Scanning Electron Microscope) imaging demonstrates dissolution of relatively large isolated shell fragments but this had little effect on the overall connectivity. No calcite cement was observed at the pore throats in the unreacted specimens. The micro-CT scans indicate a modest tortuosity decrease from 2.00 to 1.85 when calcite is dissolved, but this change in tortuosity results from the opening of new flow paths as the dissolution of discrete grains opened new flow paths and created shortcuts, not from changes to the sinuosity of existing pathways. We suggest that the marked discrepancy in the effect of calcite dissolution on permeability between our experimental data and standard models arises because of the very different way in which the porosity is increased (new pathways rather than inflation). While our results cast doubt on the general applicability of standard models for porosity-permeability relationships for situations in which porosity changes by grain-specific reactions, it is encouraging that pore scale modelling is able to reproduce the experimental relationships.

Now You See it, Now You Don't: Age Differences in Affective Reactivity to Social Tensions

PubMed Central

Charles, Susan Turk; Piazza, Jennifer R.; Luong, Gloria; Almeida, David M.

2009-01-01

When faced with interpersonal conflict, older adults report using passive strategies more often than do younger adults. They also report less affective reactivity in response to these tensions. We examined whether the use of passive strategies may explain age-related reductions in affective reactivity to interpersonal tensions. Over eight consecutive evenings, participants (N = 1031, 25 – 74 years-old) reported daily negative affect and the occurrence of tense situations where they had an argument or avoided an argument. Older age was related to less affective reactivity when people decided to avoid an argument but was unrelated to affective reactivity when people engaged in arguments. Findings suggest that avoidance of negative situations may largely underlie age-related benefits in affective well-being. PMID:19739920

Reflection and Refraction of Light in Absorbing Media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Katsumata, Koichi; Sasaki, Shosuke

2018-05-01

The results of a rigorous calculation of optical phenomena in absorbing media based on Maxwell's equations are reported. In the case of an absorbing dielectric, we assume a complex dielectric constant. We find an expression for the angle of refraction as a function of the incident angle and the real and imaginary parts of the complex dielectric constant, all of which are real. The amplitudes of the reflected and transmitted waves are calculated on the same footing. These amplitudes are shown to be complex, from which we deduce the magnitude and phase change of the reflection and transmission coefficients. The same argument applies to an absorbing magnetic material if we replace the complex dielectric constant by a complex magnetic permeability.

TREATMENT OF HEAVY METALS USING AN ORGANIC SULFATE REDUCING PRB

EPA Science Inventory

A mpilot-scale permeable reactive wall consisting of a leaf-rich compost-pea gravel mixture was installed at a site in the Vancouver area, Canada to evaluate its potential use for treatment of a large dissolved heavy metal plume. The compost based permeable reactive wall promote...

Claudins and the Modulation of Tight Junction Permeability

PubMed Central

Günzel, Dorothee

2013-01-01

Claudins are tight junction membrane proteins that are expressed in epithelia and endothelia and form paracellular barriers and pores that determine tight junction permeability. This review summarizes our current knowledge of this large protein family and discusses recent advances in our understanding of their structure and physiological functions. PMID:23589827

The Effect of Communication Centers on College Student Retention: An Argument

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yook, Eunkyong Lee

2013-01-01

One of the most urgent issues facing institutions of higher learning in the United States today is the problem of college student retention. The purpose of this article is to provide a theoretically and empirically supported argument for stating that there is one potent force for retention of college students that has been as yet largely unmined:…

The solubility-permeability interplay and oral drug formulation design: Two heads are better than one.

PubMed

Dahan, Arik; Beig, Avital; Lindley, David; Miller, Jonathan M

2016-06-01

Poor aqueous solubility is a major challenge in today's biopharmaceutics. While solubility-enabling formulations can significantly increase the apparent solubility of the drug, the concomitant effect on the drug's apparent permeability has been largely overlooked. The mathematical equation to describe the membrane permeability of a drug comprises the membrane/aqueous partition coefficient, which in turn is dependent on the drug's apparent solubility in the GI milieu, suggesting that the solubility and the permeability are closely related, exhibit a certain interplay between them, and treating the one irrespectively of the other may be insufficient. In this article, an overview of this solubility-permeability interplay is provided, and the available data is analyzed in the context of the effort to maximize the overall drug exposure. Overall, depending on the type of solubility-permeability interplay, the permeability may decrease, remain unchanged, and even increase, in a way that may critically affect the formulation capability to improve the overall absorption. Therefore, an intelligent design of solubility-enabling formulation needs to consider both the solubility afforded by the formulation and the permeability in the new luminal environment resulting from the formulation. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Quantitative structure-permeability relationships at various pH values for acidic and basic drugs and drug-like compounds.

PubMed

Oja, M; Maran, U

2015-01-01

Absorption in gastrointestinal tract compartments varies and is largely influenced by pH. Therefore, considering pH in studies and analyses of membrane permeability provides an opportunity to gain a better understanding of the behaviour of compounds and to obtain good permeability estimates for prediction purposes. This study concentrates on relationships between the chemical structure and membrane permeability of acidic and basic drugs and drug-like compounds. The membrane permeability of 36 acidic and 61 basic compounds was measured using the parallel artificial membrane permeability assay (PAMPA) at pH 3, 5, 7.4 and 9. Descriptive and/or predictive single-parameter quantitative structure-permeability relationships were derived for all pH values. For acidic compounds, membrane permeability is mainly influenced by hydrogen bond donor properties, as revealed by models with r(2) > 0.8 for pH 3 and pH 5. For basic compounds, the best (r(2) > 0.7) structure-permeability relationships are obtained with the octanol-water distribution coefficient for pH 7.4 and pH 9, indicating the importance of partition properties. In addition to the validation set, the prediction quality of the developed models was tested with folic acid and astemizole, showing good matches between experimental and calculated membrane permeabilities at key pHs. Selected QSAR models are available at the QsarDB repository ( http://dx.doi.org/10.15152/QDB.166 ).

A multi-state magnetic memory dependent on the permeability of Metglas

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Petrie, J. R.; Wieland, K. A.; Timmerwilke, J. M.

A three-state magnetic memory was developed based on differences in the magnetic permeability of a soft ferromagnetic media, Metglas 2826MB (Fe{sub 40}Ni{sub 38}Mo{sub 4}B{sub 18}). By heating bits of a 250 nm thick Metglas film with 70–100 mW of laser power, we were able to tune the local microstructure, and hence, the permeability. Ternary memory states were created by using lower laser power to enhance the initial permeability through localized atomic rearrangement and higher power to reduce the permeability through crystallization. The permeability of the bits was read by detecting variations in an external 32 Oe probe field within 10 μm ofmore » the media via a magnetic tunnel junction read head. Compared to data based on remanent magnetization, these multi-permeability bits have enhanced insensitivity to unexpected field and temperature changes. We found that data was not corrupted after exposure to fields of 1 T or temperatures of 423 K, indicating the effectiveness of this multi-state approach for safely storing large amounts of data.« less

Compiling and Mapping Global Permeability of the Unconsolidated and Consolidated Earth: GLobal HYdrogeology MaPS 2.0 (GLHYMPS 2.0)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Huscroft, Jordan; Gleeson, Tom; Hartmann, Jens; Börker, Janine

2018-02-01

The spatial distribution of subsurface parameters such as permeability are increasingly relevant for regional to global climate, land surface, and hydrologic models that are integrating groundwater dynamics and interactions. Despite the large fraction of unconsolidated sediments on Earth's surface with a wide range of permeability values, current global, high-resolution permeability maps distinguish solely fine-grained and coarse-grained unconsolidated sediments. Representative permeability values are derived for a wide variety of unconsolidated sediments and applied to a new global map of unconsolidated sediments to produce the first geologically constrained, two-layer global map of shallower and deeper permeability. The new mean logarithmic permeability of the Earth's surface is -12.7 ± 1.7 m2 being 1 order of magnitude higher than that derived from previous maps, which is consistent with the dominance of the coarser sediments. The new data set will benefit a variety of scientific applications including the next generation of climate, land surface, and hydrology models at regional to global scales.

The solubility-permeability interplay and its implications in formulation design and development for poorly soluble drugs.

PubMed

Dahan, Arik; Miller, Jonathan M

2012-06-01

While each of the two key parameters of oral drug absorption, the solubility and the permeability, has been comprehensively studied separately, the relationship and interplay between the two have been largely ignored. For instance, when formulating a low-solubility drug using various solubilization techniques: what are we doing to the apparent permeability when we increase the solubility? Permeability is equal to the drug's diffusion coefficient through the membrane times the membrane/aqueous partition coefficient divided by the membrane thickness. The direct correlation between the intestinal permeability and the membrane/aqueous partitioning, which in turn is dependent on the drug's apparent solubility in the GI milieu, suggests that the solubility and the permeability are closely associated, exhibiting a certain interplay between them, and the current view of treating the one irrespectively of the other may not be sufficient. In this paper, we describe the research that has been done thus far, and present new data, to shed light on this solubility-permeability interplay. It has been shown that decreased apparent permeability accompanies the solubility increase when using different solubilization methods. Overall, the weight of the evidence indicates that the solubility-permeability interplay cannot be ignored when using solubility-enabling formulations; looking solely at the solubility enhancement that the formulation enables may be misleading with regards to predicting the resulting absorption, and hence, the solubility-permeability interplay must be taken into account to strike the optimal solubility-permeability balance, in order to maximize the overall absorption.

Measuring Permeability of Composite Cryotank Laminants

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Oliver, Stanley T.; Selvidge, Shawn; Watwood, Michael C.

2004-01-01

This paper describes a test method developed to identify whether certain materials and material systems are suitable candidates for large pressurized reusable cryogenic tanks intended for use in current and future manned launch systems. It provides a quick way to screen numerous candidate materials for permeability under anticipated loading environments consistent with flight conditions, as well as addressing reusability issues. cryogenic tank, where the major design issue was hydrogen permeability. It was successfully used to evaluate samples subjected to biaxial loading while maintaining test temperatures near liquid hydrogen. After each sample was thermally preconditioned, a cyclic pressure load was applied to simulate the in-plane strain. First permeability was measured while a sample was under load. Then the sample was unloaded and allowed to return to ambient temperature. The test was repeated to simulate reusability, in order to evaluate its effects on material permeability.

Human gene therapy and slippery slope arguments.

PubMed Central

McGleenan, T

1995-01-01

Any suggestion of altering the genetic makeup of human beings through gene therapy is quite likely to provoke a response involving some reference to a 'slippery slope'. In this article the author examines the topography of two different types of slippery slope argument, the logical slippery slope and the rhetorical slippery slope argument. The logical form of the argument suggests that if we permit somatic cell gene therapy then we are committed to accepting germ line gene therapy in the future because there is no logically sustainable distinction between them. The rhetorical form posits that allowing somatic cell therapy now will be taking the first step on a slippery slope which will ultimately lead to the type of genocide perpetrated by the Nazis. The author tests the validity of these lines of argument against the facts of human gene therapy and concludes that because of their dependence on probabilities that cannot be empirically proven they should be largely disregarded in the much more important debate on moral line-drawing in gene therapy. PMID:8778459

Human gene therapy and slippery slope arguments.

PubMed

McGleenan, T

1995-12-01

Any suggestion of altering the genetic makeup of human beings through gene therapy is quite likely to provoke a response involving some reference to a 'slippery slope'. In this article the author examines the topography of two different types of slippery slope argument, the logical slippery slope and the rhetorical slippery slope argument. The logical form of the argument suggests that if we permit somatic cell gene therapy then we are committed to accepting germ line gene therapy in the future because there is no logically sustainable distinction between them. The rhetorical form posits that allowing somatic cell therapy now will be taking the first step on a slippery slope which will ultimately lead to the type of genocide perpetrated by the Nazis. The author tests the validity of these lines of argument against the facts of human gene therapy and concludes that because of their dependence on probabilities that cannot be empirically proven they should be largely disregarded in the much more important debate on moral line-drawing in gene therapy.

Interpretation of hydraulic tests performed at a carbonate rock site for CO2 storage

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

María Gómez Castro, Berta; Fernández López, Sheila; Carrera, Jesús; de Simone, Silvia; Martínez, Lurdes; Roetting, Tobias; Soler, Joaquim; Ortiz, Gema; de Dios, Carlos; Huber, Christophe

2014-05-01

Interpretation of hydraulic tests performed at a carbonate rock site for CO2 storage Berta Gómez, Sheila Fernández, Tobias Roetting, Lurdes Martínez, Silvia de Simone, Joaquim Soler, Jesus Carrera, Gema Ortiz, Christophe Huber, Carlos de Dios Proper design of CO2 geological storage facilities requires knowledge of the reservoir hydraulic parameters. Specifically, permeability controls the flux of CO2, the rate at which it dissolves, local and regional pressure buildup and the likelihood of induced seismicity. Permeability is obtained from hydraulic tests, which may yield local permeability, which controls injectivity, and large scale permeability, which controls pressure buildup at the large scale. If pressure response measurements are obtained at different elevations, hydraulic tests may also yield vertical permeability, which controls the rate at which CO2 dissolves. The objective of this work is to discuss the interpretation of hydraulic tests at deep reservoirs and the conditions under which these permeabilities can be obtained. To achieve this objective, we have built a radially symmetric model, including a skin and radial as well as vertical heterogeneity. We use this model to simulate hydraulic tests with increasing degrees of complexity about the medium response. We start by assuming Darcy flow, then add coupled mechanical effects (fractures opening) and, finally, we add thermal effects. We discuss how these affect the conventional interpretation of the tests and how to identify their presence. We apply these findings to the interpretation of hydraulic tests at Hontomin.

Mapping the Fluid Pathways and Permeability Barriers of a Large Gas Hydrate Reservoir

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Campbell, A.; Zhang, Y. L.; Sun, L. F.; Saleh, R.; Pun, W.; Bellefleur, G.; Milkereit, B.

2012-12-01

An understanding of the relationship between the physical properties of gas hydrate saturated sedimentary basins aids in the detection, exploration and monitoring one of the world's upcoming energy resources. A large gas hydrate reservoir is located in the MacKenzie Delta of the Canadian Arctic and geophysical logs from the Mallik test site are available for the gas hydrate stability zone (GHSZ) between depths of approximately 850 m to 1100 m. The geophysical data sets from two neighboring boreholes at the Mallik test site are analyzed. Commonly used porosity logs, as well as nuclear magnetic resonance, compressional and Stoneley wave velocity dispersion logs are used to map zones of elevated and severely reduced porosity and permeability respectively. The lateral continuity of horizontal permeability barriers can be further understood with the aid of surface seismic modeling studies. In this integrated study, the behavior of compressional and Stoneley wave velocity dispersion and surface seismic modeling studies are used to identify the fluid pathways and permeability barriers of the gas hydrate reservoir. The results are compared with known nuclear magnetic resonance-derived permeability values. The aim of investigating this heterogeneous medium is to map the fluid pathways and the associated permeability barriers throughout the gas hydrate stability zone. This provides a framework for an understanding of the long-term dissociation of gas hydrates along vertical and horizontal pathways, and will improve the knowledge pertaining to the production of such a promising energy source.

The influence of slip velocity and temperature on permeability during and after high-velocity fault slip

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanikawa, W.; Mukoyoshi, H.; Tadai, O.; Hirose, T.; Lin, W.

2011-12-01

Fluid transport properties in fault zones play an important role in dynamic processes during large earthquakes. If the permeability in a fault zone is low, high pore-fluid pressures caused by thermal pressurization (Sibson, 1973) or shear-induced compaction (Blanpied et al., 1992) can lead to an apparent reduction of fault strength. Changes in porosity and permeability of fault rocks within a fault zone during earthquakes and the subsequent progressive recovery of these properties may have a large influence on earthquake recurrence (Sleep and Blanpied, 1992). A rotary shear apparatus was used to investigate changes of fluid transport properties in a fault zone by real-time measurement of gas flow rates during and after shearing of hollow sandstone and granite cylinders at various slip rates. Our apparatus measures permeability parallel to the slip plane in both the slip zone and wall rocks. In all cases, permeability decreased rapidly with an increase of friction, but recovered soon after slip, reaching a steady state within several tens of minutes. The rate of reduction of permeability increased with increasing slip velocity. Permeability did not recover to pre-slip levels after low-velocity tests but recovered to exceed them after high-velocity tests. Frictional heating of gases at the slip surface increased gas viscosity, which increased gas flow rate to produce an apparent permeability increase. The irreversible permeability changes of the low-velocity tests were caused by gouge formation due to wearing and smoothing of the slip surface. The increase of permeability after high-velocity tests was caused by mesoscale fracturing in response to rapid temperature rise. Changes of pore fluid viscosity contributed more to changes of flow rate than did permeability changes caused by shear deformation, although test results from different rocks and pore fluids might be different. References Blanpied, M.L., Lockner, D.A., Byerlee, J.D., 1992. An earthquake mechanism based on rapid sealing of faults. Nature 358, 574-576 Sibson, R.H., 1973. Interactions between temperature and pore fluid pressure during earthquake faulting: A mechanism for partial or total stress relief. Nature 243, 66-68. Sleep, N.H., Blanpied, M.L., 1992. Creep, compaction and the weak rheology of major faults. Nature 359, 687-692.

Evaluation of the permeability of agricultural films to various fumigants.

PubMed

Qian, Yaorong; Kamel, Alaa; Stafford, Charles; Nguyen, Thuy; Chism, William J; Dawson, Jeffrey; Smith, Charles W

2011-11-15

A variety of agricultural films are commercially available for managing emissions and enhancing pest control during soil fumigation. These films are manufactured using different materials and processes which can ultimately result in different permeability to fumigants. A systematic laboratory study of the permeability of the agricultural films to nine fumigants was conducted to evaluate the performance of commonly used film products, including polyethylene, metalized, and high-barrier films. The permeability, as expressed by mass transfer coefficient (cm/h), of 27 different films from 13 manufacturers ranged from below 1 × 10(-4) cm/h to above 10 cm/h at 25 °C under ambient relative humidity test conditions. The wide range in permeability of commercially available films demonstrates the need to use films which are appropriate for the fumigation application. The effects of environmental factors, such as temperature and humidity, on the film permeability were also investigated. It was found that high relative humidity could drastically increase the permeability of the high-barrier films. The permeability of some high-barrier films was increased by 2-3 orders of magnitude when the films were tested at high relative humidity. Increasing the temperature from 25 to 40 °C increased the permeability for some high-barrier films up to 10 times more than the permeability at 25 °C, although the effect was minimal for several of these films. Analysis of the distribution of the permeability of the films under ambient humidity conditions to nine fumigants indicated that the 27 films largely followed the material type, although the permeability varied considerably among the films of similar material.

Results of the multiwell experiment in situ stresses, natural fractures, and other geological controls on reservoirs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lorenz, John C.; Warpinski, Norman R.; Teufel, Lawrence W.; Branagan, Paul T.; Sattler, Allan R.; Northrop, David A.

Hundreds of millions of cubic meters of natural gas are locked up in low-permeability, natural gas reservoirs. The Multiwell Experiment (MWX) was designed to characterize such reservoirs, typical of much of the western United States, and to assess and develop a technology for the production of this unconventional resource. Flow-rate tests of the MWX reservoirs indicate a system permeability that is several orders of magnitude higher than laboratory permeability measurements made on matrix-rock sandstones. This enhanced permeability is caused by natural fractures. The single set of fractures present in the reservoirs provides a significant permeability anisotropy that is aligned with the maximum in situ horizontal stress. Hydraulic fractures therefore form parallel to the natural fractures and are consequently an inefficient mechanism for stimulation. Successful stimulation may be possible by perturbing the local stress field with a large hydraulic fracture in one well so that a second hydraulic fracture in an offset well propagates transverse to the natural fracture permeability trend.

The bridge permeameter; An alternative method for single-phase, steady-state permeability measurements

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Graf, D.C.; Warpinski, N.R.

Laboratory measurements of single-phase, steady-state permeability of porous rock are important for a number of different applications. The oil and gas industry uses permeability data as a key indicator of the producability of a hydrocarbon reservoir; effective containment of large volumes of oil in underground salt caverns is directly dependent upon the permeability of the adjacent cavern walls; and safe, long term underground isolation of radioactive and hazardous waste is contingent upon the flow and transport characteristics of the surrounding geologic formations. An alternative method for measuring single-phase, steady-state permeability of porous rock is presented. The use of troublesome andmore » expensive mass flow meters is eliminated and replaced with a bridge configuration of flow resistors. Permeability values can be determined directly from differential pressures across the bridge network, resulting in potentially significant cost savings and simplification for conducting these types of measurements. Results from the bridge permeameter are compared with results obtained using conventional methods.« less

Structure and physical characteristics of pumice from the climactic eruption of Mount Mazama (Crater Lake), Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Klug, C.; Cashman, K.; Bacon, C.

2002-01-01

The vesicularity, permeability, and structure of pumice clasts provide insight into conditions of vesiculation and fragmentation during Plinian fall and pyroclastic flow-producing phases of the ???7,700 cal. year B.P. climactic eruption of Mount Mazama (Crater Lake), Oregon. We show that bulk properties (vesicularity and permeability) can be correlated with internal textures and that the clast structure can be related to inferred changes in eruption conditions. The vesicularity of all pumice clasts is 75-88%, with >90% interconnected pore volume. However, pumice clasts from the Plinian fall deposits exhibit a wider vesicularity range and higher volume percentage of interconnected vesicles than do clasts from pyroclastic-flow deposits. Pumice permeabilities also differ between the two clast types, with pumice from the fall deposit having higher minimum permeabilities (???5??10-13 m2) and a narrower permeability range (5-50??10-13 m2) than clasts from pyroclastic-flow deposits (0.2-330??10-13 m2). The observed permeability can be modeled to estimate average vesicle aperture radii of 1-5 ??m for the fall deposit clasts and 0.25-1 ??m for clasts from the pyroclastic flows. High vesicle number densities (???109 cm-3) in all clasts suggest that bubble nucleation occured rapidly and at high supersaturations. Post-nucleation modifications to bubble populations include both bubble growth and coalescence. A single stage of bubble nucleation and growth can account for 35-60% of the vesicle population in clasts from the fall deposits, and 65-80% in pumice from pyroclastic flows. Large vesicles form a separate population which defines a power law distribution with fractal dimension D=3.3 (range 3.0-3.5). The large D.value, coupled with textural evidence, suggests that the large vesicles formed primarily by coalescence. When viewed together, the bulk properties (vesicularity, permeability) and textural characteristics of all clasts indicate rapid bubble nucleation followed by bubble growth, coalescence and permeability development. This sequence of events is best explained by nucleation in response to a downward-propagating decompression wave, followed by rapid bubble growth and coalescence prior to magma disruption by fragmentation. The heterogeneity of vesicle sizes and shapes, and the absence of differential expansion across individual clasts, suggest that post-fragmentation expansion played a limited role in the development of pumice structure. The higher vesicle number densities and lower permeabilities of pyroclastic-flow clasts indicate limited coalescence and suggest that fragmentation occurred shortly after decompression. Either increased eruption velocities or increased depth of fragmentation accompanying caldera collapse could explain compression of the pre-fragmentation vesiculation interval.

Optimizing water permeability through the hourglass shape of aquaporins

PubMed Central

Gravelle, Simon; Joly, Laurent; Detcheverry, François; Ybert, Christophe; Cottin-Bizonne, Cécile; Bocquet, Lydéric

2013-01-01

The ubiquitous aquaporin channels are able to conduct water across cell membranes, combining the seemingly antagonist functions of a very high selectivity with a remarkable permeability. Whereas molecular details are obvious keys to perform these tasks, the overall efficiency of transport in such nanopores is also strongly limited by viscous dissipation arising at the connection between the nanoconstriction and the nearby bulk reservoirs. In this contribution, we focus on these so-called entrance effects and specifically examine whether the characteristic hourglass shape of aquaporins may arise from a geometrical optimum for such hydrodynamic dissipation. Using a combination of finite-element calculations and analytical modeling, we show that conical entrances with suitable opening angle can indeed provide a large increase of the overall channel permeability. Moreover, the optimal opening angles that maximize the permeability are found to compare well with the angles measured in a large variety of aquaporins. This suggests that the hourglass shape of aquaporins could be the result of a natural selection process toward optimal hydrodynamic transport. Finally, in a biomimetic perspective, these results provide guidelines to design artificial nanopores with optimal performances. PMID:24067650

Internal architecture, permeability structure, and hydrologic significance of contrasting fault-zone types

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rawling, Geoffrey C.; Goodwin, Laurel B.; Wilson, John L.

2001-01-01

The Sand Hill fault is a steeply dipping, large-displacement normal fault that cuts poorly lithified Tertiary sediments of the Albuquerque basin, New Mexico, United States. The fault zone does not contain macroscopic fractures; the basic structural element is the deformation band. The fault core is composed of foliated clay flanked by structurally and lithologically heterogeneous mixed zones, in turn flanked by damage zones. Structures present within these fault-zone architectural elements are different from those in brittle faults formed in lithified sedimentary and crystalline rocks that do contain fractures. These differences are reflected in the permeability structure of the Sand Hill fault. Equivalent permeability calculations indicate that large-displacement faults in poorly lithified sediments have little potential to act as vertical-flow conduits and have a much greater effect on horizontal flow than faults with fractures.

Use of DMPC and DSPC lipids for verapamil and naproxen permeability studies by PAMPA.

PubMed

Alvarez-Figueroa, M J; Contreras-Garrido, B C; Soto-Arriaza, M A

2015-04-01

Verapamil and naproxen Parallel Artificial Membrane Permeability Assay (PAMPA) permeability was studied using lipids not yet reported for this model in order to facilitate the quantification of drug permeability. These lipids are 1,2-distearoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphatidylcholine (DSPC), 1,2-dimyristoyl-sn-glycero-3-phosphocholine (DMPC) and an equimolar mixture of DMPC/DSPC, both in the absence and in the presence of 33.3 mol% of cholesterol. PAMPA drug permeability using the lipids mentioned above was compared with lecithin-PC. The results show that verapamil permeability depends on the kind of lipid used, in the order DMPC > DMPC/DSPC > DSPC. The permeability of the drugs was between 1.3 and 3.5-times larger than those obtained in lecithin-PC for all the concentrations of the drug used. Naproxen shows similar permeability than verapamil; however, the permeability increased with respect to lecithin-PC only when DMPC and DMPC/DSPC were used. This behavior could be explained by a difference between the drug net charge at pH 7.4. On the other hand, in the presence of cholesterol, verapamil permeability increases in all lipid systems; however, the relative verapamil permeability respect to lecithin-PC did not show any significant increase. This result is likely due to the promoting effect of cholesterol, which is not able to compensate for the large increase in verapamil permeability observed in lecithin-PC. With respect to naproxen, its permeability value and relative permeability respect lecithin-PC not always increased in the presence of cholesterol. This result is probably attributed to the negative charge of naproxen rather than its molecular weight. The lipid systems studied have an advantage in drug permeability quantification, which is mainly related to the charge of the molecule and not to its molecular weight or to cholesterol used as an absorption promoter.

Biogeochemical Impact of Snow Cover and Cyclonic Intrusions on the Winter Weddell Sea Ice Pack

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tison, J.-L.; Schwegmann, S.; Dieckmann, G.; Rintala, J.-M.; Meyer, H.; Moreau, S.; Vancoppenolle, M.; Nomura, D.; Engberg, S.; Blomster, L. J.; Hendrickx, S.; Uhlig, C.; Luhtanen, A.-M.; de Jong, J.; Janssens, J.; Carnat, G.; Zhou, J.; Delille, B.

2017-12-01

Sea ice is a dynamic biogeochemical reactor and a double interface actively interacting with both the atmosphere and the ocean. However, proper understanding of its annual impact on exchanges, and therefore potentially on the climate, notably suffer from the paucity of autumnal and winter data sets. Here we present the results of physical and biogeochemical investigations on winter Antarctic pack ice in the Weddell Sea (R. V. Polarstern AWECS cruise, June-August 2013) which are compared with those from two similar studies conducted in the area in 1986 and 1992. The winter 2013 was characterized by a warm sea ice cover due to the combined effects of deep snow and frequent warm cyclones events penetrating southward from the open Southern Ocean. These conditions were favorable to high ice permeability and cyclic events of brine movements within the sea ice cover (brine tubes), favoring relatively high chlorophyll-a (Chl-a) concentrations. We discuss the timing of this algal activity showing that arguments can be presented in favor of continued activity during the winter due to the specific physical conditions. Large-scale sea ice model simulations also suggest a context of increasingly deep snow, warm ice, and large brine fractions across the three observational years, despite the fact that the model is forced with a snowfall climatology. This lends support to the claim that more severe Antarctic sea ice conditions, characterized by a longer ice season, thicker, and more concentrated ice are sufficient to increase the snow depth and, somehow counterintuitively, to warm the ice.

Insights from in-situ X-ray computed tomography during axial impregnation of unidirectional fiber beds

DOE PAGES

Larson, Natalie M.; Zok, Frank W.

2017-12-27

In-situ X-ray computed tomography during axial impregnation of unidirectional fiber beds is used to study coupled effects of fluid velocity, fiber movement and preferred flow channeling on permeability. Here, in order to interpret the experimental measurements, a new computational tool for predicting axial permeability of very large 2D arrays of non-uniformly packed fibers is developed. The results show that, when the impregnation velocity is high, full saturation is attained behind the flow front and the fibers rearrange into a less uniform configuration with higher permeability. In contrast, when the velocity is low, fluid flows preferentially in the narrowest channels betweenmore » fibers, yielding unsaturated permeabilities that are lower than those in the saturated state. Lastly, these insights combined with a new computational tool will enable improved prediction of permeability, ultimately for use in optimization of composite manufacturing via liquid impregnation.« less

Lunar electrical conductivity and magnetic permeability

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dyal, P.; Parkin, C. W.; Daily, W. D.

1975-01-01

Improved analytical techniques are applied to a large Apollo magnetometer data set to yield values of electroconductivity, temperature, magnetic permeability, and iron abundance. Average bulk electroconductivity of the moon is calculated to be .0007 mho/m; a rapid increase with depth to about .003 mho/m within 250 km is indicated. The temperature profile, obtained from the electroconductivity profile for olivine, indicates high lunar temperatures at relatively shallow depths. Magnetic permeability of the moon relative to its environment is calculated to be 1.008 plus or minus .005; a permeability relative to free space of 1.012 plus 0.011, minus 0.008 is obtained. Lunar iron abundances corresponding to this permeability value are 2.5 plus 2.3, minus 1.7 wt% free iron and 5.0-13.5 wt% total iron for a moon composed of a combination of free iron, olivine, and orthopyroxene.

Insights from in-situ X-ray computed tomography during axial impregnation of unidirectional fiber beds

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Larson, Natalie M.; Zok, Frank W.

In-situ X-ray computed tomography during axial impregnation of unidirectional fiber beds is used to study coupled effects of fluid velocity, fiber movement and preferred flow channeling on permeability. Here, in order to interpret the experimental measurements, a new computational tool for predicting axial permeability of very large 2D arrays of non-uniformly packed fibers is developed. The results show that, when the impregnation velocity is high, full saturation is attained behind the flow front and the fibers rearrange into a less uniform configuration with higher permeability. In contrast, when the velocity is low, fluid flows preferentially in the narrowest channels betweenmore » fibers, yielding unsaturated permeabilities that are lower than those in the saturated state. Lastly, these insights combined with a new computational tool will enable improved prediction of permeability, ultimately for use in optimization of composite manufacturing via liquid impregnation.« less

Modeling stress/strain-dependent permeability changes for deep geoenergy applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rinaldi, Antonio Pio; Rutqvist, Jonny

2016-04-01

Rock permeability is a key parameter in deep geoenergy systems. Stress and strain changes induced at depth by fluid injection or extraction may substantially alter the rock permeability in an irreversible way. With regard to the geoenergies, some applications require the permeability to be enhanced to improve productivity. The rock permeability is generally enhanced by shearing process of faults and fractures (e.g. hydroshearing for Enhanced and Deep Geothermal Systems), or the creation of new fractures (e.g. hydrofracturing for shale gas). However, such processes may, at the same time, produce seismicity that can be felt by the local population. Moreover, the increased permeability due to fault reactivation may pose at risk the sealing capacity of a storage site (e.g. carbon sequestration or nuclear waste disposal), providing then a preferential pathway for the stored fluids to escape at shallow depth. In this work we present a review of some recent applications aimed at understanding the coupling between stress (or strain) and permeability. Examples of geoenergy applications include both EGS and CO2 sequestration. To investigate both "wanted" and "unwanted" effects, THM simulations have been carried out with the TOUGH-FLAC simulator. Our studies include constitutive equations relating the permeability to mean effective stress, effective normal stress, volumetric strain, as well as accounting for permeability variation as related to fault/fracture reactivation. Results show that the geomechanical effects have a large role in changing the permeability, hence affecting fluids leakage, reservoir enhancement, as well as the induced seismicity.

The impact of different aperture distribution models and critical stress criteria on equivalent permeability in fractured rocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bisdom, Kevin; Bertotti, Giovanni; Nick, Hamidreza M.

2016-05-01

Predicting equivalent permeability in fractured reservoirs requires an understanding of the fracture network geometry and apertures. There are different methods for defining aperture, based on outcrop observations (power law scaling), fundamental mechanics (sublinear length-aperture scaling), and experiments (Barton-Bandis conductive shearing). Each method predicts heterogeneous apertures, even along single fractures (i.e., intrafracture variations), but most fractured reservoir models imply constant apertures for single fractures. We compare the relative differences in aperture and permeability predicted by three aperture methods, where permeability is modeled in explicit fracture networks with coupled fracture-matrix flow. Aperture varies along single fractures, and geomechanical relations are used to identify which fractures are critically stressed. The aperture models are applied to real-world large-scale fracture networks. (Sub)linear length scaling predicts the largest average aperture and equivalent permeability. Barton-Bandis aperture is smaller, predicting on average a sixfold increase compared to matrix permeability. Application of critical stress criteria results in a decrease in the fraction of open fractures. For the applied stress conditions, Coulomb predicts that 50% of the network is critically stressed, compared to 80% for Barton-Bandis peak shear. The impact of the fracture network on equivalent permeability depends on the matrix hydraulic properties, as in a low-permeable matrix, intrafracture connectivity, i.e., the opening along a single fracture, controls equivalent permeability, whereas for a more permeable matrix, absolute apertures have a larger impact. Quantification of fracture flow regimes using only the ratio of fracture versus matrix permeability is insufficient, as these regimes also depend on aperture variations within fractures.

Decision trees to characterise the roles of permeability and solubility on the prediction of oral absorption.

PubMed

Newby, Danielle; Freitas, Alex A; Ghafourian, Taravat

2015-01-27

Oral absorption of compounds depends on many physiological, physiochemical and formulation factors. Two important properties that govern oral absorption are in vitro permeability and solubility, which are commonly used as indicators of human intestinal absorption. Despite this, the nature and exact characteristics of the relationship between these parameters are not well understood. In this study a large dataset of human intestinal absorption was collated along with in vitro permeability, aqueous solubility, melting point, and maximum dose for the same compounds. The dataset allowed a permeability threshold to be established objectively to predict high or low intestinal absorption. Using this permeability threshold, classification decision trees incorporating a solubility-related parameter such as experimental or predicted solubility, or the melting point based absorption potential (MPbAP), along with structural molecular descriptors were developed and validated to predict oral absorption class. The decision trees were able to determine the individual roles of permeability and solubility in oral absorption process. Poorly permeable compounds with high solubility show low intestinal absorption, whereas poorly water soluble compounds with high or low permeability may have high intestinal absorption provided that they have certain molecular characteristics such as a small polar surface or specific topology. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Permeability of C2C12 myotube membranes is influenced by stretch velocity.

PubMed

Burkholder, Thomas J

2003-05-30

Mechanical signals are critical to the growth and maintenance of skeletal muscle, but the mechanism by which these signals are transduced by the cell remains unknown. This work examined the hypothesis that stretch conditions influence membrane permeability consistent with a role for membrane permeability in mechanotransduction. C2C12 myotubes were grown in conditions that encourage uniform alignment and subjected to uniform mechanical deformation in the presence of fluorescein labeled dextran to evaluate membrane permeability as a function of stretch amplitude and velocity. Within a physiologically relevant range of conditions, a complex interaction between the two aspects of stretch was observed, with velocity contributing most strongly at large stretch amplitudes. This suggests that membrane viscosity could contribute to mechanotransduction.

Geologic framework and hydrogeologic characteristics of the Edwards Aquifer outcrop, Medina County, Texas

USGS Publications Warehouse

Small, Ted A.; Clark, Allan K.

2000-01-01

The hydrogeologic subdivisions of the Edwards aquifer outcrop in Medina County generally are porous and permeable. The most porous and permeable appear to be hydrogeologic subdivision VI, the Kirschberg evaporite member of the Kainer Formation; and hydrogeologic subdivision III, the leached and collapsed members, undivided, of the Person Formation. The most porous and permeable rocks of the Devils River Formation in Medina County appear to be in the top layer. The upper member of the Glen Rose Limestone, the lower confining unit, has much less porosity and permeability than that observed in the Edwards aquifer.The Edwards aquifer has relatively large porosity and permeability resulting, in part, from the development or redistribution of secondary porosity. Lithology, stratigraphy, diagenesis, and karstification account for the effective porosity and permeability in the Edwards aquifer outcrop. Karst features that can greatly enhance effective porosity and permeability in the Edwards aquifer outcrop include sinkholes, dolines, and caves. The Edwards aquifer rocks in Medina County change from the eight-member Edwards Group to the essentially indivisible Devils River Formation. The facies change occurs along a line extending northwestward from just south of Medina Lake.

Fracture-permeability behavior of shale

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Carey, J. William; Lei, Zhou; Rougier, Esteban

The fracture-permeability behavior of Utica shale, an important play for shale gas and oil, was investigated using a triaxial coreflood device and X-ray tomography in combination with finite-discrete element modeling (FDEM). Fractures generated in both compression and in a direct-shear configuration allowed permeability to be measured across the faces of cylindrical core. Shale with bedding planes perpendicular to direct-shear loading developed complex fracture networks and peak permeability of 30 mD that fell to 5 mD under hydrostatic conditions. Shale with bedding planes parallel to shear loading developed simple fractures with peak permeability as high as 900 mD. In addition tomore » the large anisotropy in fracture permeability, the amount of deformation required to initiate fractures was greater for perpendicular layering (about 1% versus 0.4%), and in both cases activation of existing fractures are more likely sources of permeability in shale gas plays or damaged caprock in CO₂ sequestration because of the significant deformation required to form new fracture networks. FDEM numerical simulations were able to replicate the main features of the fracturing processes while showing the importance of fluid penetration into fractures as well as layering in determining fracture patterns.« less

Fracture-permeability behavior of shale

DOE PAGES

Carey, J. William; Lei, Zhou; Rougier, Esteban; ...

2015-05-08

The fracture-permeability behavior of Utica shale, an important play for shale gas and oil, was investigated using a triaxial coreflood device and X-ray tomography in combination with finite-discrete element modeling (FDEM). Fractures generated in both compression and in a direct-shear configuration allowed permeability to be measured across the faces of cylindrical core. Shale with bedding planes perpendicular to direct-shear loading developed complex fracture networks and peak permeability of 30 mD that fell to 5 mD under hydrostatic conditions. Shale with bedding planes parallel to shear loading developed simple fractures with peak permeability as high as 900 mD. In addition tomore » the large anisotropy in fracture permeability, the amount of deformation required to initiate fractures was greater for perpendicular layering (about 1% versus 0.4%), and in both cases activation of existing fractures are more likely sources of permeability in shale gas plays or damaged caprock in CO₂ sequestration because of the significant deformation required to form new fracture networks. FDEM numerical simulations were able to replicate the main features of the fracturing processes while showing the importance of fluid penetration into fractures as well as layering in determining fracture patterns.« less

On Al-26 and other short-lived interstellar radioactivity

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Clayton, Donald D.; Hartmann, Dieter H.; Leising, Mark D.

1993-01-01

Several authors have shown that massive stars exploding at a rate of about three per century can account for a large portion, if not all, of the observed interstellar Al-26. In a separate argument using models of Galactic chemical evolution, Clayton (1984) showed that the Al-26/Al-27 production ratio was not large enough to maintain enough Al-26 in the Galactic disk gas of about 10 exp 10 solar masses having solar composition. We present a resolution of those conflicting arguments. A past history of Galactic infall growing the Galactic disk so dilutes the stable Al-27 concentration that the two approaches can be brought into near agreement. If massive stars dominate the production of Al-26, we suggest that the apparent shortfall of their Al-26/Al-27 yield ratio is to be interpreted as evidence for significant growth of the Galactic disk. We also discuss the implications of these arguments for other extinct radioactivities in meteorites, using I-129 and Sm-146 as examples.

Nano filter from sintered rice husk silica membrane.

PubMed

Lee, Soo Young; Han, Chong Soo

2006-11-01

A nano filter showing the Knudsen flow was demonstrated by a modification of a membrane constructed from rice husk silica. The membrane was prepared by pressing and sintering micron sized rice husk silica with 4 nm pores. The membrane showed a permeability of 5.2 x 10(-8) mol m(-1) sec(-1) Pa(-1) for H2 and ratios of gas permeability 2.1 and 3.2 for k(H2)/k(CH4) and k(H2)/k(CO2), respectively. When the membrane was treated by filtration of approximately 100 nm sized rice husk silica particles, the permeability decreased to 4.9 x 10(-8) mol m(-1) sec(-1) Pa(-1) and the ratios increased to 2.2 and 3.4. In the case of the membrane after treatments with the dispersion and chemical deposition of tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS), the corresponding permeability and ratios of the membrane were 1.8 x 10(-8) mol m(-1) sec(-1) Pa(-1), and 2.9 and 4.5, respectively. From the change of the ratio of gas permeability for the membrane with modifications, it is suggested that approximately 100 nm sized rice husk silica particles pack the large pores among the micron sized rice husk silica particles while the chemical deposition of tetraethylorthosilicate (TEOS) reveals the gas flow through 4 nm pores in the rice husk silica by blocking large pores.

Model predictions of deformation, embolization and permeability of partially obstructive blood clots under variable shear flow.

PubMed

Xu, Shixin; Xu, Zhiliang; Kim, Oleg V; Litvinov, Rustem I; Weisel, John W; Alber, Mark

2017-11-01

Thromboembolism, one of the leading causes of morbidity and mortality worldwide, is characterized by formation of obstructive intravascular clots (thrombi) and their mechanical breakage (embolization). A novel two-dimensional multi-phase computational model is introduced that describes active interactions between the main components of the clot, including platelets and fibrin, to study the impact of various physiologically relevant blood shear flow conditions on deformation and embolization of a partially obstructive clot with variable permeability. Simulations provide new insights into mechanisms underlying clot stability and embolization that cannot be studied experimentally at this time. In particular, model simulations, calibrated using experimental intravital imaging of an established arteriolar clot, show that flow-induced changes in size, shape and internal structure of the clot are largely determined by two shear-dependent mechanisms: reversible attachment of platelets to the exterior of the clot and removal of large clot pieces. Model simulations predict that blood clots with higher permeability are more prone to embolization with enhanced disintegration under increasing shear rate. In contrast, less permeable clots are more resistant to rupture due to shear rate-dependent clot stiffening originating from enhanced platelet adhesion and aggregation. These results can be used in future to predict risk of thromboembolism based on the data about composition, permeability and deformability of a clot under specific local haemodynamic conditions. © 2017 The Author(s).

Identifying local characteristic lengths governing sound wave properties in solid foams

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tan Hoang, Minh; Perrot, Camille

2013-02-01

Identifying microscopic geometric properties and fluid flow through opened-cell and partially closed-cell solid structures is a challenge for material science, in particular, for the design of porous media used as sound absorbers in building and transportation industries. We revisit recent literature data to identify the local characteristic lengths dominating the transport properties and sound absorbing behavior of polyurethane foam samples by performing numerical homogenization simulations. To determine the characteristic sizes of the model, we need porosity and permeability measurements in conjunction with ligament lengths estimates from available scanning electron microscope images. We demonstrate that this description of the porous material, consistent with the critical path picture following from the percolation arguments, is widely applicable. This is an important step towards tuning sound proofing properties of complex materials.

From gulf to bridge: when do moral arguments facilitate political influence?

PubMed

Feinberg, Matthew; Willer, Robb

2015-12-01

Much of contemporary American political rhetoric is characterized by liberals and conservatives advancing arguments for the morality of their respective political positions. However, research suggests such moral rhetoric is largely ineffective for persuading those who do not already hold one's position because advocates advancing these arguments fail to account for the divergent moral commitments that undergird America's political divisions. Building on this, we hypothesize that (a) political advocates spontaneously make arguments grounded in their own moral values, not the values of those targeted for persuasion, and (b) political arguments reframed to appeal to the moral values of those holding the opposing political position are typically more effective. We find support for these claims across six studies involving diverse political issues, including same-sex marriage, universal health care, military spending, and adopting English as the nation's official langauge. Mediation and moderation analyses further indicated that reframed moral appeals were persuasive because they increased the apparent agreement between the political position and the targeted individuals' moral values. © 2015 by the Society for Personality and Social Psychology, Inc.

Optimum reduction of the dynamo threshold by a ferromagnetic layer located in the flow.

PubMed

Herault, J; Pétrélis, F

2014-09-01

We consider a fluid dynamo model generated by the flow on both sides of a moving layer. The magnetic permeability of the layer is larger than that of the flow. We show that there exists an optimum value of magnetic permeability for which the critical magnetic Reynolds number for dynamo onset is smaller than for a nonmagnetic material and also smaller than for a layer of infinite magnetic permeability. We present a mechanism that provides an explanation for recent experimental results. A similar effect occurs when the electrical conductivity of the layer is large.

Fractured rock stress-permeability relationships from in situ data and effects of temperature and chemical-mechanical couplings

DOE PAGES

Rutqvist, J.

2014-09-19

The purpose of this paper is to (i) review field data on stress-induced permeability changes in fractured rock; (ii) describe estimation of fractured rock stress-permeability relationships through model calibration against such field data; and (iii) discuss observations of temperature and chemically mediated fracture closure and its effect on fractured rock permeability. The field data that are reviewed include in situ block experiments, excavation-induced changes in permeability around tunnels, borehole injection experiments, depth (and stress) dependent permeability, and permeability changes associated with a large-scale rock-mass heating experiment. Data show how the stress-permeability relationship of fractured rock very much depends on localmore » in situ conditions, such as fracture shear offset and fracture infilling by mineral precipitation. Field and laboratory experiments involving temperature have shown significant temperature-driven fracture closure even under constant stress. Such temperature-driven fracture closure has been described as thermal overclosure and relates to better fitting of opposing fracture surfaces at high temperatures, or is attributed to chemically mediated fracture closure related to pressure solution (and compaction) of stressed fracture surface asperities. Back-calculated stress-permeability relationships from field data may implicitly account for such effects, but the relative contribution of purely thermal-mechanical and chemically mediated changes is difficult to isolate. Therefore, it is concluded that further laboratory and in situ experiments are needed to increase the knowledge of the true mechanisms behind thermally driven fracture closure, and to further assess the importance of chemical-mechanical coupling for the long-term evolution of fractured rock permeability.« less

Fractured rock stress-permeability relationships from in situ data and effects of temperature and chemical-mechanical couplings

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rutqvist, J.

The purpose of this paper is to (i) review field data on stress-induced permeability changes in fractured rock; (ii) describe estimation of fractured rock stress-permeability relationships through model calibration against such field data; and (iii) discuss observations of temperature and chemically mediated fracture closure and its effect on fractured rock permeability. The field data that are reviewed include in situ block experiments, excavation-induced changes in permeability around tunnels, borehole injection experiments, depth (and stress) dependent permeability, and permeability changes associated with a large-scale rock-mass heating experiment. Data show how the stress-permeability relationship of fractured rock very much depends on localmore » in situ conditions, such as fracture shear offset and fracture infilling by mineral precipitation. Field and laboratory experiments involving temperature have shown significant temperature-driven fracture closure even under constant stress. Such temperature-driven fracture closure has been described as thermal overclosure and relates to better fitting of opposing fracture surfaces at high temperatures, or is attributed to chemically mediated fracture closure related to pressure solution (and compaction) of stressed fracture surface asperities. Back-calculated stress-permeability relationships from field data may implicitly account for such effects, but the relative contribution of purely thermal-mechanical and chemically mediated changes is difficult to isolate. Therefore, it is concluded that further laboratory and in situ experiments are needed to increase the knowledge of the true mechanisms behind thermally driven fracture closure, and to further assess the importance of chemical-mechanical coupling for the long-term evolution of fractured rock permeability.« less

Analytical approximations for effective relative permeability in the capillary limit

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rabinovich, Avinoam; Li, Boxiao; Durlofsky, Louis J.

2016-10-01

We present an analytical method for calculating two-phase effective relative permeability, krjeff, where j designates phase (here CO2 and water), under steady state and capillary-limit assumptions. These effective relative permeabilities may be applied in experimental settings and for upscaling in the context of numerical flow simulations, e.g., for CO2 storage. An exact solution for effective absolute permeability, keff, in two-dimensional log-normally distributed isotropic permeability (k) fields is the geometric mean. We show that this does not hold for krjeff since log normality is not maintained in the capillary-limit phase permeability field (Kj=k·krj) when capillary pressure, and thus the saturation field, is varied. Nevertheless, the geometric mean is still shown to be suitable for approximating krjeff when the variance of ln⁡k is low. For high-variance cases, we apply a correction to the geometric average gas effective relative permeability using a Winsorized mean, which neglects large and small Kj values symmetrically. The analytical method is extended to anisotropically correlated log-normal permeability fields using power law averaging. In these cases, the Winsorized mean treatment is applied to the gas curves for cases described by negative power law exponents (flow across incomplete layers). The accuracy of our analytical expressions for krjeff is demonstrated through extensive numerical tests, using low-variance and high-variance permeability realizations with a range of correlation structures. We also present integral expressions for geometric-mean and power law average krjeff for the systems considered, which enable derivation of closed-form series solutions for krjeff without generating permeability realizations.

Modelling of Longwall Mining-Induced Strata Permeability Change

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Adhikary, D. P.; Guo, H.

2015-01-01

The field measurement of permeability within the strata affected by mining is a challenging and expensive task, thus such tests may not be carried out in large numbers to cover all the overburden strata and coal seams being affected by mining. However, numerical modelling in conjunction with a limited number of targeted field measurements can be used efficiently in assessing the impact of mining on a regional scale. This paper presents the results of underground packer testing undertaken at a mine site in New South Wales in Australia and numerical simulations conducted to assess the mining-induced strata permeability change. The underground packer test results indicated that the drivage of main headings (roadways) had induced a significant change in permeability into the solid coal barrier. Permeability increased by more than 50 times at a distance of 11.2-11.5 m from the roadway rib into the solid coal barrier. The tests conducted in the roof strata above the longwall goaf indicated more than 1,000-fold increase in permeability. The measured permeability values varied widely and strangely on a number of occasions; for example the test conducted from the main headings at the 8.2-8.5 m test section in the solid coal barrier showed a decline in permeability value as compared to that at the 11.2-11.5 m section contrary to the expectations. It is envisaged that a number of factors during the tests might have had affected the measured values of permeability: (a) swelling and smearing of the borehole, possibly lowering the permeability values; (b) packer bypass by larger fractures; (c) test section lying in small but intact (without fractures) rock segment, possibly resulting in lower permeability values; and (d) test section lying right at the extensive fractures, possibly measuring higher permeability values. Once the anomalous measurement data were discarded, the numerical model results could be seen to match the remaining field permeability measurement data reasonably well.

The effect of offset on fracture permeability of rocks from the Southern Andes Volcanic Zone, Chile

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pérez-Flores, P.; Wang, G.; Mitchell, T. M.; Meredith, P. G.; Nara, Y.; Sarkar, V.; Cembrano, J.

2017-11-01

The Southern Andes Volcanic Zone (SVZ) represents one of the largest undeveloped geothermal provinces in the world. Development of the geothermal potential requires a detailed understanding of fluid transport properties of its main lithologies. The permeability of SVZ rocks is altered by the presence of fracture damage zones produced by the Liquiñe-Ofqui Fault System (LOFS) and the Andean Transverse Faults (ATF). We have therefore measured the permeability of four representative lithologies from the volcanic basement in this area: crystalline tuff, andesitic dike, altered andesite and granodiorite. For comparative purposes, we have also measured the permeability of samples of Seljadalur basalt, an Icelandic rock with widely studied and reported hydraulic properties. Specifically, we present the results of a systematic study of the effect of fractures and fracture offsets on permeability as a function of increasing effective pressure. Baseline measurements on intact samples of SVZ rocks show that the granodiorite has a permeability (10-18 m2), two orders of magnitude higher than that of the volcanic rocks (10-20 m2). The presence of throughgoing mated macro-fractures increases permeability by between four and six orders of magnitude, with the highest permeability recorded for the crystalline tuff. Increasing fracture offset to produce unmated fractures results in large increases in permeability up to some characteristic value of offset, beyond which permeability changes only marginally. The increase in permeability with offset appears to depend on fracture roughness and aperture, and these are different for each lithology. Overall, fractured SVZ rocks with finite offsets record permeability values consistent with those commonly found in geothermal reservoirs (>10-16 m2), which potentially allow convective/advective flow to develop. Hence, our results demonstrate that the fracture damage zones developed within the SVZ produce permeable regions, especially within the transtensional NE-striking fault zones, that have major importance for geothermal energy resource potential.

From facts to arguments: A study of the 2014 Swiss controversy over systematic mammography screening.

PubMed

Perrenoud, Caroline; Stiefel, Friedrich; Bourquin, Céline

2018-06-01

The Swiss Medical Board (SMB) has recently revived the controversy over mammography screening by recommending to stop the introduction of new systematic mammography screening programs. This study aimed to examine the Swiss media coverage of the release of the SMB report. The dataset consisted of 25 newspaper and "medical magazine" articles, and TV/radio interviews. The analytic approach was based on argumentation theory. Authority and community arguments were the most frequent types of arguments. With respect to authority arguments, stakeholders for instance challenged or supported the expertise of the SMB by referring to the competence of external figures of authority. Community arguments were based on common values such as life (saved thanks to systematic mammography screening) and money (costs associated with unnecessary care induced by systematic mammography screening). The efficiency of mammography screening which was the key issue of the debate appeared to be largely eluded, and the question of what women should do endures. While interpersonal and interprofessional communication has become a major topic of interest in the medical community, it appears that media communication on mammography screening is still rather ineffective. We call in particular for a more fact-based discussion. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Permeability evolution governed by shear: An example during spine extrusion at Unzen volcano, Japan

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ashworth, James; Lavallée, Yan; Wallace, Paul; Kendrick, Jackie; Coats, Rebecca; Miwa, Takahiro; Hess, Kai-Uwe

2017-04-01

A volcano's eruptive style is strongly controlled by the permeability of the magma and the surrounding edifice rock - explosive activity is more likely if exsolved gases cannot escape the system. In this study, we investigate how shear strain causes variations in permeability within a volcanic conduit, and discuss how spatio-temporal variation in shear regimes may develop. The eruption of Unzen volcano, Japan, which occurred between 1990 - 1995, culminated in the extrusion of a 60 metre-high dacitic spine. The spine, left exposed at the lava dome surface, displays the petrographic architecture of the magma in the shallow conduit. Observations and measurements made in the field are combined with laboratory experiments to understand the distribution of permeability in the shallow conduit. Examination of the lava dome led to the selection of two sites for detailed investigation. First, we examined a section of extruded spine 6 metres in width, which displays a transition from apparently unsheared rock in the conduit core to rocks exhibiting increasing shear towards the conduit margin, bounded by a fault gouge zone. Laboratory characterisation (mineralogy, porosity, permeability, X-ray tomography) was undertaken on these samples. In contrast, a second section of spine (extruded later during the eruption) exhibited a large tensile fracture, and this area was investigated using non-destructive in-situ permeability measurements. Our lab measurements show that in the first outcrop, permeability decreases across the shear zone from core to gouge by approximately one order of magnitude perpendicular to shear; a similar decrease is observed parallel to shear, but is less severe. The lowest permeability is observed in the most highly sheared block; here, permeability is 2.5 x10-14 m2 in the plane of shear and 9 x10-15 m2 perpendicular to shear. Our measurements clearly demonstrate the influence of shear on conduit permeability, with significant anisotropy in the shear zone. The sheared rocks are strongly micro-fractured, resulting in a porosity decrease of up to 4% and permeability decrease of over one order of magnitude with increasing effective pressure (effective pressure = confining pressure - pore pressure) between 5 - 100 MPa, representative of increasing lithostatic pressure from 200 m to 4 km depth in the crust. In contrast, our field study of the second spine section, which features a 2 cm wide by 3 metre-long tensile fracture flanked by a 40-cm wide shear damage zone, reveals that dilational shear can result in an increase in permeability of approximately three orders of magnitude. The contrasting shear zone characteristics can be attributed to different shear regimes, which likely occur at different depths in the conduit. At greater depth in the system, where lithostatic pressures largely exceed pore pressure, compactional shear appears to dominate, reducing the permeable porous network as magma strains along the conduit margin, whereas at shallower levels, where the effective pressure is low, dilational shear becomes dominant, resulting in the creation of permeable pathways. We conclude that contrasting shearing regimes may simultaneously affect magma ascent dynamics in volcanic conduits, causing a range of dynamic permeability variations (positive and negative), which dictate eruptive behaviour.

The permeability of fault zones in the upper continental crust: statistical analysis from 460 datasets, updated depth-trends, and permeability contrasts between fault damage zones and protoliths.

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Scibek, J.; Gleeson, T. P.; Ingebritsen, S.; McKenzie, J. M.

2017-12-01

Fault zones are an important part of the hydraulic structure of the Earth's crust and influence a wide range of Earth processes and a large amount of test data has been collected over the years. We conducted a meta-analysis of global of fault zone permeabilities in the upper brittle continental crust, using about 10,000 published research items from a variety of geoscience and engineering disciplines. Using 460 datasets at 340 localities, the in-situ bulk permeabilities (>10's meters scale, including macro-fractures) and matrix permeabilities (drilled core samples or outcrop spot tests) are separated, analyzed, and compared. The values have log-normal distributions and we analyze the log-permeability values. In the fault damage zones of plutonic and metamorphic rocks the mean bulk permeability was 1x10-14m2, compared to matrix mean of 1x10-16m2. In sedimentary siliciclastic rocks the mean value was the same for bulk and matrix permeability (4x10-14m2). More useful insights were determined from the regression analysis of paired permeability data at all sites (fault damage zone vs. protolith). Much of the variation in fault permeability is explained by the permeability of protolith: in relatively weak volcaniclastic and clay-rich rocks up to 70 to 88% of the variation is explained, and only 20-30% in plutonic and metamorphic rocks. We propose a revision at shallow depths for previously published upper-bound curves for the "fault-damaged crust " and the geothermal-metamorphic rock assemblage outside of major fault zones. Although the bounding curves describe the "fault-damaged crust" permeability parameter space adequately, the only statistically significant permeability-depth trend is for plutonic and metamorphic rocks (50% of variation explained). We find a depth-dependent systematic variation of the permeability ratio (fault damage zone / protolith) from the in-situ bulk permeability global data. A moving average of the log-permeability ratio value is 2 to 2.5 (global mean is 2.2). Although the data is unevenly distributed with depth, the present evidence is that the permeability ratio is at a maximum at depths 1 to 2 kilometers, decreases with depth below 2km, and is also lower near the ground surface.

Finite-difference method Stokes solver (FDMSS) for 3D pore geometries: Software development, validation and case studies

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gerke, Kirill M.; Vasilyev, Roman V.; Khirevich, Siarhei; Collins, Daniel; Karsanina, Marina V.; Sizonenko, Timofey O.; Korost, Dmitry V.; Lamontagne, Sébastien; Mallants, Dirk

2018-05-01

Permeability is one of the fundamental properties of porous media and is required for large-scale Darcian fluid flow and mass transport models. Whilst permeability can be measured directly at a range of scales, there are increasing opportunities to evaluate permeability from pore-scale fluid flow simulations. We introduce the free software Finite-Difference Method Stokes Solver (FDMSS) that solves Stokes equation using a finite-difference method (FDM) directly on voxelized 3D pore geometries (i.e. without meshing). Based on explicit convergence studies, validation on sphere packings with analytically known permeabilities, and comparison against lattice-Boltzmann and other published FDM studies, we conclude that FDMSS provides a computationally efficient and accurate basis for single-phase pore-scale flow simulations. By implementing an efficient parallelization and code optimization scheme, permeability inferences can now be made from 3D images of up to 109 voxels using modern desktop computers. Case studies demonstrate the broad applicability of the FDMSS software for both natural and artificial porous media.

Cyclosporin A is unable to inhibit carboxyatractyloside-induced permeability transition in aged mitochondria.

PubMed

García, Noemí; Zazueta, Cecilia; Martínez-Abundis, Eduardo; Pavón, Natalia; Chávez, Edmundo

2009-04-01

We studied the effect of mitochondrial ageing on membrane permeability transition. The results obtained indicate that aged mitochondria are neither able to retain Ca2+ nor to maintain a high transmembrane electric gradient. In addition, aged mitochondria undergo a large amplitude swelling. These dysfunctions were circumvented by the addition of cyclosporin A. Furthermore, it is shown that ageing-induced permeability transition causes oxidative damage on the matrix enzyme aconitase. The observed damage in aged mitochondria requires Ca2+ addition; therefore, it was not seen when Sr2+ replaced Ca2+. Two important findings in this work were the fact that despite of the presence of cyclosporin A, carboxyatractyloside was still able to induce permeability transition, and that ageing induced mitochondrial DNA disruption and release of cytochrome c. It is likely that the membrane's increased permeability is due to the effect of fatty acids, since bovine serum albumin makes mitochondria able to retain Ca2+. However, the possibility that the damage might be the result of oxidative stress cannot be discarded.

Non steady-state descriptions of drug permeation through stratum corneum. I. The biphasic brick-and-mortar model.

PubMed

Heisig, M; Lieckfeldt, R; Wittum, G; Mazurkevich, G; Lee, G

1996-03-01

The diffusion equation should be solved for the non-steady-state problem of drug diffusion within a two-dimensional, biphasic stratum corneum membrane having homogeneous lipid and corneocyte phases. A numerical method was developed for a brick-and-mortar SC-geometry, enabling an explicit solution for time-dependent drug concentration within both phases. The lag time and permeability were calculated. It is shown how the barrier property of this model membrane depends on relative phase permeability, corneocyte alignment, and corneocyte-lipid partition coefficient. Additionally, the time-dependent drug concentration profiles within the membrane can be observed during the lag and steady-state phases. The model SC-membrane predicts, from purely morphological principles, lag times and permeabilities that are in good agreement with experimental values. The long lag times and very small permeabilities reported for human SC can only be predicted for a highly-staggered corneocyte geometry and corneocytes that are 1000 times less permeable than the lipid phase. Although the former conclusion is reasonable, the latter is questionable. The elongated, flattened corneocyte shape renders lag time and permeability insensitive to large changes in their alignment within the SC. Corneocyte/lipid partitioning is found to be fundamentally different to SC/donor partitioning, since increasing drug lipophilicity always reduces both lag time and permeability.

Cell permeability beyond the rule of 5.

PubMed

Matsson, Pär; Doak, Bradley C; Over, Björn; Kihlberg, Jan

2016-06-01

Drug discovery for difficult targets that have large and flat binding sites is often better suited to compounds beyond the "rule of 5" (bRo5). However, such compounds carry higher pharmacokinetic risks, such as low solubility and permeability, and increased efflux and metabolism. Interestingly, recent drug approvals and studies suggest that cell permeable and orally bioavailable drugs can be discovered far into bRo5 space. Tactics such as reduction or shielding of polarity by N-methylation, bulky side chains and intramolecular hydrogen bonds may be used to increase cell permeability in this space, but often results in decreased solubility. Conformationally flexible compounds can, however, combine high permeability and solubility, properties that are keys for cell permeability and intestinal absorption. Recent developments in computational conformational analysis will aid design of such compounds and hence prediction of cell permeability. Transporter mediated efflux occurs for most investigated drugs in bRo5 space, however it is commonly overcome by high local intestinal concentrations on oral administration. In contrast, there is little data to support significant impact of transporter-mediated intestinal absorption in bRo5 space. Current knowledge of compound properties that govern transporter effects of bRo5 drugs is limited and requires further fundamental and comprehensive studies. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Variation of brine compositions resulting from flow from matrix or fracture permeability, investigated by high pressure laboratory experiments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Poszwa, A. C.; Coleman, M. L.; Pouya, A.; Ader, M.; Bounenni, A.

2003-04-01

Planning oil production from a chalk reservoir oilfield is difficult because the matrix usually has low permeability despite its high porosity. Most oil is thought to come from fracture porosity but the matrix contribution should increase as compaction occurs during production. To better understand the respective contributions from matrix and fracture, we studied the geochemical characteristics of fluids using high-pressure brine flow experiments on chalk cores. During the experiment axial load was changed relative to confining pressure to induce fractures and to close them again. We used chlorine stable isotope variations to study fluid pathway, because chlorine is a chemically conservative element in sedimentary systems and its isotopes fractionate only with physical processes like diffusion or adsorption that could occur mainly in the chalk matrix. A first experiment was performed on a very porous chalk from Henley (on-shore UK) and using a low-salinity brine. Large variations of brine Cl isotope composition were observed (from -0.56 to +0.08 per mil). The variations were correlated positively with the brine flux through the chalk and the permeability of the rock, both parameters controlled by the rock fracturing. A second experiment used brine with salinity similar to that of seawater. In this case, chemical and isotopic variations were not significant. From the beginning, the chalk structure seems to have been destroyed very quickly (induced fracture porosity collapsed) possibly because of the fluid nature, so that whatever pressure was applied, the permeability did not change significantly. Using Valhall reservoir chalk (offshore Norwegian North Sea) and fluid half the salinity of seawater in a third experiment, we obtained a large range of permeabilities. Brine isotopic trends were very similar on average to those of the first experiment even though variations were smaller (Cl isotopes from -0.09 to +0.29 per mil) and not significantly correlated simply to permeability values. The highest isotopic values were in brine flowed through chalk when the permeability was high and fractures opened; the lowest values were in brine flowed through the chalk when its permeability was reduced by closing fractures and increasing the relative contribution from matrix flow where diffusion processes fractionated chlorine isotopes. From this work it seems that the relative contributions from fracture and matrix permeability in reservoirs can be estimated from the geochemical compositions of brines that flowed from them.

Mast Cell Activation Protects Cornea by Promoting Neutrophil Infiltration via Stimulating ICAM-1 and Vascular Dilation in Fungal Keratitis.

PubMed

Xie, Yanting; Zhang, Hongmin; Liu, Susu; Chen, Guoming; He, Siyu; Li, Zhijie; Wang, Liya

2018-05-30

The role of mast cells (MCs) in fungal infection is largely unknown. This study was to explore a protective role and mechanism of MCs in fungal keratitis. Experimental fungal keratitis (FK) mouse model was developed. Mice untreated (UT) or receiving corneal wound without fungal infection (Mock) were used as controls. Large number of connective tissue MCs was found in normal mice. MC activation with degranulation was largely observed, and the percentage of degranulated/total cells was high in FK. Dilated limbal vasculature with increased permeability, as well as largely infiltrated neutrophils with stimulated ICAM-1 protein levels were observed in corneas of FK mice, when compared with Mock and UT mice. Interestingly, pretreatment with cromolyn sodium (Block) significantly blocked MC degranulation, dramatically suppressed vascular dilation and permeability, and markedly reduced neutrophil infiltration with lower ICAM-1 levels in FK mice at 6-24 hours. Furthermore, the Block mice manifested prolonged disease course, increased pathological damage, and vigorous fungus growth, with much higher corneal perforation rate than FK mice at 72 h. These findings reveal a novel phenomenon that MCs play a vital role in protecting cornea against fungal infection through degranulation that promotes neutrophil infiltration via stimulating ICAM-1 production and limbal vascular dilation and permeability.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Beckingham, Lauren E.; Peters, Catherine A.; Um, Wooyong

Although the impact of subsurface geochemical reactions on porosity is relatively well understood, changes in permeability remain difficult to estimate. In this work, pore-network modeling was used to predict permeability based on pore- and pore-throat size distributions determined from analysis of 2D scanning electron microscopy (SEM) images of thin sections and 3D X-ray computed microtomography (CMT) data. The analyzed specimens were a Viking sandstone sample from the Alberta sedimentary basin and an experimental column of reacted Hanford sediments. For the column, a decrease in permeability due to mineral precipitation was estimated, but the permeability estimates were dependent on imaging techniquemore » and resolution. X-ray CT imaging has the advantage of reconstructing a 3D pore network while 2D SEM imaging can easily analyze sub-grain and intragranular variations in mineralogy. Pore network models informed by analyses of 2D and 3D images at comparable resolutions produced permeability esti- mates with relatively good agreement. Large discrepancies in predicted permeabilities resulted from small variations in image resolution. Images with resolutions 0.4 to 4 lm predicted permeabilities differ- ing by orders of magnitude. While lower-resolution scans can analyze larger specimens, small pore throats may be missed due to resolution limitations, which in turn overestimates permeability in a pore-network model in which pore-to-pore conductances are statistically assigned. Conversely, high-res- olution scans are capable of capturing small pore throats, but if they are not actually flow-conducting predicted permeabilities will be below expected values. In addition, permeability is underestimated due to misinterpreting surface-roughness features as small pore throats. Comparison of permeability pre- dictions with expected and measured permeability values showed that the largest discrepancies resulted from the highest resolution images and the best predictions of permeability will result from images between 2 and 4 lm resolution. To reduce permeability underestimation from analyses of high-resolu- tion images, a resolution threshold between 3 and 15 lm was found to be effective, but it is not known whether this range is applicable beyond the samples studied here.« less

The Safety Argumentation Schools of Thought

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Graydon, Patrick John

2017-01-01

Safety cases have been produced and researched for decades. Definitions of `safety case' agree on both the need to generate suitable evidence and the central role of argument. But the relevant literature seems to exhibit multiple schools of thought that are largely unrecognized and somewhat at odds with each other. This paper presents preliminary results from research to identify and characterize the safety case schools of thought so as to reduce confusion and discord in research and practice.

Age-related changes in mouse bone permeability.

PubMed

Rodriguez-Florez, Naiara; Oyen, Michelle L; Shefelbine, Sandra J

2014-03-21

The determination of lacunar-canalicular permeability is essential for understanding local fluid flow in bone, which may indicate how bone senses changes in the mechanical environment to regulate mechano-adaptation. The estimates of lacunar-canalicular permeability found in the literature vary by up to eight orders of magnitude, and age-related permeability changes have not been measured in non-osteonal mouse bone. The objective of this study is to use a poroelastic approach based on nanoindentation data to characterize lacunar-canalicular permeability in murine bone as a function of age. Nine wild type C57BL/6 mice of different ages (2, 7 and 12 months) were used. Three tibiae from each age group were embedded in epoxy resin, cut in half and indented in the longitudinal direction in the mid-cortex using two spherical fluid indenter tips (R=238 μm and 500 μm). Results suggest that the lacunar-canalicular intrinsic permeability of mouse bone decreases from 2 to 7 months, with no significant changes from 7 to 12 months. The large indenter tip imposed larger contact sizes and sampled larger ranges of permeabilities, particularly for the old bone. This age-related difference in the distribution was not seen for indents with the smaller radius tip. We conclude that the small tip effectively measured lacunar-canalicular permeability, while larger tip indents were influenced by vascular permeability. Exploring the age-related changes in permeability of bone measured by nanoindentation will lead to a better understanding of the role of fluid flow in mechano-transduction. This understanding may help indicate alterations in bone adaptation and remodeling. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

A cross-site comparison of methods used for hydrogeologic characterization of the Galena-Platteville aquifer in Illinois and Wisconsin, with examples from selected Superfund sites

USGS Publications Warehouse

Kay, Robert T.; Mills, Patrick C.; Dunning, Charles P.; Yeskis, Douglas J.; Ursic, James R.; Vendl, Mark

2004-01-01

The effectiveness of 28 methods used to characterize the fractured Galena-Platteville aquifer at eight sites in northern Illinois and Wisconsin is evaluated. Analysis of government databases, previous investigations, topographic maps, aerial photographs, and outcrops was essential to understanding the hydrogeology in the area to be investigated. The effectiveness of surface-geophysical methods depended on site geology. Lithologic logging provided essential information for site characterization. Cores were used for stratigraphy and geotechnical analysis. Natural-gamma logging helped identify the effect of lithology on the location of secondary- permeability features. Caliper logging identified large secondary-permeability features. Neutron logs identified trends in matrix porosity. Acoustic-televiewer logs identified numerous secondary-permeability features and their orientation. Borehole-camera logs also identified a number of secondary-permeability features. Borehole ground-penetrating radar identified lithologic and secondary-permeability features. However, the accuracy and completeness of this method is uncertain. Single-point-resistance, density, and normal resistivity logs were of limited use. Water-level and water-quality data identified flow directions and indicated the horizontal and vertical distribution of aquifer permeability and the depth of the permeable features. Temperature, spontaneous potential, and fluid-resistivity logging identified few secondary-permeability features at some sites and several features at others. Flowmeter logging was the most effective geophysical method for characterizing secondary-permeability features. Aquifer tests provided insight into the permeability distribution, identified hydraulically interconnected features, the presence of heterogeneity and anisotropy, and determined effective porosity. Aquifer heterogeneity prevented calculation of accurate hydraulic properties from some tests. Different methods, such as flowmeter logging and slug testing, occasionally produced different interpretations. Aquifer characterization improved with an increase in the number of data points, the period of data collection, and the number of methods used.

Digital Rock Physics Aplications: Visualisation Complex Pore and Porosity-Permeability Estimations of the Porous Sandstone Reservoir

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Handoyo; Fatkhan; Del, Fourier

2018-03-01

Reservoir rock containing oil and gas generally has high porosity and permeability. High porosity is expected to accommodate hydrocarbon fluid in large quantities and high permeability is associated with the rock’s ability to let hydrocarbon fluid flow optimally. Porosity and permeability measurement of a rock sample is usually performed in the laboratory. We estimate the porosity and permeability of sandstones digitally by using digital images from μCT-Scan. Advantages of the method are non-destructive and can be applied for small rock pieces also easily to construct the model. The porosity values are calculated by comparing the digital image of the pore volume to the total volume of the sandstones; while the permeability values are calculated using the Lattice Boltzmann calculations utilizing the nature of the law of conservation of mass and conservation of momentum of a particle. To determine variations of the porosity and permeability, the main sandstone samples with a dimension of 300 × 300 × 300 pixels are made into eight sub-cubes with a size of 150 × 150 × 150 pixels. Results of digital image modeling fluid flow velocity are visualized as normal velocity (streamline). Variations in value sandstone porosity vary between 0.30 to 0.38 and permeability variations in the range of 4000 mD to 6200 mD. The results of calculations show that the sandstone sample in this research is highly porous and permeable. The method combined with rock physics can be powerful tools for determining rock properties from small rock fragments.

Permeability measurements on rock samples from Unzen Scientific Drilling Project Drill Hole 4 (USDP-4)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Watanabe, Tohru; Shimizu, Yuhta; Noguchi, Satoshi; Nakada, Setsuya

2008-07-01

Permeability measurement was made on five rock samples from USDP-4 cores. Rock samples were collected from the conduit zone and its country rock. One sample (C14-1-1) is considered as a part of the feeder dyke for the 1991-1995 eruption. The transient pulse method was employed under confining pressure up to 50 MPa. Compressional wave velocity was measured along with permeability. The measured permeability ranges from 10 - 19 to 10 - 17 m 2 at the atmospheric pressure, and is as low as that reported for tight rocks such as granite. The permeability decreases with increasing confining pressure, while the compressional wave velocity increases. Assuming that pores are parallel elliptical tubes, the pressure dependence of permeability requires aspect ratio of 10 - 4 -10 - 2 at the atmospheric pressure. The pore aperture is estimated to be less than 1 μm. The estimated aspect ratio and pore aperture suggest that connectivity of pores is maintained by narrow cracks. The existence of cracks is supported by the pressure dependence of compressional wave velocity. Narrow cracks (< 1 μm) are observed in dyke samples, and they must have been created after solidification. Dyke samples do not provide us information of pore structures during degassing, since exsolved gas has mostly escaped and pores governing the gas permeable flow should have been lost. Both dyke and country rock samples provide us information of materials around ascending magma. Although the measured small-scale permeability cannot be directly applied to geological-scale processes, it gives constrains on studies of large-scale permeability.

The permeability of the endplate channel to organic cations in frog muscle

PubMed Central

1980-01-01

The relative permeability of endplate channels to many organic cations was determined by reversal-potential criteria. Endplate currents induced by iontophoretic "puffs" of acetylcholine were studied by a Vaseline gap, voltage clamp method in cut muscle fibers. Reversal potential changes were measured as the NaCl of the bathing medium was replaced by salts of organic cations, and permeability ratios relative to Na+ ions were calculated from the Goldman-Hodgkin-Katz equation. 40 small monovalent organic cations had permeability ratios larger than 0.1. The most permeant including NH4+, hydroxylamine, hydrazine, methylamine, guanidine, and several relatives of guanidine had permeability ratios in the range 1.3--2.0. However, even cations such as imidazole, choline, tris(hydroxymethyl)aminomethane, triethylamine, and glycine methylester were appreciably permeant with permeability ratios of 0.13--0.95. Four compounds with two charged nitrogen groups were also permeant. Molecular models of the permeant ions suggest that the smallest cross-section of the open pore must be at least as large as a square, 6.5 A x 6.5 A. Specific chemical factors seem to be less important than access or friction in determining the ionic selectivity of the endplate channel. PMID:6247422

Pore-throat sizes in sandstones, siltstones, and shales: Reply

USGS Publications Warehouse

Nelson, Philip H.

2011-01-01

In his discussion of my article (Nelson, 2009), W. K. Camp takes issue with the concept that buoyancy is not the dominant force in forming and maintaining the distribution of gas in tight-gas accumulations (Camp, 2011). I will restrict my response to the issues he raised regarding buoyant versus nonbuoyant drive and to a few comments regarding water saturation and production. I claim that the pressure generated in petroleum source rocks (Pg), instead of the buoyancy pressure (Pb), provides the energy to charge most tight sandstones with gas. The arguments are fourfold: (1) buoyant columns of sufficient height seldom exist in low-permeability sand-shale sequences, (2) tight-gas systems display a pressure profile that declines instead of increases upward, (3) gas is pervasive in overpressured systems, and (4) source rocks can generate pore pressures sufficiently high to charge tight sandstones.

Quantifying Factors That Impact Riverbed Dynamic Permeability at a Riverbank Filtration Facility

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ulrich, C.; Hubbard, S. S.; Florsheim, J. L.; Rosenberry, D. O.; Borglin, S. E.; Zhang, Y.; Seymour, D.; Trotta, M.

2012-12-01

Previous modeling studies of the Wohler riverbank filtration system on the Russian River, California suggested that riverbed and aquifer permeability both influence the development of a pumping-induced unsaturated zone below the riverbed, which affects water produced through large radial water-supply collector wells that extend beneath and adjacent to the river. In particular, previous work suggests that riverbed permeability is influenced by interaction between pumping and river stage that is controlled by a downstream temporary inflatable dam during the summer low flow period. We hypothesize that raising the dam may instead lead to deposition of fine-grained sediment and/or accumulation of biota, both of which decrease riverbed permeability in the vicinity of the collector wells. To test this hypothesis, we are monitoring streambed permeability and seepage as a function of river stage and dam operation. We are using multiple methods to monitor the hydrological, sedimentological and geomorphic dynamics, including: seepage meters, sediment traps, cryogenic coring, ground penetrating radar, electrical resistance tomography, riverbed topography, piezometers, and thermistors. Here we discuss the use of this novel suite of methods to quantify dynamic riverbed permeability, how it relates to dam operation, and determine the key controls on permeability (i.e., biotic or abiotic). These results are expected to improve the overall understanding of riverbed permeability dynamics associated with Riverbank filtration. The results are also expected to be transferable to the project sponsors, the Sonoma County Water Agency, toward the development of an optimal pumping and dam operation schedule.

Blandford's argument: The strongest continuous gravitational wave signal

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Knispel, Benjamin; Allen, Bruce

2008-08-15

For a uniform population of neutron stars whose spin-down is dominated by the emission of gravitational radiation, an old argument of Blandford states that the expected gravitational-wave amplitude of the nearest source is independent of the deformation and rotation frequency of the objects. Recent work has improved and extended this argument to set upper limits on the expected amplitude from neutron stars that also emit electromagnetic radiation. We restate these arguments in a more general framework, and simulate the evolution of such a population of stars in the gravitational potential of our galaxy. The simulations allow us to test themore » assumptions of Blandford's argument on a realistic model of our galaxy. We show that the two key assumptions of the argument (two dimensionality of the spatial distribution and a steady-state frequency distribution) are in general not fulfilled. The effective scaling dimension D of the spatial distribution of neutron stars is significantly larger than two, and for frequencies detectable by terrestrial instruments the frequency distribution is not in a steady state unless the ellipticity is unrealistically large. Thus, in the cases of most interest, the maximum expected gravitational-wave amplitude does have a strong dependence on the deformation and rotation frequency of the population. The results strengthen the previous upper limits on the expected gravitational-wave amplitude from neutron stars by a factor of 6 for realistic values of ellipticity.« less

Minimum Transendothelial Electrical Resistance Thresholds for the Study of Small and Large Molecule Drug Transport in a Human in Vitro Blood-Brain Barrier Model.

PubMed

Mantle, Jennifer L; Min, Lie; Lee, Kelvin H

2016-12-05

A human cell-based in vitro model that can accurately predict drug penetration into the brain as well as metrics to assess these in vitro models are valuable for the development of new therapeutics. Here, human induced pluripotent stem cells (hPSCs) are differentiated into a polarized monolayer that express blood-brain barrier (BBB)-specific proteins and have transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER) values greater than 2500 Ω·cm 2 . By assessing the permeabilities of several known drugs, a benchmarking system to evaluate brain permeability of drugs was established. Furthermore, relationships between TEER and permeability to both small and large molecules were established, demonstrating that different minimum TEER thresholds must be achieved to study the brain transport of these two classes of drugs. This work demonstrates that this hPSC-derived BBB model exhibits an in vivo-like phenotype, and the benchmarks established here are useful for assessing functionality of other in vitro BBB models.

Some practical suggestions for teaching science in the liberal arts.

PubMed

Pollack, R

2001-05-01

At the undergraduate level, science is held at a distance from the liberal arts by common agreement among professors from both sides of a wall erected for them by the Enlightenment some centuries ago. There is today no intellectual argument put forth for maintaining the wall; the arguments in its defense are largely cultural and political and therefore in the final analysis fiscal, if not venal. Here are some concrete suggestions for how that wall might be brought down.

The Errors of Karen Franklin's Pretextuality

PubMed Central

Cantor, James M.

2012-01-01

In her recent article, Hebephilia: Quintessence of Diagnostic Pretextuality (published in Behavioral Sciences and the Law, 2010), Karen Franklin expands on her previous argument that psychologists and psychiatrists should not diagnose as abnormal hebephilia, the sexual preference for early pubescent children. She supports her argument with a series of claims about the contents of the empirical literature and the scientists who produced it. The present document provides fact-checking of those claims, revealing that Franklin's conclusions are based largely on demonstrable falsehoods. PMID:22745581

Metabolism in anoxic permeable sediments is dominated by eukaryotic dark fermentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bourke, Michael F.; Marriott, Philip J.; Glud, Ronnie N.; Hasler-Sheetal, Harald; Kamalanathan, Manoj; Beardall, John; Greening, Chris; Cook, Perran L. M.

2017-01-01

Permeable sediments are common across continental shelves and are critical contributors to marine biogeochemical cycling. Organic matter in permeable sediments is dominated by microalgae, which as eukaryotes have different anaerobic metabolic pathways to bacteria and archaea. Here we present analyses of flow-through reactor experiments showing that dissolved inorganic carbon is produced predominantly as a result of anaerobic eukaryotic metabolic activity. In our experiments, anaerobic production of dissolved inorganic carbon was consistently accompanied by large dissolved H2 production rates, suggesting the presence of fermentation. The production of both dissolved inorganic carbon and H2 persisted following administration of broad spectrum bactericidal antibiotics, but ceased following treatment with metronidazole. Metronidazole inhibits the ferredoxin/hydrogenase pathway of fermentative eukaryotic H2 production, suggesting that pathway as the source of H2 and dissolved inorganic carbon production. Metabolomic analysis showed large increases in lipid production at the onset of anoxia, consistent with documented pathways of anoxic dark fermentation in microalgae. Cell counts revealed a predominance of microalgae in the sediments. H2 production was observed in dark anoxic cultures of diatoms (Fragilariopsis sp.) and a chlorophyte (Pyramimonas) isolated from the study site, substantiating the hypothesis that microalgae undertake fermentation. We conclude that microalgal dark fermentation could be an important energy-conserving pathway in permeable sediments.

Metabolism in anoxic permeable sediments is dominated by eukaryotic dark fermentation

PubMed Central

Bourke, Michael F; Marriott, Philip J.; Glud, Ronnie N.; Hasler-Sheetal, Harald; Kamalanathan, Manoj; Beardall, John; Greening, Chris; Cook, Perran L.M.

2016-01-01

Permeable sediments are common across continental shelves and are critical contributors to marine biogeochemical cycling. Organic matter in permeable sediments is dominated by microalgae, which as eukaryotes have different anaerobic metabolic pathways to prokaryotes such as bacteria and archaea. Here we present analyses of flow-through reactor experiments showing that dissolved inorganic carbon is produced predominantly as a result of anaerobic eukaryotic metabolic activity. In our experiments, anaerobic production of dissolved inorganic carbon was consistently accompanied by large dissolved H2 production rates, suggesting the presence of fermentation. The production of both dissolved inorganic carbon and H2 persisted following administration of broad spectrum bactericidal antibiotics, but ceased following treatment with metronidazole. Metronidazole inhibits the ferredoxin/hydrogenase pathway of fermentative eukaryotic H2 production, suggesting that pathway as the source of H2 and dissolved inorganic carbon production. Metabolomic analysis showed large increases in lipid production at the onset of anoxia, consistent with documented pathways of anoxic dark fermentation in microalgae. Cell counts revealed a predominance of microalgae in the sediments. H2 production was observed in dark anoxic cultures of diatoms (Fragilariopsis sp.) and a chlorophyte (Pyramimonas) isolated from the study site, substantiating the hypothesis that microalgae undertake fermentation. We conclude that microalgal dark fermentation could be an important energy-conserving pathway in permeable sediments. PMID:28070216

Characterization of vascular permeability using a biomimetic microfluidic blood vessel model

PubMed Central

Thomas, Antony; Wang, Shunqiang; Sohrabi, Salman; Orr, Colin; He, Ran; Shi, Wentao; Liu, Yaling

2017-01-01

The inflammatory response in endothelial cells (ECs) leads to an increase in vascular permeability through the formation of gaps. However, the dynamic nature of vascular permeability and external factors involved is still elusive. In this work, we use a biomimetic blood vessel (BBV) microfluidic model to measure in real-time the change in permeability of the EC layer under culture in physiologically relevant flow conditions. This platform studies the dynamics and characterizes vascular permeability when the EC layer is triggered with an inflammatory agent using tracer molecules of three different sizes, and the results are compared to a transwell insert study. We also apply an analytical model to compare the permeability data from the different tracer molecules to understand the physiological and bio-transport significance of endothelial permeability based on the molecule of interest. A computational model of the BBV model is also built to understand the factors influencing transport of molecules of different sizes under flow. The endothelial monolayer cultured under flow in the BBV model was treated with thrombin, a serine protease that induces a rapid and reversible increase in endothelium permeability. On analysis of permeability data, it is found that the transport characteristics for fluorescein isothiocyanate (FITC) dye and FITC Dextran 4k Da molecules are similar in both BBV and transwell models, but FITC Dextran 70k Da molecules show increased permeability in the BBV model as convection flow (Peclet number > 1) influences the molecule transport in the BBV model. We also calculated from permeability data the relative increase in intercellular gap area during thrombin treatment for ECs in the BBV and transwell insert models to be between 12% and 15%. This relative increase was found to be within range of what we quantified from F-actin stained EC layer images. The work highlights the importance of incorporating flow in in vitro vascular models, especially in studies involving transport of large size objects such as antibodies, proteins, nano/micro particles, and cells. PMID:28344727

Relative permeability of hydrate-bearing sediments from percolation theory and critical path analysis: theoretical and experimental results

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Daigle, Hugh; Rice, Mary Anna; Daigle, Hugh

Relative permeabilities to water and gas are important parameters for accurate modeling of the formation of methane hydrate deposits and production of methane from hydrate reservoirs. Experimental measurements of gas and water permeability in the presence of hydrate are difficult to obtain. The few datasets that do exist suggest that relative permeability obeys a power law relationship with water or gas saturation with exponents ranging from around 2 to greater than 10. Critical path analysis and percolation theory provide a framework for interpreting the saturation-dependence of relative permeability based on percolation thresholds and the breadth of pore size distributions, whichmore » may be determined easily from 3-D images or gas adsorption-desorption hysteresis. We show that the exponent of the permeability-saturation relationship for relative permeability to water is related to the breadth of the pore size distribution, with broader pore size distributions corresponding to larger exponents. Relative permeability to water in well-sorted sediments with narrow pore size distributions, such as Berea sandstone or Toyoura sand, follows percolation scaling with an exponent of 2. On the other hand, pore-size distributions determined from argon adsorption measurements we performed on clays from the Nankai Trough suggest that relative permeability to water in fine-grained intervals may be characterized by exponents as large as 10 as determined from critical path analysis. We also show that relative permeability to the gas phase follows percolation scaling with a quadratic dependence on gas saturation, but the threshold gas saturation for percolation changes with hydrate saturation, which is an important consideration in systems in which both hydrate and gas are present, such as during production from a hydrate reservoir. Our work shows how measurements of pore size distributions from 3-D imaging or gas adsorption may be used to determine relative permeabilities.« less

Heavy Cigarette Smokers in a Chinese Population Display a Compromised Permeability Barrier

PubMed Central

Xin, Shujun; Ye, Li; Lv, Chengzhi; Elias, Peter M.

2016-01-01

Cigarette smoking is associated with various cutaneous disorders with defective permeability. Yet, whether cigarette smoking influences epidermal permeability barrier function is largely unknown. Here, we measured skin biophysical properties, including permeability barrier homeostasis, stratum corneum (SC) integrity, SC hydration, skin surface pH, and skin melanin/erythema index, in cigarette smokers. A total of 99 male volunteers were enrolled in this study. Smokers were categorized as light-to-moderate (<20 cigarettes/day) or heavy smokers (≥20 cigarettes/day). An MPA5 was used to measure SC hydration and skin melanin/erythema index on the dorsal hand, forehead, and cheek. Basal transepidermal water loss (TEWL) and barrier recovery rates were assessed on the forearm. A Skin-pH-Meter pH900 was used to measure skin surface pH. Our results showed that heavy cigarette smokers exhibited delayed barrier recovery after acute abrogation (1.02% ± 13.06 versus 16.48% ± 6.07), and barrier recovery rates correlated negatively with the number of daily cigarettes consumption (p = 0.0087). Changes in biophysical parameters in cigarette smokers varied with body sites. In conclusion, heavy cigarette smokers display compromised permeability barrier homeostasis, which could contribute, in part, to the increased prevalence of certain cutaneous disorders characterized by defective permeability. Thus, improving epidermal permeability barrier should be considered for heavy cigarette smokers. PMID:27437403

In vitro dentin permeability after application of Gluma® desensitizer as aqueous solution or aqueous fumed silica dispersion

PubMed Central

ISHIHATA, Hiroshi; FINGER, Werner J.; KANEHIRA, Masafumi; SHIMAUCHI, Hidetoshi; KOMATSU, Masashi

2011-01-01

Objectives To assess and to compare the effects of Gluma® Desensitizer (GDL) with an experimental glutaraldehyde and HEMA containing fumed silica dispersion (GDG) on dentin permeability using a chemiluminous tracer penetration test. Material and Methods Twenty disc-shaped dentin specimens were dissected from extracted human third molars. The dentin specimens were mounted in a split chamber device for determination of permeability under liquid pressure using a photochemical method. Ten specimens were randomly selected and allocated to the evaluation groups Gluma® Desensitizer as aqueous solution and glutaraldehyde/HEMA as fumed silica dispersion, respectively. Dentin disc permeability was determined at two pressure levels after removal of smear with EDTA, after albumin soaking, and after application of the desensitizing agents. Two desensitizer-treated and rinsed specimens of each group were examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM) for surface remnants. Results Comparatively large standard deviations of the mean EDTA reference and albumin soaked samples permeability values reflected the differences of the dentin substrates. The mean chemiluminescence values of specimen treated with GDL and GDG, respectively, were significantly reduced after topical application of the desensitizing agents on albumin-soaked dentin. The effects of GDL and GDG on permeability were not significantly different. Treated specimens showed no surface remnants after rinsing. Conclusions The experimental desensitizer gel formulation reduced dentin permeability as effectively as the original Gluma® Desensitizer solution. PMID:21552716

Large-cell renormalisation and systems of dimensionality larger than the upper marginal dimension

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Nakanishi, H.

1984-01-01

A recent argument dismissing the applicability of large-cell renormalization schemes to systems whose dimensionality is larger than the upper marginal dimension is critically discussed. In this connection, new large-cell renormalization results for the random walk for a dimensionality of 3 and 4 are presented which indicate convergence to the correct results.

[Effects of electromagnetic pulse exposure on the permeability of inner blood-retinal barrier model in vitro].

PubMed

Li, Hai-juan; Yang, Long-long; Tian, Wei; Liu, Jun-ju; Xie, Xue-jun; Guo, Guo-zhen

2012-03-01

To establish the inner blood-retinal barrier (BRB) model in vitro by co-culturing RF/6A cells and C6 cells and to investigate the effects of EMP (200 kV/m, 200 pulses) exposure on the permeability of the inner BRB model in vitro. RF/6A cells and C6 cells were co-cultured on transwell, and the characteristic of the inner BRB model was assessed by detecting transendothelial electrical resistance (TEER) and the permeability of horseradish peroxidase (HRP). The co-cultured model was exposed or sham exposed to the EMP (200 kV/m 200 pulses) for 0.5, 3, 6, 12, 24 h in vitro, then TEER and the permeability of HRP were measured for studying the effects of EMP on the permeability of inner BRB model in vitro. TEER value (145 Ωcm(2)) of the co-culturing inner BRB model significantly increased, as compared to that of RF/6A cells alone model (P < 0.05) on the 6th day after inoculation. There was significant difference of permeability of HRP between the co-culturing inner BRB model and RF/6A cells alone model (P < 0.05). The ability of inhibiting large molecular materials in the co-culturing inner BRB model enhanced. The TEER value decreased and the permeability of HRP increased as compared to the sham group at 0.5, 3, 6 h after the exposure. The inner BRB model by co-culturing RF/6A cells and C6 cells in vitro is efficient and suitable to study the alterations of the restricted permeability function of the inner BRB. EMP (200 kV/m for 200 pulses) could induce the enhanced permeability of the inner BRB model in vitro.

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nikolić, Hrvoje, E-mail: hnikolic@irb.hr

An argument by Banks, Susskind and Peskin (BSP), according to which violation of unitarity would violate either locality or energy-momentum conservation, is widely believed to be a strong argument against non-unitarity of Hawking radiation. We find that the whole BSP argument rests on the crucial assumption that the Hamiltonian is not highly degenerate, and point out that this assumption is not satisfied for systems with many degrees of freedom. Using Lindblad equation, we show that high degeneracy of the Hamiltonian allows local non-unitary evolution without violating energy-momentum conservation. Moreover, since energy-momentum is the source of gravity, we argue that energy-momentummore » is necessarily conserved for a large class of non-unitary systems with gravity. Finally, we explicitly calculate the Lindblad operators for non-unitary Hawking radiation and show that they conserve energy-momentum.« less

Simulation of permeability evolution of leakage pathway in carbonate-rich caprocks in carbon sequestration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guo, B.; Fitts, J. P.; Dobossy, M. E.; Peters, C. A.

2013-12-01

Geologic carbon sequestration in deep saline aquifers is a promising strategy for mitigating climate change. A major concern is the possibility of brine and CO2 migration through the caprock such as through fractures and faults. In this work, we examine the extent to which mineral dissolution will substantially alter the porosity and permeability of caprock leakage pathways as CO2-acidified brine flows through them. Three models were developed. Firstly, a reactive transport model, Permeability Evolution of Leakage pathway (PEL), was developed to simulate permeability evolution of a leakage pathway during the injection period, and assumes calcite is the only reactive mineral. The system domain is a 100 m long by 0.2 m diameter cylindrical flow path with fixed boundaries containing a rock matrix with an initial porosity of 30% and initial permeability of 1×10-13 m2. One example result is for an initial calcite volume fraction (CVF) of 0.20, in which all the calcite is dissolved after 50 years and the permeability reaches 3.2×10-13 m2. For smaller values of CVF, the permeability reaches its final value earlier but the increase in permeability is minimal. For a large value of CVF such as 0.50, the permeability could eventually reach 1×10-12 m2, but the large amount of dissolved calcium buffers the solution and slows the reaction. After 50 years the permeability change is negligible. Thus, there is a non-monotonic relationship between the amount of calcite in the rock and the resulting permeability change because of the competing dynamics of calcite dissolution and alkalinity build-up. In the second model, PEL was coupled to an existing basin-scale multiphase flow model, Princeton's Estimating Leakage Semi-Analytical (ELSA) model. The new model, ELSA-PEL, estimates the brine and CO2 leakage rates during the injection period under conditions of permeability evolution. The scenario considered in this work is for 50 years of CO2 injection into the Mt. Simon formation in the Michigan basin at an injection rate of 1 Mt/y. As an example, for a CVF value of 5%, the brine leakage rate after fifty years for a leakage pathway 1,000 m distance from the injection well is 0.88 kg/s, which is 2.4% larger than if there were no geochemical evolution of the permeability. In a sensitivity analysis with regard to the distance between the leakage pathway and the injection well, it was found that the cumulative leakage first increases with the distance and the relationship reverses after a certain distance. When the leakage pathway is farther away, the pressure increment drops leading to less acid brine flow; meanwhile, the time before the CO2 plume reaches the pathway is longer and this lengthens the reaction time with brine. Thirdly, we explored the role that SO2 would play if it were present as a co-injectant in carbon sequestration. The reaction considered is SO2 hydrolysis to form sulfurous acid. We expect the sulfurous acid will erode the calcite faster than carbonic acid because it is a stronger acid. Contrary to intuition, the simulation results showed a decrease in permeability due to CaSO3 precipitation in replacement of CaCO3, as CaSO3 has a larger molar volume.

Zinc-Permeable Ion Channels: Effects on Intracellular Zinc Dynamics and Potential Physiological/Pathophysiological Significance

PubMed Central

Inoue, Koichi; O'Bryant, Zaven; Xiong, Zhi-Gang

2015-01-01

Zinc (Zn2+) is one of the most important trace metals in the body. It is necessary for the normal function of a large number of proteins including enzymes and transcription factors. While extracellular fluid may contain up to micromolar Zn2+, intracellular Zn2+ concentration is generally maintained at a subnanomolar level; this steep gradient across the cell membrane is primarily attributable to Zn2+ extrusion by Zn2+ transporting systems. Interestingly, systematic investigation has revealed that activities, previously believed to be dependent on calcium (Ca2+), may be partially mediated by Zn2+. This is also supported by new findings that some Ca2+-permeable channels such as voltage-dependent calcium channels (VDCCs), N-methyl-D-aspartate receptors (NMDA), and amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazolepropionate receptors (AMPA-Rs) are also permeable to Zn2+. Thus, the importance of Zn2+ in physiological and pathophysiological processes is now more widely appreciated. In this review, we describe Zn2+-permeable membrane molecules, especially Zn2+-permeable ion channels, in intracellular Zn2+dynamics and Zn2+ mediated physiology/pathophysiology. PMID:25666796

Highly predictive and interpretable models for PAMPA permeability.

PubMed

Sun, Hongmao; Nguyen, Kimloan; Kerns, Edward; Yan, Zhengyin; Yu, Kyeong Ri; Shah, Pranav; Jadhav, Ajit; Xu, Xin

2017-02-01

Cell membrane permeability is an important determinant for oral absorption and bioavailability of a drug molecule. An in silico model predicting drug permeability is described, which is built based on a large permeability dataset of 7488 compound entries or 5435 structurally unique molecules measured by the same lab using parallel artificial membrane permeability assay (PAMPA). On the basis of customized molecular descriptors, the support vector regression (SVR) model trained with 4071 compounds with quantitative data is able to predict the remaining 1364 compounds with the qualitative data with an area under the curve of receiver operating characteristic (AUC-ROC) of 0.90. The support vector classification (SVC) model trained with half of the whole dataset comprised of both the quantitative and the qualitative data produced accurate predictions to the remaining data with the AUC-ROC of 0.88. The results suggest that the developed SVR model is highly predictive and provides medicinal chemists a useful in silico tool to facilitate design and synthesis of novel compounds with optimal drug-like properties, and thus accelerate the lead optimization in drug discovery. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Structure/permeability relationships of silicon-containing polyimides

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Stern, S. A.; Vaidyanathan, R.; Pratt, J. R.

1989-01-01

The permeability to H2, O2, N2, CO2 and CH4 of three silicone-polyimide random copolymers and two polyimides containing silicon atoms in their backbone chains, was determined at 35.0 C and at pressures up to about 120 psig (approximately 8.2 atm). The copolymers contained different amounts of BPADA-m-PDA and amine-terminated poly (dimethyl siloxane) and also had different numbers of siloxane linkages in their silicone component. The polyimides containing silicon atoms (silicon-modified polyimides) were SiDA-4,4'-ODA and SiDA-p-PDA. The gas permeability and selectivity of the copolymers are more similar to those of their silicone component than of the polyimide component. By contrast, the permeability and selectivity of the silicon-modified polyimides are more similar to those of their parent polyimides, PMDA-4,4'-ODA and SiDA-p-PDA. The substitution of SiDA for the PMDA moiety in a polyimide appears to result in a significant increase in gas permeability, without a correspondingly large decrease in selectivity. The potential usefulness of the above polymers and copolymers as gas separation membranes is discussed.

Experimental Measurements of Permeability Evolution along Faults during Progressive Slip

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Strutz, M.; Mitchell, T. M.; Renner, J.

2010-12-01

Little is currently known about the dynamic changes in fault-parallel permeability along rough faults during progressive slip. With increasing slip, asperities are worn to produce gouge which can dramatically reduce along fault permeability within the slip zone. However, faults can have a range of roughness which can affect both the porosity and both the amount and distribution of fault wear material produced in the slipping zone during the early stages of fault evolution. In this novel study we investigate experimentally the evolution of permeability along a fault plane in granite sawcut sliding blocks with a variety of intial roughnesses in a triaxial apparatus. Drillholes in the samples allow the permeability to be measured along the fault plane during loading and subsequent fault displacement. Use of the pore pressure oscillation technique (PPO) allows the continuous measurement of permeability without having to stop loading. To achieve a range of intial starting roughnesses, faults sawcut surfaces were prepared using a variety of corundum powders ranging from 10 µm to 220 µm, and for coarser roughness were air-blasted with glass beads up to 800µm in size. Fault roughness has been quantified with a laser profileometer. During sliding, we measure the acoustic emissions in order to detect grain cracking and asperity shearing which may relate to both the mechanical and permeability data. Permeability shows relative reductions of up to over 4 orders of magnitude during stable sliding as asperities are sheared to produce a fine fault gouge. This variation in permeability is greatest for the roughest faults, reducing as fault roughness decreases. The onset of permeability reduction is contemporaneous with a dramatic reduction in the amount of detected acoustic emissions, where a continuous layer of fault gouge has developed. The amount of fault gouge produced is related to the initial roughness, with the rough faults showing larger fault gouge layers at the end of slip. Following large stress drops and stick slip events, permeability can both increase and decrease due to dynamic changes in pore pressure during fast sliding events. We present a summary of preliminary data to date, and discuss some of the problems and unknowns when using the PPO method to measure permeability.

Physical heterogeneity control on effective mineral dissolution rates

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jung, Heewon; Navarre-Sitchler, Alexis

2018-04-01

Hydrologic heterogeneity may be an important factor contributing to the discrepancy in laboratory and field measured dissolution rates, but the governing factors influencing mineral dissolution rates among various representations of physical heterogeneity remain poorly understood. Here, we present multiple reactive transport simulations of anorthite dissolution in 2D latticed random permeability fields and link the information from local grid scale (1 cm or 4 m) dissolution rates to domain-scale (1m or 400 m) effective dissolution rates measured by the flux-weighted average of an ensemble of flow paths. We compare results of homogeneous models to heterogeneous models with different structure and layered permeability distributions within the model domain. Chemistry is simplified to a single dissolving primary mineral (anorthite) distributed homogeneously throughout the domain and a single secondary mineral (kaolinite) that is allowed to dissolve or precipitate. Results show that increasing size in correlation structure (i.e. long integral scales) and high variance in permeability distribution are two important factors inducing a reduction in effective mineral dissolution rates compared to homogeneous permeability domains. Larger correlation structures produce larger zones of low permeability where diffusion is an important transport mechanism. Due to the increased residence time under slow diffusive transport, the saturation state of a solute with respect to a reacting mineral approaches equilibrium and reduces the reaction rate. High variance in permeability distribution favorably develops large low permeability zones that intensifies the reduction in mixing and effective dissolution rate. However, the degree of reduction in effective dissolution rate observed in 1 m × 1 m domains is too small (<1% reduction from the corresponding homogeneous case) to explain several orders of magnitude reduction observed in many field studies. When multimodality in permeability distribution is approximated by high permeability variance in 400 m × 400 m domains, the reduction in effective dissolution rate increases due to the effect of long diffusion length scales through zones with very slow reaction rates. The observed scale dependence becomes complicated when pH dependent kinetics are compared to the results from pH independent rate constants. In small domains where the entire domain is reactive, faster anorthite dissolution rates and slower kaolinite precipitation rates relative to pH independent rates at far-from-equilibrium conditions reduce the effective dissolution rate by increasing the saturation state. However, in large domains where less- or non-reactive zones develop, higher kaolinite precipitation rates in less reactive zones increase the effective anorthite dissolution rates relative to the rates observed in pH independent cases.

Permeability models affecting nonlinear stability in the asymptotic suction boundary layer: the Forchheimer versus the Darcy model

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wedin, Håkan; Cherubini, Stefania

2016-12-01

The asymptotic suction boundary layer (ASBL) is used for studying two permeability models, namely the Darcy and the Forchheimer model, the latter being more physically correct according to the literature. The term that defines the two apart is a function of the non-Darcian wall permeability {\\hat{K}}2 and of the wall suction {\\hat{V}}0, whereas the Darcian wall permeability {\\hat{K}}1 is common to the two models. The underlying interest of the study lies in the field of transition to turbulence where focus is put on two-dimensional nonlinear traveling waves (TWs) and their three-dimensional linear stability. Following a previous study by Wedin et al (2015 Phys. Rev. E 92 013022), where only the Darcy model was considered, the present work aims at comparing the two models, assessing where in the parameter space they cease to produce the same results. For low values of {\\hat{K}}1 both models produce almost identical TW solutions. However, when both increasing the suction {\\hat{V}}0 to sufficiently high amplitudes (i.e. lowering the Reynolds number Re, based on the displacement thickness) and using large values of the wall porosity, differences are observed. In terms of the non-dimensional Darcian wall permeability parameter, a, strong differences in the overall shape of the bifurcation curves are observed for a≳ 0.70, with the emergence of a new family of solutions at Re lower than 100. For these large values of a, a Forchheimer number {{Fo}}\\max ≳ 0.5 is found, where Fo expresses the ratio between the kinetic and viscous forces acting on the porous wall. Moreover, the minimum Reynolds number, {{Re}}g, for which the Navier-Stokes equations allow for nonlinear solutions, decreases for increasing values of a. Fixing the streamwise wavenumber to α = 0.154, as used in the study by Wedin et al referenced above, we find that {{Re}}g is lowered from Re ≈ 3000 for zero permeability, to below 50 for a = 0.80 for both permeability models. Finally, the stability of the TW solutions is assessed using a three-dimensional linearized direct numerical simulation (DNS). Low-frequency unstable modes are found for both permeability models; however, the Darcy model is found to overpredict the growth rate, and underpredict the streamwise extension of the most unstable mode. These results indicate that a careful choice of the underlying permeability model is crucial for accurately studying the transition to turbulence of boundary-layer flows over porous walls.

The Generation of Barriers to Melt Ascent in the Martian Lithosphere

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Schools, Joe W.; Montési, Laurent G. J.

2018-01-01

Planetary mantles can be regarded as an aggregate of two phases: a solid, porous matrix and a liquid melt. Melt travels rapidly upward through the matrix due to its buoyancy. When this melt enters the colder lithosphere, it begins to crystallize. If crystallization happens at a high rate, the newly formed crystals can clog the pore space, reducing its permeability to essentially zero. This zone of zero permeability is the permeability barrier. We use the MELTS family of thermodynamic calculators to determine melt compositions and the crystallization sequence of ascending melt throughout Martian history and simulate the formation of permeability barriers. At lower strain rates (10-17-10-15 s-1) permeability barriers form deep in the lithosphere, possibly contributing to the formation of localized volcanic edifices on the Martian surface once fracturing or thermal erosion enables melt to traverse the lithosphere. Higher strain rates (10-13 s-1) yield shallower permeability barriers, perhaps producing extensive lava flows. Permeability barrier formation is investigated using an anhydrous mantle source or mantle sources that include up to 1,000 ppm H2O. Introducing even small amounts of water (25 ppm H2O) reduces mantle viscosity in a manner similar to increasing the strain rate and results in a shallower barrier than in the anhydrous case. Large amounts of water (1,000 ppm H2O) yield very shallow weak barriers or no barriers at all. The depth of the permeability barrier has evolved through time, likely resulting in a progression in the style of surface volcanism from widespread flows to massive, singular volcanoes.

Impact of chemical leaching on permeability and cadmium removal from fine-grained soils.

PubMed

Lin, Zhongbing; Zhang, Renduo; Huang, Shuang; Wang, Kang

2017-08-01

The aim of this study was to investigate the influence of chemical leaching on permeability and Cd removal from fine-grained polluted soils. Column leaching experiments were conducted using two types of soils (i.e., artificially Cd-polluted loam and historically polluted silty loam). Chemical agents of CaCl 2 , FeCl 3 , citric acid, EDTA, rhamnolipid, and deionized water were used to leach Cd from the soils. Results showed that organic agents reduced permeability of both soils, and FeCl 3 reduced permeability of loam soil, compared with inorganic agents and deionized water. Entrapment and deposition of colloids generated from the organic agents and FeCl 3 treatments reduced the soil permeability. The peak Cd effluence from the artificially polluted loam columns was retarded. For the artificially polluted soils treated with EDTA and the historically polluted soils with FeCl 3 , Cd precipitates were observed at the bottom after chemical leaching. When Cd was associated with large colloid particles, the reduction of soil permeability caused Cd accumulation in deeper soil. In addition, the slow process of disintegration of soil clay during chemical leaching might result in the retardation of peak Cd effluence. These results suggest the need for caution when using chemical-leaching agents for Cd removal in fine-grained soils.

Monodisperse CNT Microspheres for High Permeability and Efficiency Flow-Through Filtration Applications.

PubMed

Copic, Davor; Maggini, Laura; De Volder, Michael

2018-03-01

Carbon nanotube (CNT)-based filters have the potential to revolutionize water treatment because of their high capacity and fast kinetics in sorption of organic, inorganic, and biological pollutants. To date, CNT filters either rely on CNTs dispersed in liquids, which are difficult to recover and cause safety concerns, or on CNT buckypaper, which offers high efficiency, but suffers from an intrinsic trade-off between filter permeability and capacity. Here, a new approach is presented that bypasses this trade-off and achieves buckypaper-like efficiency combined with filter-column-like permeability and capacity. For this, CNTs are first assembled into porous microspheres and then are packed into microfluidic column filters. These microcolumns exhibit large flow-through filtration efficiencies, while maintaining membrane permeabilities an order of magnitude larger then CNT buckypaper and specific permeabilities double that of activated carbon for similar flowrates (232 000 L m -2 h -1 bar -1 , 1.23 × 10 -12 m 2 ). Moreover, in a test to remove sodium dodecyl sulfate (SDS) from water, these microstructured CNT columns outperform activated carbon columns. This improved filtration efficiency and permeability is an important step toward a broader implementation of CNT-based filtration devices. © 2018 WILEY-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Multiparameter Analysis of Gas Transport Phenomena in Shale Gas Reservoirs: Apparent Permeability Characterization.

PubMed

Shen, Yinghao; Pang, Yu; Shen, Ziqi; Tian, Yuanyuan; Ge, Hongkui

2018-02-08

The large amount of nanoscale pores in shale results in the inability to apply Darcy's law. Moreover, the gas adsorption of shale increases the complexity of pore size characterization and thus decreases the accuracy of flow regime estimation. In this study, an apparent permeability model, which describes the adsorptive gas flow behavior in shale by considering the effects of gas adsorption, stress dependence, and non-Darcy flow, is proposed. The pore size distribution, methane adsorption capacity, pore compressibility, and matrix permeability of the Barnett and Eagle Ford shales are measured in the laboratory to determine the critical parameters of gas transport phenomena. The slip coefficients, tortuosity, and surface diffusivity are predicted via the regression analysis of the permeability data. The results indicate that the apparent permeability model, which considers second-order gas slippage, Knudsen diffusion, and surface diffusion, could describe the gas flow behavior in the transition flow regime for nanoporous shale. Second-order gas slippage and surface diffusion play key roles in the gas flow in nanopores for Knudsen numbers ranging from 0.18 to 0.5. Therefore, the gas adsorption and non-Darcy flow effects, which involve gas slippage, Knudsen diffusion, and surface diffusion, are indispensable parameters of the permeability model for shale.

Consequentialism, complacency, and slippery slope arguments.

PubMed

Oakley, Justin; Cocking, Dean

2005-01-01

The standard problem with many slippery slope arguments is that they fail to provide us with the necessary evidence to warrant our believing that the significantly morally worse circumstances they predict will in fact come about. As such these arguments have widely been criticised as 'scare-mongering'. Consequentialists have traditionally been at the forefront of such criticisms, demanding that we get serious about guiding our prescriptions for right action by a comprehensive appreciation of the empirical facts. This is not surprising, since consequentialism has traditionally been committed to the idea that right action be driven by empirical realities, and this hard-headed approach has been an especially notable feature of Australian consequentialism. But this apparent empirical hard-headedness is very selective. While consequentialists have understood their moral outlook and commitments as guided by a partnership with empirical science - most explicitly in their replies to the arguments of their detractors - some consequentialists have been remarkably complacent about providing empirical support for their own prescriptions. Our key example here is the consequentialist claim that our current practises of partiality in fact maximise the good, impartially conceived. This claim has invariably been made without compelling support for the large empirical claims upon which it rests, and so, like the speculative empirical hand-waving of weak slippery slope arguments, it seems similarly to be undermined. While these arguments have presented us with 'wishful thinking' rather than 'scare-mongering', we argue in this paper that their complacency in meeting the relevant empirical justificatory burden remains much the same.

Laboratory and modeling studies of chemistry in dense molecular clouds

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Huntress, W. T., Jr.; Prasad, S. S.; Mitchell, G. F.

1980-01-01

A chemical evolutionary model with a large number of species and a large chemical library is used to examine the principal chemical processes in interstellar clouds. Simple chemical equilibrium arguments show the potential for synthesis of very complex organic species by ion-molecule radiative association reactions.

Are there two processes in reasoning? The dimensionality of inductive and deductive inferences.

PubMed

Stephens, Rachel G; Dunn, John C; Hayes, Brett K

2018-03-01

Single-process accounts of reasoning propose that the same cognitive mechanisms underlie inductive and deductive inferences. In contrast, dual-process accounts propose that these inferences depend upon 2 qualitatively different mechanisms. To distinguish between these accounts, we derived a set of single-process and dual-process models based on an overarching signal detection framework. We then used signed difference analysis to test each model against data from an argument evaluation task, in which induction and deduction judgments are elicited for sets of valid and invalid arguments. Three data sets were analyzed: data from Singmann and Klauer (2011), a database of argument evaluation studies, and the results of an experiment designed to test model predictions. Of the large set of testable models, we found that almost all could be rejected, including all 2-dimensional models. The only testable model able to account for all 3 data sets was a model with 1 dimension of argument strength and independent decision criteria for induction and deduction judgments. We conclude that despite the popularity of dual-process accounts, current results from the argument evaluation task are best explained by a single-process account that incorporates separate decision thresholds for inductive and deductive inferences. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2018 APA, all rights reserved).

Euthanasia, assisted suicide, and the philosophical anthropology of Karol Wojtyla.

PubMed

Fernandes, Ashley K

2001-12-01

The lack of consensus in American society regarding the permissibility of assisted suicide and euthanasia is due in large part to a failure to address the nature of the human person involved in the ethical act itself. For Karol Wojtyla, philosopher and Pope, ethical action finds meaning only in an authentic understanding of the person; but it is through acting (actus humanus) alone that the human person reveals himself. Knowing what the person ought to be cannot be divorced from what he ought to do; for Wojtyla, the structure of the ethical "do"--the act itself--comes first. The current paper will focus on four arguments used to justify assisted suicide and euthanasia: (1) the argument from autonomy, (2) the argument from compassion, (3) the argument from the evil of suffering, and (4) the argument from the loss of dignity. It will seek to answer each claim from the perspective of Karol Wojtyla's philosophical anthropology. Much of this will come from his defining work in pure philosophy, The Acting Person (1969). The final part of the paper will suggest some positive solutions to the stalemate over the euthanasia debate, again drawn from Wojtyla's idea of human fufillment through participation with the other, and with the community itself.

Compaction and gas loss in welded pyroclastic deposits as revealed by porosity, permeability, and electrical conductivity measurements of the Shevlin Park Tuff

USGS Publications Warehouse

Wright, Heather M.; Cashman, Katharine V.

2014-01-01

Pyroclastic flows produced by large volcanic eruptions commonly densify after emplacement. Processes of gas escape, compaction, and welding in pyroclastic-flow deposits are controlled by the physical and thermal properties of constituent material. Through measurements of matrix porosity, permeability, and electrical conductivity, we provide a framework for understanding the evolution of pore structure during these processes. Using data from the Shevlin Park Tuff in central Oregon, United States, and from the literature, we find that over a porosity range of 0%–70%, matrix permeability varies by almost 10 orders of magnitude (from 10–20 to 10–11 m2), with over three orders of magnitude variation at any given porosity. Part of the variation at a given porosity is due to permeability anisotropy, where oriented core samples indicate higher permeabilities parallel to foliation (horizontally) than perpendicular to foliation (vertically). This suggests that pore space is flattened during compaction, creating anisotropic crack-like networks, a geometry that is supported by electrical conductivity measurements. We find that the power law equation: k1 = 1.3 × 10–21 × ϕ5.2 provides the best approximation of dominant horizontal gas loss, where k1 = permeability, and ϕ = porosity. Application of Kozeny-Carman fluid-flow approximations suggests that permeability in the Shevlin Park Tuff is controlled by crack- or disk-like pore apertures with minimum widths of 0.3 and 7.5 μm. We find that matrix permeability limits compaction over short times, but deformation is then controlled by competition among cooling, compaction, water resorption, and permeable gas escape. These competing processes control the potential for development of overpressure (and secondary explosions) and the degree of welding in the deposit, processes that are applicable to viscous densification of volcanic deposits in general. Further, the general relationships among porosity, permeability, and pore geometry are relevant for flow of any fluid through an ignimbritic host.

Small intestinal permeability is increased in diarrhoea predominant IBS, while alterations in gastroduodenal permeability in all IBS subtypes are largely attributable to confounders.

PubMed

Mujagic, Z; Ludidi, S; Keszthelyi, D; Hesselink, M A M; Kruimel, J W; Lenaerts, K; Hanssen, N M J; Conchillo, J M; Jonkers, D M A E; Masclee, A A M

2014-08-01

Intestinal permeability has been studied in small groups of IBS patients with contrasting findings. To assess intestinal permeability at different sites of the GI tract in different subtypes of well-characterised IBS patients and healthy controls (HC), and to assess potential confounding factors. IBS patients and HC underwent a multi-sugar test to assess site-specific intestinal permeability. Sucrose excretion and lactulose/rhamnose ratio in 0-5 h urine indicated gastroduodenal and small intestinal permeability, respectively. Sucralose/erythritol ratio in 0-24 h and 5-24 h urine indicated whole gut and colonic permeability, respectively. Linear regression analysis was used to assess the association between IBS groups and intestinal permeability and to adjust for age, sex, BMI, anxiety or depression, smoking, alcohol intake and use of medication. Ninety-one IBS patients, i.e. 37% IBS-D, 23% IBS-C, 33% IBS-M and 7% IBS-U and 94 HC were enrolled. Urinary sucrose excretion was significantly increased in the total IBS group [μmol, median (Q1;Q3): 5.26 (1.82;11.03) vs. 2.44 (0.91;5.85), P < 0.05], as well as in IBS-C and IBS-D vs. HC. However, differences attenuated when adjusting for confounders. The lactulose/rhamnose ratio was increased in IBS-D vs. HC [0.023 (0.013;0.038) vs. 0.014 (0.008;0.025), P < 0.05], which remained significant after adjustment for confounders. No difference was found in 0-24 and 5-24 h sucralose/erythritol ratio between groups. Small intestinal permeability is increased in patients with IBS-D compared to healthy controls, irrespective of confounding factors. Adjustment for confounders is necessary when studying intestinal permeability, especially in a heterogeneous disorder such as IBS. © 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Geomechanical effects on CO 2 leakage through fault zones during large-scale underground injection

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Rinaldi, Antonio P.; Rutqvist, Jonny; Cappa, Frédéric

2013-12-01

The importance of geomechanics—including the potential for faults to reactivate during large-scale geologic carbon sequestration operations—has recently become more widely recognized. However, notwithstanding the potential for triggering notable (felt) seismic events, the potential for buoyancy-driven CO 2 to reach potable groundwater and the ground surface is actually more important from public safety and storage-efficiency perspectives. In this context, this paper extends the previous studies on the geomechanical modeling of fault responses during underground carbon dioxide injection, focusing on the short-term integrity of the sealing caprock, and hence on the potential for leakage of either brine or CO 2 to reachmore » the shallow groundwater aquifers during active injection. We consider stress/strain-dependent permeability and study the leakage through the fault zone as its permeability changes during a reactivation, also causing seismicity. We analyze several scenarios related to the volume of CO 2 injected (and hence as a function of the overpressure), involving both minor and major faults, and analyze the profile risks of leakage for different stress/strain-permeability coupling functions. We conclude that whereas it is very difficult to predict how much fault permeability could change upon reactivation, this process can have a significant impact on the leakage rate. Moreover, our analysis shows that induced seismicity associated with fault reactivation may not necessarily open up a new flow path for leakage. Results show a poor correlation between magnitude and amount of fluid leakage, meaning that a single event is generally not enough to substantially change the permeability along the entire fault length. Finally, and consequently, even if some changes in permeability occur, this does not mean that the CO 2 will migrate up along the entire fault, breaking through the caprock to enter the overlying aquifer.« less

Coupled Thermo-Hydro-Chemical (THC) Modeling of Hypogene Karst Evolution in a Prototype Mountain Hydrologic System

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chaudhuri, A.; Rajaram, H.; Viswanathan, H. S.; Zyvoloski, G.

2011-12-01

Hypogene karst systems are believed to develop when water flowing upward against the geothermal gradient dissolves limestone as it cools. We present a comprehensive THC model incorporating time-evolving fluid flow, heat transfer, buoyancy effects, multi-component reactive transport and aperture/permeability change to investigate the origin of hypogene karst systems. Our model incorporates the temperature and pressure dependence of the solubility and dissolution kinetics of calcite. It also allows for rigorous representation of temperature-dependent fluid density and its influence on buoyancy forces at various stages of karstification. The model is applied to investigate karstification over geological time scales in a prototype mountain hydrologic system. In this system, a high water table maintained by mountain recharge, drives flow downward through the country rock and upward via a high-permeability fault/fracture. The pressure boundary conditions are maintained constant in time. The fluid flux through the fracture remains nearly constant even though the fracture aperture and permeability increase by dissolution, largely because the permeability of the country rock is not altered significantly due to slower dissolution rates. However, karstification by fracture dissolution is not impeded even though the fluid flux stays nearly constant. Forced and buoyant convection effects arise due to the increased permeability of the evolving fracture system. Since in reality the aperture varies significantly within the fracture plane, the initial fracture aperture is modeled as a heterogeneous random field. In such a heterogeneous aperture field, the water initially flows at a significant rate mainly through preferential flow paths connecting the relatively large aperture zones. Dissolution is more prominent at early time along these flow paths, and the aperture grows faster within these paths. With time, the aperture within small sub-regions of these preferential flow paths grows to a point where the permeability is large enough for the onset of buoyant convection. As a result, a multitude of buoyant convection cells form that take on a two-dimensional (2D) maze-like appearance, which could represent a 2D analog of the three-dimensional (3D) mazework pattern widely thought to be characteristic of hypogene cave systems. Although computational limitations limited us to 2D, we suggest that similar process interactions in a 3D network of fractures and faults could produce a 3D mazework.

Cenomanian-Turonian aquifer of central Israel, its development and possible use as a storage reservoir

USGS Publications Warehouse

Schneider, Robert

1964-01-01

The Cenomanian-Turonian formations constitute a highly permeable dolomite and limestone aquifer in central Israel. The aquifer is on the west limb of an anticlinorium that trends north-northeast. In places it may be as much as 800 meters thick, but in the report area, largely the foothills of the Judean-Ephraim Mountains where the water development is most intensive, its thickness is generally considerably less. In some places the aquifer occurs at or near the land surface, or it is covered by sandy and gravelly coastal-plain deposits. However, in a large part of the area, it is overlain by as much as 400 meters of relatively impermeable strata, and it is probably underlain by less permeable Lower Cretaceous strata. In general the aquifer water is under artesian pressure. The porosity of the aquifer is characterized mainly by solution channels and cavities produced by jointing and faulting. In addition to the generally high permeability of the aquifer, some regions, which probably coincide with ancient drainage patterns and (or) fault zones, have exceptionally high permeabilities. The source of most of the water in the aquifer is believed to be rain that falls on the foothills area. The westward movement of ground water from the mountainous outcrop areas appears to be impeded by a zone of low permeability which is related to structural and stratigraphic conditions along the western side of the mountains. Gradients of the piezometric surface are small, and the net direction of water movement is westward and northwestward under natural conditions. Locally, however, the flow pattern may be in other directions owing to spatial variations in permeability in the aquifer, the location of natural discharge outlets, and the relation of the aquifer to adjacent geologic formations. There probably is also a large vertical component of flow. Pumping has modified the flow pattern by producing several irregularly shaped shallow depressions in the piezometric surface although, to date, no unwatering of the aquifer has occurred. In the central part of the area, pumping has induced some infiltration from overlying coastal-plain formations. Injecting and storing surplus water seasonally in the aquifer should be feasible at almost any place. However, the movement and recovery of the injected water probably could be controlled most easily if the water were injected where depressions have been formed in the piezometric surface.

Vacuum selection on axionic landscapes

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Wang, Gaoyuan; Battefeld, Thorsten, E-mail: gaoyuan.wang@stud.uni-goettingen.de, E-mail: tbattefe@astro.physik.uni-goettingen.de

2016-04-01

We compute the distribution of minima that are reached dynamically on multi-field axionic landscapes, both numerically and analytically. Such landscapes are well suited for inflationary model building due to the presence of shift symmetries and possible alignment effects (the KNP mechanism). The resulting distribution of dynamically reached minima differs considerably from the naive expectation based on counting all vacua. These differences are more pronounced in the presence of many fields due to dynamical selection effects: while low lying minima are preferred as fields roll down the potential, trajectories are also more likely to get trapped by one of the manymore » nearby minima. We show that common analytic arguments based on random matrix theory in the large D-limit to estimate the distribution of minima are insufficient for quantitative arguments pertaining to the dynamically reached ones. This discrepancy is not restricted to axionic potentials. We provide an empirical expression for the expectation value of such dynamically reached minimas' height and argue that the cosmological constant problem is not alleviated in the absence of anthropic arguments. We further comment on the likelihood of inflation on axionic landscapes in the large D-limit.« less

The permeability of the cGMP-activated channel to organic cations in retinal rods of the tiger salamander.

PubMed Central

Picco, C; Menini, A

1993-01-01

1. The permeability of the channel activated by guanosine 3',5'-cyclic monophosphate (cGMP) to many organic monovalent cations was determined by recording macroscopic currents in excised inside-out patches of plasma membrane from isolated retinal rod outer segments of the tiger salamander. 2. Current-voltage relations were measured when the NaCl of the bathing medium was replaced by salts of organic cations. Permeability ratios relative to Na+ ions were calculated with the Goldman-Hodgkin-Katz potential equation from the measured changes of reversal potentials. 3. Hydroxylammonium+, hydrazinium+ and methylammonium+, which are molecules of very similar shape and size, permeate the channel with very different permeability ratios: 5.92, 1.99 and 0.60 respectively. 4. Methylated and ethylated ammonium+ compounds were investigated. It was found that, not only methylammonium+, but also dimethylammonium+ and ethylammonium+ were permeant with permeability ratios of 0.6, 0.14 and 0.16 respectively. Trimethylammonium+, tetramethylammonium+, diethylammonium+, triethylammonium+, and tetraethylammonium+ were not permeant. 5. Guanidinium+ and its derivatives formamidinium+, aminoguanidinium+, acetamidinium+ and methylguanidinium+ were all permeant with permeability ratios 1.12, 1.00, 0.63, 0.36 and 0.33 respectively. 6. The cGMP-activated channel was found to be permeable to at least thirteen organic cations. Molecular models of the permeant cations indicate that the cross-section of the narrowest part of the pore must be at least as large as a rectangle of 0.38 x 0.5 nm dimensions. PMID:7683718

Resin Film Infusion (RFI) Process Modeling for Large Transport Aircraft Wing Structures

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Knott, Tamara W.; Loos, Alfred C.

2000-01-01

Resin film infusion (RFI) is a cost-effective method for fabricating stiffened aircraft wing structures. The RFI process lends itself to the use of near net shape textile preforms manufactured through a variety of automated textile processes such as knitting and braiding. Often, these advanced fiber architecture preforms have through-the-thickness stitching for improved damage tolerance and delamination resistance. The challenge presently facing RFI is to refine the process to ensure complete infiltration and cure of a geometrically complex shape preform with the high fiber volume fraction needed for structural applications. An accurate measurement of preform permeability is critical for successful modeling of the RFI resin infiltration process. Small changes in the permeability can result in very different infiltration behavior and times. Therefore, it is important to accurately measure the permeabilities of the textile preforms used in the RFI process. The objective of this investigation was to develop test methods that can be used to measure the compaction behavior and permeabilities of high fiber volume fraction, advanced fiber architecture textile preforms. These preforms are often highly compacted due to through-the-thickness stitching used to improve damage tolerance. Test fixtures were designed and fabricated and used to measure both transverse and in-plane permeabilities. The fixtures were used to measure the permeabilities of multiaxial warp knit and triaxial braided preforms at fiber volume fractions from 55% to 65%. In addition, the effects of stitching characteristics, thickness, and batch variability on permeability and compaction behavior were investigated.

Claudin-2-mediated cation and water transport share a common pore

PubMed Central

Rosenthal, Rita; Günzel, Dorothee; Krug, Susanne M.; Schulzke, Jörg-Dieter; Fromm, Michael; Yu, Alan S.L.

2016-01-01

Aim Claudin-2 is a tight junction protein typically located in “leaky” epithelia exhibiting large paracellular permeabilities like small intestine and proximal kidney tubule. Former studies revealed that claudin-2 forms paracellular channels for small cations like sodium and potassium and also paracellular channels for water. This study analyzes whether the diffusive transport of sodium and water occurs through a common pore of the claudin-2 channel. Methods Wild-type claudin-2 and different claudin-2 mutants were expressed in MDCK I kidney tubule cells using an inducible system. Ion and water permeability and the effect of blocking reagents on both were investigated on different clones of the mutants. Results Neutralization of a negatively charged cation interaction site in the pore with the mutation, D65N, decreased both, sodium permeability and water permeability. Claudin-2 mutants (I66C and S68C) with substitution of the pore-lining amino acids with cysteine were used to test the effect of steric blocking of the claudin-2 pore by thiol-reactive reagents. Addition of thiol-reactive reagents to these mutants simultaneously decreased conductance and water permeability. Remarkably, all experimental perturbations caused parallel changes in ion conductance and water permeability, disproving different or independent passage pathways. Conclusion Our results indicate that claudin-2-mediated cation and water transport are frictionally coupled and share a common pore. This pore is lined and determined in permeability by amino acid residues of the first extracellular loop of claudin-2. PMID:27359349

The low/high BCS permeability class boundary: physicochemical comparison of metoprolol and labetalol.

PubMed

Zur, Moran; Gasparini, Marisa; Wolk, Omri; Amidon, Gordon L; Dahan, Arik

2014-05-05

Although recognized as overly conservative, metoprolol is currently the common low/high BCS permeability class boundary reference compound, while labetalol was suggested as a potential alternative. The purpose of this study was to identify the various characteristics that the optimal marker should exhibit, and to investigate the suitability of labetalol as the permeability class reference drug. Labetalol's BCS solubility class was determined, and its physicochemical properties and intestinal permeability were thoroughly investigated, both in vitro and in vivo in rats, considering the complexity of the whole of the small intestine. Labetalol was found to be unequivocally a high-solubility compound. In the pH range throughout the small intestine (6.5-7.5), labetalol exhibited pH-dependent permeability, with higher permeability at higher pH values. While in vitro octanol-buffer partitioning (Log D) values of labetalol were significantly higher than those of metoprolol, the opposite was evident in the in vitro PAMPA permeability assay. The results of the in vivo perfusion studies in rats lay between the two contradictory in vitro studies; metoprolol was shown to have moderately higher rat intestinal permeability than labetalol. Theoretical distribution of the ionic species of the drugs was in corroboration with the experimental in vitro and the in vivo data. We propose three characteristics that the optimal permeability class reference drug should exhibit: (1) fraction dose absorbed in the range of 90%; (2) the optimal marker drug should be absorbed largely via passive transcellular permeability, with no/negligible carrier-mediated active intestinal transport (influx or efflux); and (3) the optimal marker drug should preferably be nonionizable. The data presented in this paper demonstrate that neither metoprolol nor labetalol can be regarded as optimal low/high-permeability class boundary standard. While metoprolol is too conservative due to its complete absorption, labetalol has been shown to be a substrate for P-gp-mediated efflux transport, and both drugs exhibit significant segmental-dependent permeability along the gastrointestinal tract. Nevertheless, the use of metoprolol as the marker compound does not carry a risk of bioinequivalence: Peff value similar to or higher than metoprolol safely indicates high-permeability classification. On the other hand, a more careful data analysis is needed if labetalol is used as the reference compound.

Hydraulic head applications of flow logs in the study of heterogeneous aquifers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Paillet, Frederick L.

2001-01-01

Permeability profiles derived from high-resolution flow logs in heterogeneous aquifers provide a limited sample of the most permeable beds or fractures determining the hydraulic properties of those aquifers. This paper demonstrates that flow logs can also be used to infer the large-scale properties of aquifers surrounding boreholes. The analysis is based on the interpretation of the hydraulic head values estimated from the flow log analysis. Pairs of quasi-steady flow profiles obtained under ambient conditions and while either pumping or injecting are used to estimate the hydraulic head in each water-producing zone. Although the analysis yields localized estimates of transmissivity for a few water-producing zones, the hydraulic head estimates apply to the farfield aquifers to which these zones are connected. The hydraulic head data are combined with information from other sources to identify the large-scale structure of heterogeneous aquifers. More complicated cross-borehole flow experiments are used to characterize the pattern of connection between large-scale aquifer units inferred from the hydraulic head estimates. The interpretation of hydraulic heads in situ under steady and transient conditions is illustrated by several case studies, including an example with heterogeneous permeable beds in an unconsolidated aquifer, and four examples with heterogeneous distributions of bedding planes and/or fractures in bedrock aquifers.

"Banned from the streets I have paid to use": an analysis of Australian print media coverage of proposals for passenger and night driving restrictions for young drivers.

PubMed

Blows, S; Ivers, R Q; Chapman, S

2005-10-01

To catalogue arguments that can be anticipated in public debate when passenger and night driving restrictions are being advocated. Frame analysis of all relevant coverage of these topics in Australian print media during the three month period between June and September 2004 when intensive debate on the topic occurred. Debating frames used in reports and commentary on passenger and night driving restrictions. There were 52 relevant articles published containing seven distinct frames supporting the restrictions and six opposing them. Overall, more instances of frames supporting the restrictions were published; these mostly focused on the potential for saving lives. Opposition to the restrictions focused largely on their inappropriateness as a road safety measure as well as on the importance of young people's autonomy and freedom. Advocates of passenger and night driving restrictions have a number of arguments available to advance their case; however, it is important to anticipate and address possible counter arguments. Future research should address the saliency of different arguments to the public and key decision makers in government.

Magnetic Modeling of a Rotating Flux Concentrator System Designed to Mitigate Noise in Large Magnetic Sensors

DTIC Science & Technology

2010-09-01

region were defined as a background. The flux concentrators were drawn as solid pieces and assigned the material properties of permalloy ( NiFe ), with...assigning properties (coercivity, permeability, etc.) to the objects, assigning boundaries or sources, seeding the objects and creating a mesh, and then...a permeability of 5000 as that is a value readily achieved in this material. The material properties assigned to this background are those of a

Application of laboratory permeability data

USGS Publications Warehouse

Johnson, A.I.

1963-01-01

Some of the basic material contained in this report originally was prepared in 1952 as instructional handouts for ground-water short courses and for training of foreign participants. The material has been revised and expanded and is presented in the present form to make it more readily available to the field hydrologist. Illustrations now present published examples of the applications suggested in the 1952 material. For small areas, a field pumping test is sufficient to predict the characteristics of an aquifer. With a large area under study, the aquifer properties must be determined at many different locations and it is not usually economically feasible to make sufficient field tests to define the aquifer properties in detail for the whole aquifer. By supplementing a few field tests with laboratory permeability data and geologic interpretation, more point measurements representative of the hydrologic properties of the aquifer may be obtained. A sufficient number of samples seldom can be obtained to completely identify the permeability or transmissibility in detail for a project area. However, a few judiciously chosen samples of high quality, combined with good geologic interpretation, often will permit the extrapolation of permeability information over a large area with a fair degree of reliability. The importance of adequate geologic information, as well as the importance of collecting samples representative of at least all major textural units lying within the section or area of study, cannot be overemphasized.

Study on the influencing factors of natural energy development in carbonate reservoirs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Zhenjie

2018-06-01

In depletion mining, the crude oil is produced by using the edge water and bottom water of reservoirs as well as the reservoir itself and the elastic properties of reservoirs and irreducible water. Depletion mining has the following three advantages: (1) full use of natural energy; (2) can save investment; (3) stratum adaptability. Since depleted mining is mined at the cost of a substantial reduction in pressure, reservoir stress sensitivity is not so strong and natural energy development can be chosen when the saturation pressure is large. In the case of carbonate reservoirs, the cumulative oil production increases with the increase of permeability to karst caves. However, when the permeability of karst caves is more than 100 x 10-3µm-2, the final cumulative oil production changes little. (4) For the carbonate reservoir, as the fracture permeability increases, the cumulative oil production increases and the development time greatly decreases. However, when the permeability of the karst cave is greater than 1000 x 10-3µm-2, although the oil production rate is very large, but the final cumulative oil change is small. (5) For the carbonate reservoir, it can be seen from the calculation results that as the coupling coefficient increases, the oil production in the whole area increases, indicating that the coupling effect between the fracture and the karst cave will be better and the oil recovery will be improved

Quantitation of small intestinal permeability during normal human drug absorption

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Understanding the quantitative relationship between a drug’s physical chemical properties and its rate of intestinal absorption (QSAR) is critical for selecting candidate drugs. Because of limited experimental human small intestinal permeability data, approximate surrogates such as the fraction absorbed or Caco-2 permeability are used, both of which have limitations. Methods Given the blood concentration following an oral and intravenous dose, the time course of intestinal absorption in humans was determined by deconvolution and related to the intestinal permeability by the use of a new 3 parameter model function (“Averaged Model” (AM)). The theoretical validity of this AM model was evaluated by comparing it to the standard diffusion-convection model (DC). This analysis was applied to 90 drugs using previously published data. Only drugs that were administered in oral solution form to fasting subjects were considered so that the rate of gastric emptying was approximately known. All the calculations are carried out using the freely available routine PKQuest Java (http://www.pkquest.com) which has an easy to use, simple interface. Results Theoretically, the AM permeability provides an accurate estimate of the intestinal DC permeability for solutes whose absorption ranges from 1% to 99%. The experimental human AM permeabilities determined by deconvolution are similar to those determined by direct human jejunal perfusion. The small intestinal pH varies with position and the results are interpreted in terms of the pH dependent octanol partition. The permeability versus partition relations are presented separately for the uncharged, basic, acidic and charged solutes. The small uncharged solutes caffeine, acetaminophen and antipyrine have very high permeabilities (about 20 x 10-4 cm/sec) corresponding to an unstirred layer of only 45 μm. The weak acid aspirin also has a large AM permeability despite its low octanol partition at pH 7.4, suggesting that it is nearly completely absorbed in the first part of the intestine where the pH is about 5.4. Conclusions The AM deconvolution method provides an accurate estimate of the human intestinal permeability. The results for these 90 drugs should provide a useful benchmark for evaluating QSAR models. PMID:23800230

Sub-Seafloor Carbon Dioxide Storage Potential on the Juan de Fuca Plate, Western North America

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Jerry Fairley; Robert Podgorney

2012-11-01

The Juan de Fuca plate, off the western coast of North America, has been suggested as a site for geological sequestration of waste carbon dioxide because of its many attractive characteristics (high permeability, large storage capacity, reactive rock types). Here we model CO2 injection into fractured basalts comprising the upper several hundred meters of the sub-seafloor basalt reservoir, overlain with low-permeability sediments and a large saline water column, to examine the feasibility of this reservoir for CO2 storage. Our simulations indicate that the sub-seafloor basalts of the Juan de Fuca plate may be an excellent CO2 storage candidate, as multiplemore » trapping mechanisms (hydrodynamic, density inversions, and mineralization) act to keep the CO2 isolated from terrestrial environments. Questions remain about the lateral extent and connectivity of the high permeability basalts; however, the lack of wells or boreholes and thick sediment cover maximize storage potential while minimizing potential leakage pathways. Although promising, more study is needed to determine the economic viability of this option.« less

Preservation of samples for dissolved mercury

USGS Publications Warehouse

Hamlin, S.N.

1989-01-01

Water samples for dissolved mercury requires special treatment because of the high chemical mobility and volatility of this element. Widespread use of mercury and its compounds has provided many avenues for contamination of water. Two laboratory tests were done to determine the relative permeabilities of glass and plastic sample bottles to mercury vapor. Plastic containers were confirmed to be quite permeable to airborne mercury, glass containers were virtually impermeable. Methods of preservation include the use of various combinations of acids, oxidants, and complexing agents. The combination of nitric acid and potassium dichromate successfully preserved mercury in a large variety of concentrations and dissolved forms. Because this acid-oxidant preservative acts as a sink for airborne mercury and plastic containers are permeable to mercury vapor, glass bottles are preferred for sample collection. To maintain a healthy work environment and minimize the potential for contamination of water samples, mercury and its compounds are isolated from the atmosphere while in storage. Concurrently, a program to monitor environmental levels of mercury vapor in areas of potential contamination is needed to define the extent of mercury contamination and to assess the effectiveness of mercury clean-up procedures.Water samples for dissolved mercury require special treatment because of the high chemical mobility and volatility of this element. Widespread use of mercury and its compounds has provided many avenues for contamination of water. Two laboratory tests were done to determine the relative permeabilities of glass and plastic sample bottles to mercury vapor. Plastic containers were confirmed to be quite permeable to airborne mercury, glass containers were virtually impermeable. Methods of preservation include the use of various combinations of acids, oxidants, and complexing agents. The combination of nitric acid and potassium dichromate successfully preserved mercury in a large variety of concentrations and dissolved forms.

Numerical Simulation of Hydraulic Fracturing in Low-/High-Permeability, Quasi-Brittle and Heterogeneous Rocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pakzad, R.; Wang, S. Y.; Sloan, S. W.

2018-04-01

In this study, an elastic-brittle-damage constitutive model was incorporated into the coupled fluid/solid analysis of ABAQUS to iteratively calculate the equilibrium effective stress of Biot's theory of consolidation. The Young's modulus, strength and permeability parameter of the material were randomly assigned to the representative volume elements of finite element models following the Weibull distribution function. The hydraulic conductivity of elements was associated with their hydrostatic effective stress and damage level. The steady-state permeability test results for sandstone specimens under different triaxial loading conditions were reproduced by employing the same set of material parameters in coupled transient flow/stress analyses of plane-strain models, thereby indicating the reliability of the numerical model. The influence of heterogeneity on the failure response and the absolute permeability was investigated, and the post-peak permeability was found to decrease with the heterogeneity level in the coupled analysis with transient flow. The proposed model was applied to the plane-strain simulation of the fluid pressurization of a cavity within a large-scale block under different conditions. Regardless of the heterogeneity level, the hydraulically driven fractures propagated perpendicular to the minimum principal far-field stress direction for high-permeability models under anisotropic far-field stress conditions. Scattered damage elements appeared in the models with higher degrees of heterogeneity. The partially saturated areas around propagating fractures were simulated by relating the saturation degree to the negative pore pressure in low-permeability blocks under high pressure. By replicating previously reported trends in the fracture initiation and breakdown pressure for different pressurization rates and hydraulic conductivities, the results showed that the proposed model for hydraulic fracture problems is reliable for a wide range of pressurization rates and permeability conditions.

The Dependence of Water Permeability in Quartz Sand on Gas Hydrate Saturation in the Pore Space

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kossel, E.; Deusner, C.; Bigalke, N.; Haeckel, M.

2018-02-01

Transport of fluids in gas hydrate bearing sediments is largely defined by the reduction of the permeability due to gas hydrate crystals in the pore space. Although the exact knowledge of the permeability behavior as a function of gas hydrate saturation is of crucial importance, state-of-the-art simulation codes for gas production scenarios use theoretically derived permeability equations that are hardly backed by experimental data. The reason for the insufficient validation of the model equations is the difficulty to create gas hydrate bearing sediments that have undergone formation mechanisms equivalent to the natural process and that have well-defined gas hydrate saturations. We formed methane hydrates in quartz sand from a methane-saturated aqueous solution and used magnetic resonance imaging to obtain time-resolved, three-dimensional maps of the gas hydrate saturation distribution. These maps were fed into 3-D finite element method simulations of the water flow. In our simulations, we tested the five most well-known permeability equations. All of the suitable permeability equations include the term (1-SH)n, where SH is the gas hydrate saturation and n is a parameter that needs to be constrained. The most basic equation describing the permeability behavior of water flow through gas hydrate bearing sand is k = k0 (1-SH)n. In our experiments, n was determined to be 11.4 (±0.3). Results from this study can be directly applied to bulk flow analysis under the assumption of homogeneous gas hydrate saturation and can be further used to derive effective permeability models for heterogeneous gas hydrate distributions at different scales.

Enhancing and Evaluating Scientific Argumentation in the Inquiryoriented College Chemistry Classroom

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

D'Souza, Annabel Nica

The research presented in chapters 2, 3, and 4 in this dissertation uses a sociocultural and sociohistorical lens, particularly around power, authority of knowledge and identity formation, to investigate the complexity of engaging in, supporting, and evaluating high-quality argumentation within a college biochemistry inquiry-oriented classroom. Argumentation skills are essential to college and career (National Research Council, 2010) and for a democratic citizenry. It is central to science teaching and learning (Osborne et al., 2004a) and can deepen content knowledge (Jimenez-Aleixandre et al., 2000; Jimenez-Aleixandre & Pereiro-Munhoz, 2002). When students have opportunities to make claims and support it with evidence and reasoning they may also increase their problem-solving and critical thinking capacity (Case, 2005; Willingham, 2007). Overall, this has implications in supporting students to become increasingly literate in scientific ideas, language, and practices. However, supporting argumentation can be challenging for instructors, particularly in designing leaning environments that facilitate and evaluate both the process and the product during student discussions (Duschl & Osborne, 2002). Fostering argumentation is complex and requires explicit modeling and multiple opportunities for dialogic interactions. This dissertation will examine how several facets influence argumentation in order to support instructors in implementing and improving argumentation in their inquiry-oriented classrooms. These facets include access to language and use of discursive moves, classroom design, curriculum and instructional activities, and interactional dynamics and power negotiation. The data set for this dissertation is a transcript generated from the audio- and video capture of a 7-minute student discussion around a mechanism in the TCA (TriCarboxylic Acid) cycle, as well as student writing, and course documents from student portfolios. This dissertation, organized using the manuscript style structure, will present three standalone chapters, each with a specific focus related to the central theme of supporting argumentation, which is the connecting thread. Chapter 2 will discuss how power is negotiated during the argumentation process and how interaction dynamics can support or inhibit the quality of argumentation. Chapter 3 will provide assessment and evaluation support to instructors who want to guide their students in meeting high quality levels in both the process and product of argumentation. Finally, chapter 4 will explore the influence of pedagogical, and instructional resources and tools on the quality of argumentation. This includes a discussion of the influence of classroom talk, particularly discursive moves and interactional dynamics, as well the curriculum and instructional activities, and the design features of the learning environment. Each chapter will conclude with instructional implications that provide practical guidance in the form of pedagogical activities to instructors. Partial funding for this dissertation was received from a PSC-CUNY Cycle 44 Research Award (66799-00 44). Findings suggest that the classroom design can support collaboration and the dialogic nature of argumentation, and the curriculum and activities can act as resources for students to share and negotiate multiple perspectives, but that instructors can also influence the process of argumentation by utilizing specific discursive moves, such as telling and revoicing, to promote or inhibit argumentation. The results, specifically from chapter 4, also propose that instructors model and share the expected criteria for high quality components of argumentation. The need for instructors to be aware of the criteria for high levels of quality for each of the argumentation components is a critical implication of this research. The criterion is presented in this dissertation and is derived from a review of multiple findings by researchers of argumentation, as well the scientific community at large. Creating structures and implementing targeted pedagogical strategies that support argumentation can lead students to use the process of argumentation as an empowerment tool to enact agency and negotiate power. This has the potential to sustain the success of science students, create a community of practice, and increase equity and access for all.

Languages Beyond Ada and Lisp

DTIC Science & Technology

1991-08-05

adjectives rule with the no-pronoun rule: Take 250-grams-of-large-fresh-ripe-tomatoes. Peel the 250-grams-of-large-fresh-ripe-tomatoes. Chop the 250...me whether you store the word " banana " using one molecule of acetylcholine or two, and by a garden path argument I cannot therefore care whether you

Effect of heterogeneity on the characterization of cell membrane compartments: I. Uniform size and permeability.

PubMed

Hall, Damien

2010-03-15

Observations of the motion of individual molecules in the membrane of a number of different cell types have led to the suggestion that the outer membrane of many eukaryotic cells may be effectively partitioned into microdomains. A major cause of this suggested partitioning is believed to be due to the direct/indirect association of the cytosolic face of the cell membrane with the cortical cytoskeleton. Such intimate association is thought to introduce effective hydrodynamic barriers into the membrane that are capable of frustrating molecular Brownian motion over distance scales greater than the average size of the compartment. To date, the standard analytical method for deducing compartment characteristics has relied on observing the random walk behavior of a labeled lipid or protein at various temporal frequencies and different total lengths of time. Simple theoretical arguments suggest that the presence of restrictive barriers imparts a characteristic turnover to a plot of mean squared displacement versus sampling period that can be interpreted to yield the average dimensions of the compartment expressed as the respective side lengths of a rectangle. In the following series of articles, we used computer simulation methods to investigate how well the conventional analytical strategy coped with heterogeneity in size, shape, and barrier permeability of the cell membrane compartments. We also explored questions relating to the necessary extent of sampling required (with regard to both the recorded time of a single trajectory and the number of trajectories included in the measurement bin) for faithful representation of the actual distribution of compartment sizes found using the SPT technique. In the current investigation, we turned our attention to the analytical characterization of diffusion through cell membrane compartments having both a uniform size and permeability. For this ideal case, we found that (i) an optimum sampling time interval existed for the analysis and (ii) the total length of time for which a trajectory was recorded was a key factor. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Renormalization group theory outperforms other approaches in statistical comparison between upscaling techniques for porous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hanasoge, Shravan; Agarwal, Umang; Tandon, Kunj; Koelman, J. M. Vianney A.

2017-09-01

Determining the pressure differential required to achieve a desired flow rate in a porous medium requires solving Darcy's law, a Laplace-like equation, with a spatially varying tensor permeability. In various scenarios, the permeability coefficient is sampled at high spatial resolution, which makes solving Darcy's equation numerically prohibitively expensive. As a consequence, much effort has gone into creating upscaled or low-resolution effective models of the coefficient while ensuring that the estimated flow rate is well reproduced, bringing to the fore the classic tradeoff between computational cost and numerical accuracy. Here we perform a statistical study to characterize the relative success of upscaling methods on a large sample of permeability coefficients that are above the percolation threshold. We introduce a technique based on mode-elimination renormalization group theory (MG) to build coarse-scale permeability coefficients. Comparing the results with coefficients upscaled using other methods, we find that MG is consistently more accurate, particularly due to its ability to address the tensorial nature of the coefficients. MG places a low computational demand, in the manner in which we have implemented it, and accurate flow-rate estimates are obtained when using MG-upscaled permeabilities that approach or are beyond the percolation threshold.

Permeability analysis of Asbuton material used as core layers of water resistance in the body of dam

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Rahim, H.; Tjaronge, M. W.; Thaha, A.; Djamaluddin, R.

2017-11-01

In order to increase consumption of the local materials and national products, large reserves of Asbuton material about 662.960 million tons in the Buton Islands became an alternative as a waterproof core layer in the body of dam. The Asbuton material was used in this research is Lawele Granular Asphalt (LGA). This study was an experimental study conducted in the laboratory by conducting density testing (content weight) and permeability on Asbuton material. Testing of the Asbuton material used Falling Head method to find out the permeability value of Asbuton material. The data of test result to be analyzed are the relation between compaction energy and density value also relation between density value and permeability value of Asbuton material. The result shows that increases the number of blow apply to the Asbuton material at each layer will increase the density of the Asbuton material. The density value of Asbuton material that satisfies the requirements for use as an impermeable core layer in the dam body is 1.53 grams/cm3. The increase the density value (the weight of the contents) of the Asbuton material will reduce its permeability value of the Asbuton material.

Inclusion of Topological Measurements into Analytic Estimates of Effective Permeability in Fractured Media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sævik, P. N.; Nixon, C. W.

2017-11-01

We demonstrate how topology-based measures of connectivity can be used to improve analytical estimates of effective permeability in 2-D fracture networks, which is one of the key parameters necessary for fluid flow simulations at the reservoir scale. Existing methods in this field usually compute fracture connectivity using the average fracture length. This approach is valid for ideally shaped, randomly distributed fractures, but is not immediately applicable to natural fracture networks. In particular, natural networks tend to be more connected than randomly positioned fractures of comparable lengths, since natural fractures often terminate in each other. The proposed topological connectivity measure is based on the number of intersections and fracture terminations per sampling area, which for statistically stationary networks can be obtained directly from limited outcrop exposures. To evaluate the method, numerical permeability upscaling was performed on a large number of synthetic and natural fracture networks, with varying topology and geometry. The proposed method was seen to provide much more reliable permeability estimates than the length-based approach, across a wide range of fracture patterns. We summarize our results in a single, explicit formula for the effective permeability.

Carboxyhaemoglobin and pulmonary epithelial permeability in man.

PubMed Central

Jones, J G; Minty, B D; Royston, D; Royston, J P

1983-01-01

The effect of cigarette smoke exposure on pulmonary epithelial permeability was studied in 45 smokers and 22 non-smokers. An index of cigarette smoke exposure was obtained from the carboxyhaemoglobin concentration (HbCO%). Pulmonary epithelial permeability was proportional to the half-time clearance rate of technetium-99m-labelled diethylene triamine pentacetate (99mTc DTPA) from lung to blood (T1/2LB). The relationship between T1/2LB and HbCO% was hyperbolic in form and the data could be fitted to the quadratic formula (formula; see text) where the parameters a0, a1, and a2 represent respectively the asymptotic T1/2LB value at large carboxyhaemoglobin values and the slope and shape of the curve. The values of these parameters were a0 4.4 (2.6), a1 = 77.8 (15.5), and a2 -25.5 (9.7) (SE). This is the first demonstration of a dose-response relationship between carboxyhaemoglobin and an increased permeability of the lungs in man and provides a technique for identifying the roles of carbon monoxide and other cigarette smoke constituents in causing increased pulmonary epithelial permeability. PMID:6344310

Graphical method for determining the coefficient of consolidation cv from a flow-pump permeability test

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morin, Roger H.; Olsen, Harold W.; Nelson, Karl R.; Gill, James D.

1989-01-01

A graphical method has been developed for determining the coefficient of consolidation from the transient phases of a flow-pump permeability test. The flow pump can be used to infuse fluid into or withdraw fluid from a laboratory sediment specimen at a constant volumetric rate in order to obtain data that can be used to calculate permeability using Darcy's law. Representative type-curve solutions to the associated forced-flow and pressure-decay models are derived. These curves provide the basis for graphically evaluating the permeability k, the coefficient of consolidation cv, and the coefficient of volume change mv. The curve-matching technique is easy and rapid. Values of k, cv and mv for a laterally confined kaolinite specimen were determined by this graphical method and appear to be in reasonably good agreement with numerically derived estimates (within 20%). Discrepancies between the two sets of results seem to be largely a function of data quality.

Urban evaporation rates for water-permeable pavements.

PubMed

Starke, P; Göbel, P; Coldewey, W G

2010-01-01

In urban areas the natural water balance is disturbed. Infiltration and evaporation are reduced, resulting in a high surface runoff and a typical city climate, which can lead to floods and damages. Water-permeable pavements have a high infiltration rate that reduces surface runoff by increasing the groundwater recharge. The high water retention capacity of the street body of up to 51 l/m(2) and its connection via pores to the surface lead to higher evaporation rates than impermeable surfaces. A comparison of these two kinds of pavements shows a 16% increase in evaporation levels of water-permeable pavements. Furthermore, the evaporation from impermeable pavements is linked directly to rain events due to fast-drying surfaces. Water-permeable pavements show a more evenly distributed evaporation after a rain event. Cooling effects by evaporative heat loss can improve the city climate even several days after rain events. On a large scale use, uncomfortable weather like sultriness or dry heat can be prevented and the urban water balance can be attenuated towards the natural.

Exogenous γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA) affects pollen tube growth via modulating putative Ca2+-permeable membrane channels and is coupled to negative regulation on glutamate decarboxylase

PubMed Central

Yu, Guang-Hui; Zou, Jie; Feng, Jing; Peng, Xiong-Bo; Wu, Ju-You; Wu, Ying-Liang; Palanivelu, Ravishankar; Sun, Meng-Xiang

2014-01-01

γ-Aminobutyric acid (GABA) is implicated in pollen tube growth, but the molecular and cellular mechanisms that it mediates are largely unknown. Here, it is shown that exogenous GABA modulates putative Ca2+-permeable channels on the plasma membranes of tobacco pollen grains and pollen tubes. Whole-cell voltage-clamp experiments and non-invasive micromeasurement technology (NMT) revealed that the influx of Ca2+ increases in pollen tubes in response to exogenous GABA. It is also demonstrated that glutamate decarboxylase (GAD), the rate-limiting enzyme of GABA biosynthesis, is involved in feedback controls of Ca2+-permeable channels to fluctuate intracellular GABA levels and thus modulate pollen tube growth. The findings suggest that GAD activity linked with Ca2+-permeable channels relays an extracellular GABA signal and integrates multiple signal pathways to modulate tobacco pollen tube growth. Thus, the data explain how GABA mediates the communication between the style and the growing pollen tubes. PMID:24799560

Permeability Evolution of Fractured Anhydrite Caused by Chemical and Mechanical Alteration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Detwiler, R. L.; Elkhoury, J. E.; Ameli, P.

2011-12-01

Geologic carbon sequestration requires competent structural seals (caprock) to prevent leakage over decadal time scales. Injection of large volumes of CO2 perturbs the target formation from chemical and mechanical equilibrium leading to the possible creation or enhancement of leakage pathways. We investigate the potential for leakage pathways (fractures) to grow over time under reservoir conditions in a series of anhydrite (Ca2SO4) cores. To simulate a potential leakage event in the laboratory, we fractured and jacketed the cores, and placed them in a flow-through reactor vessel. A high-pressure syringe pump applied confining stresses ranging from 7 to 17 MPa and another syringe pump pushed water through the sample at a constant flow rate with pressure control at the outlet. Effluent was sampled periodically and analyzed for Ca2+ and SO42- using an ion chromatograph. Before and after each experiment, we characterized the surfaces of the fractures using a high-resolution optical profilometer and a scanning electron microscope. Careful alignment of the surfaces during optical profiling allowed reproduction of the fracture aperture before and after each experiment. We present results from several experiments each carried out under different conditions in similar fractured anhydrite cores. One involved a well-mated pre-existing fracture and results showed that the permeability of the fractured core was similar to the intact rock matrix (O(10-18 m2); chemical alteration of the core was largely limited to the inflow face of the core and the fracture surfaces remained largely unaltered. To enhance permeability during subsequent experiments, we imposed a small (380 μm) shear displacement between the fracture surfaces resulting in a four-order-of-magnitude increase in initial permeability. The first of these was run at a constant flow rate of 0.6 ml/min for a period of 7 days. The measured pressure gradient within the core increased slowly for a period of 4 days followed by a rapid increase in differential pressure corresponding to a two-order-of-magnitude decrease in permeability. During the experiment, the diameter of the core decreased by ~300 μm at the inlet and a skin of gypsum (Ca2SO42H2O) was created along the length of the fracture. Dissolution of anhydrite and transition to gypsum of additional anhydrite weakened the fracture surfaces leading to closure of the fracture with a corresponding reduction in aperture and permeability. Additional experiments explore the influence of flow at a lower flow rate, which, in the absence of a large confining stress, has been shown to lead to the development of dissolution channels or wormholes.

Laboratory determination of effective stress laws for deformation and permeability of chalk

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Teufel, L W; Warpinski, N R

1990-01-01

Laboratory deformation and permeability measurements have been made on chalk samples from Ekofisk area fields as a function of confining stress and pore pressure to determine the effective stress laws for chalk. An understanding of the effective stress law is essential to obtain correct reservoir-property data from core analysis and is critical for reservoir management studies and reservoir compaction models. A powerful statistical technique known as the response surface method has been used to analyze our laboratory data determine the form of the effective stress law for deformation and permeability. Experiments were conducted on chalk samples that had a rangemore » of porosities from 15% to 36%, because porosity is the dominant intrinsic property that effects deformation and permeability behavior of chalk. Deformation of a 36% porosity chalk was highly nonlinear, but the effective stress law was linear, with {alpha} equal to about unity. Lower-porosity samples showed linear strain behavior and a linear effective stress law with {alpha} as low as 0.74. Analysis of the effective stress law for permeability is presented only for the lowest porosity chalk sample because changes in permeability in the higher-porosity chalk samples due to increasing confining stress or pore pressure were not were large enough, to deduce meaningful effective stress relationships. 15 refs., 8 figs., 2 tabs.« less

Dispersion controlled by permeable surfaces: surface properties and scaling

DOE PAGES

Ling, Bowen; Tartakovsky, Alexandre M.; Battiato, Ilenia

2016-08-25

Permeable and porous surfaces are common in natural and engineered systems. Flow and transport above such surfaces are significantly affected by the surface properties, e.g. matrix porosity and permeability. However, the relationship between such properties and macroscopic solute transport is largely unknown. In this work, we focus on mass transport in a two-dimensional channel with permeable porous walls under fully developed laminar flow conditions. By means of perturbation theory and asymptotic analysis, we derive the set of upscaled equations describing mass transport in the coupled channel–porous-matrix system and an analytical expression relating the dispersion coefficient with the properties of themore » surface, namely porosity and permeability. Our analysis shows that their impact on the dispersion coefficient strongly depends on the magnitude of the Péclet number, i.e. on the interplay between diffusive and advective mass transport. Additionally, we demonstrate different scaling behaviours of the dispersion coefficient for thin or thick porous matrices. Our analysis shows the possibility of controlling the dispersion coefficient, i.e. transverse mixing, by either active (i.e. changing the operating conditions) or passive mechanisms (i.e. controlling matrix effective properties) for a given Péclet number. By elucidating the impact of matrix porosity and permeability on solute transport, our upscaled model lays the foundation for the improved understanding, control and design of microporous coatings with targeted macroscopic transport features.« less

Investigation of uncertainty in CO 2 reservoir models: A sensitivity analysis of relative permeability parameter values

DOE PAGES

Yoshida, Nozomu; Levine, Jonathan S.; Stauffer, Philip H.

2016-03-22

Numerical reservoir models of CO 2 injection in saline formations rely on parameterization of laboratory-measured pore-scale processes. Here, we have performed a parameter sensitivity study and Monte Carlo simulations to determine the normalized change in total CO 2 injected using the finite element heat and mass-transfer code (FEHM) numerical reservoir simulator. Experimentally measured relative permeability parameter values were used to generate distribution functions for parameter sampling. The parameter sensitivity study analyzed five different levels for each of the relative permeability model parameters. All but one of the parameters changed the CO 2 injectivity by <10%, less than the geostatistical uncertainty that applies to all large subsurface systems due to natural geophysical variability and inherently small sample sizes. The exception was the end-point CO 2 relative permeability, kmore » $$0\\atop{r}$$ CO2, the maximum attainable effective CO 2 permeability during CO 2 invasion, which changed CO2 injectivity by as much as 80%. Similarly, Monte Carlo simulation using 1000 realizations of relative permeability parameters showed no relationship between CO 2 injectivity and any of the parameters but k$$0\\atop{r}$$ CO2, which had a very strong (R 2 = 0.9685) power law relationship with total CO 2 injected. Model sensitivity to k$$0\\atop{r}$$ CO2 points to the importance of accurate core flood and wettability measurements.« less

Investigation of uncertainty in CO 2 reservoir models: A sensitivity analysis of relative permeability parameter values

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Yoshida, Nozomu; Levine, Jonathan S.; Stauffer, Philip H.

Numerical reservoir models of CO 2 injection in saline formations rely on parameterization of laboratory-measured pore-scale processes. Here, we have performed a parameter sensitivity study and Monte Carlo simulations to determine the normalized change in total CO 2 injected using the finite element heat and mass-transfer code (FEHM) numerical reservoir simulator. Experimentally measured relative permeability parameter values were used to generate distribution functions for parameter sampling. The parameter sensitivity study analyzed five different levels for each of the relative permeability model parameters. All but one of the parameters changed the CO 2 injectivity by <10%, less than the geostatistical uncertainty that applies to all large subsurface systems due to natural geophysical variability and inherently small sample sizes. The exception was the end-point CO 2 relative permeability, kmore » $$0\\atop{r}$$ CO2, the maximum attainable effective CO 2 permeability during CO 2 invasion, which changed CO2 injectivity by as much as 80%. Similarly, Monte Carlo simulation using 1000 realizations of relative permeability parameters showed no relationship between CO 2 injectivity and any of the parameters but k$$0\\atop{r}$$ CO2, which had a very strong (R 2 = 0.9685) power law relationship with total CO 2 injected. Model sensitivity to k$$0\\atop{r}$$ CO2 points to the importance of accurate core flood and wettability measurements.« less

Performances of metal concentrations from three permeable pavement infiltrates.

PubMed

Liu, Jiayu; Borst, Michael

2018-06-01

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency constructed a 4000-m 2 parking lot in Edison, New Jersey in 2009. The parking lot is surfaced with three permeable pavements [permeable interlocking concrete pavers (PICP), pervious concrete (PC), and porous asphalt (PA)]. Samples of each permeable pavement infiltrate, surface runoff from traditional asphalt, and rainwater were analyzed in duplicate for 22 metals (total and dissolved) for 6 years. In more than 99% of the samples, the concentration of barium, chromium, copper, manganese, nickel and zinc, and in 60%-90% of the samples, the concentration of arsenic, cadmium, lead, and antimony in infiltrates from all three permeable pavements met both the groundwater effluent limitations (GEL) and maximum contaminant levels (MCL). The concentration of aluminum (50%) and iron (93%) in PICP infiltrates samples exceed the GELs; however, the concentration in more than 90% samples PA and PC infiltrates met the GELs. No measurable difference in metal concentrations was found from the five sources for arsenic, cadmium, lead, antimony, and tin. Large concentrations of eleven metals, including manganese, copper, aluminum, iron, calcium, magnesium, sodium, potassium, silica, strontium and vanadium, were detected in surface runoff than the rainwater. Chromium, copper, manganese, nickel, aluminum, zinc, iron and magnesium concentrations in PICP infiltrates; calcium, barium, and strontium concentrations in PA infiltrates; sodium, potassium and vanadium concentrations in PC infiltrates were statistically larger than the other two permeable pavement infiltrates. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Urbanization and Slum Formation

PubMed Central

Phua, Kai Hong

2007-01-01

The formation of slums need not be inevitable with rapid urbanization. Such an argument appears to be contradicted by evidence of large slum populations in a large number of developing countries and particularly in rapidly urbanizing regions like Asia. The evidence discussed suggests that city authorities faced with rapid urban development lack the capacity to cope with the diverse demands for infrastructural provision to meet economic and social needs. Not only are strategic planning and intervention major issues in agenda to manage rapid urbanization, but city governments are not effectively linking the economic development trajectory to implications for urban growth and, hence, housing needs. In the following discussion, a case study is presented in support of the argument that city governments have to first recognize and then act to establish the link that is crucial between economic development, urban growth, and housing. This is the agendum that has been largely neglected by city and national governments that have been narrowly focused on economic growth with the consequent proliferation of slum formation as a housing solution. PMID:17387618

Preservice Science Teachers' Epistemological Beliefs and Informal Reasoning Regarding Socioscientific Issues

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ozturk, Nilay; Yilmaz-Tuzun, Ozgul

2017-12-01

This study investigated preservice elementary science teachers' (PSTs) informal reasoning regarding socioscientific issues (SSI), their epistemological beliefs, and the relationship between informal reasoning and epistemological beliefs. From several SSIs, nuclear power usage was selected for this study. A total of 647 Turkish PSTs enrolled in three large universities in Turkey completed the open-ended questionnaire, which assessed the participants' informal reasoning about the target SSI, and Schommer's (1990) Epistemological Questionnaire. The participants' epistemological beliefs were assessed quantitatively and their informal reasoning was assessed both qualitatively and quantitatively. The findings revealed that PSTs preferred to generate evidence-based arguments rather than intuitive-based arguments; however, they failed to generate quality evidence and present different types of evidence to support their claims. Furthermore, among the reasoning quality indicators, PSTs mostly generated supportive argument construction. Regarding the use of reasoning modes, types of risk arguments and political-oriented arguments emerged as the new reasoning modes. The study demonstrated that the PSTs had different epistemological beliefs in terms of innate ability, omniscient authority, certain knowledge, and quick learning. Correlational analyses revealed that there was a strong negative correlation between the PSTs' certain knowledge and counterargument construction, and there were negative correlations between the PSTs' innate ability, certain knowledge, and quick learning dimensions of epistemological beliefs and their total argument construction. This study has implications for both science teacher education and the practice of science education. For example, PST teacher education programs should give sufficient importance to training teachers that are skillful and knowledgeable regarding SSIs. To achieve this, specific SSI-related courses should form part of science teacher education programs.

Efficient infiltration of water in the subsurface by using point-wells: A field study

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lopik, J. V.; Schotting, R.; Raoof, A.

2017-12-01

The ability to infiltrate large volumes of water in the subsurface would have great value for battling flooding in urban regions. Moreover, efficient water infiltration is key to optimize underground aquifer storage and recovery (ASR), aquifer thermal energy storage (ATES), as well as construction dewatering systems. Usually, variable infiltration rates of large water quantities could have a huge hydrogeological impact in the upper part of (phreatic) aquifer systems. In urban regions, minimizing excessive groundwater table fluctuations are necessary. A newly developed method, Fast, High Volume Infiltration (FHVI), by Dutch dewatering companies can be used to enable fast injection into the shallow subsurface. Conventional infiltration methods are using injection wells that screen large parts of the aquifer depth, whereas FHVI uses a specific infiltration point (1-m well screen) in the aquifer. These infiltration points are generally thin, high permeable layers in the aquifer of approximately 0.5-2 meter thick, and are embedded by less permeable layers. Currently, much higher infiltration pressures in shallow aquifers can be achieved with FHVI (up to 1 bar) compared to conventional infiltration methods ( 0.2 bar). Despite the high infiltration pressures and high discharge rate near the FHVI-filter, the stresses on shallow groundwater levels are significantly reduced with FHVI. In order to investigate the mechanisms that enable FHVI, a field experiment is conducted in a sandy aquifer to obtain insight in the 3-D hydraulic pressure distribution and flow patterns around a FHVI-filter during infiltration. A detailed characterization of the soil profile is obtained by using soil samples and cone pressure tests with a specific hydraulic profiling tool to track the vertical variation in aquifer permeability. A tracer test with bromide and heat is conducted to investigate preferential flow paths. The experimental data show that tracking small heterogeneities in aquifers and analysing the permeability difference ratio between the aimed infiltration layer and the surrounding layers in the aquifer are key to optimize the configuration of the FHVI-well. The results show that the use of point wells in thin, high permeable layers could drastically improve the efficiency of the infiltration system.

Using soft computing techniques to predict corrected air permeability using Thomeer parameters, air porosity and grain density

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Nooruddin, Hasan A.; Anifowose, Fatai; Abdulraheem, Abdulazeez

2014-03-01

Soft computing techniques are recently becoming very popular in the oil industry. A number of computational intelligence-based predictive methods have been widely applied in the industry with high prediction capabilities. Some of the popular methods include feed-forward neural networks, radial basis function network, generalized regression neural network, functional networks, support vector regression and adaptive network fuzzy inference system. A comparative study among most popular soft computing techniques is presented using a large dataset published in literature describing multimodal pore systems in the Arab D formation. The inputs to the models are air porosity, grain density, and Thomeer parameters obtained using mercury injection capillary pressure profiles. Corrected air permeability is the target variable. Applying developed permeability models in recent reservoir characterization workflow ensures consistency between micro and macro scale information represented mainly by Thomeer parameters and absolute permeability. The dataset was divided into two parts with 80% of data used for training and 20% for testing. The target permeability variable was transformed to the logarithmic scale as a pre-processing step and to show better correlations with the input variables. Statistical and graphical analysis of the results including permeability cross-plots and detailed error measures were created. In general, the comparative study showed very close results among the developed models. The feed-forward neural network permeability model showed the lowest average relative error, average absolute relative error, standard deviations of error and root means squares making it the best model for such problems. Adaptive network fuzzy inference system also showed very good results.

The influence of interfacial slip on two-phase flow in rough pores

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kucala, Alec; Martinez, Mario J.; Wang, Yifeng

The migration and trapping of supercritical CO 2 (scCO 2) in geologic carbon storage is strongly dependent on the geometry and wettability of the pore network in the reservoir rock. During displacement, resident fluids may become trapped in the pits of a rough pore surface forming an immiscible two-phase fluid interface with the invading fluid, allowing apparent slip flow at this interface. We present a two-phase fluid dynamics model, including interfacial tension, to characterize the impact of mineral surface roughness on this slip flow. We show that the slip flow can be cast in more familiar terms as a contact-anglemore » (wettability)-dependent effective permeability to the invading fluid, a nondimensional measurement which relates the interfacial slip to the pore geometry. The analysis shows the surface roughness-induced slip flow can effectively increase or decrease this effective permeability, depending on the wettability and roughness of the mineral surfaces. Configurations of the pore geometry where interfacial slip has a tangible influence on permeability have been identified. The results suggest that for large roughness features, permeability to CO 2 may be enhanced by approximately 30% during drainage, while the permeability to brine during reimbibition may be enhanced or diminished by 60%, depending on the contact angle with the mineral surfaces and degrees of roughness. For smaller roughness features, the changes in permeability through interfacial slip are small. As a result, a much larger range of effective permeabilities are suggested for general fluid pairs and contact angles, including occlusion of the pore by the trapped phase.« less

Numerical modelling of fault reactivation in carbonate rocks under fluid depletion conditions - 2D generic models with a small isolated fault

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Yanhua; Clennell, Michael B.; Delle Piane, Claudio; Ahmed, Shakil; Sarout, Joel

2016-12-01

This generic 2D elastic-plastic modelling investigated the reactivation of a small isolated and critically-stressed fault in carbonate rocks at a reservoir depth level for fluid depletion and normal-faulting stress conditions. The model properties and boundary conditions are based on field and laboratory experimental data from a carbonate reservoir. The results show that a pore pressure perturbation of -25 MPa by depletion can lead to the reactivation of the fault and parts of the surrounding damage zones, producing normal-faulting downthrows and strain localization. The mechanism triggering fault reactivation in a carbonate field is the increase of shear stresses with pore-pressure reduction, due to the decrease of the absolute horizontal stress, which leads to an expanded Mohr's circle and mechanical failure, consistent with the predictions of previous poroelastic models. Two scenarios for fault and damage-zone permeability development are explored: (1) large permeability enhancement of a sealing fault upon reactivation, and (2) fault and damage zone permeability development governed by effective mean stress. In the first scenario, the fault becomes highly permeable to across- and along-fault fluid transport, removing local pore pressure highs/lows arising from the presence of the initially sealing fault. In the second scenario, reactivation induces small permeability enhancement in the fault and parts of damage zones, followed by small post-reactivation permeability reduction. Such permeability changes do not appear to change the original flow capacity of the fault or modify the fluid flow velocity fields dramatically.

The influence of interfacial slip on two-phase flow in rough pores

DOE PAGES

Kucala, Alec; Martinez, Mario J.; Wang, Yifeng; ...

2017-08-01

The migration and trapping of supercritical CO 2 (scCO 2) in geologic carbon storage is strongly dependent on the geometry and wettability of the pore network in the reservoir rock. During displacement, resident fluids may become trapped in the pits of a rough pore surface forming an immiscible two-phase fluid interface with the invading fluid, allowing apparent slip flow at this interface. We present a two-phase fluid dynamics model, including interfacial tension, to characterize the impact of mineral surface roughness on this slip flow. We show that the slip flow can be cast in more familiar terms as a contact-anglemore » (wettability)-dependent effective permeability to the invading fluid, a nondimensional measurement which relates the interfacial slip to the pore geometry. The analysis shows the surface roughness-induced slip flow can effectively increase or decrease this effective permeability, depending on the wettability and roughness of the mineral surfaces. Configurations of the pore geometry where interfacial slip has a tangible influence on permeability have been identified. The results suggest that for large roughness features, permeability to CO 2 may be enhanced by approximately 30% during drainage, while the permeability to brine during reimbibition may be enhanced or diminished by 60%, depending on the contact angle with the mineral surfaces and degrees of roughness. For smaller roughness features, the changes in permeability through interfacial slip are small. As a result, a much larger range of effective permeabilities are suggested for general fluid pairs and contact angles, including occlusion of the pore by the trapped phase.« less

The influence of interfacial slip on two-phase flow in rough pores

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kucala, Alec; Martinez, Mario J.; Wang, Yifeng; Noble, David R.

2017-08-01

The migration and trapping of supercritical CO2 (scCO2) in geologic carbon storage is strongly dependent on the geometry and wettability of the pore network in the reservoir rock. During displacement, resident fluids may become trapped in the pits of a rough pore surface forming an immiscible two-phase fluid interface with the invading fluid, allowing apparent slip flow at this interface. We present a two-phase fluid dynamics model, including interfacial tension, to characterize the impact of mineral surface roughness on this slip flow. We show that the slip flow can be cast in more familiar terms as a contact-angle (wettability)-dependent effective permeability to the invading fluid, a nondimensional measurement which relates the interfacial slip to the pore geometry. The analysis shows the surface roughness-induced slip flow can effectively increase or decrease this effective permeability, depending on the wettability and roughness of the mineral surfaces. Configurations of the pore geometry where interfacial slip has a tangible influence on permeability have been identified. The results suggest that for large roughness features, permeability to CO2 may be enhanced by approximately 30% during drainage, while the permeability to brine during reimbibition may be enhanced or diminished by 60%, depending on the contact angle with the mineral surfaces and degrees of roughness. For smaller roughness features, the changes in permeability through interfacial slip are small. A much larger range of effective permeabilities are suggested for general fluid pairs and contact angles, including occlusion of the pore by the trapped phase.

Continuous Record of Permeability inside the Wenchuan Earthquake Fault Zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xue, Lian; Li, Haibing; Brodsky, Emily

2013-04-01

Faults are complex hydrogeological structures which include a highly permeable damage zone with fracture-dominated permeability. Since fractures are generated by earthquakes, we would expect that in the aftermath of a large earthquake, the permeability would be transiently high in a fault zone. Over time, the permeability may recover due to a combination of chemical and mechanical processes. However, the in situ fault zone hydrological properties are difficult to measure and have never been directly constrained on a fault zone immediately after a large earthquake. In this work, we use water level response to solid Earth tides to constrain the hydraulic properties inside the Wenchuan Earthquake Fault Zone. The transmissivity and storage determine the phase and amplitude response of the water level to the tidal loading. By measuring phase and amplitude response, we can constrain the average hydraulic properties of the damage zone at 800-1200 m below the surface (~200-600 m from the principal slip zone). We use Markov chain Monte Carlo methods to evaluate the phase and amplitude responses and the corresponding errors for the largest semidiurnal Earth tide M2 in the time domain. The average phase lag is ~ 30o, and the average amplitude response is 6×10-7 strain/m. Assuming an isotropic, homogenous and laterally extensive aquifer, the average storage coefficient S is 2×10-4 and the average transmissivity T is 6×10-7 m2 using the measured phase and the amplitude response. Calculation for the hydraulic diffusivity D with D=T/S, yields the reported value of D is 3×10-3 m2/s, which is two orders of magnitude larger than pump test values on the Chelungpu Fault which is the site of the Mw 7.6 Chi-Chi earthquake. If the value is representative of the fault zone, then this means the hydrology processes should have an effect on the earthquake rupture process. This measurement is done through continuous monitoring and we could track the evolution for hydraulic properties after Wenchuan earthquake. We observed the permeability decreases 35% per year. For the purpose of comparison, we convert the permeability measurements to into equivalent seismic velocity. The possible range of seismic wave velocity increase is 0.03%~ 0.8% per year. Our results are comparable to the results of the previous hydraulic and seismic studies after earthquakes. This temporal decrease of permeability may reflect the healing process after Wenchuan Earthquake.

Continuous Record of Permeability inside the Wenchuan Earthquake Fault Zone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Xue, L.; Li, H.; Brodsky, E. E.; Wang, H.; Pei, J.

2012-12-01

Faults are complex hydrogeological structures which include a highly permeable damage zone with fracture-dominated permeability. Since fractures are generated by earthquakes, we would expect that in the aftermath of a large earthquake, the permeability would be transiently high in a fault zone. Over time, the permeability may recover due to a combination of chemical and mechanical processes. However, the in situ fault zone hydrological properties are difficult to measure and have never been directly constrained on a fault zone immediately after a large earthquake. In this work, we use water level response to solid Earth tides to constrain the hydraulic properties inside the Wenchuan Earthquake Fault Zone. The transmissivity and storage determine the phase and amplitude response of the water level to the tidal loading. By measuring phase and amplitude response, we can constrain the average hydraulic properties of the damage zone at 800-1200 m below the surface (˜200-600 m from the principal slip zone). We use Markov chain Monte Carlo methods to evaluate the phase and amplitude responses and the corresponding errors for the largest semidiurnal Earth tide M2 in the time domain. The average phase lag is ˜30°, and the average amplitude response is 6×10-7 strain/m. Assuming an isotropic, homogenous and laterally extensive aquifer, the average storage coefficient S is 2×10-4 and the average transmissivity T is 6×10-7 m2 using the measured phase and the amplitude response. Calculation for the hydraulic diffusivity D with D=T/S, yields the reported value of D is 3×10-3 m2/s, which is two orders of magnitude larger than pump test values on the Chelungpu Fault which is the site of the Mw 7.6 Chi-Chi earthquake. If the value is representative of the fault zone, then this means the hydrology processes should have an effect on the earthquake rupture process. This measurement is done through continuous monitoring and we could track the evolution for hydraulic properties after Wenchuan earthquake. We observed the permeability decreases 35% per year. For the purpose of comparison, we convert the permeability measurements to into equivalent seismic velocity. The possible range of seismic wave velocity increase is 0.03%~ 0.8% per year. Our results are comparable to the results of the previous hydraulic and seismic studies after earthquakes. This temporal decrease of permeability may reflect the healing process after Wenchuan Earthquake.

Effects of small-scale chemical reactions between supercritical CO2 and arkosic sandstone on large-scale permeability fields: An experimental study with implications for geologic carbon sequestration

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Luhmann, A. J.; Ding, K.; Saar, M. O.; Seyfried, W. E.

2011-12-01

During geologic carbon sequestration, small, pore-scale changes in mineralogy due to dissolution and precipitation reactions can modify bulk porosity. Porosity/permeability relationships are then typically used to infer large-scale permeability field changes. However, these relationships have limited use because they do not account for changes in pore geometry. Therefore, in connection with a DOE sponsored program, involving CO2 sequestration with geothermal energy usage, we constructed a novel hydrothermal flow system that allows simultaneous determination of changes in fluid chemistry and associated changes in permeability at elevated temperatures and high CO2 pressure. Initial experiments were conducted with an arkosic sandstone core of the Eau Claire Formation from southeastern Minnesota. The core was disaggregated and then wet sieved to yield a grain size distribution of 90-120 μm that was used to fill the Teflon sleeve held within the stainless steel pressure vessel. Initial water chemistry consisted of CO2 dissolved in deionized water. Outlet pressure was set to 11 MPa, and confinement pressure was 20 MPa. Flow rates produced inlet pressures between these two extremes, allowing CO2 solubility up to 1.1 mol/kg water. Rates of fluid flow ranged from 0.04 to 1.5 mL/min at a temperature of 21°C over the course of 33 days. Based on these data, the in-situ permeability of ~1E-14 to 9E-14 m2 for the arkosic sandstone was calculated. The reaction cell temperature was then increased to 50°C, and eventually 100°C. Each temperature step was associated with a sharp decrease in permeability, such that at 100°C the permeability had decreased by approximately three orders of magnitude from the starting condition. Fluid samples indicate release of dissolved Na, Ca, Mg, K, Al, SiO2, and Cl from minerals in the core, suggesting dissolution of primary mineral components. Charge balance constraints indicate a pH of approximately 4.2 at the highest temperature run condition, considerably higher than would exist in a simple water-CO2 fluid, underscoring the effectiveness of mineral dissolution/precipitation reactions in buffering pH. Distribution of aqueous species calculations suggests possible secondary phases may include illite, muscovite, kaolinite, and quartz. We speculate that mineral precipitation occurs at the fluid-mineral interface. Thus, potentially small changes in mineralogy may produce a significant change in rock permeability.

Harms to “Others” and the Selection Against Disability View

PubMed Central

2017-01-01

Abstract In recent years, the question of whether prospective parents might have a moral obligation to select against disability in their offspring has piqued the attention of many prominent philosophers and bioethicists, and a large literature has emerged surrounding this question. Rather than looking to the most common arguments given in support of a positive response to the abovementioned question, such as those focusing on the harms disability may impose on the child created, duties and role-specific obligations, and impersonal ‘harms’, a less commonly made set of arguments is focused upon which looks to the harms that a decision not to select against disability may impose on others. Three different possible arguments supporting a limited duty of disability avoidance are thus identified and subsequently explored: harms to parents themselves, harms to existing family members, and harms to other existing members of society. PMID:28180274

Violation of unitarity by Hawking radiation does not violate energy-momentum conservation

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nikolić, Hrvoje

2015-04-02

An argument by Banks, Susskind and Peskin (BSP), according to which violation of unitarity would violate either locality or energy-momentum conservation, is widely believed to be a strong argument against non-unitarity of Hawking radiation. We find that the whole BSP argument rests on the crucial assumption that the Hamiltonian is not highly degenerate, and point out that this assumption is not satisfied for systems with many degrees of freedom. Using Lindblad equation, we show that high degeneracy of the Hamiltonian allows local non-unitary evolution without violating energy-momentum conservation. Moreover, since energy-momentum is the source of gravity, we argue that energy-momentummore » is necessarily conserved for a large class of non-unitary systems with gravity. Finally, we explicitly calculate the Lindblad operators for non-unitary Hawking radiation and show that they conserve energy-momentum.« less

Investigation on the Permeability Evolution of Gypsum Interlayer Under High Temperature and Triaxial Pressure

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tao, Meng; Yechao, You; Jie, Chen; Yaoqing, Hu

2017-08-01

The permeability of the surrounding rock is a critical parameter for the designing and assessment of radioactive waste disposal repositories in the rock salt. Generally, in the locations that are chosen for radioactive waste storage, the bedded rock salt is a sedimentary rock that contains NaCl and Na2SO4. Most likely, there are also layers of gypsum ( {CaSO}_{ 4} \\cdot 2 {H}_{ 2} {O)} present in the salt deposit. Radioactive wastes emit a large amount of heat and hydrogen during the process of disposal, which may result in thermal damage of the surrounding rocks and cause a great change in their permeability and tightness. Therefore, it is necessary to investigate the permeability evolution of the gypsum interlayer under high temperature and high pressure in order to evaluate the tightness and security of the nuclear waste repositories in bedded rock salt. In this study, a self-designed rock triaxial testing system by which high temperature and pressure can be applied is used; the μCT225kVFCB micro-CT system is also employed to investigate the permeability and microstructure of gypsum specimens under a constant hydrostatic pressure of 25 MPa, an increasing temperature (ranging from 20 to 650 °C), and a variable inlet gas pressure (1, 2, 4, 6 MPa). The experimental results show: (a) the maximum permeability measured during the whole experiment is less than 10-17 m2, which indicates that the gypsum interlayer has low permeability under high temperature and pressure that meet the requirements for radioactive waste repository. (b) Under the same temperature, the permeability of the gypsum specimen decreases at the beginning and then increases as the pore pressure elevates. When the inlet gas pressure is between 0 and 2 MPa, the Klinkenberg effect is very pronounced. Then, as the pore pressure increases, the movement behavior of gas molecules gradually changes from free motion to forced directional motion. So the role of free movement of gas molecules gradually reduced, which eventually leads to a decrease in permeability. When the inlet gas pressure is between 2 and 6 MPa, the Klinkenberg effect dribbles away, and the gas flow gradually obeys to the Darcy's law. Hence, the permeability increased with the increase in inlet gas pressure. (c) The curve of permeability versus temperature is divided into five stages based on its gradient. In the temperature range of 20-100 °C, the permeability of gypsum decreased slowly when the temperature decreased. From 100 to 200 °C, the permeability of gypsum increased dramatically when the temperature increased. However, a dramatic increase in permeability was observed from 200 to 450 °C. Subsequently, in the temperature range of 450-550 °C, due to closure of pores and fractures, the permeability of the specimens slowly lessened when the temperature increased. From 550 to 650 °C, the permeability of gypsum slightly increased when the temperature increased; (d) the micro-cracks and porosity obtained from the CT images show a high degree of consistency to the permeability evolution; (e) when compared to the permeability evolutions of sandstone, granite, and lignite, gypsum exhibits a stable evolution trend of permeability and has a much greater threshold temperature when its permeability increases sharply. The results of the paper may provide essential and valuable references for the design and construction of high-level radioactive wastes repository in bedded salt rock containing gypsum interlayers.

Transverse Chemotactic Migration of Bacteria from High to Low Permeability Regions in a Dual Permeability Porous Microfluidic Device

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Singh, R.; Olson, M. S.

2011-12-01

Low permeability regions sandwiched between high permeability regions such as clay lenses are difficult to treat using conventional treatment methods. Trace concentrations of contaminants such as non-aqueous phase liquids (NAPLs) remain trapped in these regions and over the time diffuse out into surrounding water thereby acting as a long term source of groundwater contamination. Bacterial chemotaxis (directed migration toward a contaminant source), may be helpful in enhancing bioremediation of such contaminated sites. This study is focused on simulating a two-dimensional dual-permeability groundwater contamination scenario using microfluidic devices and evaluating transverse chemotactic migration of bacteria from high to low permeability regions. A novel bi-layer polydimethylsiloxane (PDMS) microfluidic device was fabricated using photolithography and soft lithography techniques to simulate contamination of a dual- permeability region due to leakage from an underground storage tank into a low permeability region. This device consists of a porous channel through which a bacterial suspension (Escherchia Coli HCB33) is flown and another channel for injecting contaminant/chemo-attractant (DL-aspertic acid) into the porous channel. The pore arrangement in the porous channel contains a 2-D low permeability region surrounded by high permeability regions on both sides. Experiments were performed under chemotactic and non-chemotactic (replacing attractant with buffer solution in the non porous channel) conditions. Images were captured in transverse pore throats at cross-sections 4.9, 9.8, and 19.6 mm downstream from the attractant injection point and bacteria were enumerated in the middle of each pore throat. Bacterial chemotaxis was quantified in terms of the change in relative bacterial counts in each pore throat at cross-sections 9.8 and 19.6 mm with respect to counts at the cross-section at 4.9 mm. Under non-chemotactic conditions, relative bacterial count was observed to decrease at 9.8 mm and 19.6 mm cross-sections in low permeability regions due to dilution with the injectate from the non-porous channel (Figure 1). However, relative bacterial counts increased in the low permeability region at both downstream cross-sections under chemotactic conditions. A large increase in relative bacterial count in the pore throats just outside the low permeability region was also observed at both cross-sections (Figure 1). The bacterial chemotactic response was observed to decrease linearly with increasing Darcy velocity and at flow rate 0.220 mm/s the chemotactic effect was offset by the advective flow in the porous channel.

Strong coercivity reduction and high initial permeability in NiCoP coated BaFe12O19-polystyrene bilayer composite

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Hamad, Mahmoud A.; El-Sayed, Adly H.; Hemeda, O. M.; Tawfik, A.

2016-03-01

Soft-magnetic NiCoP coated hard-magnetic M-type ferrite BaFe12O19 (BaM)-polystyrene (PS) bilayer composite film was successfully synthesized. X-ray diffraction peaks exhibited no change in the structure of BaM after coating with PS. The NiCoP coated BaM-PS composite exhibited a wasp-waisted magnetic hysteretic loop with remarkable reduction in the coercivity, remanence and squareness with respect to BaM-PS, which is useful for the core of a magnetic switching device to control currents so large that they are unmanageable. Moreover, the initial permeability measurement exhibits initial permeability of around 100 000 and thermal stability up to 558 K, which is good for flux-amplifying components of smaller inductors.

Climate Migration and Moral Responsibility

PubMed Central

Nawrotzki, Raphael

2016-01-01

Even though anthropogenic climate change is largely caused by industrialized nations, its burden is distributed unevenly with poor developing countries suffering the most. A common response to livelihood insecurities and destruction is migration. Using Peter Singer’s “historical principle” this paper argues that a morally just evaluation requires taking causality between climate change and migration under consideration. The historical principle is employed to emphasize shortcomings in commonly made philosophical arguments to oppose immigration. The article concludes that none of these arguments is able to override the moral responsibility of industrialized countries to compensate for harms that their actions have caused. PMID:27668124

Triple Cascade Behavior in Quasigeostrophic and Drift Turbulence and Generation of Zonal Jets

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Nazarenko, Sergey; Quinn, Brenda

2009-09-11

We study quasigeostrophic (QG) and plasma drift turbulence within the Charney-Hasegawa-Mima (CHM) model. We focus on the zonostrophy, an extra invariant in the CHM model, and on its role in the formation of zonal jets. We use a generalized Fjoertoft argument for the energy, enstrophy, and zonostrophy and show that they cascade anisotropically into nonintersecting sectors in k space with the energy cascading towards large zonal scales. Using direct numerical simulations of the CHM equation, we show that zonostrophy is well conserved, and the three invariants cascade as predicted by the Fjoertoft argument.

No Country Left Behind: Rhetoric and Reality of International Large-Scale Assessment. William H. Angoff Memorial Lecture Series

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Feuer, Michael J.

2011-01-01

Few arguments about education are as effective at galvanizing public attention and motivating political action as those that compare the performance of students with their counterparts in other countries and that connect academic achievement to economic performance. Because data from international large-scale assessments (ILSA) have a powerful…

Hydraulic tests in highly permeable aquifers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Butler, James J.; Zhan, Xiaoyong

2004-12-01

A semianalytical solution is presented for a mathematical model describing the flow of groundwater in response to a slug or pumping test in a highly permeable, confined aquifer. This solution, which is appropriate for wells of any degree of penetration and incorporates inertial mechanisms at both the test and observation wells, can be used to gain new insights into hydraulic tests in highly permeable settings. The oscillatory character of slug- and pumping-induced responses will vary considerably across a site, even in an essentially homogeneous formation, when wells of different radii, depths, and screen lengths are used. Thus variations in the oscillatory character of responses do not necessarily indicate variations in hydraulic conductivity (K). Existing models for slug tests in partially penetrating wells in high-K aquifers neglect the storage properties of the media. That assumption, however, appears reasonable for a wide range of common conditions. Unlike in less permeable formations, drawdown at an observation well in a high-K aquifer will be affected by head losses in the pumping well. Those losses, which affect the form of the pumping-induced oscillations, can be difficult to characterize. Thus analyses of observation-well drawdown should utilize data from the period after the oscillations have dissipated whenever possible. Although inertial mechanisms can have a large impact on early-time drawdown, that impact decreases rapidly with duration of pumping and distance to the observation well. Conventional methods that do not consider inertial mechanisms should therefore be viable options for the analysis of drawdown data at moderate to large times.

Hydraulic tests in highly permeable aquifers

USGS Publications Warehouse

Butler, James J.; Zhan, Xiaoyong

2004-01-01

A semianalytical solution is presented for a mathematical model describing the flow of groundwater in response to a slug or pumping test in a highly permeable, confined aquifer. This solution, which is appropriate for wells of any degree of penetration and incorporates inertial mechanisms at both the test and observation wells, can be used to gain new insights into hydraulic tests in highly permeable settings. The oscillatory character of slug‐ and pumping‐induced responses will vary considerably across a site, even in an essentially homogeneous formation, when wells of different radii, depths, and screen lengths are used. Thus variations in the oscillatory character of responses do not necessarily indicate variations in hydraulic conductivity (K). Existing models for slug tests in partially penetrating wells in high‐K aquifers neglect the storage properties of the media. That assumption, however, appears reasonable for a wide range of common conditions. Unlike in less permeable formations, drawdown at an observation well in a high‐K aquifer will be affected by head losses in the pumping well. Those losses, which affect the form of the pumping‐induced oscillations, can be difficult to characterize. Thus analyses of observation‐well drawdown should utilize data from the period after the oscillations have dissipated whenever possible. Although inertial mechanisms can have a large impact on early‐time drawdown, that impact decreases rapidly with duration of pumping and distance to the observation well. Conventional methods that do not consider inertial mechanisms should therefore be viable options for the analysis of drawdown data at moderate to large times.

"Banned from the streets I have paid to use": an analysis of Australian print media coverage of proposals for passenger and night driving restrictions for young drivers

PubMed Central

Blows, S; Ivers, R; Chapman, S

2005-01-01

Objective: To catalogue arguments that can be anticipated in public debate when passenger and night driving restrictions are being advocated. Design and setting: Frame analysis of all relevant coverage of these topics in Australian print media during the three month period between June and September 2004 when intensive debate on the topic occurred. Main outcome measures: Debating frames used in reports and commentary on passenger and night driving restrictions. Results: There were 52 relevant articles published containing seven distinct frames supporting the restrictions and six opposing them. Overall, more instances of frames supporting the restrictions were published; these mostly focused on the potential for saving lives. Opposition to the restrictions focused largely on their inappropriateness as a road safety measure as well as on the importance of young people's autonomy and freedom. Conclusions: Advocates of passenger and night driving restrictions have a number of arguments available to advance their case; however, it is important to anticipate and address possible counter arguments. Future research should address the saliency of different arguments to the public and key decision makers in government. PMID:16203840

The Use and Effectiveness of an Argumentation and Evaluation Intervention in Science Classes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bulgren, Janis A.; Ellis, James D.; Marquis, Janet G.

2014-02-01

This study explored teachers' use of the Argumentation and Evaluation Intervention (AEI) and associated graphic organizer to enhance the performance of students in middle and secondary science classrooms. The results reported here are from the third year of a design study during which the procedures were developed in collaboration with teachers. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest design with 8 experimental and 8 control teachers was used with a total of 282 students. An open-ended test assessed students' abilities to evaluate a scientific argument made in an article. The students were asked to identify the claim and its qualifiers, identify and evaluate the evidence given for the claim, examine the reasoning in support of the claim, consider counterarguments, and construct and explain a conclusion about the claim. The quality of students' responses was assessed using a scoring rubric for each step of the argumentation process. Findings indicated a significantly higher overall score and large effect size in favor of students who were instructed using the AEI compared to students who received traditional lecture-discussion instruction. Subgroup and subscale scores are also presented. Teacher satisfaction and student satisfaction and confidence levels are reported.

Teaching argumentation and scientific discourse using the ribosomal peptidyl transferase reaction.

PubMed

Johnson, R Jeremy

2011-01-01

Argumentation and discourse are two integral parts of scientific investigation that are often overlooked in undergraduate science education. To address this limitation, the story of peptide bond formation by the ribosome can be used to illustrate the importance of evidence, claims, arguments, and counterarguments in scientific discourse. With the determination of the first structure of the large ribosomal subunit bound to a transition state inhibitor came an initial hypothesis about the role of the ribosome in peptide bond formation. This initial hypothesis was based on a few central assumptions about the transition state mimic and acid-base catalysis by serine proteases. The initial proposed mechanism started a flurry of scientific discourse in experimental articles and commentaries that tested the validity of the initial proposed mechanism. Using this civil argumentation as a guide, class discussions, assignments, and a debate were designed that allow students to analyze and question the claims and evidence about the mechanism of peptide bond synthesis. In the end, students develop a sense of critical skepticism, and an understanding of scientific discourse, while learning about the current consensus mechanism for peptide bond synthesis. Biochemistry and Molecular Biology Education Vol. 39, No. 3, pp. 185-190, 2011. Copyright © 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

An Experimental Study of CO2-Brine Relative Permeability in Sandstone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, X.; DiCarlo, D. A.

2013-12-01

Accurate determinations of CO2-brine relative permeability are important for modeling potential CO2 storage scenarios. The most common assumption is that CO2-brine relative permeability is likely to be similar to oil-brine relative permeability for water-wet rocks. But recent measurements of CO2-brine relative permeability have differed greatly from oil-brine relative permeability; particularly, the measurements show a very low CO2 end point relative permeability (kr,CO2=0.1~0.2) and a relatively high residual water saturation (Swr>0.4) ( Lee et al. 2010, Zuo et al. 2012, Akbarabadi et al. 2013 and etc.). It has been hypothesized that the differences are related to CO2-brine having a different contact angle from oil-brine. In this study, we hypothesize that the differences are caused by large capillary end effects resulted from the very low CO2 viscosity. We conduct steady-state CO2-brine flow experiments in 2-foot-long and 2.8-inch-diamter Berea sandstone cores at 20 °C and 1500 psi. Four pressure taps drilled on a core allow both the total pressure drop and that across five individual sections to be measured. Three experiments, two drainage and one imbibition, have been conducted so far. Our results show: (1) The relative permeability to both brine and CO2 of the last section (downstream, 15 cm long) is significantly smaller than that of any of the middle three sections. This testifies that the capillary end effect makes the relative permeability under-measured at the end of a core. (2) The values of the middle three sections are very close to each other, which indicate the middle part of our core is free of capillary end effect. (3) The CO2 end point relative permeability is 0.3~0.5, which is much higher than the recent measurements. (4) The brine end point relative permeability during imbibition is about 0.08, which is close to literature data. Reference: Lee, Y.S, Kim, K. H. and Lee, T.H. et al. Analysis of CO2 Endpoint Relative Permeability and Injectivity by Change in Pressure, Temperature, and Phase in Saline Aquifer, 2010 Energy Sources, Part A, 32: 83-99 Zuo, L., Krevor, S. and Falta, R. W. et al. An experimental study of CO2 exsolution and relative permeability measurements during CO2 saturated water depressurization. Transport in Porous Media, 2012, 91: 459-478 Akbarabadi, M. and Piri, M. Relative permeability hysteresis and capillary trapping characteristics of supercritical CO2/brine systems: an experimental study at reservoir conditions. Advances in Water Resources, 2013 52: 190-206

Influence of volatile degassing on the eruptibility of large igneous province magmatic systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mittal, T.; Richards, M. A.

2017-12-01

Magmatic volatiles, in particular their buoyancy, may play a critical role in determining whether a magma reservoir can build up enough overpressure leading to drive flood basalt eruptions (Black & Manga 2017). Thus, it is important to understand the extent to which volatiles can remain trapped in a magmatic system and how they influence the eruptibility. Although the high-temperature metamorphic aureloe around a magma chamber is typically considered to have low permeability due to ductile creep, recent theoretical, experimental, and field work (e.g. Noriaki et al. 2017) have highlighted the role of dynamic permeability in magmatic systems. Consequently, the effective permeability of the crust when magma is present in the system can be orders of magnitude larger than that of exhumed rock samples. We model dynamic permeability changes as a competition between hydro-fracturing (increased porosity) and fracture closure by ductile creep and hydrothermal mineral precipitation (reduced porosity) and find yearly-to-decadal time-scales for periodic fracturing and fluid loss events and an increase in average permeability. We then use a fully coupled poro-thermo-elastic framework to model to explore the macroscopic influence of volatile loss on the stress state of the crust in this higher time-averaged permeability setting. We derive new semi-analytical solutions and combine them with a magma chamber box model (modified from Degruyter & Huber 2014) to analyze system-scale dynamics for both basaltic and silicic magmatic systems. We find that passive degassing likely has a substantial temporal influence on the stress distribution in the crust and the highly crystalline mush zone immediately surrounding a magma reservoir, and find an additional scale : pore-pressure diffusion timescale that exerts a first-order control on the magnitude and frequency of volcanic eruptions. We also explore how disconnected magma batches interact indirectly with each other and its implications for mobilizing large volumes of magma during flood basalt eruptions as well as dike location and orientation. These coupled process may help us better understand the relationship between climate warming events (due to volatiles) and the eruption intervals and sizes of eruptions in flood basalts (e.g Woelders et al. 2017 for the Deccan volcanism).

Critical Dynamics of Gravito-Convective Mixing in Geological Carbon Sequestration

PubMed Central

Soltanian, Mohamad Reza; Amooie, Mohammad Amin; Dai, Zhenxue; Cole, David; Moortgat, Joachim

2016-01-01

When CO2 is injected in saline aquifers, dissolution causes a local increase in brine density that can cause Rayleigh-Taylor-type gravitational instabilities. Depending on the Rayleigh number, density-driven flow may mix dissolved CO2 throughout the aquifer at fast advective time-scales through convective mixing. Heterogeneity can impact density-driven flow to different degrees. Zones with low effective vertical permeability may suppress fingering and reduce vertical spreading, while potentially increasing transverse mixing. In more complex heterogeneity, arising from the spatial organization of sedimentary facies, finger propagation is reduced in low permeability facies, but may be enhanced through more permeable facies. The connectivity of facies is critical in determining the large-scale transport of CO2-rich brine. We perform high-resolution finite element simulations of advection-diffusion transport of CO2 with a focus on facies-based bimodal heterogeneity. Permeability fields are generated by a Markov Chain approach, which represent facies architecture by commonly observed characteristics such as volume fractions. CO2 dissolution and phase behavior are modeled with the cubic-plus-association equation-of-state. Our results show that the organization of high-permeability facies and their connectivity control the dynamics of gravitationally unstable flow. We discover new flow regimes in both homogeneous and heterogeneous media and present quantitative scaling relations for their temporal evolution. PMID:27808178

Machine learning framework for analysis of transport through complex networks in porous, granular media: A focus on permeability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

van der Linden, Joost H.; Narsilio, Guillermo A.; Tordesillas, Antoinette

2016-08-01

We present a data-driven framework to study the relationship between fluid flow at the macroscale and the internal pore structure, across the micro- and mesoscales, in porous, granular media. Sphere packings with varying particle size distribution and confining pressure are generated using the discrete element method. For each sample, a finite element analysis of the fluid flow is performed to compute the permeability. We construct a pore network and a particle contact network to quantify the connectivity of the pores and particles across the mesoscopic spatial scales. Machine learning techniques for feature selection are employed to identify sets of microstructural properties and multiscale complex network features that optimally characterize permeability. We find a linear correlation (in log-log scale) between permeability and the average closeness centrality of the weighted pore network. With the pore network links weighted by the local conductance, the average closeness centrality represents a multiscale measure of efficiency of flow through the pore network in terms of the mean geodesic distance (or shortest path) between all pore bodies in the pore network. Specifically, this study objectively quantifies a hypothesized link between high permeability and efficient shortest paths that thread through relatively large pore bodies connected to each other by high conductance pore throats, embodying connectivity and pore structure.

Quantitative prediction of ionization effect on human skin permeability.

PubMed

Baba, Hiromi; Ueno, Yusuke; Hashida, Mitsuru; Yamashita, Fumiyoshi

2017-04-30

Although skin permeability of an active ingredient can be severely affected by its ionization in a dose solution, most of the existing prediction models cannot predict such impacts. To provide reliable predictors, we curated a novel large dataset of in vitro human skin permeability coefficients for 322 entries comprising chemically diverse permeants whose ionization fractions can be calculated. Subsequently, we generated thousands of computational descriptors, including LogD (octanol-water distribution coefficient at a specific pH), and analyzed the dataset using nonlinear support vector regression (SVR) and Gaussian process regression (GPR) combined with greedy descriptor selection. The SVR model was slightly superior to the GPR model, with externally validated squared correlation coefficient, root mean square error, and mean absolute error values of 0.94, 0.29, and 0.21, respectively. These models indicate that Log D is effective for a comprehensive prediction of ionization effects on skin permeability. In addition, the proposed models satisfied the statistical criteria endorsed in recent model validation studies. These models can evaluate virtually generated compounds at any pH; therefore, they can be used for high-throughput evaluations of numerous active ingredients and optimization of their skin permeability with respect to permeant ionization. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A three-dimensional transient mixed hybrid finite element model for superabsorbent polymers with strain-dependent permeability.

PubMed

Yu, Cong; Malakpoor, Kamyar; Huyghe, Jacques M

2018-05-16

A hydrogel is a cross-linked polymer network with water as solvent. Industrially widely used superabsorbent polymers (SAP) are partially neutralized sodium polyacrylate hydrogels. The extremely large degree of swelling is one of the most distinctive characteristics of such hydrogels, as the volume increase can be about 30 times its original volume when exposed to physiological solution. The large deformation resulting from the swelling demands careful numerical treatment. In this work, we present a biphasic continuum-level swelling model using the mixed hybrid finite element method (MHFEM) in three dimensions. The hydraulic permeability is highly dependent on the swelling ratio, resulting in values that are orders of magnitude apart from each other. The property of the local mass conservation of MHFEM contributes to a more accurate calculation of the deformation as the permeability across the swelling gel in a transient state is highly non-uniform. We show that the proposed model is able to simulate the free swelling of a random-shaped gel and the squeezing of fluid out of a swollen gel. Finally, we make use of the proposed numerical model to study the onset of surface instability in transient swelling.

Multi-level computational methods for interdisciplinary research in the HathiTrust Digital Library

PubMed Central

Allen, Colin; Börner, Katy; Light, Robert; McAlister, Simon; Ravenscroft, Andrew; Rose, Robert; Rose, Doori; Otsuka, Jun; Bourget, David; Lawrence, John; Reed, Chris

2017-01-01

We show how faceted search using a combination of traditional classification systems and mixed-membership topic models can go beyond keyword search to inform resource discovery, hypothesis formulation, and argument extraction for interdisciplinary research. Our test domain is the history and philosophy of scientific work on animal mind and cognition. The methods can be generalized to other research areas and ultimately support a system for semi-automatic identification of argument structures. We provide a case study for the application of the methods to the problem of identifying and extracting arguments about anthropomorphism during a critical period in the development of comparative psychology. We show how a combination of classification systems and mixed-membership models trained over large digital libraries can inform resource discovery in this domain. Through a novel approach of “drill-down” topic modeling—simultaneously reducing both the size of the corpus and the unit of analysis—we are able to reduce a large collection of fulltext volumes to a much smaller set of pages within six focal volumes containing arguments of interest to historians and philosophers of comparative psychology. The volumes identified in this way did not appear among the first ten results of the keyword search in the HathiTrust digital library and the pages bear the kind of “close reading” needed to generate original interpretations that is the heart of scholarly work in the humanities. Zooming back out, we provide a way to place the books onto a map of science originally constructed from very different data and for different purposes. The multilevel approach advances understanding of the intellectual and societal contexts in which writings are interpreted. PMID:28922416

Multi-level computational methods for interdisciplinary research in the HathiTrust Digital Library.

PubMed

Murdock, Jaimie; Allen, Colin; Börner, Katy; Light, Robert; McAlister, Simon; Ravenscroft, Andrew; Rose, Robert; Rose, Doori; Otsuka, Jun; Bourget, David; Lawrence, John; Reed, Chris

2017-01-01

We show how faceted search using a combination of traditional classification systems and mixed-membership topic models can go beyond keyword search to inform resource discovery, hypothesis formulation, and argument extraction for interdisciplinary research. Our test domain is the history and philosophy of scientific work on animal mind and cognition. The methods can be generalized to other research areas and ultimately support a system for semi-automatic identification of argument structures. We provide a case study for the application of the methods to the problem of identifying and extracting arguments about anthropomorphism during a critical period in the development of comparative psychology. We show how a combination of classification systems and mixed-membership models trained over large digital libraries can inform resource discovery in this domain. Through a novel approach of "drill-down" topic modeling-simultaneously reducing both the size of the corpus and the unit of analysis-we are able to reduce a large collection of fulltext volumes to a much smaller set of pages within six focal volumes containing arguments of interest to historians and philosophers of comparative psychology. The volumes identified in this way did not appear among the first ten results of the keyword search in the HathiTrust digital library and the pages bear the kind of "close reading" needed to generate original interpretations that is the heart of scholarly work in the humanities. Zooming back out, we provide a way to place the books onto a map of science originally constructed from very different data and for different purposes. The multilevel approach advances understanding of the intellectual and societal contexts in which writings are interpreted.

The Thermodynamic Limit in Mean Field Spin Glass Models

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guerra, Francesco; Toninelli, Fabio Lucio

We present a simple strategy in order to show the existence and uniqueness of the infinite volume limit of thermodynamic quantities, for a large class of mean field disordered models, as for example the Sherrington-Kirkpatrick model, and the Derrida p-spin model. The main argument is based on a smooth interpolation between a large system, made of N spin sites, and two similar but independent subsystems, made of N1 and N2 sites, respectively, with N1+N2=N. The quenched average of the free energy turns out to be subadditive with respect to the size of the system. This gives immediately convergence of the free energy per site, in the infinite volume limit. Moreover, a simple argument, based on concentration of measure, gives the almost sure convergence, with respect to the external noise. Similar results hold also for the ground state energy per site.

Convective mixing in vertically-layered porous media: The linear regime and the onset of convection

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ghorbani, Zohreh; Riaz, Amir; Daniel, Don

2017-08-01

We study the effect of permeability heterogeneity on the stability of gravitationally unstable, transient, diffusive boundary layers in porous media. Permeability is taken to vary periodically in the horizontal plane normal to the direction of gravity. In contrast to the situation for vertical permeability variation, the horizontal perturbation structures are multimodal. We therefore use a two-dimensional quasi-steady eigenvalue analysis as well as a complementary initial value problem to investigate the stability behavior in the linear regime, until the onset of convection. We find that thick permeability layers enhance instability compared with thin layers when heterogeneity is increased. On the contrary, for thin layers the instability is weakened progressively with increasing heterogeneity to the extent that the corresponding homogeneous case is more unstable. For high levels of heterogeneity, we find that a small change in the permeability field results in large variations in the onset time of convection, similar to the instability event in the linear regime. However, this trend does not persist unconditionally because of the reorientation of vorticity pairs due to the interaction of evolving perturbation structures with heterogeneity. Consequently, an earlier onset of instability does not necessarily imply an earlier onset of convection. A resonant amplification of instability is observed within the linear regime when the dominant perturbation mode is equal to half the wavenumber of permeability variation. On the other hand, a substantial damping occurs when the perturbation mode is equal to the harmonic and sub-harmonic components of the permeability wavenumber. The phenomenon of such harmonic interactions influences both the onset of instability as well as the onset of convection.

Influence of Cholesterol on the Oxygen Permeability of Membranes: Insight from Atomistic Simulations.

PubMed

Dotson, Rachel J; Smith, Casey R; Bueche, Kristina; Angles, Gary; Pias, Sally C

2017-06-06

Cholesterol is widely known to alter the physical properties and permeability of membranes. Several prior works have implicated cell membrane cholesterol as a barrier to tissue oxygenation, yet a good deal remains to be explained with regard to the mechanism and magnitude of the effect. We use molecular dynamics simulations to provide atomic-resolution insight into the influence of cholesterol on oxygen diffusion across and within the membrane. Our simulations show strong overall agreement with published experimental data, reproducing the shapes of experimental oximetry curves with high accuracy. We calculate the upper-limit transmembrane oxygen permeability of a 1-palmitoyl,2-oleoylphosphatidylcholine phospholipid bilayer to be 52 ± 2 cm/s, close to the permeability of a water layer of the same thickness. With addition of cholesterol, the permeability decreases somewhat, reaching 40 ± 2 cm/s at the near-saturating level of 62.5 mol % cholesterol and 10 ± 2 cm/s in a 100% cholesterol mimic of the experimentally observed noncrystalline cholesterol bilayer domain. These reductions in permeability can only be biologically consequential in contexts where the diffusional path of oxygen is not water dominated. In our simulations, cholesterol reduces the overall solubility of oxygen within the membrane but enhances the oxygen transport parameter (solubility-diffusion product) near the membrane center. Given relatively low barriers to passing from membrane to membrane, our findings support hydrophobic channeling within membranes as a means of cellular and tissue-level oxygen transport. In such a membrane-dominated diffusional scheme, the influence of cholesterol on oxygen permeability is large enough to warrant further attention. Copyright © 2017 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Convective mixing in vertically-layered porous media: The linear regime and the onset of convection

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ghorbani, Zohreh; Riaz, Amir; Daniel, Don

In this paper, we study the effect of permeability heterogeneity on the stability of gravitationally unstable, transient, diffusive boundary layers in porous media. Permeability is taken to vary periodically in the horizontal plane normal to the direction of gravity. In contrast to the situation for vertical permeability variation, the horizontal perturbation structures are multimodal. We therefore use a two-dimensional quasi-steady eigenvalue analysis as well as a complementary initial value problem to investigate the stability behavior in the linear regime, until the onset of convection. We find that thick permeability layers enhance instability compared with thin layers when heterogeneity is increased.more » On the contrary, for thin layers the instability is weakened progressively with increasing heterogeneity to the extent that the corresponding homogeneous case is more unstable. For high levels of heterogeneity, we find that a small change in the permeability field results in large variations in the onset time of convection, similar to the instability event in the linear regime. However, this trend does not persist unconditionally because of the reorientation of vorticity pairs due to the interaction of evolving perturbation structures with heterogeneity. Consequently, an earlier onset of instability does not necessarily imply an earlier onset of convection. A resonant amplification of instability is observed within the linear regime when the dominant perturbation mode is equal to half the wavenumber of permeability variation. On the other hand, a substantial damping occurs when the perturbation mode is equal to the harmonic and sub-harmonic components of the permeability wavenumber. Finally, the phenomenon of such harmonic interactions influences both the onset of instability as well as the onset of convection.« less

Reanalysis of in situ permeability measurements in the Barbados décollement

USGS Publications Warehouse

Bekins, B.A.; Matmon, D.; Screaton, E.J.; Brown, K.M.

2011-01-01

A cased and sealed borehole in the Northern Barbados accretionary complex was the site of the first attempts to measure permeability in situ along a plate boundary décollement. Three separate efforts at Hole 949C yielded permeability estimates for the décollement spanning four orders of magnitude. An analysis of problems encountered during installation of the casing and seals provides insights into how the borehole conditions may have led to the wide range of results. During the installation, sediments from the surrounding formation repeatedly intruded into the borehole and casing. Stress analysis shows that the weak sediments were deforming plastically and the radial and tangential stresses around the borehole were significantly lower than lithostatic. This perturbed stress state may explain why the test pressure records showed indications of hydrofracture at pressures below lithostatic, and permeabilities rose rapidly as the estimated effective stress dropped below 0.8 MPa. Even after the borehole was sealed, the plastic deformation of the formation and relatively large gap of the wire wrapped screen allowed sediment to flow into the casing. Force equilibrium calculations predict sediment would have filled the borehole to 10 cm above the top of the screen by the time slug tests were conducted 1.5 years after the borehole was sealed. Reanalysis of the slug test results with these conditions yields several orders of magnitude higher permeability estimates than the original analysis which assumed an open casing. Overall the results based on only the tests with no sign of hydrofracture yield a permeability range of 10−14–10−15 m2 and a rate of increase in permeability with decreasing effective stress consistent with laboratory tests on samples from the décollement zone.

Convective mixing in vertically-layered porous media: The linear regime and the onset of convection

DOE PAGES

Ghorbani, Zohreh; Riaz, Amir; Daniel, Don

2017-08-02

In this paper, we study the effect of permeability heterogeneity on the stability of gravitationally unstable, transient, diffusive boundary layers in porous media. Permeability is taken to vary periodically in the horizontal plane normal to the direction of gravity. In contrast to the situation for vertical permeability variation, the horizontal perturbation structures are multimodal. We therefore use a two-dimensional quasi-steady eigenvalue analysis as well as a complementary initial value problem to investigate the stability behavior in the linear regime, until the onset of convection. We find that thick permeability layers enhance instability compared with thin layers when heterogeneity is increased.more » On the contrary, for thin layers the instability is weakened progressively with increasing heterogeneity to the extent that the corresponding homogeneous case is more unstable. For high levels of heterogeneity, we find that a small change in the permeability field results in large variations in the onset time of convection, similar to the instability event in the linear regime. However, this trend does not persist unconditionally because of the reorientation of vorticity pairs due to the interaction of evolving perturbation structures with heterogeneity. Consequently, an earlier onset of instability does not necessarily imply an earlier onset of convection. A resonant amplification of instability is observed within the linear regime when the dominant perturbation mode is equal to half the wavenumber of permeability variation. On the other hand, a substantial damping occurs when the perturbation mode is equal to the harmonic and sub-harmonic components of the permeability wavenumber. Finally, the phenomenon of such harmonic interactions influences both the onset of instability as well as the onset of convection.« less

Reservoir characterization of the Mt. Simon Sandstone, Illinois Basin, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Frailey, S.M.; Damico, J.; Leetaru, H.E.

2011-01-01

The integration of open hole well log analyses, core analyses and pressure transient analyses was used for reservoir characterization of the Mt. Simon sandstone. Characterization of the injection interval provides the basis for a geologic model to support the baseline MVA model, specify pressure design requirements of surface equipment, develop completion strategies, estimate injection rates, and project the CO2 plume distribution.The Cambrian-age Mt. Simon Sandstone overlies the Precambrian granite basement of the Illinois Basin. The Mt. Simon is relatively thick formation exceeding 800 meters in some areas of the Illinois Basin. In the deeper part of the basin where sequestration is likely to occur at depths exceeding 1000 m, horizontal core permeability ranges from less than 1 ?? 10-12 cm 2 to greater than 1 ?? 10-8 cm2. Well log and core porosity can be up to 30% in the basal Mt. Simon reservoir. For modeling purposes, reservoir characterization includes absolute horizontal and vertical permeability, effective porosity, net and gross thickness, and depth. For horizontal permeability, log porosity was correlated with core. The core porosity-permeability correlation was improved by using grain size as an indication of pore throat size. After numerous attempts to identify an appropriate log signature, the calculated cementation exponent from Archie's porosity and resistivity relationships was used to identify which porosity-permeability correlation to apply and a permeability log was made. Due to the relatively large thickness of the Mt. Simon, vertical permeability is an important attribute to understand the distribution of CO2 when the injection interval is in the lower part of the unit. Only core analyses and specifically designed pressure transient tests can yield vertical permeability. Many reservoir flow models show that 500-800 m from the injection well most of the CO2 migrates upward depending on the magnitude of the vertical permeability and CO2 injection rate (CO2 velocity). Assigning a specific value of vertical permeability to model cells is dependent on the vertical height of the model cell. Measured vertical permeability on core is scale dependent, such that lower vertical permeability is expected over longer core lengths compared to smaller lengths. Consequently, a series of vertical permeability tests were conducted on whole core varying in lengths of samples from 7 cm to 30 cm that showed vertical perm could change by an order of magnitude over a 30 cm height. For one well, the results from a series of pressure transient tests over a perforated interval much smaller than the gross thickness (<2%) confirmed the core-log based geologic model for vertical and horizontal permeability. A partial penetration model was used to estimate the horizontal and vertical permeability over a portion of the modeled area using series and parallel flow averaging techniques. ?? 2011 Published by Elsevier Ltd.

A stress-dependent model for reservoir stimulation in enhanced geothermal systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Troiano, Antonio; Giulia Di Giuseppe, Maria; Troise, Claudia; De Natale, Giuseppe

2015-04-01

We present a procedure for testing the interpretation of the induced seismicity. The procedure is based on Coulomb stress changes induced by deep fluid injection during well stimulation, providing a way to estimate how the potential for seismic failure in different volumes of a geothermal reservoir might change due to the water injection. Coulomb stress changes appear to be the main cause for the induced seismicity during the water injection. These stress changes do not only result from changes in the pore pressure, but also from the whole change in the stress tensor at any point in the medium, which results from the pressure perturbations. The numerical procedure presented takes into account the permeability increase that is due to the induced stress changes. A conceptual model that links the induced stress tensor and the permeability modifications is considered to estimate the permeability change induced during the water injection. In this way, we can adapt the medium behavior to mechanical changes, in order to better evaluate the effectiveness of the stimulation process for the enhancement of the reservoir permeability, while also refining the reconstruction of the Coulomb stress change patterns. Numerical tests have been developed that consider a physical medium and a geometry of the system comparable with that of Soultz EGS site (Alsace, France). Tests considering a fixed permeability, both isotropic and anisotropic, indicate a general decrease in the pressure changes when an anisotropic permeability was considered, with respect to the isotropic case. A marked elongation of the coulomb stress change patterns in the regional load direction was retrieved. This effect is enforced when a stress-dependent permeability is taken into account. Permeability enhancement progressively enlarges the seismic volume in turns, while decreasing the pressure in the neighborhood of the bottom of the well. The use of stress-dependent permeability also improves the reconstruction of the observed seismicity pattern. In particular, the large maximum of the coulomb stress changes at the point of injection, which was already mitigated by the consideration of anisotropic permeability, appears further decreased in the new data. The improving of the correlation between the coulomb stress changes and the induced seismicity distribution supports the reliability and robustness of the main hypothesis of this study of the relationship between the induced stress tensor variation and the permeability enhancement. The use of stress-dependent permeability constitutes an important step towards the theoretical planning of stimulation procedures, and towards interpretation and mitigation of the induced seismicity.

Experimental techniques and computational methods toward the estimation of the effective two-phase flow coefficients and multi-scale heterogeneities of soils

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsakiroglou, C. D.; Aggelopoulos, C. A.; Sygouni, V.

2009-04-01

A hierarchical, network-type, dynamic simulator of the immiscible displacement of water by oil in heterogeneous porous media is developed to simulate the rate-controlled displacement of two fluids at the soil column scale. A cubic network is constructed, where each node is assigned a permeability which is chosen randomly from a distribution function. The intensity of heterogeneities is quantified by the width of the permeability distribution function. The capillary pressure at each node is calculated by combining a generalized Leverett J-function with a Corey type model. Information about the heterogeneity of soils at the pore network scale is obtained by combining mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) data with back-scattered scanning electron microscope (BSEM) images [1]. In order to estimate the two-phase flow properties of nodes (relative permeability and capillary pressure functions, permeability distribution function) immiscible and miscible displacement experiments are performed on undisturbed soil columns. The transient responses of measured variables (pressure drop, fluid saturation averaged over five successive segments, solute concentration averaged over three cross-sections) are fitted with models accounting for the preferential flow paths at the micro- (multi-region model) and macro-scale (multi flowpath model) because of multi-scale heterogeneities [2,3]. Simulating the immiscible displacement of water by oil (drainage) in a large netork, at each time step, the fluid saturation and pressure of each node are calculated formulating mass balances at each node, accounting for capillary, viscous and gravity forces, and solving the system of coupled equations. At each iteration of the algorithm, the pressure drop is so selected that the total flow rate of the injected fluid is kept constant. The dynamic large-scale network simulator is used (1) to examine the sensitivity of the transient responses of the axial distribution of fluid saturation and total pressure drop across the network to the permeability distribution function, spatial correlations of permeability, and capillary number, and (2) to estimate the effective (up-scaled) relative permeability functions at the soil column scale. In an attempt to clarify potential effects of the permeability distribution and spatial permeability correlations on the transient responses of the pressure drop across a soil column, signal analysis with wavelets is performed [4] on experimental and simulated results. The transient variation of signal energy and frequency of pressure drop fluctuations at the wavelet domain are correlated with macroscopic properties such as the effective water and oil relative permeabilities of the porous medium, and microscopic properties such as the variation of the permeability distribution of oil-occupied nodes. Toward the solution of the inverse problem, a general procedure is suggested to identify macro-heterogeneities from the fast analysis of pressure drop signals. References 1. Tsakiroglou, C.D. and M.A. Ioannidis, "Dual porosity modeling of the pore structure and transport properties of a contaminated soil", Eur. J. Soil Sci., 59, 744-761 (2008). 2. Aggelopoulos, C.A., and C.D. Tsakiroglou, "Quantifying the Soil Heterogeneity from Solute Dispersion Experiments", Geoderma, 146, 412-424 (2008). 3. Aggelopoulos, C.A., and C.D. Tsakiroglou, "A multi-flow path approach to model immiscible displacement in undisturbed heterogeneous soil columns", J. Contam. Hydrol., in press (2009). 4. Sygouni, V., C.D. Tsakiroglou, and A.C. Payatakes, "Using wavelets to characterize the wettability of porous materials", Phys. Rev. E, 76, 056304 (2007).

Estimating permeability from quasi-static deformation: Temporal variations and arrival time inversion

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Vasco, D.W.; Ferretti, Alessandro; Novali, Fabrizio

2008-05-01

Transient pressure variations within a reservoir can be treated as a propagating front and analyzed using an asymptotic formulation. From this perspective one can define a pressure 'arrival time' and formulate solutions along trajectories, in the manner of ray theory. We combine this methodology and a technique for mapping overburden deformation into reservoir volume change as a means to estimate reservoir flow properties, such as permeability. Given the entire 'travel time' or phase field, obtained from the deformation data, we can construct the trajectories directly, there-by linearizing the inverse problem. A numerical study indicates that, using this approach, we canmore » infer large-scale variations in flow properties. In an application to Interferometric Synthetic Aperture (InSAR) observations associated with a CO{sub 2} injection at the Krechba field, Algeria, we image pressure propagation to the northwest. An inversion for flow properties indicates a linear trend of high permeability. The high permeability correlates with a northwest trending fault on the flank of the anticline which defines the field.« less

Photo-switchable membrane and method

DOEpatents

Marshall, Kenneth L; Glowacki, Eric

2013-05-07

Switchable gas permeation membranes in which a photo-switchable low-molecular-weight liquid crystalline (LC) material acts as the active element, and a method of making such membranes. Different LC eutectic mixtures were doped with mesogenic azo dyes and infused into track-etched porous membranes with regular cylindrical pores. Photo-induced isothermal phase changes in the imbibed mesogenic material afforded large, reversible changes in the permeability of the photo-switchable membrane to nitrogen. For example, membranes imbibed with a photo-switchable cyanobiphenyl LC material demonstrated low permeability in the nematic state, while the photo-generated isotropic state demonstrated a 16.times.-greater sorption coefficient. Both states obey a high linear sorption behavior in accordance with Henry's Law. In contrast, membranes imbibed with a photo-switchable phenyl benzoate LC material showed the opposite permeability behavior to the biphenyl-imbibed membrane, along with nonlinear sorption behavior.

Correlation of Gas Permeability in a Metal-Organic Framework MIL-101(Cr)–Polysulfone Mixed-Matrix Membrane with Free Volume Measurements by Positron Annihilation Lifetime Spectroscopy (PALS)

PubMed Central

Jeazet, Harold B. Tanh; Koschine, Tönjes; Staudt, Claudia; Raetzke, Klaus; Janiak, Christoph

2013-01-01

Hydrothermally stable particles of the metal-organic framework MIL-101(Cr) were incorporated into a polysulfone (PSF) matrix to produce mixed-matrix or composite membranes with excellent dispersion of MIL-101 particles and good adhesion within the polymer matrix. Pure gas (O2, N2, CO2 and CH4) permeation tests showed a significant increase of gas permeabilities of the mixed-matrix membranes without any loss in selectivity. Positron annihilation lifetime spectroscopy (PALS) indicated that the increased gas permeability is due to the free volume in the PSF polymer and the added large free volume inside the MIL-101 particles. The trend of the gas transport properties of the composite membranes could be reproduced by a Maxwell model. PMID:24957061

Gas Flow Tightly Coupled to Elastoplastic Geomechanics for Tight- and Shale-Gas Reservoirs: Material Failure and Enhanced Permeability

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Kim, Jihoon; Moridis, George J.

We investigate coupled flow and geomechanics in gas production from extremely low permeability reservoirs such as tight and shale gas reservoirs, using dynamic porosity and permeability during numerical simulation. In particular, we take the intrinsic permeability as a step function of the status of material failure, and the permeability is updated every time step. We consider gas reservoirs with the vertical and horizontal primary fractures, employing the single and dynamic double porosity (dual continuum) models. We modify the multiple porosity constitutive relations for modeling the double porous continua for flow and geomechanics. The numerical results indicate that production of gasmore » causes redistribution of the effective stress fields, increasing the effective shear stress and resulting in plasticity. Shear failure occurs not only near the fracture tips but also away from the primary fractures, which indicates generation of secondary fractures. These secondary fractures increase the permeability significantly, and change the flow pattern, which in turn causes a change in distribution of geomechanical variables. From various numerical tests, we find that shear failure is enhanced by a large pressure drop at the production well, high Biot's coefficient, low frictional and dilation angles. Smaller spacing between the horizontal wells also contributes to faster secondary fracturing. When the dynamic double porosity model is used, we observe a faster evolution of the enhanced permeability areas than that obtained from the single porosity model, mainly due to a higher permeability of the fractures in the double porosity model. These complicated physics for stress sensitive reservoirs cannot properly be captured by the uncoupled or flow-only simulation, and thus tightly coupled flow and geomechanical models are highly recommended to accurately describe the reservoir behavior during gas production in tight and shale gas reservoirs and to smartly design production scenarios.« less

Gas Flow Tightly Coupled to Elastoplastic Geomechanics for Tight- and Shale-Gas Reservoirs: Material Failure and Enhanced Permeability

DOE PAGES

Kim, Jihoon; Moridis, George J.

2014-12-01

We investigate coupled flow and geomechanics in gas production from extremely low permeability reservoirs such as tight and shale gas reservoirs, using dynamic porosity and permeability during numerical simulation. In particular, we take the intrinsic permeability as a step function of the status of material failure, and the permeability is updated every time step. We consider gas reservoirs with the vertical and horizontal primary fractures, employing the single and dynamic double porosity (dual continuum) models. We modify the multiple porosity constitutive relations for modeling the double porous continua for flow and geomechanics. The numerical results indicate that production of gasmore » causes redistribution of the effective stress fields, increasing the effective shear stress and resulting in plasticity. Shear failure occurs not only near the fracture tips but also away from the primary fractures, which indicates generation of secondary fractures. These secondary fractures increase the permeability significantly, and change the flow pattern, which in turn causes a change in distribution of geomechanical variables. From various numerical tests, we find that shear failure is enhanced by a large pressure drop at the production well, high Biot's coefficient, low frictional and dilation angles. Smaller spacing between the horizontal wells also contributes to faster secondary fracturing. When the dynamic double porosity model is used, we observe a faster evolution of the enhanced permeability areas than that obtained from the single porosity model, mainly due to a higher permeability of the fractures in the double porosity model. These complicated physics for stress sensitive reservoirs cannot properly be captured by the uncoupled or flow-only simulation, and thus tightly coupled flow and geomechanical models are highly recommended to accurately describe the reservoir behavior during gas production in tight and shale gas reservoirs and to smartly design production scenarios.« less

Direct push injection logging for high resolution characterization of low permeability zones

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Liu, G.; Knobbe, S.; Butler, J. J., Jr.; Reboulet, E. C.; Borden, R. C.; Bohling, G.

2017-12-01

One of the grand challenges for groundwater protection and contaminated site remediation efforts is dealing with the slow, yet persistent, release of contaminants from low permeability zones. In zones of higher permeability, groundwater flow is relatively fast and contaminant transport can be more effectively affected by treatment activities. In the low permeability zones, however, groundwater flow and contaminant transport are slow and thus become largely insensitive to many in-situ treatment efforts. Clearly, for sites with low permeability zones, accurate depiction of the mass exchange between the low and higher permeability zones is critical for designing successful groundwater protection and remediation systems, which requires certain information such as the hydraulic conductivity (K) and porosity of the subsurface. The current generation of field methods is primarily developed for relatively permeable zones, and little work has been undertaken for characterizing zones of low permeability. For example, the direct push injection logging (DPIL) approach (e.g., Hydraulic Profiling Tool by Geoprobe) is commonly used for high resolution estimation of K over a range of 0.03 to 23 m/d. When K is below 0.03 m/d, the pressure responses from the current DPIL are generally too high for both the formation (potential formation alteration at high pressure) and measuring device (pressure exceeding the upper sensor limit). In this work, we modified the current DPIL tool by adding a low-flow pump and flowmeter so that injection logging can be performed with much reduced flow rates when K is low. Numerical simulations showed that the reduction in injection rates (reduced from 250 to 1 mL/min) allowed pressures to be measurable even when K was as low as 0.001 m/d. They also indicated that as the K decreased, the pore water pressure increase induced by probe advancement had a more significant impact on DPIL results. A new field DPIL profiling procedure was developed for reducing that impact. Our preliminary test results in both the lab and at a field site have demonstrated the promise of the modified DPIL approach as a practical method for characterizing low permeability zones.

Influence of mechanical rock properties and fracture healing rate on crustal fluid flow dynamics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sachau, Till; Bons, Paul; Gomez-Rivas, Enrique; Koehn, Daniel; de Riese, Tamara

2016-04-01

Fluid flow in the Earth's crust is very slow over extended periods of time, during which it occurs within the connected pore space of rocks. If the fluid production rate exceeds a certain threshold, matrix permeability alone is insufficient to drain the fluid volume and fluid pressure builds up, thereby reducing the effective stress supported by the rock matrix. Hydraulic fractures form once the effective pressure exceeds the tensile strength of the rock matrix and act subsequently as highly effective fluid conduits. Once local fluid pressure is sufficiently low again, flow ceases and fractures begin to heal. Since fluid flow is controlled by the alternation of fracture permeability and matrix permeability, the flow rate in the system is strongly discontinuous and occurs in intermittent pulses. Resulting hydraulic fracture networks are largely self-organized: opening and subsequent healing of hydraulic fractures depends on the local fluid pressure and on the time-span between fluid pulses. We simulate this process with a computer model and describe the resulting dynamics statistically. Special interest is given to a) the spatially and temporally discontinuous formation and closure of fractures and fracture networks and b) the total flow rate over time. The computer model consists of a crustal-scale dual-porosity setup. Control parameters are the pressure- and time-dependent fracture healing rate, and the strength and the permeability of the intact rock. Statistical analysis involves determination of the multifractal properties and of the power spectral density of the temporal development of the total drainage rate and hydraulic fractures. References Bons, P. D. (2001). The formation of large quartz veins by rapid ascent of fluids in mobile hydrofractures. Tectonophysics, 336, 1-17. Miller, S. a., & Nur, A. (2000). Permeability as a toggle switch in fluid-controlled crustal processes. Earth and Planetary Science Letters, 183(1-2), 133-146. Sachau, T., Bons, P. D., & Gomez-Rivas, E. (2015). Transport efficiency and dynamics of hydraulic fracture networks. Frontiers in Physics, 3.

Seismically active volume not a good indicator of the stimulated reservoir: evidence from Paralana

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Riffault, J.; Dempsey, D. E.; Karra, S.; Archer, R.

2017-12-01

Hydraulic stimulation is routinely carried out in EGS projects in order to engineer the geothermal reservoir, triggering large amounts of seismicity. There is broad consensus that hydroshearing, the shear failure of existing fractures caused by pore pressure increasing above a critical value, is the mechanism primarily responsible for the seismicity. It is also often assumed to be the primary mechanism behind permeability enhancement and thus reservoir creation, although several other physical processes, such as thermal and chemical effects, and tensile failure, can also contribute. An extension of this assumption is that the seismically active volume reflects the extent of the stimulated reservoir. This may not always be the case. Hydraulic stimulation aims to improve injectivity, which we define as the ratio of injection rate to wellhead pressure. During the Paralana-2 EGS stimulation, undertaken in South Australia in 2011, injectivity increased linearly over time, implying permeability enhancement. Concurrently, 4754 micro-earthquakes were detected and located. We have spatially averaged hypocentre positions in order to image the spatio-temporally evolving seismicity cloud and its main features. Using an established correlation from a previous EGS experiment, we use hypocentre density as a proxy measure of pore pressure increase. Knowing then how pressure and injectivity evolve over time, we develop an inversion procedure based on reservoir simulation to infer how permeability has evolved around the well. Our results indicate that, although there is significant permeability enhancement close to the wellbore, this is largely uncoupled from the seismically active volume that extends much further away. In other words, for the Paralana stimulation, the seismicity cloud is a poor indicator of the stimulated reservoir volume. It further implies that hydroshearing itself is not the main cause of permeability enhancement at Paralana. Our study suggests that past stimulations may need to be revisited and a stronger case made for estimates of the stimulated reservoir.

Fracture characterization and fracture-permeability estimation at the underground research laboratory in southeastern Manitoba, Canada

USGS Publications Warehouse

Paillet, Frederick L.

1988-01-01

Various conventional geophysical well logs were obtained in conjunction with acoustic tube-wave amplitude and experimental heat-pulse flowmeter measurements in two deep boreholes in granitic rocks on the Canadian shield in southeastern Manitoba. The objective of this study is the development of measurement techniques and data processing methods for characterization of rock volumes that might be suitable for hosting a nuclear waste repository. One borehole, WRA1, intersected several major fracture zones, and was suitable for testing quantitative permeability estimation methods. The other borehole, URL13, appeared to intersect almost no permeable fractures; it was suitable for testing methods for the characterization of rocks of very small permeability and uniform thermo-mechanical properties in a potential repository horizon. Epithermal neutron , acoustic transit time, and single-point resistance logs provided useful, qualitative indications of fractures in the extensively fractured borehole, WRA1. A single-point log indicates both weathering and the degree of opening of a fracture-borehole intersection. All logs indicate the large intervals of mechanically and geochemically uniform, unfractured granite below depths of 300 m in the relatively unfractured borehole, URL13. Some indications of minor fracturing were identified in that borehole, with one possible fracture at a depth of about 914 m, producing a major acoustic waveform anomaly. Comparison of acoustic tube-wave attenuation with models of tube-wave attenuation in infinite fractures of given aperture provide permeability estimates ranging from equivalent single-fractured apertures of less than 0.01 mm to apertures of > 0.5 mm. One possible fracture anomaly in borehole URL13 at a depth of about 914 m corresponds with a thin mafic dike on the core where unusually large acoustic contrast may have produced the observed waveform anomaly. No indications of naturally occurring flow existed in borehole URL13; however, flowmeter measurements indicated flow at < 0.05 L/min from the upper fracture zones in borehole WRA1 to deeper fractures at depths below 800 m. (Author 's abstract)

Calcium permeable AMPA receptors and autoreceptors in external tufted cells of rat olfactory bulb

PubMed Central

Ma, Jie; Lowe, Graeme

2007-01-01

Glomeruli are functional units of the olfactory bulb responsible for early processing of odor information encoded by single olfactory receptor genes. Glomerular neural circuitry includes numerous external tufted (ET) cells whose rhythmic burst firing may mediate synchronization of bulbar activity with the inhalation cycle. Bursting is entrained by glutamatergic input from olfactory nerve terminals, so specific properties of ionotropic glutamate receptors on ET cells are likely to be important determinants of olfactory processing. Particularly intriguing is recent evidence that α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methylisoxazole-4-propionic acid (AMPA) receptors of juxta-glomerular neurons may permeate calcium. This could provide a novel pathway for regulating ET cell signaling. We tested the hypothesis that ET cells express functional calcium-permeable AMPA receptors. In rat olfactory bulb slices, excitatory postsynaptic currents (EPSCs) in ET cells were evoked by olfactory nerve shock, and by uncaging glutamate. We found attenuation of AMPA/kainate EPSCs by 1-naphthyl acetyl-spermine (NAS), an open-channel blocker specific for calcium permeable AMPA receptors. Cyclothiazide strongly potentiated EPSCs, indicating a major contribution from AMPA receptors. The current-voltage (I-V) relation of uncaging EPSCs showed weak inward rectification which was lost after > ~ 10 min of whole-cell dialysis, and was absent in NAS. In kainate-stimulated slices, Co2+ ions permeated cells of the glomerular layer. Large AMPA EPSCs were accompanied by fluorescence signals in fluo-4 loaded cells, suggesting calcium permeation. Depolarizing pulses evoked slow tail currents with pharmacology consistent with involvement of calcium permeable AMPA autoreceptors. Tail currents were abolished by Cd2+ and NBQX, and were sensitive to NAS block. Glutamate autoreceptors were confirmed by uncaging intracellular calcium to evoke a large inward current. Our results provide evidence that calcium permeable AMPA receptors reside on ET cells, and are divided into at least two functionally distinct pools – postsynaptic receptors at olfactory nerve synaptic terminals, and autoreceptors sensitive to glutamate released from dendrodendritic synapses. PMID:17156930

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Freeze, R.A.; McWhorter, D.B.

Many emerging remediation technologies are designed to remove contaminant mass from source zones at DNAPL sites in response to regulatory requirements. There is often concern in the regulated community as to whether mass removal actually reduces risk, or whether the small risk reductions achieved warrant the large costs incurred. This paper sets out a proposed framework for quantifying the degree to which risk is reduced as mass is removed from DNAPL source areas in shallow, saturated, low-permeability media. Risk is defined in terms of meeting an alternate concentration limit (ACL) at a compliance well in an aquifer underlying the sourcemore » zone. The ACL is back-calculated from a carcinogenic health-risk characterization at a downgradient water-supply well. Source-zone mass-removal efficiencies are heavily dependent on the distribution of mass between media (fractures, matrix) and phase (aqueous, sorbed, NAPL). Due to the uncertainties in currently available technology performance data, the scope of the paper is limited to developing a framework for generic technologies rather than making specific risk-reduction calculations for individual technologies. Despite the qualitative nature of the exercise, results imply that very high total mass-removal efficiencies are required to achieve significant long-term risk reduction with technology applications of finite duration. This paper is not an argument for no action at contaminated sites. Rather, it provides support for the conclusions of Cherry et al. (1992) that the primary goal of current remediation should be short-term risk reduction through containment, with the aim to pass on to future generations site conditions that are well-suited to the future applications of emerging technologies with improved mass-removal capabilities.« less

Effects of Fluctuating River flow on Groundwater/Surface Water Mixing in the Hyporheic Zone of a Regulated, Large Cobble Bed River

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Arntzen, Evan V.; Geist, David R.; Dresel, P. Evan

2006-10-31

Physicochemical relationships in the boundary zone between groundwater and surface water (i.e., the hyporheic zone) are controlled by surface water hydrology and the hydrogeologic properties of the riverbed. We studied how sediment permeability and river discharge altered the vertical hydraulic gradient (VHG) and water quality of the hyporheic zone within the Hanford Reach of the Columbia River. The Columbia River at Hanford is a large, cobble-bed river where water level fluctuates up to 2 m daily because of hydropower generation. Concomitant with recording river stage, continuous readings were made of water temperature, specific conductance, dissolved oxygen, and water level ofmore » the hyporheic zone. The water level data were used to calculate VHG between the river and hyporheic zone. Sediment permeability was estimated using slug tests conducted in piezometers installed into the river bed. The response of water quality measurements and VHG to surface water fluctuations varied widely among study sites, ranging from no apparent response to co-variance with river discharge. At some sites, a hysteretic relationship between river discharge and VHG was indicated by a time lag in the response of VHG to changes in river stage. The magnitude, rate of change, and hysteresis of the VHG response varied the most at the least permeable location (hydraulic conductivity (K) = 2.9 x 10-4 cms-1), and the least at the most permeable location (K=8.0 x 10-3 cms-1). Our study provides empirical evidence that sediment properties and river discharge both control the water quality of the hyporheic zone. Regulated rivers, like the Columbia River at Hanford, that undergo large, frequent discharge fluctuations represent an ideal environment to study hydrogeologic processes over relatively short time scales (i.e., days to weeks) that would require much longer periods of time to evaluate (i.e., months to years) in un-regulated systems.« less

Selective Matrix (Hyaluronan) Interaction with CD44 and RhoGTPase Signaling Promotes Keratinocyte Functions and Overcomes Age-related Epidermal Dysfunction

PubMed Central

Bourguignon, Lilly Y.W.; Wong, Gabriel; Xia, Weiliang; Man, Mao-Qiang; Holleran, Walter M.; Elias, Peter M.

2013-01-01

Background Mouse epidermal chronologic aging is closely associated with aberrant matrix (hyaluronan, HA) -size distribution/production and impaired keratinocyte proliferation/differentiation, leading to a marked thinning of the epidermis with functional consequence that causes a slower recovery of permeability barrier function. Objective The goal of this study is to demonstrate mechanism-based, corrective therapeutic strategies using topical applications of small HA (HAS) and/or large HA (HAL) [or a sequential small HA (HAS) and large HA(HAL) (HAs-»HAL) treatment] as well as RhoGTPase signaling perturbation agents to regulate HA/CD44-mediated signaling, thereby restoring normal epidermal function, and permeability barrier homeostasis in aged mouse skin. Methods A number of biochemical, cell biological/molecular, pharmacological and physiological approaches were used to investigate matrix HA-CD44-mediated RhoGTPase signaling in regulating epidermal functions and skin aging. Results In this study we demonstrated that topical application of small HA (HAS) promotes keratinocyte proliferation and increases skin thickness, while it fails to upregulate keratinocyte differentiation or permeability barrier repair in aged mouse skin. In contrast, large HA (HAL) induces only minimal changes in keratinocyte proliferation and skin thickness, but restores keratinocyte differentiation and improves permeability barrier function in aged epidermis. Since neither HAS nor HAL corrects these epidermal defects in aged CD44 knock-out mice, CD44 likely mediates HA-associated epidermal functions in aged mouse skin. Finally, blockade of Rho-kinase activity with Y27632 or protein kinase-Nγ activity with Ro31-8220 significantly decreased the HA (HAS or HAL)-mediated changes in epidermal function in aged mouse skin. Conclusion The results of our study show first that HA application of different sizes regulates epidermal proliferation, differentiation and barrier function in aged mouse skin. Second, manipulation of matrix (HA) interaction with CD44 and RhoGTPase signaling could provide further novel therapeutic approaches that could be targeted for the treatment of various aging-related skin disorders. PMID:23790635

Hydrogeology and geochemistry of low-permeability oil-shales - Case study from HaShfela sub-basin, Israel

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Burg, Avihu; Gersman, Ronen

2016-09-01

Low permeability rocks are of great importance given their potential role in protecting underlying aquifers from surface and buried contaminants. Nevertheless, only limited data for these rocks is available. New appraisal wells drilled into the oil shale unit (OSU) of the Mt. Scopus Group in the HaShfela sub-basin, Central Israel, provided a one-time opportunity for detailed study of the hydrogeology and geochemistry of this very low permeability unit. Methods used include: slug tests, electrical logs, televiewer imaging, porosity and permeability measurements on core samples, chemical analyses of the rock column and groundwater analyses. Slug tests yielded primary indication to the low permeability of the OSU despite its high porosity (30-40%). Hydraulic conductivities as low as 10-10-10-12 m/s were calculated, using both the Hvorslev and Cooper-Bredehoeft-Papadopulos decoding methods. These low conductivities were confirmed by direct measurements of permeability in cores, and from calculations based on the Kozeny-Carman approach. Storativity was found to be 1 · 10-6 and specific storage - 3.8 · 10-9 m-1. Nevertheless, the very limited water flow in the OSU is argued to be driven gravitationally. The extremely slow recovery rates as well as the independent recovery of two adjacent wells, despite their initial large head difference of 214 m, indicate that the natural fractures are tight and are impermeable due to the confining stress at depth. Laboratory measured permeability is similar or even higher than the field-measured values, thereby confirming that fractures and bedding planes do not form continuous flow paths. The vertical permeability along the OSU is highly variable, implying hydraulic stratification and extremely low vertical hydraulic conductivity. The high salinity of the groundwater (6300-8000 mgCl/L) within the OSU and its chemical and isotopic compositions are explained by the limited water flow, suggesting long residence time of the water, prolonged water-rock interaction and mixing with ancient trapped salty water. The current study demonstrates that targeted and detailed research of low permeability rocks can produce reliable hydraulic parameters using slug tests and accompanying methods. The data produced is of upmost importance for quantitative risk evaluations such as models for waste burial in low permeability units.

Gravel-Sand-Clay Mixture Model for Predictions of Permeability and Velocity of Unconsolidated Sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Konishi, C.

2014-12-01

Gravel-sand-clay mixture model is proposed particularly for unconsolidated sediments to predict permeability and velocity from volume fractions of the three components (i.e. gravel, sand, and clay). A well-known sand-clay mixture model or bimodal mixture model treats clay contents as volume fraction of the small particle and the rest of the volume is considered as that of the large particle. This simple approach has been commonly accepted and has validated by many studies before. However, a collection of laboratory measurements of permeability and grain size distribution for unconsolidated samples show an impact of presence of another large particle; i.e. only a few percent of gravel particles increases the permeability of the sample significantly. This observation cannot be explained by the bimodal mixture model and it suggests the necessity of considering the gravel-sand-clay mixture model. In the proposed model, I consider the three volume fractions of each component instead of using only the clay contents. Sand becomes either larger or smaller particles in the three component mixture model, whereas it is always the large particle in the bimodal mixture model. The total porosity of the two cases, one is the case that the sand is smaller particle and the other is the case that the sand is larger particle, can be modeled independently from sand volume fraction by the same fashion in the bimodal model. However, the two cases can co-exist in one sample; thus, the total porosity of the mixed sample is calculated by weighted average of the two cases by the volume fractions of gravel and clay. The effective porosity is distinguished from the total porosity assuming that the porosity associated with clay is zero effective porosity. In addition, effective grain size can be computed from the volume fractions and representative grain sizes for each component. Using the effective porosity and the effective grain size, the permeability is predicted by Kozeny-Carman equation. Furthermore, elastic properties are obtainable by general Hashin-Shtrikman-Walpole bounds. The predicted results by this new mixture model are qualitatively consistent with laboratory measurements and well log obtained for unconsolidated sediments. Acknowledgement: A part of this study was accomplished with a subsidy of River Environment Fund of Japan.

A postmodern Pandora's box: anti-vaccination misinformation on the Internet.

PubMed

Kata, Anna

2010-02-17

The Internet plays a large role in disseminating anti-vaccination information. This paper builds upon previous research by analyzing the arguments proffered on anti-vaccination websites, determining the extent of misinformation present, and examining discourses used to support vaccine objections. Arguments around the themes of safety and effectiveness, alternative medicine, civil liberties, conspiracy theories, and morality were found on the majority of websites analyzed; misinformation was also prevalent. The most commonly proposed method of combating this misinformation is through better education, although this has proven ineffective. Education does not consider the discourses supporting vaccine rejection, such as those involving alternative explanatory models of health, interpretations of parental responsibility, and distrust of expertise. Anti-vaccination protestors make postmodern arguments that reject biomedical and scientific "facts" in favour of their own interpretations. Pro-vaccination advocates who focus on correcting misinformation reduce the controversy to merely an "educational" problem; rather, these postmodern discourses must be acknowledged in order to begin a dialogue. Copyright (c) 2009 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

From species ethics to social concerns: Habermas's critique of "liberal eugenics" evaluated.

PubMed

Árnason, Vilhjálmur

2014-10-01

Three arguments of Habermas against "liberal eugenics" -- the arguments from consent, responsibility, and instrumentalization -- are critically evaluated and explicated in the light of his discourse ethics and social theory. It is argued that these arguments move partly at a too deep level and are in part too individualistic and psychological to sufficiently counter the liberal position that he sets out to criticize. This is also due to limitations that prevent discourse ethics from connecting effectively to the moral and political domains, e.g., through a discussion of justice. In spite of these weaknesses, Habermas's thesis is of major relevance and brings up neglected issues in the discussion about eugenic reproductive practices. This relevance has not been duly recognized in bioethics, largely because of the depth of his speculations of philosophical anthropology. It is argued that Habermas's notion of the colonization of the lifeworld could provide the analytical tool needed to build that bridge to the moral and political domain.

Prebiotic milk oligosaccharides prevent development of obese phenotype, impairment of gut permeability, and microbial dysbiosis in high fat-fed mice.

PubMed

Hamilton, M Kristina; Ronveaux, Charlotte C; Rust, Bret M; Newman, John W; Hawley, Melissa; Barile, Daniela; Mills, David A; Raybould, Helen E

2017-05-01

Microbial dysbiosis and increased intestinal permeability are targets for prevention or reversal of weight gain in high-fat (HF) diet-induced obesity (DIO). Prebiotic milk oligosaccharides (MO) have been shown to benefit the host intestine but have not been used in DIO. We hypothesized that supplementation with bovine MO would prevent the deleterious effect of HF diet on the gut microbiota and intestinal permeability and attenuate development of the obese phenotype. C57BL/6 mice were fed a control diet, HF (40% fat/kcal), or HF + prebiotic [6%/kg bovine milk oligosaccharides (BMO) or inulin] for 1, 3, or 6 wk. Gut microbiota and intestinal permeability were assessed in the ileum, cecum, and colon. Addition of BMO to the HF diet significantly attenuated weight gain, decreased adiposity, and decreased caloric intake; inulin supplementation also lowered weight gain and adiposity, but this did not reach significance. BMO and inulin completely abolished the HF diet-induced increase in paracellular and transcellular permeability in the small and large intestine. Both BMO and inulin increased abundance of beneficial microbes Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus in the ileum. However, inulin supplementation altered phylogenetic diversity and decreased species richness. We conclude that addition of BMO to the HF diet completely prevented increases in intestinal permeability and microbial dysbiosis and was partially effective to prevent weight gain in DIO. NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study provides the first report of the effects of prebiotic bovine milk oligosaccharides on the host phenotype of high-fat diet-induced obesity in mice. Copyright © 2017 the American Physiological Society.

Prebiotic milk oligosaccharides prevent development of obese phenotype, impairment of gut permeability, and microbial dysbiosis in high fat-fed mice

PubMed Central

Ronveaux, Charlotte C.; Rust, Bret M.; Newman, John W.; Hawley, Melissa; Barile, Daniela; Mills, David A.

2017-01-01

Microbial dysbiosis and increased intestinal permeability are targets for prevention or reversal of weight gain in high-fat (HF) diet-induced obesity (DIO). Prebiotic milk oligosaccharides (MO) have been shown to benefit the host intestine but have not been used in DIO. We hypothesized that supplementation with bovine MO would prevent the deleterious effect of HF diet on the gut microbiota and intestinal permeability and attenuate development of the obese phenotype. C57BL/6 mice were fed a control diet, HF (40% fat/kcal), or HF + prebiotic [6%/kg bovine milk oligosaccharides (BMO) or inulin] for 1, 3, or 6 wk. Gut microbiota and intestinal permeability were assessed in the ileum, cecum, and colon. Addition of BMO to the HF diet significantly attenuated weight gain, decreased adiposity, and decreased caloric intake; inulin supplementation also lowered weight gain and adiposity, but this did not reach significance. BMO and inulin completely abolished the HF diet-induced increase in paracellular and transcellular permeability in the small and large intestine. Both BMO and inulin increased abundance of beneficial microbes Bifidobacterium and Lactobacillus in the ileum. However, inulin supplementation altered phylogenetic diversity and decreased species richness. We conclude that addition of BMO to the HF diet completely prevented increases in intestinal permeability and microbial dysbiosis and was partially effective to prevent weight gain in DIO. NEW & NOTEWORTHY This study provides the first report of the effects of prebiotic bovine milk oligosaccharides on the host phenotype of high-fat diet-induced obesity in mice. PMID:28280143

Influence of Superplasticizer-Microsilica Complex on Cement Hydration, Structure and Properties of Cement Stone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ivanov, I. M.; Kramar, L. Ya; Orlov, A. A.

2017-11-01

According to the study results, the influence of complex additives based on microsilica and superplasticizers on the processes of the heat release, hydration, hardening, formation of the structure and properties of cement stone was determined. Calorimetry, derivatography, X-ray phase analysis, electronic microscopy and physical-mechanical methods for analyzing the properties of cement stone were used for the studies. It was established that plasticizing additives, in addition to the main water-reducing and rheological functions, regulate cement solidification and hardening while polycarboxylate superplasticizers even contribute to the formation of a special, amorphized microstructure of cement stone. In a complex containing microsilica and a polycarboxylate superplasticizer the strength increases sharply with a sharp drop in the capillary porosity responsible for the density, permeability, durability, and hence, the longevity of concrete. All this is a weighty argument in favor of the use of microsilica jointly with a polycarboxylate superplasticizer in road concretes operated under aggressive conditions.

Permeability, Fracture Clusters, and Stress State:Implications for Mine-based Studies of EcoHydrology

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Earnest, E. J.; Boutt, D. F.; Murdoch, L.; Hisz, D. B.; Ebenhack, J.; Kieft, T. L.; Onstott, T. C.; Wang, H. F.

2011-12-01

Mine-based ecohydrology studies provide unique access to deep flow systems at multiple crustal depths. Mass and energy transfer in such deep flow systems is typically dominated by localized flow through discrete features such as fractures and faults, of which only a small percentage contribute to both local and regional flow systems. Predicting which fractures are contributing to flow and transport in these networks has proven extremely difficult. Researchers working at deeper crustal levels (Barton et al., 1995) have successfully predicted fracture network permeability using relationships between fracture aperture (i.e. transmissivity) and in-situ stress. Observations suggest that compared to porous media, fractured rocks have flow systems that operate across large spatial scales and may contain clusters that are hydraulically isolated. . This point is important as these flow systems can house fluids and microbes in isolated clusters and are minimally impacted by the presence of a mine. One example of this is the the former Homestake gold mine in the northern Black Hills, South Dakota, which is being considered as a location for an underground science laboratory. Mine workings cover several km2 in plan and extend to a depth 2.4 km. The area is dominantly Proterozoic metamorphic rocks, forming regional-scale folds with plunge axes oriented ~40o to the SSE. Prior analysis of the hydrogeology of the area indicates that permeability is strongly dependent on effective stress; an increase in permeability with decreasing depth appears to be an important factor controlling the development of a shallow ground water flow systems. In this contribution we examine a set of factors contributing to permeability distribution at the site with a specific focus on: 1) refining permeability-depth models for fractured rock to include the influence of both normal and shear fracture deformation on permeability-depth trends, 2) promote the development and testing of a stress-path fracture permeability hypothesis to examine space-time fracture permeability evolution at various depths, and 3) evaluate factors necessary to create and sustain isolated fracture clusters that could be targets for studies of ecohydrology. Preliminary field work in fractured rocks of Eastern Massachusetts suggest that the stress-path hypothesis, in which fracture permeability undergoes spatial and temporal changes due to erosion and rotatation of the in situ stress field, can be used to explain depth-dependent permeability trends, and is particularly significant for flow systems at depths significant for deep ecohydrology studies.

On the permeation of large organic cations through the pore of ATP-gated P2X receptors

PubMed Central

Harkat, Mahboubi; Peverini, Laurie; Dunning, Kate; Beudez, Juline; Martz, Adeline; Calimet, Nicolas; Specht, Alexandre; Cecchini, Marco; Chataigneau, Thierry; Grutter, Thomas

2017-01-01

Pore dilation is thought to be a hallmark of purinergic P2X receptors. The most commonly held view of this unusual process posits that under prolonged ATP exposure the ion pore expands in a striking manner from an initial small-cation conductive state to a dilated state, which allows the passage of larger synthetic cations, such as N-methyl-d-glucamine (NMDG+). However, this mechanism is controversial, and the identity of the natural large permeating cations remains elusive. Here, we provide evidence that, contrary to the time-dependent pore dilation model, ATP binding opens an NMDG+-permeable channel within milliseconds, with a conductance that remains stable over time. We show that the time course of NMDG+ permeability superimposes that of Na+ and demonstrate that the molecular motions leading to the permeation of NMDG+ are very similar to those that drive Na+ flow. We found, however, that NMDG+ “percolates” 10 times slower than Na+ in the open state, likely due to a conformational and orientational selection of permeating molecules. We further uncover that several P2X receptors, including those able to desensitize, are permeable not only to NMDG+ but also to spermidine, a large natural cation involved in ion channel modulation, revealing a previously unrecognized P2X-mediated signaling. Altogether, our data do not support a time-dependent dilation of the pore on its own but rather reveal that the open pore of P2X receptors is wide enough to allow the permeation of large organic cations, including natural ones. This permeation mechanism has considerable physiological significance. PMID:28442564

Controlling microtube permeability via grafted polymers and solvent quality.

PubMed

Suo, Tongchuan; Whitmore, Mark D

2014-03-21

We examine pressure-driven flow through a microtube with grafted polymers using a "doubly self-consistent field" steady-state theory. Our focus is on the structure of the polymer layer, the tube permeability, and the effects of solvent quality, for different regimes of open and closed tubes. We find that, within experimentally attainable pressure gradients, the flow has very little effect on the grafted layer. However, the polymers, and in particular variations in the solvent quality and cylinder radii, can have large effects on the flow. We find that the permeability can either increase or decrease with either the radius or solvent quality, and we identify the regimes for different behaviors in terms of general parameters that can be used to generalize to other systems. This allows us to identify regimes where the systems are most sensitive to these "tuning" parameters, and we find that they correspond to the boundaries between open and closed tubes identified earlier.

Are extrusive rhyolites produced from permeable foam eruptions?

USGS Publications Warehouse

Friedman, I.

1989-01-01

The permeable foam hypothesis is suggested by Eichelberger el al. (1986) to explain a major loss of water from rhyolithic magmas in the volcanic conduit. Evidence for the high-water content of the major portion of the magmas is herein examined and rejected. Eichelberger's hypothesis does not take into account the large (~2 orders of magnitude) viscosity change that would occur in the conduit as a result of water loss. It also requires that the permeable foam collapse and weld to form an obsidian that in thin section displays no evidence of the foam. An alternate hypothesis to explain the existence of small amounts of high water content rhyolite glasses in acid volcanoes is that rhyolite magmas are relatively dry (0.1-0.3% H2O) and that water enters the magma from the environment to produce a water-rich selvage which then is kneaded into the body of the magma. -Author

Co2+Ti4+ substituted Z-type barium ferrite with enhanced imaginary permeability and resonance frequency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Li, Z. W.; Guoqing, Lin; Chen, Linfeng; Yuping, Wu; Ong, C. K.

2006-03-01

Co2+Ti4+ substitution for Fe3+ in Co2Z (Ba3Co2Fe24O41) has been prepared. The crystal structure and static and high-frequency magnetic properties have been studied for Ba3Co2+xTixFe24-2xO41 and the corresponding ferrite/polymer composites. As compared to the general Co2Z ferrite/polymer composite, the CoTi substituted ferrite/polymer composite with x=1.0 has a high natural resonance frequency (4.5 GHz), due to its large out-of-plane anisotropy fields Hθ. Furthermore, the maximum imaginary permeability μmax'' is increased by about 50%. The increase is attributed to a decreased damping coefficient, based on the curve-fitted results to the complex permeability spectra. The composites are good electromagnetic attenuation materials with low reflectivity and broad bandwidth at microwave frequencies.

Phytosphingosine, sphingosine and dihydrosphingosine ceramides in model skin lipid membranes: permeability and biophysics.

PubMed

Školová, Barbora; Kováčik, Andrej; Tesař, Ondřej; Opálka, Lukáš; Vávrová, Kateřina

2017-05-01

Ceramides based on phytosphingosine, sphingosine and dihydrosphingosine are essential constituents of the skin lipid barrier that protects the body from excessive water loss. The roles of the individual ceramide subclasses in regulating skin permeability and the reasons for C4-hydroxylation of these sphingolipids are not completely understood. We investigated the chain length-dependent effects of dihydroceramides, sphingosine ceramides (with C4-unsaturation) and phytoceramides (with C4-hydroxyl) on the permeability, lipid organization and thermotropic behavior of model stratum corneum lipid membranes composed of ceramide/lignoceric acid/cholesterol/cholesteryl sulfate. Phytoceramides with very long C24 acyl chains increased the permeability of the model lipid membranes compared to dihydroceramides or sphingosine ceramides with the same chain lengths. Either unsaturation or C4-hydroxylation of dihydroceramides induced chain length-dependent increases in membrane permeability. Infrared spectroscopy showed that C4-hydroxylation of the sphingoid base decreased the relative ratio of orthorhombic chain packing in the membrane and lowered the miscibility of C24 phytoceramide with lignoceric acid. The phase separation in phytoceramide membranes was confirmed by X-ray diffraction. In contrast, phytoceramides formed strong hydrogen bonds and highly thermostable domains. Thus, the large heterogeneity in ceramide structures and in their aggregation mechanisms may confer resistance towards the heterogeneous external stressors that are constantly faced by the skin barrier. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Estimation of hydraulic permeability considering the micro morphology of rocks of the borehole YAXCOPOIL-1 (Impact crater Chicxulub, Mexico)

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mayr, S. I.; Burkhardt, H.; Popov, Yu.; Wittmann, A.

2008-04-01

Internal surface, formation factor, Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR)-T2 relaxation times and pore radius distributions were measured on representative core samples for the estimation of hydraulic permeability. Permeability is estimated using various versions of the classic Kozeny-Carman-equation (K-C) and a further development of K-C, the fractal PaRiS-model, taking into account the internal surface. In addition to grain and pore size distribution, directly connected to permeability, internal surface reflects the internal structure (“micro morphology”). Lithologies could be grouped with respect to differences in internal surface. Most melt rich impact breccia lithologies exhibit large internal surfaces, while Tertiary post-impact sediments and Cretaceous lithologies in displaced megablocks display smaller internal surfaces. Investigations with scanning electron microscopy confirm the correlation between internal surface and micro morphology. In addition to different versions of K-C, estimations by means of NMR, pore radius distributions and some gas permeability measurements serve for cross-checking and calibration. In general, the different estimations from the independent methods and the measurements are in satisfactory accordance. For Tertiary limestones and Suevites bulk with very high porosities (up to 35%) permeabilites between 10-14 and 10-16 m2 are found, whereas in lower Suevite, Cretaceous anhydrites and dolomites, bulk permeabilites are between 10-15 and 10-23 m2.

The dopamine-D2-receptor agonist ropinirole dose-dependently blocks the Ca2+-triggered permeability transition of mitochondria.

PubMed

Parvez, Suhel; Winkler-Stuck, Kirstin; Hertel, Silvia; Schönfeld, Peter; Siemen, Detlef

2010-01-01

Ropinirole, an agonist of the post-synaptic dopamine D2-receptor, exerts neuroprotective activity. The mechanism is still under discussion. Assuming that this neuroprotection might be associated with inhibition of the apoptotic cascade underlying cell death, we examined a possible effect of ropinirole on the permeability transition pore (mtPTP) in the mitochondrial inner membrane. Using isolated rat liver mitochondria, the effect of ropinirole was studied on Ca2+-triggered large amplitude swelling, membrane depolarization and cytochrome c release. In addition, the effect of ropinirole on oxidation of added, membrane-impermeable NADH was investigated. The results revealed doubtlessly, that ropinirole can inhibit permeability transition. In patch-clamp experiments on mitoplasts, we show directly that ropinirole interacts with the mtPTP. Thus, ropinirole reversibly inhibits the opening of mtPTP with an IC50 of 3.4 microM and a Hill coefficient of 1.3. In both systems (i.e. energized mitochondria and mitoplasts) the inhibitory effect on permeability transition was attenuated by increasing concentrations of inorganic phosphate. In addition, we showed with antimycin A-treated mitochondria that ropinirole failed to suppress respiratory chain-linked reactive oxygen species release. In conclusion, our data suggest that the neuroprotective activity of ropinirole is due to the blockade of the Ca2+-triggered permeability transition. Copyright © 2010 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Critical dynamics of gravito-convective mixing in geological carbon sequestration

DOE PAGES

Soltanian, Mohamad Reza; Amooie, Mohammad Amin; Dai, Zhenxue; ...

2016-11-03

When CO 2 is injected in saline aquifers, dissolution causes a local increase in brine density that can cause Rayleigh-Taylor-type gravitational instabilities. Depending on the Rayleigh number, density-driven flow may mix dissolved CO 2 throughout the aquifer at fast advective time-scales through convective mixing. Heterogeneity can impact density-driven flow to different degrees. Zones with low effective vertical permeability may suppress fingering and reduce vertical spreading, while potentially increasing transverse mixing. In more complex heterogeneity, arising from the spatial organization of sedimentary facies, finger propagation is reduced in low permeability facies, but may be enhanced through more permeable facies. The connectivitymore » of facies is critical in determining the large-scale transport of CO 2-rich brine. We perform high-resolution finite element simulations of advection-diffusion transport of CO 2 with a focus on facies-based bimodal heterogeneity. Permeability fields are generated by a Markov Chain approach, which represent facies architecture by commonly observed characteristics such as volume fractions. CO 2 dissolution and phase behavior are modeled with the cubic-plus-association equation-of-state. Our results show that the organization of high-permeability facies and their connectivity control the dynamics of gravitationally unstable flow. Lastly, we discover new flow regimes in both homogeneous and heterogeneous media and present quantitative scaling relations for their temporal evolution.« less

Origin of Permeability and Structure of Flows in Fractured Media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Dreuzy, J.; Darcel, C.; Davy, P.; Erhel, J.; Le Goc, R.; Maillot, J.; Meheust, Y.; Pichot, G.; Poirriez, B.

2013-12-01

After more than three decades of research, flows in fractured media have been shown to result from multi-scale geological structures. Flows result non-exclusively from the damage zone of the large faults, from the percolation within denser networks of smaller fractures, from the aperture heterogeneity within the fracture planes and from some remaining permeability within the matrix. While the effect of each of these causes has been studied independently, global assessments of the main determinisms is still needed. We propose a general approach to determine the geological structures responsible for flows, their permeability and their organization based on field data and numerical modeling [de Dreuzy et al., 2012b]. Multi-scale synthetic networks are reconstructed from field data and simplified mechanical modeling [Davy et al., 2010]. High-performance numerical methods are developed to comply with the specificities of the geometry and physical properties of the fractured media [Pichot et al., 2010; Pichot et al., 2012]. And, based on a large Monte-Carlo sampling, we determine the key determinisms of fractured permeability and flows (Figure). We illustrate our approach on the respective influence of fracture apertures and fracture correlation patterns at large scale. We show the potential role of fracture intersections, so far overlooked between the fracture and the network scales. We also demonstrate how fracture correlations reduce the bulk fracture permeability. Using this analysis, we highlight the need for more specific in-situ characterization of fracture flow structures. Fracture modeling and characterization are necessary to meet the new requirements of a growing number of applications where fractures appear both as potential advantages to enhance permeability and drawbacks for safety, e.g. in energy storage, stimulated geothermal energy and non-conventional gas productions. References Davy, P., et al. (2010), A likely universal model of fracture scaling and its consequence for crustal hydromechanics, Journal of Geophysical Research-Solid Earth, 115, 13. de Dreuzy, J.-R., et al. (2012a), Influence of fracture scale heterogeneity on the flow properties of three-dimensional Discrete Fracture Networks (DFN), J. Geophys. Res.-Earth Surf., 117(B11207), 21 PP. de Dreuzy, J.-R., et al. (2012b), Synthetic benchmark for modeling flow in 3D fractured media, Computers and Geosciences(0). Pichot, G., et al. (2010), A Mixed Hybrid Mortar Method for solving flow in Discrete Fracture Networks, Applicable Analysis, 89(10), 1729-1643. Pichot, G., et al. (2012), Flow simulation in 3D multi-scale fractured networks using non-matching meshes, SIAM Journal on Scientific Computing (SISC), 34(1). Figure: (a) Fracture network with a broad-range of fracture lengths. (b) Flows (log-scale) with homogeneous fractures. (c) Flows (log-scale) with heterogeneous fractures [de Dreuzy et al., 2012a]. The impact of the fracture apertures (c) is illustrated on the organization of flows.

Large trilinear At soft supersymmetry breaking coupling from 5D MSSM

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Abdalgabar, Ammar; Cornell, A. S.

2015-10-01

The possibility of generating a large trilinear At soft supersymmetry breaking coupling at low energies through renormalisation group evolution in the 5D MSSM is investigated. Using the power law running in five dimensions and a compactification scale in the 10-103 TeV range, we show that gluino mass may drive a large enough At to reproduce the measured Higgs mass and have a light stop superpartner below ∼ 1 TeV, as preferred by the fine tuning argument for the Higgs mass.

Interaction of Vortex Rings and Steady Jets with Permeable Screens of Varied Porosity

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Musta, Mustafa

2013-11-01

Vortex ring and steady jet interaction with a porous matrix formed from several parallel, transparent permeable screens with the same grid geometry for open area ratios (φ) 49.5% - 83.8% was studied previously using digital particle image velocimetry (DPIV) at jet Reynolds number (Re) of 1000-3000. Vortex ring results showed that unlike the experiments with thin screens, a transmitted vortex ring, which has a similar diameter to the primary one, wasn't formed. Instead a centerline vortex ring like structure formed and its diameter, circulation, and dissipation time decreased as φ decreased. However, for the case of screens φ = 55.7% with large screen spacing, reformation of large scale weak vortex rings was observed downstream of the first screen. The present work experimentally investigates the interaction of vortex rings and steady jets with screens of decreasing φ (83.8%-49.5%) in the flow direction. A piston type vortex ring generator was used and measurements were made using DPIV. The vortex ring results show that the size and circulation of the vortex ring like flow structure was changed based on the screen φ within the permeable screen matrix. Similarly, steady jet flow structure and the local turbulent kinetic energy was changed based on the local screen φ.

Differential roles of polar orbital prefrontal cortex and parietal lobes in logical reasoning with neutral and negative emotional content.

PubMed

Eimontaite, Iveta; Goel, Vinod; Raymont, Vanessa; Krueger, Frank; Schindler, Igor; Grafman, Jordan

2018-05-14

To answer the question of how brain pathology affects reasoning about negative emotional content, we administered a disjunctive logical reasoning task involving arguments with neutral content (e.g. Either there are tigers or women in NYC, but not both; There are no tigers in NYC; There are women in NYC) and emotionally laden content (e.g. Either there are pedophiles or politicians in Texas, but not both; There are politicians in Texas; There are no pedophiles in Texas) to 92 neurological patients with focal lesions to various parts of the brain. A Voxel Lesion Symptom Mapping (VLSM) analysis identified 16 patients, all with lesions to the orbital polar prefrontal cortex (BA 10 & 11), as being selectively impaired in the emotional reasoning condition. Another 17 patients, all with lesions to the parietal cortex, were identified as being impaired in the neutral content condition. The reasoning scores of these two patient groups, along with 23 matched normal controls, underwent additional analysis to explore the effect of belief bias. This analysis revealed that the differences identified above were largely driven by trials where there was an incongruency between the believability of the conclusion and the validity of the argument (i.e. valid argument /false conclusion or invalid argument /true conclusion). Patients with lesions to polar orbital prefrontal cortex underperformed in incongruent emotional content trials and over performed in incongruent neutral content trials (compared to both normal controls and patients with parietal lobe lesions). Patients with lesions to parietal lobes underperformed normal controls (at a trend level) in neutral trials where there was a congruency between the believability of the conclusion and the validity of the argument (i.e. valid argument/true conclusion or invalid argument/false conclusion). We conclude that lesions to the polar orbital prefrontal cortex (i) prevent these patients from enjoying any emotionally induced cognitive boost, and (ii) block the belief bias processing route in the neutral condition. Lesions to parietal lobes result in a generalized impairment in logical reasoning with neutral content. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

Teaching science as argument: Prospective elementary teachers' knowledge

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Barreto-Espino, Reizelie

For the past two decades there has been increasing emphasis on argumentation in school science. In 2007, the National Research Council published a synthesis report that emphasizes the centrality of constructing, evaluating, and using scientific explanations. Participating in argumentation is seen as fundamental to children's science learning experiences. These new expectations increase challenges for elementary teachers since their understanding of and experiences with science are overwhelmingly inconsistent with teaching science as argument. These challenges are further amplified when dealing with prospective elementary teachers. The current study was guided by the following research questions: (1) What are the ways in which preservice elementary teachers appropriate components of "teaching science as argument" during their student teaching experience? (2) To what extent do components from prospective elementary teachers' reflections influence planning for science teaching? (3) What elements from the context influence preservice elementary teachers' attention to teaching science as argument? This study followed a multi-participant case study approach and analyses were informed by grounded theory. Three participants were selected from a larger cohort of prospective elementary teachers enrolled in an innovative Elementary Professional Development School (PDS) partnership at a large Northeast University. Cross-case analysis allowed for the development of five key assertions: (1) The presence of opportunities for interacting with phenomena and collecting first hand data helped participants increase their emphasis on evidence-based explanations. (2) Participants viewed science talks as an essential mechanism for engaging students in the construction of evidence-based explanations and as being fundamental to meaning-making. (3) Participants demonstrated attention to scientific subject matter during instruction rather than merely focusing on activities and/or inquiry processes. (4) Scaffolded protocols positively influenced participants' attention to having students construct evidence-based explanations during science planning and teaching. (5) Teachers' beliefs about children's science capabilities influence their attention to and adoption of practices associated with teaching science as argument. Findings are discussed in terms of their implications for teacher education, such as the use of coherent conceptual frameworks to guide coursework and field experiences and the development of video-based cases that represent "images of the possible" associated with challenging reform-oriented teaching practices.

Effects of roughness and permeability on solute transfer at the sediment water interface.

PubMed

Han, Xu; Fang, Hongwei; He, Guojian; Reible, Danny

2018-02-01

Understanding the mechanisms of solute transfer across the sediment-water interface plays a crucial role in water quality prediction and management. In this study, different arranged particles are used to form typical rough and permeable beds. Large Eddy Simulation (LES) is used to model the solute transfer from the overlying water to sediment beds. Three rough wall turbulence regimes, i.e., smooth, transitional and rough regime, are separately considered and the effects of bed roughness on solute transfer are quantitatively analyzed. Results show that the classic laws related to Schmidt numbers can well reflect the solute transfer under the smooth regime with small roughness Reynolds numbers. Under the transitional regime, the solute transfer coefficient (K L + ) is enhanced and the effect of Schmidt number is weakened by increasing roughness Reynolds number. Under the rough regime, the solute transfer is suppressed by the transition layer (Brinkman layer) and controlled by the bed permeability. Moreover, it is found that water depth, friction velocity and bed permeability can be used to estimate the solute transfer velocity (K L ) under the completely rough regime. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Static Magnetic Cloak without a Superconductor

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Jiang, Wei; Ma, Yungui; He, Sailing

2018-05-01

Similar to its electromagnetic counterpart, magnetic cloaking also has very important technological applications. However, the traditional method to build a static magnetic cloak requires the use of superconducting materials as the diamagnetic component, which seriously limits the practical potential because of the cryogenic condition. We show that a diamagnetic active current boundary combined with a high-permeability magnetic inner shell (MIS) can be designed to solve this problem, rendering an ideal magnetic cloaking effect at zero frequency. We first theoretically prove that a current boundary could magnetically behave as a superconductor to external observers. Based on this phenomena, we introduce a high-permeability MIS made of magnetically ultrasoft metallic sheets (permeability μ >103 ) and experimentally prove that the bilayer combination can exactly balance out the disturbance to the external probing field and, meanwhile, have a large invisible inner space. We also show that the active boundary currents can be accordingly configured to overcome the permeability and frequency band limits, leading to a robust cloak over the entire quasistatic frequency region. Our work creates an efficient way to circumvent the traditional limits of metamaterials to build magnetic cloaks for ultralow frequencies. The active-passive hybrid approach could be generally extended to yield other artificial magnetic devices or systems as well.

Permeable disks at low Reynolds numbers

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Viola, Ignazio Maria; Cummins, Cathal; Mastropaolo, Enrico; Nakayama, Naomi

2017-11-01

The wake of a permeable disk can be rather exceptional: a toroidal vortex can form and remains stably at a fixed distance from the disk. The streamwise length of the vortex depends on the Reynolds and Darcy numbers. We investigate this fascinating flow for Reynolds numbers from 10 to 130 and Darcy numbers (Da) from 10-9 to 1. Direct numerical simulations are performed on a 2D grid with axisymmetric boundary conditions. Three flow regimes are observed: for low Da (effectively impervious), the wake is characterized by the presence of a toroidal vortex whose length is approximately equal to that of an impervious disk. For 10-6 < Da <10-3 , the increase in Da causes the vortex to shorten, and eventually vanishes at a critical Darcy number. It is demonstrated that increasing the permeability can lead to large variations in the length of the recirculating wake but with minimal effect on the drag coefficient. For higher Da (highly permeable), there is no recirculation, and an analytical expression for the drag force on the disk is derived, showing good agreement with the numerical results. This work was supported by the Leverhulme Trust [RPG-2015-255].

Deepwater Gulf of Mexico turbidites -- Compaction effects on porosity and permeability

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ostermeier, R.M.

1995-06-01

The deepwater Gulf of Mexico is now a major area of activity for the US oil industry. Compaction causes particular concern because most prospective deepwater reservoirs are highly geo-pressured and many have limited aquifer support; water injection may also be problematic. To address some of the issues associated with compaction, the authors initiated a special core-analysis program to study compaction effects on turbidite sand porosity and permeability specifically. This program also addressed a number of subsidiary but no less important issues, such as sample characterization and quality, sample preparation, and test procedures. These issues are particularly pertinent, because Gulf ofmore » Mexico turbidites are generally unconsolidated, loose sands, and are thus susceptible to a whole array of potentially serious core-disturbing processes. One key result of the special core analysis program is that turbidite compressibilities exhibit large variations in both magnitude and stress dependence. These variations correlate with creep response in the laboratory measurements. The effects of compaction on permeability are significant. To eliminate complicating effects caused by fines movement, the authors made oil flow measurements at initial water saturation. The measurements indicate compaction reduces permeability four to five times more than porosity on a relative basis.« less

Calcium-dependent nonspecific permeability of the inner mitochondrial membrane is not induced in mitochondria of the yeast Endomyces magnusii.

PubMed

Deryabina, Y I; Isakova, E P; Shurubor, E I; Zvyagilskaya, R A

2004-09-01

Mitochondria of the yeast Endomyces magnusii were examined for the presence of a Ca2+- and phosphate-induced permeability of the inner mitochondrial membrane (pore). For this purpose, coupled mitochondria were incubated under conditions known to induce the permeability transition pore in animal mitochondria, i.e., in the presence of high concentrations of Ca2+ and P(i), prooxidants (t-butylhydroperoxide), oxaloacetate, atractyloside (an inhibitor of ADP/ATP translocator), SH-reagents, by depletion of adenine nucleotide pools, and deenergization of the mitochondria. Large amplitude swelling, collapse of the membrane potential, and efflux of the accumulated Ca2+ were used as parameters for demonstrating pore induction. E. magnusii mitochondria were highly resistant to the above-mentioned substances. Deenergization of mitochondria or depletion of adenine nucleotide pools have no effect on low-amplitude swelling or the other parameters. Cyclosporin A, a specific inhibitor of the nonspecific permeability transition in animal mitochondria, did not affect the parameters measured. It is thus evident that E. magnusii mitochondria lack a functional Ca2+-dependent pore, or possess a pore differently regulated as compared to that of mammalian mitochondria.

Geoscience technology application to optimize field development, Seligi Field, Malay Basin

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Ahmed, M.S.; Wiggins, B.D.

1994-07-01

Integration of well log, core, 3-D seismic, and engineering data within a sequence stratigraphic framework, has enabled prediction of reservoir distribution and optimum development of Seligi field. Seligi is the largest field in the Malay Basin, with half of the reserves within lower Miocene Group J reservoirs. These reservoirs consist of shallow marine sandstones and estuarine sandstones predominantly within an incised valley. Variation in reservoir quality has been a major challenge in developing Seligi. Recognizing and mapping four sequences within the Group J incised valley fill has resulted in a geologic model for predicting the distribution of good quality estuarinemore » reservoir units and intercalated low-permeability sand/shale units deposited during marine transgressions. These low-permeability units segregate the reservoir fluids, causing differential contact movement in response to production thus impacting completion strategy and well placement. Seismic calibration shows that a large impedance contrast exists between the low-permeability rock and adjacent good quality oil sand. Application of sequence stratigraphic/facies analysis coupled with the ability to identify the low-permeability units seismically is enabling optimum development of each of the four sequences at Seligi.« less

Exploring different strategies for imbalanced ADME data problem: case study on Caco-2 permeability modeling.

PubMed

Pham-The, Hai; Casañola-Martin, Gerardo; Garrigues, Teresa; Bermejo, Marival; González-Álvarez, Isabel; Nguyen-Hai, Nam; Cabrera-Pérez, Miguel Ángel; Le-Thi-Thu, Huong

2016-02-01

In many absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) modeling problems, imbalanced data could negatively affect classification performance of machine learning algorithms. Solutions for handling imbalanced dataset have been proposed, but their application for ADME modeling tasks is underexplored. In this paper, various strategies including cost-sensitive learning and resampling methods were studied to tackle the moderate imbalance problem of a large Caco-2 cell permeability database. Simple physicochemical molecular descriptors were utilized for data modeling. Support vector machine classifiers were constructed and compared using multiple comparison tests. Results showed that the models developed on the basis of resampling strategies displayed better performance than the cost-sensitive classification models, especially in the case of oversampling data where misclassification rates for minority class have values of 0.11 and 0.14 for training and test set, respectively. A consensus model with enhanced applicability domain was subsequently constructed and showed improved performance. This model was used to predict a set of randomly selected high-permeability reference drugs according to the biopharmaceutics classification system. Overall, this study provides a comparison of numerous rebalancing strategies and displays the effectiveness of oversampling methods to deal with imbalanced permeability data problems.

Roles of Ion Channels in the Environmental Responses of Plants

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Furuichi, Takuya; Kawano, Tomonori; Tatsumi, Hitoshi; Sokabe, Masahiro

When plant cells are exposed to environmental stresses or perceive internal signal molecules involved in growth and development, ion channels are transiently activated to convert these stimuli into intracellular signals. Among the ions taken up by plant cells, Ca2+ plays an essential role as an intracellular second messenger in plants; the cytoplasmic free Ca2+ concentration ([Ca2+]c) is therefore strictly regulated. Signal transduction pathways mediated by changes in [Ca2+]c - termed Ca2+ signaling - are initiated by the activation of Ca2+-permeable channels in many cases. To date, a large body of electrophysiological and recent molecular biological studies have revealed that plants possess Ca2+ channels belonging to distinct types with different gating mechanisms, and a variety of genes for Ca2+-permeable channels have been isolated and functionally characterized. Topics in this chapter focus on long-distance signal translocation in plants and the characteristics of a variety of plant Ca2+-permeable channels including voltage-dependent Ca2+-permeable channels, cyclic nucleotide-gated cation channels, ionotropic glutamate receptors and mechanosensitive channels. We discuss their roles in environmental responses and in the regulation of growth and development.

Poromechanical response of naturally fractured sorbing media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kumar, Hemant

The injection of CO2 in coal seams has been utilized for enhanced gas recovery and potential CO2 sequestration in unmineable coal seams. It is advantageous because as it enhances the production and significant volumes of CO2 may be stored simultaneously. The key issues for enhanced gas recovery and geologic sequestration of CO2 include (1) Injectivity prediction: The chemical and physical processes initiated by the injection of CO2 in the coal seam leads to permeability/porosity changes (2) Up scaling: Development of full scale coupled reservoir model which may predict the enhanced production, associated permeability changes and quantity of sequestered CO2. (3) Reservoir Stimulation: The coalbeds are often fractured and proppants are placed into the fractures to prevent the permeability reduction but the permeability evolution in such cases is poorly understood. These issues are largely governed by dynamic coupling of adsorption, fluid exchange, transport, water content, stress regime, fracture geometry and physiomechanical changes in coals which are triggered by CO 2 injection. The understanding of complex interactions in coal has been investigated through laboratory experiments and full reservoir scale models are developed to answer key issues. (Abstract shortened by ProQuest.).

Numerical Modeling of the Pumping Tests at the Ketzin Pilot Site for CO2 Injection: Model Calibration and Heterogeneity Effects

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, F.; Wiese, B.; Zhou, Q.; Birkholzer, J. T.; Kowalsky, M. B.

2013-12-01

The Stuttgart formation used for ongoing CO2 injection at the Ketzin pilot test site in Germany is highly heterogeneous in nature. The site characterization data, including 3D seismic amplitude images, the regional geology data, and the core measurements and geophysical logs of the wells show the formation is composed of permeable sandstone channels of varying thickness and length embedded in less permeable mudstones. Most of the sandstone channels are located in the upper 10-15 m of the formation, with only a few sparsely distributed sandstone channels in the bottom 70-m layer. Three-dimensional seismic data help to identify the large-scale facies distribution patterns in the Stuttgart formation, but are unable to resolve internal structures at a smaller scale (e.g. ~100 m). Heterogeneity has a large effect on the pressure propagation measured during a suite of pumping tests conducted in 2007-2008 and also impacts strongly the CO2 arrival times observed during the ongoing CO2 injection experiment. The arrival time of the CO2 plume at the observation well Ktzi 202was 12.5 times greater than at the other observation well Ktzi 200, even though the distance to the injection well is only 2.2 times farther than that of Ktzi 200. To characterize subsurface properties and help predict the behavior of injected CO2 in subsequent experiments, we develop a TOUGH2/EOS9 model for modeling the hydraulic pumping tests and use the inverse modeling tool iTOUGH2 for automatic model calibration. The model domain is parameterized using multiple zones, with each zone assumed to have uniform rock properties. The calibrated model produces system responses that are in good agreement with the measured pressure drawdown data, indicating that it captures the essential flow processes occurring during the pumping tests. The estimated permeability distribution shows that the heterogeneity is significant and that the study site is situated a semi-closed system with one or two sides open to permeable regions and the others effectively blocked by low-permeability regions. A low-permeability zone appears at the northern boundary of the model. Of the three wells that are analyzed, permeable channels are found to connect Ktzi 202 with Ktzi 200/Ktzi 201, while a low-permeability zone is observed between Ktzi 201 and Ktzi 200. The calibrated results are consistent with the crosshole ERT data and can help explain the position of a CO2 plume, inferred from 3D seismic surveys in a subsequent CO2 injection experiment. Because the CO2 transport that occurs during a CO2 injection and the pressure propagation that occurs during pumping tests are sensitive to different scales of subsurface heterogeneity, direct application of a model calibrated from pumping test data is inappropriate for predicting CO2 arrival. However, by including a thin layer of highly permeable sandstone, we present a proof-of-concept model that produces CO2 arrival times comparable to those observed at the site.

Effect of permeable flow on cyclic layering in solidifying magma bodies: Insights from an analog experiment of diffusion-precipitation systems

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Toramaru, A.; Yamauchi, S.

2012-04-01

Characteristic structures such as rhythmic layering, cress cumulate, cross bedding, perpendicular feldspar rock etc, are commonly observed in layered intrusion or shallow magmatic intrusions. These structures result from complex processes including thermal and compositional diffusions, crystallization, crystal settling, convection and interaction among three phases (crystals, bubble, melt). In order to understand how the differentiation proceeds in solidifying magma bodies from each characteristic structure together with chemical signatures, it is necessary to evaluate the relative importance among these elemental processes on structures. As an attempt to evaluate the effect of advection on a diffusion-related structure, we carried out an analog experiment of Liesegang system using lead-iodide (PbI2) crystallization in agar media which have been normally used to prohibit convection. In the ordinary Liesegang band formation experiments including only diffusion and crystallization kinetics without any advection and convection, the precipitation bands develop with regular spacing following a geometric progression due to two-component diffusion and reaction with supersaturation. This type of banding structure has been advocated as the same type of cyclic layering or vesicle layering (a sort of rhythmic layering) in dykes or sills. In order to see the effect of one-directional advection on Liesegang band, we apply the electric field (5 V to 25 V for a distance 15 cm) along the concentration gradient in agar media, thereby counteracting flows of lead anion Pb2+ and iodide ion I- are driven at constant velocities. The flows of anions and ions are equivalent to the permeable flows in porous media of crystal mush. The resultant precipitation structures exhibit very curious banding structure in which band spacings do not change with distance, are nearly constant and quite narrow, depending on the voltage, unlike those in ordinary Liesegang bands in which band spacings increase with distance following geometric progression. Further interestingly each band consists of a lot of very tiny irregular-shaped crystal aggregates. From experimental results and scaling arguments, with regard to the effect of one directional permeable flow on band spacing of cyclic layering, we propose a hypothesis of constant Peclet number that Peclet number (ratio of flow velocity to diffusive velocity) is nearly unity. By applying the hypothesis to natural examples, we can estimate a value of permeable flow velocity of interstitial melts in differentiating magma bodies from values of a band spacing and diffusivity data.

Ground-water hydrology of the Willamette basin, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Conlon, Terrence D.; Wozniak, Karl C.; Woodcock, Douglas; Herrera, Nora B.; Fisher, Bruce J.; Morgan, David S.; Lee, Karl K.; Hinkle, Stephen R.

2005-01-01

The Willamette Basin encompasses a drainage of 12,000 square miles and is home to approximately 70 percent of Oregon's population. Agriculture and population are concentrated in the lowland, a broad, relatively flat area between the Coast and Cascade Ranges. Annual rainfall is high, with about 80 percent of precipitation falling from October through March and less than 5 percent falling in July and August, the peak growing season. Population growth and an increase in cultivation of crops needing irrigation have produced a growing seasonal demand for water. Because many streams are administratively closed to new appropriations in summer, ground water is the most likely source for meeting future water demand. This report describes the current understanding of the regional ground-water flow system, and addresses the effects of ground-water development. This study defines seven regional hydrogeologic units in the Willamette Basin. The highly permeable High Cascade unit consists of young volcanic material found at the surface along the crest of the Cascade Range. Four sedimentary hydrogeologic units fill the lowland between the Cascade and Coast Ranges. Young, highly permeable coarse-grained sediments of the upper sedimentary unit have a limited extent in the floodplains of the major streams and in part of the Portland Basin. Extending over much of the lowland where the upper sedimentary unit does not occur, silts and clays of the Willamette silt unit act as a confining unit. The middle sedimentary unit, consisting of permeable coarse-grained material, occurs beneath the Willamette silt and upper sedimentary units and at the surface as terraces in the lowland. Beneath these units is the lower sedimentary unit, which consists of predominantly fine-grained sediments. In the northern part of the basin, lavas of the Columbia River basalt unit occur at the surface in uplands and beneath the basin-fill sedimentary units. The Columbia River basalt unit contains multiple productive water-bearing zones. A basement confining unit of older marine and volcanic rocks of low permeability underlies the basin and occurs at land surface in the Coast Range and western part of the Cascade Range. Most recharge in the basin is from infiltration of precipitation, and the spatial distribution of recharge mimics the distribution of precipitation, which increases with elevation. Basinwide annual mean recharge is estimated to be 22 inches. Rain and snowmelt easily recharge into the permeable High Cascade unit and discharge within the High Cascade area. Most recharge in the Coast Range and western part of the Cascade Range follows short flowpaths through the upper part of the low permeability material and discharges to streams within the mountains. Consequently, recharge in the Coast and Ranges is not available as lateral ground-water flow into the lowland, where most ground-water use occurs. Within the lowland, annual mean recharge is 16 inches and most recharge occurs from November to April, when rainfall is large and evapotranspiration is small. From May to October recharge is negligible because precipitation is small and evapotranspiration is large. Discharge of ground water is mainly to streams. Ground-water discharge is a relatively large component of flow in streams that drain the High Cascade unit and parts of the Portland Basin where permeable units are at the surface. In streams that do not head in the High Cascade area, streamflow is generally dominated by runoff of precipitation. Ground-water in the permeable units in the lowland discharges to the major streams where there is a good hydraulic connection between aquifers and streams. Ground-water discharge to smaller streams, which flow on the less permeable Willamette silt unit, is small and mostly from the Willamette silt unit. Most ground-water withdrawals occur within the lowland. Irrigation is the largest use of ground water, accounting for 240,000 acre feet of withdrawals, or 81 p

Modeling coupled Thermo-Hydro-Mechanical processes including plastic deformation in geological porous media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kelkar, S.; Karra, S.; Pawar, R. J.; Zyvoloski, G.

2012-12-01

There has been an increasing interest in the recent years in developing computational tools for analyzing coupled thermal, hydrological and mechanical (THM) processes that occur in geological porous media. This is mainly due to their importance in applications including carbon sequestration, enhanced geothermal systems, oil and gas production from unconventional sources, degradation of Arctic permafrost, and nuclear waste isolation. Large changes in pressures, temperatures and saturation can result due to injection/withdrawal of fluids or emplaced heat sources. These can potentially lead to large changes in the fluid flow and mechanical behavior of the formation, including shear and tensile failure on pre-existing or induced fractures and the associated permeability changes. Due to this, plastic deformation and large changes in material properties such as permeability and porosity can be expected to play an important role in these processes. We describe a general purpose computational code FEHM that has been developed for the purpose of modeling coupled THM processes during multi-phase fluid flow and transport in fractured porous media. The code uses a continuum mechanics approach, based on control volume - finite element method. It is designed to address spatial scales on the order of tens of centimeters to tens of kilometers. While large deformations are important in many situations, we have adapted the small strain formulation as useful insight can be obtained in many problems of practical interest with this approach while remaining computationally manageable. Nonlinearities in the equations and the material properties are handled using a full Jacobian Newton-Raphson technique. Stress-strain relationships are assumed to follow linear elastic/plastic behavior. The code incorporates several plasticity models such as von Mises, Drucker-Prager, and also a large suite of models for coupling flow and mechanical deformation via permeability and stresses/deformations. In this work we present several example applications of such models.

Imaging Findings Associated with Space-Occupying Edema in Patients with Large Middle Cerebral Artery Infarcts.

PubMed

Horsch, A D; Dankbaar, J W; Stemerdink, T A; Bennink, E; van Seeters, T; Kappelle, L J; Hofmeijer, J; de Jong, H W; van der Graaf, Y; Velthuis, B K

2016-05-01

Prominent space-occupying cerebral edema is a devastating complication occurring in some but not all patients with large MCA infarcts. It is unclear why differences in the extent of edema exist. Better knowledge of factors related to prominent edema formation could aid treatment strategies. This study aimed to identify variables associated with the development of prominent edema in patients with large MCA infarcts. From the Dutch Acute Stroke Study (DUST), 137 patients were selected with large MCA infarcts on follow-up NCCT (3 ± 2 days after stroke onset), defined as ASPECTS ≤4. Prominent edema was defined as a midline shift of ≥5 mm on follow-up. Admission patient and treatment characteristics were collected. Admission CT parameters used were ASPECTS on NCCT and CBV and MTT maps, and occlusion site, clot burden, and collaterals on CTA. Permeability on admission CTP, and day 3 recanalization and reperfusion statuses were obtained if available. Unadjusted and adjusted (age and NIHSS) odds ratios were calculated for all variables in relation to prominent edema. Prominent edema developed in 51 patients (37%). Adjusted odds ratios for prominent edema were higher with lower ASPECTS on NCCT (adjusted odds ratio, 1.32; 95% CI, 1.13-1.55) and CBV (adjusted odds ratio, 1.26; 95% CI, 1.07-1.49), higher permeability (adjusted odds ratio, 2.35; 95% CI, 1.30-4.24), more proximal thrombus location (adjusted odds ratio, 3.40; 95% CI, 1.57-7.37), higher clot burden (adjusted odds ratio, 2.88; 95% CI, 1.11-7.45), and poor collaterals (adjusted odds ratio, 3.93; 95% CI, 1.78-8.69). Extensive proximal occlusion, poor collaterals, and larger ischemic deficits with higher permeability play a role in the development of prominent edema in large MCA infarcts. © 2016 by American Journal of Neuroradiology.

Fluid Pocket Generation in Response to Heterogeneous Reactivity of a Rock Fracture Under Hydrothermal Conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Okamoto, A.; Tanaka, H.; Watanabe, N.; Saishu, H.; Tsuchiya, N.

2017-10-01

Fractures are the location of various water-rock interactions within the Earth's crust; however, the impact of the chemical heterogeneity of fractures on hydraulic properties is poorly understood. We conducted flow-through experiments on the dissolution of granite with a tensile fracture at 350°C and fluid pressure of 20 MPa with confining pressure of 40 MPa. The aperture structures were evaluated by X-ray computed tomography before and after the experiments. Under the experimental conditions, quartz grains dissolve rapidly to produce grain-scale pockets on the fracture surface, whereas altered feldspar grains act as asperities to sustain the open cavities. The fracture contained gouge with large surface area. The feedback between fluid flow and the rapid dissolution of gouge material produced large fluid pockets, whereas permeability did not always increase significantly. Such intense hydrological-chemical interactions could strongly influence the porosity-permeability relationship of fractured reservoirs in the crust.

Fracking in Tight Shales: What Is It, What Does It Accomplish, and What Are Its Consequences?

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Norris, J. Quinn; Turcotte, Donald L.; Moores, Eldridge M.; Brodsky, Emily E.; Rundle, John B.

2016-06-01

Fracking is a popular term referring to hydraulic fracturing when it is used to extract hydrocarbons. We distinguish between low-volume traditional fracking and the high-volume modern fracking used to recover large volumes of hydrocarbons from shales. Shales are fine-grained rocks with low granular permeabilities. During the formation of oil and gas, large fluid pressures are generated. These pressures result in natural fracking, and the resulting fracture permeability allows oil and gas to escape, reducing the fluid pressures. These fractures may subsequently be sealed by mineral deposition, resulting in tight shale formations. The objective of modern fracking is to reopen these fractures and/or create new fractures on a wide range of scales. Modern fracking has had a major impact on the availability of oil and gas globally; however, there are serious environmental objections to modern fracking, which should be weighed carefully against its benefits.

Sonoporation at Small and Large Length Scales: Effect of Cavitation Bubble Collapse on Membranes.

PubMed

Fu, Haohao; Comer, Jeffrey; Cai, Wensheng; Chipot, Christophe

2015-02-05

Ultrasound has emerged as a promising means to effect controlled delivery of therapeutic agents through cell membranes. One possible mechanism that explains the enhanced permeability of lipid bilayers is the fast contraction of cavitation bubbles produced on the membrane surface, thereby generating large impulses, which, in turn, enhance the permeability of the bilayer to small molecules. In the present contribution, we investigate the collapse of bubbles of different diameters, using atomistic and coarse-grained molecular dynamics simulations to calculate the force exerted on the membrane. The total impulse can be computed rigorously in numerical simulations, revealing a superlinear dependence of the impulse on the radius of the bubble. The collapse affects the structure of a nearby immobilized membrane, and leads to partial membrane invagination and increased water permeation. The results of the present study are envisioned to help optimize the use of ultrasound, notably for the delivery of drugs.

Fault rock mineralogy and fluid flow in the Coso Geothermal Field, CA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Davatzes, N. C.; Hickman, S. H.

2005-12-01

The minerals that comprise fault rock, their grain shapes, and packing geometry are important controls on fault zone properties such as permeability, frictional strength, and slip behavior. In this study we examine the role of mineralogy and deformation microstructures on fluid flow in a fault-hosted, fracture-dominated geothermal system contained in granitic rocks in the Coso Geothermal Field, CA. Initial examination of the mineralogy and microstructure of fault rock obtained from core and surface outcrops reveals three fault rock types. (1) Fault rock consisting of kaolinite and amorphous silica that contains large connected pores, dilatant brittle fractures, and dissolution textures. (2) Fault rock consisting of foliated layers of chlorite and illite-smectite separated by slip surfaces. (3) Fault rock consisting of poorly sorted angular grains, characterized by large variations in grain packing (pore size), and crack-seal textures. These different fault rocks are respectively associated with a high permeability upper boiling zone for the geothermal system, a conductively heated "caprock" at moderate to shallow depth associated with low permeability, and a deeper convectively heated region associated with enhanced permeability. Outcrop and hand-sample scale mapping, XRD analysis, and SEM secondary electron images of fault gouge and slip surfaces at different stages of development (estimated shear strain) are used to investigate the processes responsible for the development and physical properties of these distinct fault rocks. In each type of fault rock, mineral dissolution and re-precipitation in conjunction with the amount and geometry of porosity changes induced by dilation or compaction are the key controls on fault rock development. In addition, at the contacts between slip surfaces, abrasion and resulting comminution appear to influence grain size, sorting, and packing. Macroscopically, we expect the frictional strength of these characteristic fault rocks to differ because the processes that accommodate deformation depend strongly on mineralogy. Frictional strength of quartz-dominated fault rocks in the near surface and in the reservoir should be greater (~0.6) than that in the clay-dominated cap rock (~0.2-0.4). Similarly, permeability should be much lower in foliated clay-rich fault rocks than in quartz-rich fault rocks as evidenced by larger, more connected pores imaged in quartz-rich gouge. Mineral stability is a function of loading, strain rate, temperature, and fluid flow conditions. Which minerals form, and the rates at which they grow is also a key element in determining variations in the magnitude and anisotropy of fault zone properties at Coso. Consequently, we suggest that the development of fault-zone properties depends on the feedback between deformation, resulting changes in permeability, and large-scale fluid flow and the leading to dissolution/precipitation of minerals in the fault rock and adjacent host rock. The implication for Coso is that chemical alteration of otherwise low-porosity crystalline rocks appears to determine the distribution and temporal evolution of permeability in the actively deforming fracture network at small to moderate scales as well as along major, reservoir-penetrating fault zones.

The Effect of Initial Irrigation Conditions on Heap Leaching Efficiency

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Briseño Arellano, A. D.; Milczarek, M.; Yao, M.; Brusseau, M. L. L.

2017-12-01

Heap leaching is an unsaturated flow metal recovery process, in which mined ore is irrigated with a lixiviant to dissolve metal contained in the ore. The metal is then extracted from solution. Large scale operations involve stacking ore to depths of 6 to 18 meters on pads that may be hundreds of hectares in area. Heterogeneities within the stacked ore can lead to uneven wetting and the formation of preferential flow pathways, which reduces solution contact and lowers metal recovery. Furthermore, mineral dissolution can cause alteration of the porous media structure and loss of ore permeability. Many mine operators believe that slow initial irrigation rates help minimize permeability loss and increase metal recovery rates. However, this phenomenon has not been studied in detail. Experiments were conducted to investigate the effect of varying initial irrigation rates on leach ore stability. These were conducted with large columns (1.5 m high, 0.5 m in diameter) packed with crushed ore samples that are known to have permeability constraints. The columns were highly instrumented to assess potential changes in material properties both spatially and temporally. Water content was measured with three different methods: capacitance soil moisture sensors placed at 20-cm intervals; a neutron probe to periodically log every 30 cm from four different directions; and electrical resistivity sensors to create a 2-dimensional tomography profile of water content over time. Tensiometers were paired with the soil moisture sensors to measure matric suction and characterize moisture retention characteristics. A non-reactive tracer was used to characterize advective-dispersive transport under unsaturated conditions. A dye solution was introduced at the end of each experiment to map preferential pathways. Continuous monitoring of settling at the surface assisted in measuring consolidation and loss in permeability.

Dynamic Evolution of Cement Composition and Transport Properties under Conditions Relevant to Geological Carbon Sequestration

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Brunet, Jean-Patrick Leopold; Li, Li; Karpyn, Zuleima T

2013-08-01

Assessing the possibility of CO{sub 2} leakage is one of the major challenges for geological carbon sequestration. Injected CO{sub 2} can react with wellbore cement, which can potentially change cement composition and transport properties. In this work, we develop a reactive transport model based on experimental observations to understand and predict the property evolution of cement in direct contact with CO{sub 2}-saturated brine under diffusion-controlled conditions. The model reproduced the observed zones of portlandite depletion and calcite formation. Cement alteration is initially fast and slows down at later times. This work also quantified the role of initial cement properties, inmore » particular the ratio of the initial portlandite content to porosity (defined here as φ), in determining the evolution of cement properties. Portlandite-rich cement with large φ values results in a localized “sharp” reactive diffusive front characterized by calcite precipitation, leading to significant porosity reduction, which eventually clogs the pore space and prevents further acid penetration. Severe degradation occurs at the cement–brine interface with large φ values. This alteration increases effective permeability by orders of magnitude for fluids that preferentially flow through the degraded zone. The significant porosity decrease in the calcite zone also leads to orders of magnitude decrease in effective permeability, where fluids flow through the low-permeability calcite zone. The developed reactive transport model provides a valuable tool to link cement–CO{sub 2} reactions with the evolution of porosity and permeability. It can be used to quantify and predict long-term wellbore cement behavior and can facilitate the risk assessment associated with geological CO{sub 2} sequestration.« less

From viscous fingers to wormholes - interactions between structures emerging in unstable growth

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Budek, Agnieszka; Kwiatkowski, Kamil; Szymczak, Piotr

2017-04-01

Dissolution of porous and fractured rock can lead to instabilities, where long finger-like channels or „wormholes" are spontaneously formed, focusing the majority of the flow. Formation of those structures leads to a significant increase in permeability of the system, and is thus important in many engineering applications, e.g. in acidization during oil and gas recovery stimulation. In this communication, we analyse this process using two different numerical models (a network model and a Darcy scale one). We show that wormhole patterns depend strongly on the amount of soluble material in the system, as quantified by the permeability contrast κ between the dissolved and undissolved medium. For small and intermediate values of κ, a large number of relatively thin and strongly interacting channels are formed. The longer channels attract shorter ones, with loops being formed as a result. However, for large values of κ the pattern gets sparse with individual wormholes repelling each other. Interestingly, a similar succession of patterns can be observed in viscous fingering in a rectangular network of channels. In such a system, anisotropy of the network promotes the growth of long and thin fingers which behave similarly to wormholes. The attraction rate between growing fingers depends strongly on the viscosity ratio, I. The latter plays a role similar to that of permeability ratio for dissolution of porous material. To explain this behaviour, we have created a simple analytical model of interacting fingers, allowing us to quantify their mutual interaction as a function of finger lengths, distances between them and - most importantly - relative permeabilities. The theoretical predictions are in a good agreement with simulation data for both dissolution and viscous fingering processes.

The Case for and against Modularisation.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Jonathan, Ruth

1987-01-01

Presents arguments for and against modularization as a form of curriculum organization. Looks at implications for the content of the curriculum, for the learning experience of students, for the professional experience of teachers, for the development of the educational institution, and for the society at large. (JHZ)

Taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages: results from a 2011 national public opinion survey.

PubMed

Barry, Colleen L; Niederdeppe, Jeff; Gollust, Sarah E

2013-02-01

Consumption of sugar-sweetened beverages including nondiet sodas, sport drinks, and energy drinks has been linked with obesity. Recent state and local efforts to tax these beverages have been unsuccessful. Enactment will be unlikely without public support, yet little research is available to assess how to effectively make the case for such taxes. The objectives were to assess public opinion about arguments used commonly in tax debates regarding sugar-sweetened beverages and to assess differences in public opinion by respondents' political party affiliation. A public opinion survey was fielded in January-March 2011 using a probability-based sample of respondents from a large, nationally representative online panel to examine public attitudes about nine pro- and eight anti-tax arguments. These data were analyzed in August 2011. Findings indicated greater public agreement with anti- than pro-tax arguments. The most popular anti-tax argument was that a tax on sugar-sweetened beverages is arbitrary because it does not affect consumption of other unhealthy foods (60%). A majority also agreed that such taxes were a quick way for politicians to fill budget holes (58%); an unacceptable intrusion of government into people's lives (53.8%); opposed by most Americans (53%); and harmful to the poor (51%). No pro-tax arguments were endorsed by a majority of the public. Respondents reported highest agreement with the argument that sugar-sweetened beverages were the single largest contributor to obesity (49%) and would raise revenue for obesity prevention (41%). Without bolstering public support for existing pro-tax messages or developing alternative pro-tax messages, enacting such policies will be difficult. Message-framing studies could be useful in identifying promising strategies for persuading Americans that taxes on sugar-sweetened beverages are warranted. Copyright © 2013 American Journal of Preventive Medicine. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Oxidation of trichloroethylene, toluene, and ethanol vapors by a partially saturated permeable reactive barrier

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Mahmoodlu, Mojtaba G.; Hassanizadeh, S. Majid; Hartog, Niels; Raoof, Amir

2014-08-01

The mitigation of volatile organic compound (VOC) vapors in the unsaturated zone largely relies on the active removal of vapor by ventilation. In this study we considered an alternative method involving the use of solid potassium permanganate to create a horizontal permeable reactive barrier for oxidizing VOC vapors. Column experiments were carried out to investigate the oxidation of trichloroethylene (TCE), toluene, and ethanol vapors using a partially saturated mixture of potassium permanganate and sand grains. Results showed a significant removal of VOC vapors due to the oxidation. We found that water saturation has a major effect on the removal capacity of the permeable reactive layer. We observed a high removal efficiency and reactivity of potassium permanganate for all target compounds at the highest water saturation (Sw = 0.6). A change in pH within the reactive layer reduced oxidation rate of VOCs. The use of carbonate minerals increased the reactivity of potassium permanganate during the oxidation of TCE vapor by buffering the pH. Reactive transport of VOC vapors diffusing through the permeable reactive layer was modeled, including the pH effect on the oxidation rates. The model accurately described the observed breakthrough curve of TCE and toluene vapors in the headspace of the column. However, miscibility of ethanol in water in combination with produced water during oxidation made the modeling results less accurate for ethanol. A linear relationship was found between total oxidized mass of VOC vapors per unit volume of permeable reactive layer and initial water saturation. This behavior indicates that pH changes control the overall reactivity and longevity of the permeable reactive layer during oxidation of VOCs. The results suggest that field application of a horizontal permeable reactive barrier can be a viable technology against upward migration of VOC vapors through the unsaturated zone.

Quantifying Glomerular Permeability of Fluorescent Macromolecules Using 2-Photon Microscopy in Munich Wistar Rats

PubMed Central

Sandoval, Ruben M.; Molitoris, Bruce A.

2013-01-01

Kidney diseases involving urinary loss of large essential macromolecules, such as serum albumin, have long been thought to be caused by alterations in the permeability barrier comprised of podocytes, vascular endothelial cells, and a basement membrane working in unison. Data from our laboratory using intravital 2-photon microscopy revealed a more permeable glomerular filtration barrier (GFB) than previously thought under physiologic conditions, with retrieval of filtered albumin occurring in an early subset of cells called proximal tubule cells (PTC)1,2,3. Previous techniques used to study renal filtration and establishing the characteristic of the filtration barrier involved micropuncture of the lumen of these early tubular segments with sampling of the fluid content and analysis4. These studies determined albumin concentration in the luminal fluid to be virtually non-existent; corresponding closely to what is normally detected in the urine. However, characterization of dextran polymers with defined sizes by this technique revealed those of a size similar to serum albumin had higher levels in the tubular lumen and urine; suggesting increased permeability5. Herein is a detailed outline of the technique used to directly visualize and quantify glomerular fluorescent albumin permeability in vivo. This method allows for detection of filtered albumin across the filtration barrier into Bowman's space (the initial chamber of urinary filtration); and also allows quantification of albumin reabsorption by proximal tubules and visualization of subsequent albumin transcytosis6. The absence of fluorescent albumin along later tubular segments en route to the bladder highlights the efficiency of the retrieval pathway in the earlier proximal tubule segments. Moreover, when this technique was applied to determine permeability of dextrans having a similar size to albumin virtually identical permeability values were reported2. These observations directly support the need to expand the focus of many proteinuric renal diseases to included alterations in proximal tubule cell reclamation. PMID:23628966

Finite-temperature behavior of a classical spin-orbit-coupled model for YbMgGaO4 with and without bond disorder

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Parker, Edward; Balents, Leon

2018-05-01

We present the results of finite-temperature classical Monte Carlo simulations of a strongly spin-orbit-coupled nearest-neighbor triangular-lattice model for the candidate U (1 ) quantum spin liquid YbMgGaO4 at large system sizes. We find a single continuous finite-temperature stripe-ordering transition with slowly diverging heat capacity that completely breaks the sixfold ground-state degeneracy, despite the absence of a known conformal field theory describing such a transition. We also simulate the effect of random-bond disorder in the model, and find that even weak bond disorder destroys the transition by fragmenting the system into very large domains—possibly explaining the lack of observed ordering in the real material. The Imry-Ma argument only partially explains this fragility to disorder, and we extend the argument with a physical explanation for the preservation of our system's time-reversal symmetry even under a disorder model that preserves the same symmetry.

Clear-cutting affects habitat connectivity for a forest amphibian by decreasing permeability to juvenile movements.

PubMed

Popescu, Viorel D; Hunter, Malcolm L

2011-06-01

Conservation of forest amphibians is dependent on finding the right balance between management for timber production and meeting species' habitat requirements. For many pond-breeding amphibians, successful dispersal of the juvenile stage is essential for long-term population persistence. We investigated the influence of timber-harvesting practices on the movements of juvenile wood frogs (Lithobates sylvaticus). We used a chronosequence of stands produced by clear-cutting to evaluate how stand age affects habitat permeability to movements. We conducted experimental releases of juveniles in 2008 (n = 350) and 2009 (n = 528) in unidirectional runways in four treatments: mature forest, recent clearcut, 11-year-old, and 20-year-old regeneration. The runways were 50 x 2.5-m enclosures extending into each treatment, perpendicular to a distinct edge, with four tracking stations at 10, 20, 30, and 40 m from the edge. We recorded the number of animals reaching each tracking station, and the proportion of animals changing their direction of movement at each distance. We found that the mature forest was 3.1 and 3.7 times more permeable than the 11-year-old regeneration and the recent clearcut, respectively. Animals actively avoided open-canopy habitats and sharp edges; significantly more animals returned toward the closed-canopy forest at 0 m and 10 m in the less permeable treatments. There were no significant differences in habitat permeability between the mature forest and the 20-year-old regeneration. Our study is the first to directly assess habitat permeability to juvenile amphibian movement in relation to various forestry practices. We argue that habitat permeability at this scale is largely driven by the behavior of animals in relation to habitat disturbance and that caution needs to be used when using spatial modeling and expert-derived permeability values to assess connectivity of amphibian populations. The effects of clear-cutting on the migratory success of juvenile L. sylvaticus are long-lasting. Forestry practices that involve canopy removal and conversion of natural forest to conifer plantations may affect regional population viability by hindering successful dispersal.

In silico modeling on ADME properties of natural products: Classification models for blood-brain barrier permeability, its application to traditional Chinese medicine and in vitro experimental validation.

PubMed

Zhang, Xiuqing; Liu, Ting; Fan, Xiaohui; Ai, Ni

2017-08-01

In silico modeling of blood-brain barrier (BBB) permeability plays an important role in early discovery of central nervous system (CNS) drugs due to its high-throughput and cost-effectiveness. Natural products (NP) have demonstrated considerable therapeutic efficacy against several CNS diseases. However, BBB permeation property of NP is scarcely evaluated both experimentally and computationally. It is well accepted that significant difference in chemical spaces exists between NP and synthetic drugs, which calls into doubt on suitability of available synthetic chemical based BBB permeability models for the evaluation of NP. Herein poor discriminative performance on BBB permeability of NP are first confirmed using internal constructed and previously published drug-derived computational models, which warrants the need for NP-oriented modeling. Then a quantitative structure-property relationship (QSPR) study on a NP dataset was carried out using four different machine learning methods including support vector machine, random forest, Naïve Bayes and probabilistic neural network with 67 selected features. The final consensus model was obtained with approximate 90% overall accuracy for the cross-validation study, which is further taken to predict passive BBB permeability of a large dataset consisting of over 10,000 compounds from traditional Chinese medicine (TCM). For 32 selected TCM molecules, their predicted BBB permeability were evaluated by in vitro parallel artificial membrane permeability assay and overall accuracy for in vitro experimental validation is around 81%. Interestingly, our in silico model successfully predicted different BBB permeation potentials of parent molecules and their known in vivo metabolites. Finally, we found that the lipophilicity, the number of hydrogen bonds and molecular polarity were important molecular determinants for BBB permeability of NP. Our results suggest that the consensus model proposed in current work is a reliable tool for prioritizing potential CNS active NP across the BBB, which would accelerate their development and provide more understanding on their mechanisms, especially those with pharmacologically active metabolites. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Prominence of ichnologically influenced macroporosity in the karst Biscayne aquifer: Stratiform "super-K" zones

USGS Publications Warehouse

Cunningham, K.J.; Sukop, M.C.; Huang, H.; Alvarez, P.F.; Curran, H.A.; Renken, R.A.; Dixon, J.F.

2009-01-01

A combination of cyclostratigraphic, ichnologic, and borehole geophysical analyses of continuous core holes; tracer-test analyses; and lattice Boltzmann flow simulations was used to quantify biogenic macroporosity and permeability of the Biscayne aquifer, southeastern Florida. Biogenic macroporosity largely manifests as: (1) ichnogenic macroporosity primarily related to postdepositional burrowing activity by callianassid shrimp and fossilization of components of their complex burrow systems (Ophiomorpha); and (2) biomoldic macroporosity originating from dissolution of fossil hard parts, principally mollusk shells. Ophiomorpha-dominated ichno-fabric provides the greatest contribution to hydrologic characteristics in the Biscayne aquifer in a 345 km2 study area. Stratiform tabular-shaped units of thalassinidean-associated macroporosity are commonly confined to the lower part of upward-shallowing high-frequency cycles, throughout aggradational cycles, and, in one case, they stack vertically within the lower part of a high-frequency cycle set. Broad continuity of many of the macroporous units concentrates groundwater flow in extremely permeable passage-ways, thus making the aquifer vulnerable to long-distance transport of contaminants. Ichnogenic macroporosity represents an alternative pathway for concentrated groundwater flow that differs considerably from standard karst flow-system paradigms, which describe groundwater movement through fractures and cavernous dissolution features. Permeabilities were calculated using lattice Boltzmann methods (LBMs) applied to computer renderings assembled from X-ray computed tomography scans of various biogenic macroporous limestone samples. The highest simulated LBM permeabilities were about five orders of magnitude greater than standard laboratory measurements using air-permeability methods, which are limited in their application to extremely permeable macroporous rock samples. Based on their close conformance to analytical solutions for pipe flow, LBMs offer a new means of obtaining accurate permeability values for such materials. We suggest that the stratiform ichnogenic groundwater flow zones have permeabilities even more extreme (???2-5 orders of magnitude higher) than the Jurassic "super-K" zones of the giant Ghawar oil field. The flow zones of the Pleistocene Biscayne aquifer provide examples of ichnogenic macroporosity for comparative analysis of origin and evolution in other carbonate aquifers, as well as petroleum reservoirs. ?? 2008 Geological Society of America.

Novel analytical approach to a multi-sugar whole gut permeability assay.

PubMed

van Wijck, Kim; van Eijk, Hans M H; Buurman, Wim A; Dejong, Cornelis H C; Lenaerts, Kaatje

2011-09-15

Many pathophysiological conditions are associated with increased gastrointestinal permeability, reflecting an elevated risk of endotoxaemia, inflammation, and sepsis. Permeability tests are increasingly used in clinical practice to obtain information on gastrointestinal functioning, but tests are often restricted to the small intestine, and require large oral sugar doses. Therefore, a novel multi-sugar assay was developed, allowing assessment of whole gut permeability changes in urinary and plasma samples collected at regular intervals from 10 healthy volunteers at baseline and after intake of monosaccharides (rhamnose and erythritol) and disaccharides (sucrose, lactulose, and sucralose). Samples were analyzed by isocratic cation-exchange LC-MS. Sample preparation and detection conditions were optimized. After centrifugation, chromatographic separation was achieved on an IOA-1000 column set at 30°C. Column effluent was mixed with ammonia for sugar-ammonium adduct formation. The lower limit of detection was 0.05 μmol/L for disaccharides and 0.1 μmol/L for monosaccharides. Linearity for each probe was between 1 and 1000 μmol/L (R(2): 0.9987-0.9999). Coefficients of variation were <5% in urine, and <9% in plasma. Recovery data were within the 90% to 110% range at all spiked concentrations. This highly sensitive novel LC-MS approach resulted in a significant decrease of the detection limit for all sugar probes, allowing a 5-fold reduction of the commonly used lactulose dose and the addition of sugar probes to also assess the gastroduodenal and colon permeability. In combination with its extended application in plasma, these features make the novel assay a promising tool in the assessment of site-specific changes in gastrointestinal permeability in clinical practice. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Permeability of lipid bilayers to amino acids and phosphate

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Chakrabarti, A. C.; Deamer, D. W.

1992-01-01

Permeability coefficients for amino acid classes, including neutral, polar, hydrophobic, and charged species, were measured and compared with values for other ionic solutes such as phosphate. The rates of efflux of glycine, lysine, phenylalanine, serine and tryptophan were determined after they were passively entrapped in large unilamellar vesicles (LUVs) composed of egg phosphatidylcholine (EPC) or dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine (DMPC). The following permeability coefficients were obtained for: glycine, 5.7 x 10(-12) cm s-1 (EPC), 2.0 x 10(-11) cm s-1 (DMPC); serine, 5.5 x 10(-12) cm s-1 (EPC), 1.6 x 10(-11) cm s-1 (DMPC); lysine, 5.1 x 10(-12) cm s-1 (EPC), 1.9 x 10(-11) cm s-1 (DMPC); tryptophan, 4.1 x 10(-10) cm s-1 (EPC); and phenylalanine, 2.5 x 10(-10) cm s-1 (EPC). Decreasing lipid chain length increased permeability slightly, while variations in pH had only minor effects on the permeability coefficients of the amino acids tested. Phosphate permeability was in the range of 10(-12)-10(-13) cm s-1 depending on the pH of the medium. The values for the polar and charged amino acids were surprisingly similar to those previously measured for monovalent cations such as sodium and potassium, which are in the range of 10(-12)-10(-13) cm s-1, depending on conditions and the lipid species used. This observation suggests that the permeation rates for the neutral, polar and charged amino acids are controlled by bilayer fluctuations and transient defects, rather than partition coefficients and Born energy barriers. The results are relevant to the permeation of certain peptides into lipid bilayers during protein translocation and membrane biogenesis.

Petrophysics of Lower Silurian sandstones and integration with the tectonic-stratigraphic framework, Appalachian basin, United States

USGS Publications Warehouse

Castle, J.W.; Byrnes, A.P.

2005-01-01

Petrophysical properties were determined for six facies in Lower Silurian sandstones of the Appalachian basin: fluvial, estuarine, upper shoreface, lower shoreface, tidal channel, and tidal flat. Fluvial sandstones have the highest permeability for a given porosity and exhibit a wide range of porosity (2-18%) and permeability (0.002-450 md). With a transition-zone thickness of only 1-6 m (3-20 ft), fluvial sandstones with permeability greater than 5 md have irreducible water saturation (Siw) less than 20%, typical of many gas reservoirs. Upper shoreface sandstones exhibit good reservoir properties with high porosity (10-21%), high permeability (3-250 md), and low S iw (<20%). Lower shoreface sandstones, which are finer grained, have lower porosity (4-12%), lower permeability (0.0007-4 md), thicker transition zones (6-180 m [20-600 ft]), and higher S iw. In the tidal-channel, tidal-flat, and estuarine facies, low porosity (average < 6%), low permeability (average < 0.02 md), and small pore throats result in large transition zones (30-200 m; 100-650 ft) and high water saturations. The most favorable reservoir petrophysical properties and the best estimated production from the Lower Silurian sandstones are associated with fluvial and upper shoreface facies of incised-valley fills, which we interpret to have formed predominantly in areas of structural recesses that evolved from promontories along a collisional margin during the Taconic orogeny. Although the total thickness of the sandstone may not be as great in these areas, reservoir quality is better than in adjacent structural salients, which is attributed to higher energy depositional processes and shallower maximum burial depth in the recesses than in the salients. Copyright ??2005. The American Association of Petroleum Geologists. All rights reserved.

Voltage-dependent calcium-permeable channels in the plasma membrane of a higher plant cell.

PubMed

Thuleau, P; Ward, J M; Ranjeva, R; Schroeder, J I

1994-07-01

Numerous biological assays and pharmacological studies on various higher plant tissues have led to the suggestion that voltage-dependent plasma membrane Ca2+ channels play prominent roles in initiating signal transduction processes during plant growth and development. However, to date no direct evidence has been obtained for the existence of such depolarization-activated Ca2+ channels in the plasma membrane of higher plant cells. Carrot suspension cells (Daucus carota L.) provide a well-suited system to determine whether voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels are present in the plasma membrane of higher plants and to characterize the properties of putative Ca2+ channels. It is known that both depolarization, caused by raising extracellular K+, and exposure to fungal toxins or oligogalacturonides induce Ca2+ influx into carrot cells. By direct application of patch-clamp techniques to isolated carrot protoplasts, we show here that depolarization of the plasma membrane positive to -135 mV activates Ca(2+)-permeable channels. These voltage-dependent ion channels were more permeable to Ca2+ than K+, while displaying large permeabilities to Ba2+ and Mg2+ ions. Ca(2+)-permeable channels showed slow and reversible inactivation. The single-channel conductance was 13 pS in 40 mM CaCl2. These data provide direct evidence for the existence of voltage-dependent Ca2+ channels in the plasma membrane of a higher plant cell and point to physiological mechanisms for plant Ca2+ channel regulation. The depolarization-activated Ca(2+)-permeable channels identified here could constitute a regulated pathway for Ca2+ influx in response to physiologically occurring stimulus-induced depolarizations in higher plant cells.

Simplified Method of the Growth of Human Tumor Infiltrating Lymphocytes (TIL) in Gas-Permeable Flasks to Numbers Needed for Patient Treatment

PubMed Central

Jin, Jianjian; Sabatino, Marianna; Somerville, Robert; Wilson, John R.; Dudley, Mark E.; Stroncek, David F.; Rosenberg, Steven A.

2012-01-01

Adoptive cell therapy (ACT) of metastatic melanoma with autologous tumor infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) is clinically effective, but TIL production can be challenging. Here we describe a simplified method for initial TIL culture and rapid expansion in gas-permeable flasks. TIL were initially cultured from tumor digests and fragments in 40 mL capacity flasks with a 10 cm2 gas-permeable silicone bottom, G-Rex10. A TIL rapid expansion protocol (REP) was developed using 500 mL capacity flasks with a 100 cm2 gas-permeable silicone bottom, G-Rex100. TIL growth was successfully initiated in G-Rex10 flasks from tumor digests from 13 of 14 patients and from tumor fragments in all 11 tumor samples tested. TIL could then be expanded to 8–10×109 cells in a two-step REP which began by seeding 5 × 106 TIL into a G-Rex100 flask, followed by expansion at day 7 into 3 G-Rex100 flasks. To obtain the 30 to 60 × 109 cells used for patient treatment we seeded 6 G-Rex100 flasks with 5×106 cells and expanded into 18 G-Rex100 flasks. Large scale TIL REP in gas-permeable flasks requires approximately 9 to 10 liters of media, about 3 to 4 times less than other methods. In conclusion, TIL initiation and REP in gas-permeable G-Rex flasks require fewer total vessels, less media, less incubator space and less labor than initiation and REP in 24-well plates, tissue culture flasks and bags. TIL culture in G-Rex flasks will facilitate the production of TIL at the numbers required for patient treatment at most cell processing laboratories. PMID:22421946

{Linking permeability and mechanical damage for basalt from Mt Etna Volcano, Italy}

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faoro, I.; Vinciguerra, S.; Marone, C.; Elsworth, D.

2009-04-01

Volcanic edifices, such as Mt. Etna volcano (Italy), are affected from repeated episodes of pressurisation due to magma emplacement from deep reservoirs to shallow depths. This mechanism pressurizes the large aquifers within the edifice and increases the level of crack damage within the rocks of the edifice over extended periods of times. In order to improve our understanding of the complex coupling between circulating fluids and the development of crack damage, we performed flow-through tests using cylindrical cores of Etna Basalt (Etna, Italy) to evaluate permeabilty changes as a function of approach to failure under non-hydrostatic stresses at confining pressures from 5 to 60 MPa. Samples were loaded to failure by increasing increments of axial stress or by cyclic stresses of increasing amplitude. Both intact samples and pre-drilled samples (1.18mm) were tested. Under hydrostatic stresses, the permeability values of the intact sample decrease linearly with the increments of pressure and range between 5.2*10-17 m2and 1.5*10-17m2Under non-hydrostatic conditions, at low deviatoric stresses from (up to 18 MPa), the permeability values ranged between 5.5*10-17 m2and 4*10-17m2 and tended to completely recover the initial value each time the sample was unloaded, indicating an elastic regime. At higher deviatoric stresses (up to 60 MPa) the permeability values range between 2*10-17 m2 and 0.6*10-17m2. We hypothesize that from 5MPa to 40MPa axial stress, anelastic deformation mechanisms start to occur, with progressive pore collapse and opening of microfractures, resulting in a change of permeability. Under incremental uniaxial cyclic loading up to peak stresses of 160 MPa permeability decreases up to 2 orders of magnitude from initial values of 1*10-15 m2 to 2*10-14m2 Higher initial permeability values are related to the presence of an open fracture in the sample. We interpreted the reduction as a result of progressive closure of the voids space, as the axial load is incremented. Overall it is shown that permeability on Etna basalt rocks is strongly dependent on the loading conditions. Ongoing work is expected to elucidate the mechanisms relating increasing damage mechanical damage to changes of permeability.

Estimating dynamic permeability in fractal pore network saturated by Maxwellian fluid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, W.

2017-12-01

The frequency dependent flow of fluid in porous media is an important issue in geophysical prospecting. Oscillating flow in pipe leads to frequency dependent dynamic permeability and has been studied in pore network containing Newtonian fluid. But there is little work on oscillating complex fluid in pipe network, especially in irregular network. Here we formulated frequency dependent permeability for Maxwellian fluid and estimated the permeability in three-dimensional fractal network model. We consider an infinitely long cylindrical pipe with rigid solid wall. The pipe is filled with Maxwellian fluids. Based on the mass conservation equation, the equilibrium equation of force and Maxwell constitutive relationship, we formulated the flux by integration of axial velocity component over the pipe's cross section. Then we extend single pipe formulation to a 3D irregular network. Flux balance condition yields a set of linear equations whose unknowns are the fluid pressure at each node. By evaluating the total flow flux through the network, the dynamic permeability can be calculated.We investigated the dynamic permeability of brine and CPyCl/NaSal in a 3D porous sample with a cubic side length 1 cm. The pore network is created by a Voronoi cell filling method. The porosity, i.e., volume ratio between pore/pipe network and the overall cubic, is set as 0.1. The irregular pore network has a fractal structure. The dimension d of the pore network is defined by the relation between node number M within a sphere and the radius r of the sphere,M=rd.The results show that both brine and Maxwellian fluid's permeability maintain a stable value at low frequency, then decreases with fluctuating peaks. The dynamic permeability in pore networks saturated by Maxwellian fluid (CPyCl/NaSal (60 mM)) show larger peaks during the decline process at high frequency, which represents the typical resonance behavior. Dynamic permeability shows clear dependence on the dimension of the fractal network. Small-scale network has higher dimension than large-scale networks. The reason is that in larger networks pore and inter-pore connections are so dense that the probability P(r) to have a neighboring pore at distance r decays faster. The proposed model may be used to explain velocity dispersion in unconventional reservoir rocks observed in laboratory.

Large-scale ex vivo expansion and characterization of natural killer cells for clinical applications

PubMed Central

LAPTEVA, NATALIA; DURETT, APRIL G.; SUN, JIALI; ROLLINS, LISA A.; HUYE, LESLIE L.; FANG, JIAN; DANDEKAR, VARADA; MEI, ZHUYONG; JACKSON, KIMBERLEY; VERA, JUAN; ANDO, JUN; NGO, MINHTRAN C.; COUSTAN-SMITH, ELAINE; CAMPANA, DARIO; SZMANIA, SUSANN; GARG, TARUN; MORENO-BOST, AMBERLY; VANRHEE, FRITS; GEE, ADRIAN P.; ROONEY, CLIONA M.

2016-01-01

Background aims Interest in natural killer (NK) cell-based immunotherapy has resurged since new protocols for the purification and expansion of large numbers of clinical-grade cells have become available. Methods We have successfully adapted a previously described NK expansion method that uses K562 cells expressing interleukin (IL)-15 and 4-1 BB Ligand (BBL) (K562-mb15-41BBL) to grow NK cells in novel gas-permeable static cell culture flasks (G-Rex). Results Using this system we produced up to 19 × 109 functional NK cells from unseparated apheresis products, starting with 15 × 107 CD3− CD56+ NK cells, within 8–10 days of culture. The G-Rex yielded a higher fold expansion of NK cells than conventional gas-permeable bags and required no cell manipulation or feeding during the culture period. We also showed that K562-mb15-41BBL cells up-regulated surface HLA class I antigen expression upon stimulation with the supernatants from NK cultures and stimulated alloreactive CD8+ T cells within the NK cultures. However, these CD3+ T cells could be removed successfully using the CliniMACS system. We describe our optimized NK cell cryopreservation method and show that the NK cells are viable and functional even after 12 months of cryopreservation. Conclusions We have successfully developed a static culture protocol for large-scale expansion of NK cells in the gas permeable G-Rex system under good manufacturing practice (GMP) conditions. This strategy is currently being used to produce NK cells for cancer immunotherapy. PMID:22900959

Argumentation in elementary science education: addressing methodological issues and conceptual understanding

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kaya, Ebru

2017-11-01

In this review essay I respond to issues raised in Mijung Kim and Wolff-Michael Roth's paper titled "Dialogical argumentation in elementary science classrooms", which presents a study dealing with dialogical argumentation in early elementary school classrooms. Since there is very limited research on lower primary school students' argumentation in school science, their paper makes a contribution to research on children's argumentation skills. In this response, I focus on two main issues to extend the discussion in Kim and Roth's paper: (a) methodological issues including conducting a quantitative study on children's argumentation levels and focusing on children's written argumentation in addition to their dialogical argumentation, and (b) investigating children's conceptual understanding along with their argumentation levels. Kim and Roth emphasize the difficulty in determining the level of children's argumentation through the Toulmin's Argument Pattern and lack of high level arguments by children due to their difficulties in writing texts. Regarding these methodological issues, I suggest designing quantitative research on coding children's argument levels because such research could potentially provide important findings on children's argumentation. Furthermore, I discuss alternative written products including posters, figures, or pictures generated by children in order to trace children's arguments, and finally articulating argumentation and conceptual understanding of children.

Effect of gas type on foam film permeability and its implications for foam flow in porous media.

PubMed

Farajzadeh, R; Muruganathan, R M; Rossen, W R; Krastev, R

2011-10-14

The aim of this paper is to provide a perspective on the effect of gas type on the permeability of foam films stabilized by different types of surfactant and to present a critical overview of the tracer gas experiments, which is the common approach to determine the trapped fraction of foam in porous media. In these experiments some part of the gas is replaced by a "tracer gas" during the steady-state stage of the experiments and trapped fraction of foam is determined by fitting the effluent data to a capacitance mass-transfer model. We present the experimental results on the measurement of the gas permeability of foam films stabilized with five surfactants (non-ionic, anionic and cationic) and different salt concentrations. The salt concentrations assure formation of either common black (CBF) or Newton black films (NBF). The experiments are performed with different single gasses. The permeability of the CBF is in general higher than that of the NBF. This behavior is explained by the higher density of the surfactant molecules in the NBF compared to that of CBF. It is also observed that the permeability coefficient, K(cm/s), of CBF and NBF for non-ionic and cationic surfactants are similar and K is insensitive to film thickness. Compared to anionic surfactants, the films made by the non-ionic surfactant have much lower permeability while the films made by the cationic surfactant have larger permeability. This conclusion is valid for all gasses. For all types of surfactant the gas permeability of foam film is largely dependent on the dissolution of gas in the surfactant solution and increases with increasing gas solubility in the bulk liquid. The measured values of K are consistent with rapid diffusion of tracer gasses through trapped gas adjacent to flowing gas in porous media, and difficulties in interpreting the results of tracer-foam experiments with conventional capacitance models. The implications of the results for foam flow in porous media and factors leading to difficulties in the modeling of trapped fraction of foam are discussed in detail. To avoid complications in the interpretation of the results, the best tracer would be one with a permeability close to the permeability of the gas in the foam. This puts a lower limit on the effective diffusion coefficient for tracer in an experiment. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

A thick lens of fresh groundwater in the southern Lihue Basin, Kauai, Hawaii, USA

USGS Publications Warehouse

Izuka, S.K.; Gingerich, S.B.

2003-01-01

A thick lens of fresh groundwater exists in a large region of low permeability in the southern Lihue Basin, Kauai, Hawaii, USA. The conventional conceptual model for groundwater occurence in Hawaii and other shield-volcano islands does not account for such a thick freshwater lens. In the conventional conceptual model, the lava-flow accumulations of which most shield volcanoes are built form large regions of relatively high permeability and thin freshwater lenses. In the southern Lihue Basin, basin-filling lavas and sediments form a large region of low regional hydraulic conductivity, which, in the moist climate of the basin, is saturated nearly to the land surface and water tables are hundreds of meters above sea level within a few kilometers from the coast. Such high water levels in shield-volcano islands were previously thought to exist only under perched or dike-impounded conditions, but in the southern Lihue Basin, high water levels exist in an apparently dike-free, fully saturated aquifer. A new conceptual model of groundwater occurrence in shield-volcano islands is needed to explain conditions in the southern Lihue Basin.

The growth and differentiation of transitional epithelium in vitro.

PubMed

Chlapowski, F J; Haynes, L

1979-12-01

The development of rat transitional epithelial cells grown on conventional non-permeable surfaces was compared with development on permeable collagen supports. On glass or plastic surfaces, cells grew as expanding nomolayer sheets. Once confluent, growth continued with a bilayer being formed in most areas and apical cells being continuously sloughed off. Although most cells were interconnected by desmosomes, and junctional complexes were formed, no other indications of differentiation were observed. After 2-3 wk of growth, division stopped and cel death ensued. In contrast, single-cell suspensions plated on collagen-coated nylon disks reassociated into multicellular islands and commenced growth. Mitoses were confined to the basal cells in contact with the permeable substrate. The islands developed into epithelial trilayers, tapering to monolayers along spreading edges. Once the islands were confluent, stratification was completed and appeared similar to that observed in vivo. Germinal cells formed a basal lamina, and the upper layer was composed of large, flattened cells with an unusually thick asymmetrical plasma membrane on the apical surface. Electron microscopic and radioactive tracers demonstrated "leaky" zonulae occludentes with a restricted permeability to small molecules. The movement of urea was retarded in comparison to water. Unlike the slow turnover of adult epithelium in vivo, maturation and sloughing of apical cells were measurable. Transfer of cells could be effected and growth maintained for up to 4 mo. These results may indicate the necessity of a nutrient-permeable growth surface for the polarized differentiation of adult transitional epithelium.

The growth and differentiation of transitional epithelium in vitro

PubMed Central

1979-01-01

The development of rat transitional epithelial cells grown on conventional non-permeable surfaces was compared with development on permeable collagen supports. On glass or plastic surfaces, cells grew as expanding nomolayer sheets. Once confluent, growth continued with a bilayer being formed in most areas and apical cells being continuously sloughed off. Although most cells were interconnected by desmosomes, and junctional complexes were formed, no other indications of differentiation were observed. After 2-3 wk of growth, division stopped and cel death ensued. In contrast, single-cell suspensions plated on collagen-coated nylon disks reassociated into multicellular islands and commenced growth. Mitoses were confined to the basal cells in contact with the permeable substrate. The islands developed into epithelial trilayers, tapering to monolayers along spreading edges. Once the islands were confluent, stratification was completed and appeared similar to that observed in vivo. Germinal cells formed a basal lamina, and the upper layer was composed of large, flattened cells with an unusually thick asymmetrical plasma membrane on the apical surface. Electron microscopic and radioactive tracers demonstrated "leaky" zonulae occludentes with a restricted permeability to small molecules. The movement of urea was retarded in comparison to water. Unlike the slow turnover of adult epithelium in vivo, maturation and sloughing of apical cells were measurable. Transfer of cells could be effected and growth maintained for up to 4 mo. These results may indicate the necessity of a nutrient-permeable growth surface for the polarized differentiation of adult transitional epithelium. PMID:574872

Anion-Cation Permeability Correlates with Hydrated Counterion Size in Glycine Receptor Channels

PubMed Central

Sugiharto, Silas; Lewis, Trevor M.; Moorhouse, Andrew J.; Schofield, Peter R.; Barry, Peter H.

2008-01-01

The functional role of ligand-gated ion channels depends critically on whether they are predominantly permeable to cations or anions. However, these, and other ion channels, are not perfectly selective, allowing some counterions to also permeate. To address the mechanisms by which such counterion permeation occurs, we measured the anion-cation permeabilities of different alkali cations, Li+ Na+, and Cs+, relative to either Cl− or \\documentclass[10pt]{article} \\usepackage{amsmath} \\usepackage{wasysym} \\usepackage{amsfonts} \\usepackage{amssymb} \\usepackage{amsbsy} \\usepackage{mathrsfs} \\usepackage{pmc} \\usepackage[Euler]{upgreek} \\pagestyle{empty} \\oddsidemargin -1.0in \\begin{document} \\begin{equation*}{\\mathrm{NO}}_{3}^{-}\\end{equation*}\\end{document} anions in both a wild-type glycine receptor channel (GlyR) and a mutant GlyR with a wider pore diameter. We hypothesized and showed that counterion permeation in anionic channels correlated inversely with an equivalent or effective hydrated size of the cation relative to the channel pore radius, with larger counterion permeabilities being observed in the wider pore channel. We also showed that the anion component of conductance was independent of the nature of the cation. We suggest that anions and counterion cations can permeate through the pore as neutral ion pairs, to allow the cations to overcome the large energy barriers resulting from the positively charged selectivity filter in small GlyR channels, with the permeability of such ion pairs being dependent on the effective hydrated diameter of the ion pair relative to the pore diameter. PMID:18708455

A multiscale model of distributed fracture and permeability in solids in all-round compression

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Bellis, Maria Laura; Della Vecchia, Gabriele; Ortiz, Michael; Pandolfi, Anna

2017-07-01

We present a microstructural model of permeability in fractured solids, where the fractures are described in terms of recursive families of parallel, equidistant cohesive faults. Faults originate upon the attainment of tensile or shear strength in the undamaged material. Secondary faults may form in a hierarchical organization, creating a complex network of connected fractures that modify the permeability of the solid. The undamaged solid may possess initial porosity and permeability. The particular geometry of the superposed micro-faults lends itself to an explicit analytical quantification of the porosity and permeability of the damaged material. The model is the finite kinematics version of a recently proposed porous material model, applied with success to the simulation of laboratory tests and excavation problems [De Bellis, M. L., Della Vecchia, G., Ortiz, M., Pandolfi, A., 2016. A linearized porous brittle damage material model with distributed frictional-cohesive faults. Engineering Geology 215, 10-24. Cited By 0. 10.1016/j.enggeo.2016.10.010]. The extension adds over and above the linearized kinematics version for problems characterized by large deformations localized in narrow zones, while the remainder of the solid undergoes small deformations, as typically observed in soil and rock mechanics problems. The approach is particularly appealing as a means of modeling a wide scope of engineering problems, ranging from the prevention of water or gas outburst into underground mines, to the prediction of the integrity of reservoirs for CO2 sequestration or hazardous waste storage, to hydraulic fracturing processes.

Tacrolimus is a class II low-solubility high-permeability drug: the effect of P-glycoprotein efflux on regional permeability of tacrolimus in rats.

PubMed

Tamura, Shigeki; Ohike, Atsuo; Ibuki, Rinta; Amidon, Gordon L; Yamashita, Shinji

2002-03-01

The objective of this study is to investigate the role of P-glycoprotein (P-gp), a membrane efflux pump associated with multidrug resistance (MDR) and a known substrate for tacrolimus, in determining the regional intestinal permeability of tacrolimus in rats. Thus, isolated segments of rat jejunum, ileum, or colon were perfused with tacrolimus solutions containing polyethoxylated hydrogenated castor oil 60 surfactant, and with or without verapamil, a P-gp substrate used to reverse the MDR phenotype. The results indicated that the intrinsic permeability of tacrolimus in the jejunum, calculated on the basis of the concentration of non-micellized free tacrolimus, was quite high ( approximately 1.4 x 10(-4) cm/s). The apparent permeability (P(app)) in the jejunum was unaffected by the presence of verapamil; however, the P(app) in the ileum and the colon increased significantly in the presence of verapamil and were similar to the values observed in the jejunum. The results suggest that systemic absorption of tacrolimus from the gastrointestinal tract could be significantly affected by P-gp efflux mechanisms. It is also possible that differences in P-gp function at various intestinal sites in a subject or at a given intestinal site in various subjects could lead to large intra- and interindividual variability in bioavailability of tacrolimus following oral administration. Copyright 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc. and the American Pharmaceutical Association .

Additional increased effects of mannitol-temozolomide combined treatment on blood-brain barrier permeability.

PubMed

Choi, Chunggab; Kim, Hye Min; Shon, Jeeheun; Park, Jiae; Kim, Hyeong-Taek; Oh, Seung-Hun; Kim, Nam Keun; Kim, Ok Joon

2018-03-04

The blood-brain barrier (BBB) is major obstacle in drug or stem cell treatment in chronic stroke. We hypothesized that adding mannitol to temozolomide (TMZ) is a practically applicable method for resolving the low efficacy of intravenous mannitol therapy. In this study, we investigated whether BBB permeability could be increased by this combined treatment. First, we established a chronic ischemic stroke rat model and examined changes in leakage of Evans blue dye within a lesion site, and in expression of tight junction proteins (TJPs), by this combined treatment. Additionally, in an in vitro BBB model using trans-wells, we analyzed changes in diffusion of a fluorescent tracer and in expression of TJPs. Mannitol-TMZ combined treatment not only increased the amount of Evans blue dye within the stroke lesion site, but also reduced occludin expression in rat brain microvessels. The in vitro study also showed that combined treatment increased the permeability for two different-sized fluorescent tracers, especially large size, and decreased expression of TJPs, such as occludin and ZO-1. Increased BBB permeability effects were more prominent with combined than with single treatments. Mannitol-TMZ combined treatment induced a decrease of TJPs with a consequent increase in BBB permeability. This combined treatment is clinically useful and might provide new therapeutic options by enabling efficient intracerebral delivery of various drugs that could not otherwise be used to treat many CNS diseases due to their inability to penetrate the BBB. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Microwave absorbing performance enhancement of Fe75Si15Al10 composites by selective surface oxidation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Zhang, Nan; Wang, Xin; Liu, Tao; Xie, Jianliang; Deng, Longjiang

2017-09-01

An excessively large dielectric constant is a challenge to improve the performances of the Fe-based absorbing material. Here, we propose a selective surface oxidation method to reduce the permittivity without sacrificing the permeability, by annealing under 5%H2—95%N2 (H2/N2). It is found that a thin layer of aluminum and silicon oxides formed on the surface of Fe75Si15Al10 particles during annealing in the range of 500-780 °C under H2/N2, thereby leading to an obvious decrease of permittivity of the Fe75Si15Al10 composite. According to Gibbs free energy, aluminum and silicon oxides are formed and iron oxides are reduced during annealing under H2/N2 at above 500 °C. Interestingly, the XPS result shows that the atomic ratio of Fe decreases significantly on the particle surface, which infers that the reduced Fe atoms diffuse to the interior of the particles. The surface oxide layer can protect the inner part of the alloy from further oxidation, which contributes to a high permeability. Meanwhile, the XRD result shows the formation of DO3-type ordering, which leads to the promotion of permeability. The two reasons lead to the improvement of permeability of the Fe75Si15Al10 composite after annealing. The composite is confirmed to have high permeability and low permittivity, exhibiting better electromagnetic wave absorption properties.

Photoswitchable gas permeation membranes based on azobenzene-doped liquid crystals II. Permeation-switching characterization under variable volume and variable pressure conditions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Glowacki, E.; Hunt, K.; Abud, D.; Marshall, K. L.

2010-08-01

Stimuli-responsive gas permeation membranes hold substantial potential for industrial processes as well as in analytical and screening applications. Such "smart" membrane systems, although prevalent in liquid mass-transfer manipulations, have yet to be realized for gas applications. We report our progress in developing gas permeation membranes in which liquid crystalline (LC) phases afford the active region of permeation. To achieve rapid and reversible switching between LC and isotropic permeation states, we harnessed the photomechanical action of mesogenic azobenzene dyes that can produce isothermal nematic-isotropic transitions. Both polymeric and low-molecular-weight LC materials were tested. Three different dye-doped LC mixtures with mesogenic azo dyes were infused into commercially available track-etched porous membranes with regular cylindrical pores (0.4 to 10.0 μm). Photoinduced isothermal phase changes in the imbibed material produced large and fully reversible changes in the permeability of the membrane to nitrogen with 5 s of irradiation at 2 mW/cm2. Using two measurement tools constructed in-house, the permeability of the photoswitched membranes was determined by both variable-pressure and variable-volume methods. Both the LC and photogenerated isotropic states demonstrate a linear permeability/pressure (ideal sorption) relationship, with up to a 16-fold difference in their permeability coefficients. Liquid crystal compositions can be chosen such that the LC phase is more permeable than the isotropic-or vice versa. This approach is the first system offering reversible tunable gas permeation membranes.

Foundations of Academic Freedom: Making New Sense of Some Aging Arguments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Andreescu, Liviu

2009-01-01

The article distinguishes between the various arguments traditionally offered as justifications for the principle of academic freedom. Four main arguments are identified, three consequentialist in nature (the argument from truth, the democratic argument, the argument from autonomy), and one nonconsequentialist (a variant of the autonomy argument).…

Argumentation Theory. [A Selected Annotated Bibliography].

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benoit, William L.

Materials dealing with aspects of argumentation theory are cited in this annotated bibliography. The 50 citations are organized by topic as follows: (1) argumentation; (2) the nature of argument; (3) traditional perspectives on argument; (4) argument diagrams; (5) Chaim Perelman's theory of rhetoric; (6) the evaluation of argument; (7) argument…

Comparable Worth: A New Social and Economic Issue.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Joyce, Robert P.

1981-01-01

The Supreme Court decision in County of Washington v. Gunther opened the door to the comparable-worth theory of liability. That argument rests on the concentration of female workers into largely segregated and low-paying jobs, and it attributes the low pay to sex discrimination. (Author/MLF)

Mathematics Teacher Professional Development as a Virtual Boundary Encounter

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Matranga, Anthony Vincent

2017-01-01

Mathematics instruction in US schools is largely inconsistent with visions of research and policy, which suggest instruction should be student-centered, maintain high levels of cognitive demand, and support rich mathematical discussion and argumentation. Professional development (PD) figures prominently in addressing this issue, and studies have…

Reply to Marquis: how things stand with the 'future like ours' argument.

PubMed

Strong, Carson

2012-09-01

In an earlier essay in this journal I critiqued Don Marquis's well-known argument against abortion. I distinguished two versions of Marquis's argument, which I refer to as 'the essence argument' and 'the sufficient condition argument'. I presented two counterexamples showing that the essence argument was mistaken, and I argued that the sufficient condition argument should be rejected because Marquis had not adequately responded to an important objection to it. In response to my critique, Marquis put forward in this journal a revised version of his argument. In his modified approach he no longer advocates the essence argument and he offers a new version of the sufficient condition argument. In the current essay, I discuss how Marquis's revised argument deals with my original objections, and I argue that his new sufficient condition argument is unsuccessful.

Control of the permeability of fractures in geothermal rocks

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Faoro, Igor

This thesis comprises three journal articles that will be submitted for publication (Journal of Geophysical Research-Solid Earth). Their respective titles are: "Undrained through Drained Evolution of Permeability in Dual Permeability Media" by Igor Faoro, Derek Elsworth and Chris Marone, "Evolution of Stiffness and Permeability in Fractures Subject to Thermally-and Mechanically-Activated Dissolution" by Igor Faoro, Derek Elsworth Chris Marone; "Linking permeability and mechanical damage for basalt from Mt. Etna volcano (Italy)" by Igor Faoro, Sergio Vinciguerra, Chris Marone and Derek Elsworth. Undrained through Drained Evolution of Permeability in Dual Permeability Media: temporary permeability changes of fractured aquifers subject to earthquakes have been observed and recorded worldwide, but their comprehension still remains a complex issue. In this study we report on flow-through fracture experiments on cracked westerly cores that reproduce, at laboratory scale, those (steps like) permeability changes that have been recorded when earthquakes occur. In particular our experiments show that under specific test boundary conditions, rapid increments of pore pressure induce transient variations of flow rate of the fracture whose peak magnitudes decrease as the variations of the effective stresses increase. We identify that the observed hydraulic behavior of the fracture is due to two principal mechanisms of origin; respectively mechanical (shortening of core) and poro-elastic (radial diffusion of the pore fluid into the matrix of the sample) whose interaction cause respectively an instantaneous opening and then a progressive closure of the fracture. Evolution of Stiffness and Permeability in Fractures Subject to Thermally-and Mechanically-Activated Dissolution: we report the results of radial flow-through experiments conducted on heated samples of Westerly granite. These experiments are performed to examine the influence of thermally and mechanically activated dissolution on the mechanical (stiffness) and transport (stress-permeability) characteristics of fractures. The sample is thermally stressed to 80 °C and measurements of the constrained axial stress acting on the sample and of the flow rate of the fracture are recorded with time. Net efflux of dissolved mineral mass is also measured periodically to provide a record of rates of net mass removal. During the experiment the fracture permeability shows high sensitivity to the changing conditions of stress and temperature but no significant permanent variation of permeability have been recorded once the thermal cycle ends. Linking permeability and mechanical damage for basalt from Mt. Etna volcano (Italy): volcanic edifices, such as Mt. Etna volcano (Italy), are affected from repeated episodes of pressurization due to magma emplacement from deep reservoirs to shallow depths. This mechanism pressurizes the large aquifers within the edifice and increases the level of crack damage within the rocks of the edifice over extended periods of times. In order to improve our understanding of the complex coupling between circulating fluids and the development of crack damage we performed flow-through tests using cylindrical cores of Etna Basalt (Etna, Italy) cyclically loaded either by constant increments of the principal stress: sigma1 (deviatoric condition), or by increments of the effective confining pressure: sigma1 = sigma 2 = sigma3 (isostatic conditions). Under hydrostatic stresses, the permeability values of the intact sample decrease linearly with the increments of pressure and range between 5.2*10-17 m2 and 1.5*10-17m2. At deviatoric stresses (up to 60 MPa) the permeability from the initial value of 5*10-17 m2 slightly decays to the minimum value of 2*10 -17 m2 observed when the axial deviatoric stresses range between 40 MPa and 60 MPa. For higher deviatoric stresses, increases to 10-16 m2 are then observed up to the peak stress at 92 MPa. After failure the permeability persisted steady at the value of 8*10-16 m2 for the whole duration of the test, independently from the applied stress. We interpreted the decrease observed as due to the progressive closure of the voids space, as the axial load is incremented.

Analysis of a Teacher's Pedagogical Arguments Using Toulmin's Model and Argumentation Schemes

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Metaxas, N.; Potari, D.; Zachariades, T.

2016-01-01

In this article, we elaborate methodologies to study the argumentation speech of a teacher involved in argumentative activities. The standard tool of analysis of teachers' argumentation concerning pedagogical matters is Toulmin's model. The theory of argumentation schemes offers an alternative perspective on the analysis of arguments. We propose…

Understanding a High School Physics Teacher's Pedagogical Content Knowledge of Argumentation

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Wang, Jianlan; Buck, Gayle A.

2016-08-01

Scientific argumentation is an important learning objective in science education. It is also an effective instructional approach to constructivist science learning. The implementation of argumentation in school settings requires science teachers, who are pivotal agents of transforming classroom practices, to develop sophisticated knowledge of argumentation. However, there is a lack of understanding about science teachers' knowledge of argumentation, especially the dialogic meaning of argumentation. In this case study, we closely examine a high school physics teacher's argumentation-related pedagogic content knowledge (PCK) in the context of dialogic argumentation. We synthesize the teacher's performed PCK from his argumentation practices and narrated PCK from his reflection on the argumentation practices, from which we summarize his PCK of argumentation from the perspectives of orientation, instructional strategies, students, curriculum, and assessment. Finally, we describe the teacher's perception and adaption of argumentation in his class. We also identity the barriers to argumentation implementation in this particular case and suggest solutions to overcome these barriers.

Asymptotic scalings of developing curved pipe flow

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Ault, Jesse; Chen, Kevin; Stone, Howard

2015-11-01

Asymptotic velocity and pressure scalings are identified for the developing curved pipe flow problem in the limit of small pipe curvature and high Reynolds numbers. The continuity and Navier-Stokes equations in toroidal coordinates are linearized about Dean's analytical curved pipe flow solution (Dean 1927). Applying appropriate scaling arguments to the perturbation pressure and velocity components and taking the limits of small curvature and large Reynolds number yields a set of governing equations and boundary conditions for the perturbations, independent of any Reynolds number and pipe curvature dependence. Direct numerical simulations are used to confirm these scaling arguments. Fully developed straight pipe flow is simulated entering a curved pipe section for a range of Reynolds numbers and pipe-to-curvature radius ratios. The maximum values of the axial and secondary velocity perturbation components along with the maximum value of the pressure perturbation are plotted along the curved pipe section. The results collapse when the scaling arguments are applied. The numerically solved decay of the velocity perturbation is also used to determine the entrance/development lengths for the curved pipe flows, which are shown to scale linearly with the Reynolds number.

Perception and Cognition Are Largely Independent, but Still Affect Each Other in Systematic Ways: Arguments from Evolution and the Consciousness-Attention Dissociation

PubMed Central

Montemayor, Carlos; Haladjian, Harry H.

2017-01-01

The main thesis of this paper is that two prevailing theories about cognitive penetration are too extreme, namely, the view that cognitive penetration is pervasive and the view that there is a sharp and fundamental distinction between cognition and perception, which precludes any type of cognitive penetration. These opposite views have clear merits and empirical support. To eliminate this puzzling situation, we present an alternative theoretical approach that incorporates the merits of these views into a broader and more nuanced explanatory framework. A key argument we present in favor of this framework concerns the evolution of intentionality and perceptual capacities. An implication of this argument is that cases of cognitive penetration must have evolved more recently and that this is compatible with the cognitive impenetrability of early perceptual stages of processing information. A theoretical approach that explains why this should be the case is the consciousness and attention dissociation framework. The paper discusses why concepts, particularly issues concerning concept acquisition, play an important role in the interaction between perception and cognition. PMID:28174551

Argument as Professional Development: Impacting Teacher Knowledge and Beliefs About Science

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Crippen, Kent J.

2012-12-01

Using a case study method, the experiences of a group of high school science teachers participating in a unique professional development method involving an argue-to-learn intervention were examined. The participants ( N = 42) represented 25 different high schools from a large urban school district in the southwestern United States. Data sources included a multiple-choice science content test and artifacts from a capstone argument project. Findings indicate although it was intended for the curriculum to be a robust and sufficient collection of evidence, participant groups were more likely to use the Web to find unique evidence than to they were to use the provided materials. Content knowledge increased, but an issue with teacher conceptions of primary data was identified, as none of the participants chose to use any of their experimental results in their final arguments. The results of this study reinforce multiple calls for science curricula that engage students (including teachers as students) in the manipulation and questioning of authentic data as a means to better understanding complex socioscientific issues and the nature of science.

Sedimentological Control on Hydrate Saturation Distribution in Arctic Gas-Hydrate-Bearing Deposits

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Behseresht, J.; Peng, Y.; Bryant, S. L.

2010-12-01

Grain size variations along with the relative rates of fluid phases migrating into the zone of hydrate stability, plays an important role in gas-hydrate distribution and its morphologic characteristics. In the Arctic, strata several meters thick containing large saturations of gas hydrate are often separated by layers containing small but nonzero hydrate saturations. Examples are Mt. Elbert, Alaska and Mallik, NW Territories. We argue that this sandwich type hydrate saturation distribution is consistent with having a gas phase saturation within the sediment when the base of gas hydrate stability zone (BGHSZ) was located above the sediment package. The volume change during hydrate formation process derives movement of fluid phases into the GHSZ. We show that this fluid movement -which is mainly governed by characteristic relative permeability curves of the host sediment-, plays a crucial role in the amount of hydrate saturation in the zone of major hydrate saturation. We develop a mechanistic model that enables estimating the final hydrate saturation from an initial gas/water saturation in sediment with known relative permeability curves. The initial gas/water saturation is predicted using variation of capillary entry pressure with depth, which in turn depends on the variation in grain-size distribution. This model provides a mechanistic approach for explaining large hydrate saturations (60%-75%) observed in zones of major hydrate saturation considering the governing characteristic relative permeability curves of the host sediments. We applied the model on data from Mount Elbert well on the Alaskan North Slope. It is shown that, assuming a cocurrent flow of gas and water into the GHSZ, such large hydrate saturations (up to 75%) cannot result from large initial gas saturations (close to 1-Sw,irr) due to limitations on water flux imposed by typical relative permeability curves. They could however result from modest initial gas saturations (ca. 40%) at which we have reasonable phase mobility ratios required for appropriate relative rates of gas and water transporting into GHSZ to form large hydrate saturations. Nevertheless, from the profile of capillary entry pressure vs. depth, we expect large initial gas saturations and thus the final high hydrate saturation suggests another form of water flow: water moves down through accumulated hydrate from the unfrozen water above. For this to happen the water phase must remain connected within the hydrate-bearing sediment. This seems plausible in hydrate bearing sediments because hydrate formation will be stopped before water saturation gets to very low values (lower than Sw,irr) due to salinity build up. The location of small hydrate saturations (10-15%) is consistent with the location of the residual gas phase established during water imbibition into these locations while they serve as a gas source to the layers above.

Basin scale permeability and thermal evolution of a magmatic hydrothermal system

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Taron, J.; Hickman, S. H.; Ingebritsen, S.; Williams, C.

2013-12-01

Large-scale hydrothermal systems are potentially valuable energy resources and are of general scientific interest due to extreme conditions of stress, temperature, and reactive chemistry that can act to modify crustal rheology and composition. With many proposed sites for Enhanced Geothermal Systems (EGS) located on the margins of large-scale hydrothermal systems, understanding the temporal evolution of these systems contributes to site selection, characterization and design of EGS. This understanding is also needed to address the long-term sustainability of EGS once they are created. Many important insights into heat and mass transfer within natural hydrothermal systems can be obtained through hydrothermal modeling assuming that stress and permeability structure do not evolve over time. However, this is not fully representative of natural systems, where the effects of thermo-elastic stress changes, chemical fluid-rock interactions, and rock failure on fluid flow and thermal evolution can be significant. The quantitative importance of an evolving permeability field within the overall behavior of a large-scale hydrothermal system is somewhat untested, and providing such a parametric understanding is one of the goals of this study. We explore the thermal evolution of a sedimentary basin hydrothermal system following the emplacement of a magma body. The Salton Sea geothermal field and its associated magmatic system in southern California is utilized as a general backdrop to define the initial state. Working within the general framework of the open-source scientific computing initiative OpenGeoSys (www.opengeosys.org), we introduce full treatment of thermodynamic properties at the extreme conditions following magma emplacement. This treatment utilizes a combination of standard Galerkin and control-volume finite elements to balance fluid mass, mechanical deformation, and thermal energy with consideration of local thermal non-equilibrium (LTNE) between fluids and solids. Permeability is allowed to evolve under several constitutive models tailored to both porous media and fractures, considering the influence of both mechanical stress and diagenesis. In this first analysis, a relatively simple mechanical model is used; complexity will be added incrementally to represent specific characteristics of the Salton Sea hydrothermal field.

Using environmental features to model highway crossing behavior of Canada lynx in the Southern Rocky Mountains.

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

2015-07-21

Carnivores are particularly sensitive to reductions in population connectivity caused by human disturbance and habitat fragmentation. Permeability of transportation corridors to carnivore movements is central to species conservation given the large s...

Rethinking Communication in Innovation Processes: Creating Space for Change in Complex Systems

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Leeuwis, Cees; Aarts, Noelle

2011-01-01

This paper systematically rethinks the role of communication in innovation processes, starting from largely separate theoretical developments in communication science and innovation studies. Literature review forms the basis of the arguments presented. The paper concludes that innovation is a collective process that involves the contextual…

Placeless Organizations: Collaborating for Transformation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nardi, Bonnie A.

2007-01-01

This article defines and discusses placeless organizations as sites and generators of learning on a large scale. The emphasis is on how placeless organizations structure themselves to carry out social transformation--necessarily involving intensive learning--on a national or global scale. The argument is made that place is not a necessary…

The isentropic quantum drift-diffusion model in two or three space dimensions

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Xiuqing

2009-05-01

We investigate the isentropic quantum drift-diffusion model, a fourth order parabolic system, in space dimensions d = 2, 3. First, we establish the global weak solutions with large initial value and periodic boundary conditions. Then we show the semiclassical limit by delicate interpolation estimates and compactness argument.

Uniform theory of the boundary diffraction wave

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Umul, Yusuf Z.

2009-04-01

A uniform version of the potential function of the Maggi-Rubinowicz boundary diffraction wave theory is obtained by using the large argument expansion of the Fresnel integral. The derived function is obtained for the problem of diffraction of plane waves by a circular edge. The results are plotted numerically.

The Developmental Evaluation of School Improvement Networks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Peurach, Donald J.; Glazer, Joshua L.; Winchell Lenhoff, Sarah

2016-01-01

The national education reform agenda has rapidly expanded to include attention to continuous improvement research in education. The purpose of this analysis is to propose a new approach to "developmental evaluation" aimed at building a foundation for continuous improvement in large-scale school improvement networks, on the argument that…

Metaphor Coherence in the Book of Job

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hawley, Lance R.

2016-01-01

Within the book of Job, the interlocutors (Job, the friends, and Yahweh) seem to largely ignore one another's arguments within their dialogical discourse. This observation leads some to propose that the dialogue lacks conceptual coherence. I argue that the interlocutors tangentially attend to previously stated points-of-view and attempt to…

Let's Call the Whole Thing Off.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kotler, Janet; Hickey, Dona

1987-01-01

Claims that the controversy about whether writing is a process or a product is largely unnecessary because writing is clearly both. States that the real argument in the profession regards what constitutes (1) useful research, (2) the tools needed to do it, and (3) the vocabulary within which it should be conducted. (JD)

Arguments against the Aggressive Pursuit of Voice Therapy for Children.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sander, Eric K.

1989-01-01

A less aggressive treatment strategy is proposed in the area of children's voice disorders. Speech clinicians are urged not to be over-zealous in imposition of their own voice standards. The potential threat that vocal pathologies hold for children's larynges is felt to be largely over-rated. (Author/JDD)

Discovery, innovation and the cyclical nature of the pharmaceutical business.

PubMed

Schmid, Esther F; Smith, Dennis A

2002-05-15

Unlike many recent articles, which paint the future of the pharmaceutical industry in gloomy colours, this article provides an optimistic outlook. It explores the foundations on which the pharmaceutical industry has based its outstanding successes. Case studies of important drug classes underpin the arguments made and provide the basis for the authors' argument that recent technological breakthroughs and the unravelling of the human genome will provide a new wave of high quality targets (substrate) on which the industry can build. The article suggests that in a conducive environment that understands the benefits that pharmaceuticals provide to healthcare, those players who can base their innovation on a sufficient scale and from a large capital base will reshape the industry.

Temperature influences on water permeability and chlorpyrifos uptake in aquatic insects with differing respiratory strategies.

PubMed

Buchwalter, David B; Jenkins, Jeffrey J; Curtis, Lawrence R

2003-11-01

Aquatic insects have evolved diverse respiratory strategies that range from breathing atmospheric air to breathing dissolved oxygen. These strategies result in vast morphological differences among taxa in terms of exchange epithelial surface areas that are in direct contact with the surrounding water that, in turn, affect physiological processes. This paper examines the effects of acute temperature shifts on water permeability and chlorpyrifos uptake in aquatic insects with different respiratory strategies. While considerable differences existed in water permeability among the species tested, acute temperature shifts raised water influx rates similarly in air-breathing and gill-bearing taxa. This contrasts significantly with temperature-shift effects on chlorpyrifos uptake. Temperature shifts of 4.5 degrees C increased 14C-chlorpyrifos accumulation rates in the gill-bearing mayfly Cinygma sp. and in the air-breathing hemipteran Sigara washingtonensis. However, the temperature-induced increase in 14C-chlorpyrifos uptake after 8 h of exposure was 2.75-fold higher in Cinygma than in Sigara. Uptake of 14C-chlorpyrifos was uniformly higher in Cinygma than in Sigara in all experiments. These findings suggest that organisms with relatively large exchange epithelial surface areas are potentially more vulnerable to both osmoregulatory distress as well as contaminant accumulation. Temperature increases appear more likely to impact organisms that have relatively large exchange epithelial surface areas, both as an individual stressor and in combination with additional stressors such as contaminants.

Effects of dimethyl sulfoxide on asymmetric division and cytokinesis in mouse oocytes.

PubMed

Zhou, Dongjie; Shen, Xinghui; Gu, Yanli; Zhang, Na; Li, Tong; Wu, Xi; Lei, Lei

2014-06-21

Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is used extensively as a permeable cryoprotectant and is a common solvent utilized for several water-insoluble substances. DMSO has various biological and pharmacological activities; however, the effect of DMSO on mouse oocyte meiotic maturation remains unknown. In DMSO-treated oocytes, we observed abnormal MII oocytes that contained large polar bodies, including 2-cell-like MII oocytes, during in vitro maturation. Oocyte polarization did not occur, due to the absence of actin cap formation and spindle migration. These features are among the primary causes of abnormal symmetric division; however, analysis of the mRNA expression levels of genes related to asymmetric division revealed no significant difference in the expression of these factors between the 3% DMSO-treated group and the control group. After each "blastomere" of the 2-cell-like MII stage oocytes was injected by one sperm head respectively, the oocytes still possessed the ability to extrude the second polar body from each "blastomere" and to begin cleavage. However, MII oocytes with large polar bodies developed to the blastocyst stage after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Furthermore, other permeable cryoprotectants, such as ethylene glycol and glycerol, also caused asymmetric division failure. Permeable cryoprotectants, such as DMSO, ethylene glycol, and glycerol, affect asymmetric division. DMSO disrupts cytokinesis completion by inhibiting cortical reorganization and polarization. Oocytes that undergo symmetric division maintain the ability to begin cleavage after ICSI.

Numerical simulation of mechanical compaction of deepwater shallow sediments

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sun, Jin; Wu, Shiguo; Deng, Jingen; Lin, Hai; Zhang, Hanyu; Wang, Jiliang; Gao, Jinwei

2018-02-01

To study the compaction law and overpressure evolution in deepwater shallow sediments, a large-strain compaction model that considers material nonlinearity and moving boundary is formulated. The model considers the dependence of permeability and material properties on void ratio. The modified Cam-Clay model is selected as the constitutive relations of the sediments, and the deactivation/reactivation method is used to capture the moving top surface during the deposition process. A one-dimensional model is used to study the compaction law of the shallow sediments. Results show that the settlement of the shallow sediments is large under their own weight during compaction. The void ratio decreases strictly with burial depth and decreases more quickly near the seafloor than in the deeper layers. The generation of abnormal pressure in the shallow flow sands is closely related to the compaction law of shallow sediments. The two main factors that affect the generation of overpressure in the sands are deposition rate and permeability of overlying clay sediments. Overpressure increases with an increase in deposition rate and a decrease in the permeability of the overlying clay sediment. Moreover, an upper limit for the overpressure exists. A two-dimensional model is used to study the differential compaction of the shallow sediments. The pore pressure will still increase due to the inflow of the pore fluid from the neighboring clay sediment even though the deposition process is interrupted.

Temperature influences on water permeability and chlorpyrifos uptake in aquatic insects with differing respiratory strategies

USGS Publications Warehouse

Buchwalter, D.B.; Jenkins, J.J.; Curtis, L.R.

2003-01-01

Aquatic insects have evolved diverse respiratory strategies that range from breathing atmospheric air to breathing dissolved oxygen. These strategies result in vast morphological differences among taxa in terms of exchange epithelial surface areas that are in direct contact with the surrounding water that, in turn, affect physiological processes. This paper examines the effects of acute temperature shifts on water permeability and chlorpyrifos uptake in aquatic insects with different respiratory strategies. While considerable differences existed in water permeability among the species tested, acute temperature shifts raised water influx rates similarly in air-breathing and gill-bearing taxa. This contrasts significantly with temperature-shift effects on chlorpyrifos uptake. Temperature shifts of 4.5??C increased 14C-chlorpyrifos accumulation rates in the gill-bearing mayfly Cinygma sp. and in the air-breathing hemipteran Sigara washingtonensis. However, the temperature-induced increase in 14C-chlorpyrifos uptake after 8 h of exposure was 2.75-fold higher in Cinygma than in Sigara. Uptake of 14C-chlorpyrifos was uniformly higher in Cinygma than in Sigara in all experiments. These findings suggest that organisms with relatively large exchange epithelial surface areas are potentially more vulnerable to both osmoregulatory distress as well as contaminant accumulation. Temperature increases appear more likely to impact organisms that have relatively large exchange epithelial surface areas, both as an individual stressor and in combination with additional stressors such as contaminants.

Effect of Foam on Liquid Phase Mobility in Porous Media

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Eftekhari, A. A.; Farajzadeh, R.

2017-03-01

We investigate the validity of the assumption that foam in porous media reduces the mobility of gas phase only and does not impact the liquid-phase mobility. The foam is generated by simultaneous injection of nitrogen gas and a surfactant solution into sandstone cores and its strength is varied by changing surfactant type and concentration. We find, indeed, that the effect of foam on liquid-phase mobility is not pronounced and can be ignored. Our new experimental results and analyses resolve apparent discrepancies in the literature. Previously, some researchers erroneously applied relative permeability relationships measured at small to moderate capillary numbers to foam floods at large capillary number. Our results indicate that the water relative permeability in the absence of surfactant should be measured with the capillary pressure ranging up to values reached during the foam floods. This requires conducting a steady-state gas/water core flood with capillary numbers similar to that of foam floods or measuring the water relative-permeability curve using a centrifuge.

Geological implications of a permeability-depth curve for the continental crust

USGS Publications Warehouse

Ingebritsen, S.E.; Manning, C.E.

1999-01-01

The decrease in permeability (k) of the continental crust with depth (z), as constrained by geothermal data and calculated fluid flux during metamorphism, is given by log k = -14 - 3.2 log z, where A is in meters squared and z is in kilometers. At moderate to great crustal depths (>???5 km), this curve is defined mainly by data from prograde metamorphic systems, and is thus applicable to orogenic belts where the crust is being thickened and/or heated; lower permeabilities may occur in stable cratonic regions. This k-z relation implies that typical metamorphic fluid flux values of ???10-11 m/s are consistent with fluid pressures significantly above hydrostatic values. The k-z curve also predicts that metamorphic CO2 flux from large orogens may be sufficient to cause significant climatic effects, if retrograde carbonation reactions are minimal, and suggests a significant capacity for diffuse degassing of Earth (1015-1016 g/yr) in tectonically active regions.

Decomposing the permeability spectra of nanocrystalline finemet core

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Varga, Lajos K.; Kovac, Jozef

2018-04-01

In this paper we present a theoretical and experimental investigation on the magnetization contributions to permeability spectra of normal annealed Finemet core with round type hysteresis curve. Real and imaginary parts of the permeability were determined as a function of exciting magnetic field (HAC) between 40 Hz -110 MHz using an Agilent 4294A type Precision Impedance Analyzer. The amplitude of the exciting field was below and around the coercive field of the sample. The spectra were decomposed using the Levenberg-Marquardt algorithm running under Origin 9 software in four contributions: i) eddy current; ii) Debye relaxation of magnetization rotation, iii) Debye relaxation of damped domain wall motion and iv) resonant type DW motion. For small exciting amplitudes the first two components dominate. The last two contributions connected to the DW appear for relative large HAC only, around the coercive force. All the contributions will be discussed in detail accentuating the role of eddy current that is not negligible even for the smallest applied exciting field.

Processing and Pretreatment Effects on Vanadium Transport in Nafion Membranes

DOE PAGES

Xie, Wei; Darling, Robert M.; Perry, Mike L.

2015-10-13

Here, this work describes how manufacturing processes and pretreatments affect the proton conductivity and vanadyl permeability of Nafion® and how these properties are altered by running in a cell. Five Nafion membranes were examined: reinforced XL100, dispersion cast NR211 and NR212, and extruded N115 and N117. The membranes were subjected to pretreatments that included annealing at 120°C and immersing in ambient temperature and boiling water and sulfuric acid. Vanadyl permeability varied by ~15X with pretreatment and ~3X with manufacturing process. Variations in ionic conductivity were comparatively modest: ~1.5X with pretreatment and ~1.2X with processing. Differences in permeability can be eliminatedmore » by annealing the extruded membranes above their glass-transition temperature or by immersing in boiling sulfuric acid. The differences induced by processing and pretreatments were largely absent from membranes removed from vanadium redox cells subjected to repeated charge/discharge cycles.« less

Super enhanced permeability and retention (SUPR) effects in tumors following near infrared photoimmunotherapy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kobayashi, Hisataka; Choyke, Peter L.

2016-06-01

To date, the delivery of nano-sized therapeutic agents to cancers largely relies on enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effects that are caused by the leaky nature of cancer vasculature. However, nano-sized agents delivered in this way have demonstrated limited success in oncology due to the relatively small magnitude of the EPR effect. For achieving superior delivery of nano-sized agents, super-enhanced permeability and retention (SUPR) effects are needed. Near infrared photo-immunotherapy (NIR-PIT) is a recently reported therapy that treats tumors with light therapy and subsequently causes an increase in nano-drug delivery up to 24-fold compared with untreated tumors in which only the EPR effect is present. SUPR effects could enhance delivery into tumor beds of a wide variety of nano-sized agents including particles, antibodies, and protein binding small molecular agents. Therefore, taking advantage of the SUPR effects after NIR-PIT may be a promising avenue to utilize a wide variety of nano-drugs in a highly effective manner.

Effect of Foam on Liquid Phase Mobility in Porous Media

PubMed Central

Eftekhari, A. A.; Farajzadeh, R.

2017-01-01

We investigate the validity of the assumption that foam in porous media reduces the mobility of gas phase only and does not impact the liquid-phase mobility. The foam is generated by simultaneous injection of nitrogen gas and a surfactant solution into sandstone cores and its strength is varied by changing surfactant type and concentration. We find, indeed, that the effect of foam on liquid-phase mobility is not pronounced and can be ignored. Our new experimental results and analyses resolve apparent discrepancies in the literature. Previously, some researchers erroneously applied relative permeability relationships measured at small to moderate capillary numbers to foam floods at large capillary number. Our results indicate that the water relative permeability in the absence of surfactant should be measured with the capillary pressure ranging up to values reached during the foam floods. This requires conducting a steady-state gas/water core flood with capillary numbers similar to that of foam floods or measuring the water relative-permeability curve using a centrifuge. PMID:28262795

Myocardial Gene Transfer: Routes and Devices for Regulation of Transgene Expression by Modulation of Cellular Permeability

PubMed Central

Katz, Michael G.; Bridges, Charles R.

2013-01-01

Abstract Heart diseases are major causes of morbidity and mortality in Western society. Gene therapy approaches are becoming promising therapeutic modalities to improve underlying molecular processes affecting failing cardiomyocytes. Numerous cardiac clinical gene therapy trials have yet to demonstrate strong positive results and advantages over current pharmacotherapy. The success of gene therapy depends largely on the creation of a reliable and efficient delivery method. The establishment of such a system is determined by its ability to overcome the existing biological barriers, including cellular uptake and intracellular trafficking as well as modulation of cellular permeability. In this article, we describe a variety of physical and mechanical methods, based on the transient disruption of the cell membrane, which are applied in nonviral gene transfer. In addition, we focus on the use of different physiological techniques and devices and pharmacological agents to enhance endothelial permeability. Development of these methods will undoubtedly help solve major problems facing gene therapy. PMID:23427834

Religion and bioethics.

PubMed

Holm, Soren

2004-01-01

This paper discusses the role of religious arguments in public bioethical debate. It is argued that attempts to rule out religious arguments as valid contributions to the pubic debate fails for a number of reasons. There is no non-arbitrary way of dividing religious arguments from non-religious arguments, and all arguments refer ultimately to a background comprehensive worldview that is never fully consistent or coherent and which is furthermore always contested. There are thus no good arguments for treating religious arguments differently than any other type of argument.

Toward an experimental account of argumentation: the case of the slippery slope and the ad hominem arguments

PubMed Central

Lillo-Unglaube, Marco; Canales-Johnson, Andrés; Navarrete, Gorka; Bravo, Claudio Fuentes

2014-01-01

Argumentation is a crucial component of our lives. Although in the absence of rational debate our legal, political, and scientific systems would not be possible, there is still no integrated area of research on the psychology of argumentation. Furthermore, classical theories of argumentation are normative (i.e., the acceptability of an argument is determined by a set of norms or logical rules), which sometimes creates a dissociation between the theories and people’s behavior. We think the current challenge for psychology is to bring together the cognitive and normative accounts of argumentation. In this article, we exemplify this point by analyzing two cases of argumentative structures experimentally studied in the context of cognitive psychology. Specifically, we focus on the slippery slope argument and the ad hominem argument under the frameworks of Bayesian and pragma-dialectics approaches, respectively. We think employing more descriptive and experimental accounts of argumentation would help Psychology to bring closer the cognitive and normative accounts of argumentation with the final goal of establishing an integrated area of research on the psychology of argumentation. PMID:25566112

Toward an experimental account of argumentation: the case of the slippery slope and the ad hominem arguments.

PubMed

Lillo-Unglaube, Marco; Canales-Johnson, Andrés; Navarrete, Gorka; Bravo, Claudio Fuentes

2014-01-01

Argumentation is a crucial component of our lives. Although in the absence of rational debate our legal, political, and scientific systems would not be possible, there is still no integrated area of research on the psychology of argumentation. Furthermore, classical theories of argumentation are normative (i.e., the acceptability of an argument is determined by a set of norms or logical rules), which sometimes creates a dissociation between the theories and people's behavior. We think the current challenge for psychology is to bring together the cognitive and normative accounts of argumentation. In this article, we exemplify this point by analyzing two cases of argumentative structures experimentally studied in the context of cognitive psychology. Specifically, we focus on the slippery slope argument and the ad hominem argument under the frameworks of Bayesian and pragma-dialectics approaches, respectively. We think employing more descriptive and experimental accounts of argumentation would help Psychology to bring closer the cognitive and normative accounts of argumentation with the final goal of establishing an integrated area of research on the psychology of argumentation.

Evaluating science arguments: evidence, uncertainty, and argument strength.

PubMed

Corner, Adam; Hahn, Ulrike

2009-09-01

Public debates about socioscientific issues are increasingly prevalent, but the public response to messages about, for example, climate change, does not always seem to match the seriousness of the problem identified by scientists. Is there anything unique about appeals based on scientific evidence-do people evaluate science and nonscience arguments differently? In an attempt to apply a systematic framework to people's evaluation of science arguments, the authors draw on the Bayesian approach to informal argumentation. The Bayesian approach permits questions about how people evaluate science arguments to be posed and comparisons to be made between the evaluation of science and nonscience arguments. In an experiment involving three separate argument evaluation tasks, the authors investigated whether people's evaluations of science and nonscience arguments differed in any meaningful way. Although some differences were observed in the relative strength of science and nonscience arguments, the evaluation of science arguments was determined by the same factors as nonscience arguments. Our results suggest that science communicators wishing to construct a successful appeal can make use of the Bayesian framework to distinguish strong and weak arguments. 2009 APA, all rights reserved

Examining Elementary Students' Development of Oral and Written Argumentation Practices Through Argument-Based Inquiry

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Chen, Ying-Chih; Hand, Brian; Park, Soonhye

2016-05-01

Argumentation, and the production of scientific arguments are critical elements of inquiry that are necessary for helping students become scientifically literate through engaging them in constructing and critiquing ideas. This case study employed a mixed methods research design to examine the development in 5th grade students' practices of oral and written argumentation from one unit to another over 16 weeks utilizing the science writing heuristic approach. Data sources included five rounds of whole-class discussion focused on group presentations of arguments that occurred over eleven class periods; students' group writings; interviews with six target students and the teacher; and the researcher's field notes. The results revealed five salient trends in students' development of oral and written argumentative practices over time: (1) Students came to use more critique components as they participated in more rounds of whole-class discussion focused on group presentations of arguments; (2) by challenging each other's arguments, students came to focus on the coherence of the argument and the quality of evidence; (3) students came to use evidence to defend, support, and reject arguments; (4) the quality of students' writing continuously improved over time; and (5) students connected oral argument skills to written argument skills as they had opportunities to revise their writing after debating and developed awareness of the usefulness of critique from peers. Given the development in oral argumentative practices and the quality of written arguments over time, this study indicates that students' development of oral and written argumentative practices is positively related to each other. This study suggests that argumentative practices should be framed through both a social and epistemic understanding of argument-utilizing talk and writing as vehicles to create norms of these complex practices.

Materials Characterisation and Analysis for Flow Simulation of Liquid Resin Infusion

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sirtautas, J.; Pickett, A. K.; George, A.

2015-06-01

Liquid Resin Infusion (LRI) processes including VARI and VARTM have received increasing attention in recent years, particularly for infusion of large parts, or for low volume production. This method avoids the need for costly matched metal tooling as used in Resin Transfer Moulding (RTM) and can provide fast infusion if used in combination with flow media. Full material characterisation for LRI analysis requires models for three dimensional fabric permeability as a function of fibre volume content, fabric through-thickness compliance as a function of resin pressure, flow media permeability and resin viscosity. The characterisation of fabric relaxation during infusion is usually determined from cyclic compaction tests on saturated fabrics. This work presents an alternative method to determine the compressibility by using LRI flow simulation and fitting a model to experimental thickness measurements during LRI. The flow media is usually assumed to have isotropic permeability, but this work shows greater simulation accuracy from combining the flow media with separation plies as a combined orthotropic material. The permeability of this combined media can also be determined by fitting the model with simulation to LRI flow measurements. The constitutive models and the finite element solution were validated by simulation of the infusion of a complex aerospace demonstrator part.

Formulation Development of High Strength Gel System and Evaluation on Profile Control Performance for High Salinity and Low Permeability Fractured Reservoir

PubMed Central

Zhang, Chengli; Qu, Guodong

2017-01-01

For the large pores and cracks of reservoirs with low temperatures, high salinity, and low permeability, a new type of high strength gel ABP system is developed in this paper. The defects of conventional gels such as weak gel strength, no gelling, and easy dehydration are overcome under the conditions of low temperature and high salinity. The temperature and salt resistance, plugging characteristics, and EOR of the gel system are studied. Under the condition of 32°C and 29500 mg/L salinity, the ABP system formulation is for 0.3% crosslinking agent A + 0.09% coagulant B + 3500 mg/L polymer solution P. The results show that when the temperature was increased, the delayed crosslinking time of the system was shortened and the gel strength was increased. The good plugging characteristics of the ABP system were reached, and the plugging rate was greater than 99% in cores with different permeability. A good profile control performance was achieved, and the recovery rate was improved by 19.27% on the basis of water flooding. In the practical application of the gel system, the salinity of formation water and the permeability of fractures are necessary to determine the appropriate formulation. PMID:28592971

Porosity and Permeability of Chondritic Materials

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Zolensky, Michael E.; Corrigan, Catherine M.; Dahl, Jason; Long, Michael

1996-01-01

We have investigated the porosity of a large number of chondritic interplanetary dust particles and meteorites by three techniques: standard liquid/gas flow techniques, a new, non-invasive ultrasonic technique, and image processing of backscattered images . The latter technique is obviously best suited to sub-kg sized samples. We have also measured the gas and liquid permeabilities of some chondrites by two techniques: standard liquid/gas flow techniques, and a new, non-destructive pressure release technique. We find that chondritic IDP's have a somewhat bimodal porosity distribution. Peaks are present at 0 and 4% porosity; a tail then extends to 53%. These values suggest IDP bulk densities of 1.1 to 3.3 g/cc. Type 1-3 chondrite matrix porosities range up to 30%, with a peak at 2%. The bulk porosities for type 1-3 chondrites have the same approximate range as exhibited by matrix, indicating that other components of the bulk meteorites (including chondrules and aggregates) have the same average porosity as matrix. These results reveal that the porosity of primitive materials at scales ranging from nanogram to kilogram are similar, implying similar accretion dynamics operated through 12 orders of size magnitude. Permeabilities of the investigated chondrites vary by several orders of magnitude, and there appears to be no simple dependence of permeability with degree of aqueous alteration, or chondrite type.

Modeling and Prediction of Solvent Effect on Human Skin Permeability using Support Vector Regression and Random Forest.

PubMed

Baba, Hiromi; Takahara, Jun-ichi; Yamashita, Fumiyoshi; Hashida, Mitsuru

2015-11-01

The solvent effect on skin permeability is important for assessing the effectiveness and toxicological risk of new dermatological formulations in pharmaceuticals and cosmetics development. The solvent effect occurs by diverse mechanisms, which could be elucidated by efficient and reliable prediction models. However, such prediction models have been hampered by the small variety of permeants and mixture components archived in databases and by low predictive performance. Here, we propose a solution to both problems. We first compiled a novel large database of 412 samples from 261 structurally diverse permeants and 31 solvents reported in the literature. The data were carefully screened to ensure their collection under consistent experimental conditions. To construct a high-performance predictive model, we then applied support vector regression (SVR) and random forest (RF) with greedy stepwise descriptor selection to our database. The models were internally and externally validated. The SVR achieved higher performance statistics than RF. The (externally validated) determination coefficient, root mean square error, and mean absolute error of SVR were 0.899, 0.351, and 0.268, respectively. Moreover, because all descriptors are fully computational, our method can predict as-yet unsynthesized compounds. Our high-performance prediction model offers an attractive alternative to permeability experiments for pharmaceutical and cosmetic candidate screening and optimizing skin-permeable topical formulations.

A Hydrogel/Carbon-Nanotube Needle-Free Device for Electrostimulated Skin Drug Delivery.

PubMed

Guillet, Jean-François; Flahaut, Emmanuel; Golzio, Muriel

2017-10-06

The permeability of skin allows passive diffusion across the epidermis to reach blood vessels but this is possible only for small molecules such as nicotine. In order to achieve transdermal delivery of large molecules such as insulin or plasmid DNA, permeability of the skin and mainly the permeability of the stratum corneum skin layer has to be increased. Moreover, alternative routes that avoid the use of needles will improve the quality of life of patients. A method known as electropermeabilisation has been shown to increase skin permeability. Herein, we report the fabrication of an innovative hydrogel made of a nanocomposite material. This nanocomposite device aims to permeabilise the skin and deliver drug molecules at the same time. It includes a biocompatible polymer matrix (hydrogel) and double-walled carbon nanotubes (DWCNTs) in order to bring electrical conductivity and improve mechanical properties. Carbon nanotubes and especially DWCNTs are ideal candidates, combining high electrical conductivity with a very high specific surface area together with a good biocompatibility when included into a material. The preparation and characterization of the nanocomposite hydrogel as well as first results of electrostimulated transdermal delivery using an ex vivo mouse skin model are presented. © 2017 Wiley-VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim.

Biophysical Model of Ion Transport across Human Respiratory Epithelia Allows Quantification of Ion Permeabilities

PubMed Central

Garcia, Guilherme J.M.; Boucher, Richard C.; Elston, Timothy C.

2013-01-01

Lung health and normal mucus clearance depend on adequate hydration of airway surfaces. Because transepithelial osmotic gradients drive water flows, sufficient hydration of the airway surface liquid depends on a balance between ion secretion and absorption by respiratory epithelia. In vitro experiments using cultures of primary human nasal epithelia and human bronchial epithelia have established many of the biophysical processes involved in airway surface liquid homeostasis. Most experimental studies, however, have focused on the apical membrane, despite the fact that ion transport across respiratory epithelia involves both cellular and paracellular pathways. In fact, the ion permeabilities of the basolateral membrane and paracellular pathway remain largely unknown. Here we use a biophysical model for water and ion transport to quantify ion permeabilities of all pathways (apical, basolateral, paracellular) in human nasal epithelia cultures using experimental (Ussing Chamber and microelectrode) data reported in the literature. We derive analytical formulas for the steady-state short-circuit current and membrane potential, which are for polarized epithelia the equivalent of the Goldman-Hodgkin-Katz equation for single isolated cells. These relations allow parameter estimation to be performed efficiently. By providing a method to quantify all the ion permeabilities of respiratory epithelia, the model may aid us in understanding the physiology that regulates normal airway surface hydration. PMID:23442922

The effectiveness of argumentation in tutorial dialogues with an Intelligent Tutoring System for genetic risk of breast cancer.

PubMed

Cedillos-Whynott, Elizabeth M; Wolfe, Christopher R; Widmer, Colin L; Brust-Renck, Priscila G; Weil, Audrey; Reyna, Valerie F

2016-09-01

BRCA Gist is an Intelligent Tutoring System that helps women understand issues related to genetic testing and breast cancer risk. In two laboratory experiments and a field experiment with community and web-based samples, an avatar asked 120 participants to produce arguments for and against genetic testing for breast cancer risk. Two raters assessed the number of argumentation elements (claim, reason, backing, etc.) found in response to prompts soliciting arguments for and against genetic testing for breast cancer risk (IRR=.85). When asked to argue for genetic testing, 53.3 % failed to meet the minimum operational definition of making an argument, a claim supported by one or more reasons. When asked to argue against genetic testing, 59.3 % failed to do so. Of those who failed to generate arguments most simply listed disconnected reasons. However, participants who provided arguments against testing (40.7 %) performed significantly higher on a posttest of declarative knowledge. In each study we found positive correlations between the quality of arguments against genetic testing (i.e., number of argumentation elements) and genetic risk categorization scores. Although most interactions did not contain two or more argument elements, when more elements of arguments were included in the argument against genetic testing interaction, participants had greater learning outcomes. Apparently, many participants lack skills in making coherent arguments. These results suggest an association between argumentation ability (knowing how to make complex arguments) and subsequent learning. Better education in developing arguments may be necessary for people to learn from generating arguments within Intelligent Tutoring Systems and other settings.

The effectiveness of argumentation in tutorial dialogues with an Intelligent Tutoring System for genetic risk of breast cancer

PubMed Central

Cedillos-Whynott, Elizabeth M.; Wolfe, Christopher R.; Widmer, Colin L.; Brust-Renck, Priscila G.; Weil, Audrey; Reyna, Valerie F.

2017-01-01

BRCA Gist is an Intelligent Tutoring System that helps women understand issues related to genetic testing and breast cancer risk. In two laboratory experiments and a field experiment with community and web-based samples, an avatar asked 120 participants to produce arguments for and against genetic testing for breast cancer risk. Two raters assessed the number of argumentation elements (claim, reason, backing, etc.) found in response to prompts soliciting arguments for and against genetic testing for breast cancer risk (IRR=.85). When asked to argue for genetic testing, 53.3 % failed to meet the minimum operational definition of making an argument, a claim supported by one or more reasons. When asked to argue against genetic testing, 59.3 % failed to do so. Of those who failed to generate arguments most simply listed disconnected reasons. However, participants who provided arguments against testing (40.7 %) performed significantly higher on a posttest of declarative knowledge. In each study we found positive correlations between the quality of arguments against genetic testing (i.e., number of argumentation elements) and genetic risk categorization scores. Although most interactions did not contain two or more argument elements, when more elements of arguments were included in the argument against genetic testing interaction, participants had greater learning outcomes. Apparently, many participants lack skills in making coherent arguments. These results suggest an association between argumentation ability (knowing how to make complex arguments) and subsequent learning. Better education in developing arguments may be necessary for people to learn from generating arguments within Intelligent Tutoring Systems and other settings. PMID:26511370

Modelling Scientific Argumentation in the Classroom : Teachers perception and practice

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Probosari, R. M.; Sajidan; Suranto; Prayitno, B. A.; Widyastuti, F.

2017-02-01

The purposes of this study were to investigate teacher’s perception about scientific argumentation and how they practice it in their classroom. Thirty biology teachers in high school participated in this study and illustrated their perception of scientific argumentation through a questionnaire. This survey research was developed to measure teachers’ understanding of scientific argumentation, what they know about scientific argumentation, the differentiation between argument and reasoning, how they plan teaching strategies in order to make students’ scientific argumentation better and the obstacles in teaching scientific argumentation. The result conclude that generally, teachers modified various representation to accommodate student’s active participation, but most of them assume that argument and reasoning are similar. Less motivation, tools and limited science’s knowledge were considered as obstacles in teaching argumentation. The findings can be helpful to improving students’ abilities of doing scientific argumentation as a part of inquiry.

Hematopoiesis Primer Modeling Combined Injury

DTIC Science & Technology

2012-05-01

wall (Nachman and Rafii 2008). With thrombocytopenia, vascular permeability increases allowing local movement of erythrocytes into the tissue which...Gottingen minipigs, humans, and other large animal models. PLoS One. 2011; 6(9):e25210. Epub 2011 Sep 28. Nachman R.L., S. Rafii . Platelets, petechiae

High performance concrete in a bridge in Richlands, Virginia

DOT National Transportation Integrated Search

1999-09-01

The Virginia Department of Transportation built a high-performance concrete (HPC) bridge with high-strength and low-permeability concrete in Richlands. The beams had a minimum compressive strength of 69 MPa (10,000 psi) at 28 days and large, 15 mm (0...

Evaluating arguments during instigations of defence motivation and accuracy motivation.

PubMed

Liu, Cheng-Hong

2017-05-01

When people evaluate the strength of an argument, their motivations are likely to influence the evaluation. However, few studies have specifically investigated the influences of motivational factors on argument evaluation. This study examined the effects of defence and accuracy motivations on argument evaluation. According to the compatibility between the advocated positions of arguments and participants' prior beliefs and the objective strength of arguments, participants evaluated four types of arguments: compatible-strong, compatible-weak, incompatible-strong, and incompatible-weak arguments. Experiment 1 revealed that participants possessing a high defence motivation rated compatible-weak arguments as stronger and incompatible-strong ones as weaker than participants possessing a low defence motivation. However, the strength ratings between the high and low defence groups regarding both compatible-strong and incompatible-weak arguments were similar. Experiment 2 revealed that when participants possessed a high accuracy motivation, they rated compatible-weak arguments as weaker and incompatible-strong ones as stronger than when they possessed a low accuracy motivation. However, participants' ratings on both compatible-strong and incompatible-weak arguments were similar when comparing high and low accuracy conditions. The results suggest that defence and accuracy motivations are two major motives influencing argument evaluation. However, they primarily influence the evaluation results for compatible-weak and incompatible-strong arguments, but not for compatible-strong and incompatible-weak arguments. © 2016 The British Psychological Society.

Ground-Water Hydrology of the Upper Deschutes Basin, Oregon

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gannett, Marshall W.; Lite, Kenneth E.; Morgan, David S.; Collins, Charles A.

2001-01-01

The upper Deschutes Basin is among the fastest growing regions in Oregon. The rapid population growth has been accompanied by increased demand for water. Surface streams, however, have been administratively closed to additional appropriation for many years, and surface water is not generally available to support new development. Consequently, ground water is being relied upon to satisfy the growth in water demand. Oregon water law requires that the potential effects of ground-water development on streamflow be evaluated when considering applications for new ground-water rights. Prior to this study, hydrologic understanding has been insufficient to quantitatively evaluate the connection between ground water and streamflow, and the behavior of the regional ground-water flow system in general. This report describes the results of a hydrologic investigation undertaken to provide that understanding. The investigation encompasses about 4,500 square miles of the upper Deschutes River drainage basin.A large proportion of the precipitation in the upper Deschutes Basin falls in the Cascade Range, making it the principal ground-water recharge area for the basin. Water-balance calculations indicate that the average annual rate of ground- water recharge from precipitation is about 3,500 ft3/s (cubic feet per second). Water-budget calculations indicate that in addition to recharge from precipitation, water enters the ground-water system through interbasin flow. Approximately 800 ft3/s flows into the Metolius River drainage from the west and about 50 ft3/s flows into the southeastern part of the study area from the Fort Rock Basin. East of the Cascade Range, there is little or no ground-water recharge from precipitation, but leaking irrigation canals are a significant source of artificial recharge north of Bend. The average annual rate of canal leakage during 1994 was estimated to be about 490 ft3/s. Ground water flows from the Cascade Range through permeable volcanic rocks eastward out into the basin and then generally northward. About one-half the ground water flowing from the Cascade Range discharges to spring-fed streams along the margins of the range, including the upper Metolius River and its tributaries. The remaining ground water flows through the subsurface, primarily through rocks of the Deschutes Formation, and eventually discharges to streams near the confluence of the Deschutes, Crooked, and Metolius Rivers. Substantial ground-water discharge occurs along the lower 2 miles of Squaw Creek, the Deschutes River between Lower Bridge and Pelton Dam, the lower Crooked River between Osborne Canyon and the mouth, and in Lake Billy Chinook (a reservoir that inundates the confluence of the Deschutes, Crooked, and Metolius Rivers).The large amount of ground-water discharge in the confluence area is primarily caused by geologic factors. North (downstream) of the confluence area, the upper Deschutes Basin is transected by a broad region of low-permeability rock of the John Day Formation. The Deschutes River flows north across the low-permeability region, but the permeable Deschutes Formation, through which most of the regional ground water flows, ends against this rampart of low-permeability rock. The northward-flowing ground water discharges to the streams in this area because the permeable strata through which it flows terminate, forcing the water to discharge to the surface. Virtually all of the regional ground water in the upper Deschutes Basin discharges to surface streams south of the area where the Deschutes River enters this low-permeability terrane, at roughly the location of Pelton Dam.The effects of ground-water withdrawal on streamflow cannot presently be measured because of measurement error and the large amount of natural variability in ground-water discharge. The summer streamflow near Madras, which is made up largely of ground-water discharge, is approximately 4,000 ft3/s. Estimated consumptive ground-water use in the basin i

Large Scale Synthesis of Colloidal Si Nanocrystals and their Helium Plasma Processing into Spin-On, Carbon-Free Nanocrystalline Si Films.

PubMed

Mohapatra, Pratyasha; Mendivelso-Perez, Deyny; Bobbitt, Jonathan M; Shaw, Santosh; Yuan, Bin; Tian, Xinchun; Smith, Emily A; Cademartiri, Ludovico

2018-05-30

This paper describes a simple approach to the large scale synthesis of colloidal Si nanocrystals and their processing by He plasma into spin-on carbon-free nanocrystalline Si films. We further show that the RIE etching rate in these films is 1.87 times faster than for single crystalline Si, consistent with a simple geometric argument that accounts for the nanoscale roughness caused by the nanoparticle shape.

Design, science and naturalism

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Deming, David

2008-09-01

The Design Argument is the proposition that the presence of order in the universe is evidence for the existence of God. The Argument dates at least to the presocratic Greek philosophers, and is largely based on analogical reasoning. Following the appearance of Aquinas' Summa Theologica in the 13th century, the Christian Church in Europe embraced a Natural Theology based on observation and reason that allowed it to dominate the entire world of knowledge. Science in turn advanced itself by demonstrating that it could be of service to theology, the recognized queen of the sciences. During the heyday of British Natural Theology in the 17th and 18th centuries, the watchmaker, shipbuilder, and architect analogies were invoked reflexively by philosophers, theologians, and scientists. The Design Argument was not systematically and analytically criticized until David Hume wrote Dialogues on Natural Religion in the 1750s. After Darwin published Origin of Species in 1859, Design withered on the vine. But in recent years, the Argument has been resurrected under the appellation "intelligent design," and been the subject of political and legal controversy in the United States. Design advocates have argued that intelligent design can be formulated as a scientific hypothesis, that new scientific discoveries validate a design inference, and that naturalism must be removed as a methodological requirement in science. If science is defined by a model of concentric epistemological zonation, design cannot be construed as a scientific hypothesis because it is inconsistent with the core aspects of scientific methodology: naturalism, uniformity, induction, and efficient causation. An analytical examination of claims by design advocates finds no evidence of any type to support either scientific or philosophical claims that design can be unambiguously inferred from nature. The apparent irreducible complexity of biological mechanisms may be explained by exaptation or scaffolding. The argument that design is indicated by the fine-tuning of the universe as a habitat suitable for life is based on an intellectual fallacy of assigning probability to a unique event. Construing the Design Argument as an "inference to the best explanation," rather than analogical reasoning is essentially an equivocation fallacy that does not rescue the Argument from Hume's criticisms. The intelligent design movement is a threat to the unity of science, as its confessed goal is to restore Christian theology as the queen of the sciences.

Structure and pragmatics in informal argument: circularity and question-begging.

PubMed

Brem, Sarah K.

2003-04-01

Most everyday arguments are informal, as contrasted with the formal arguments of logic and mathematics. Whereas formal argument is well understood, the nature of informal argument is more elusive. A recent study by Rips (2002) provides further evidence regarding the roles of structure and pragmatics in informal argument.

A Defense of Argument as Disagreement.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Benoit, Pamela J.

1991-01-01

Rejects Robert Rowland and J. Kevin Barge's conclusion (in an article in the same issue) that defining argument as reason giving is superior to defining argument as disagreement. Maintains that defining argument as disagreement is appropriate for an interpretive argumentation theorist, and that argumentation is a complex topic with room for more…

A Comparison of Scientists' Arguments and School Argumentation Tasks

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

MacPherson, Anna C.

2016-01-01

This study sought to investigate the arguments that ecologists engage in as part of their work and to compare their arguments with the way in which ecological arguments have been presented in school argumentation tasks. Ten ecologists, in subfields ranging from individual/behavioral ecology to global ecology, participated in semistructured…

Blood-brain barrier permeability is increased after acute adult stroke but not neonatal stroke in the rat

PubMed Central

Lopez, David Fernandez; Faustino, Joel; Daneman, Richard; Zhou, Lu; Lee, Sarah; Derugin, Nikita; Wendland, Michael F.; Vexler, Zinaida S

2012-01-01

The immaturity of the CNS at birth greatly affects injury after stroke but the contribution of the blood-brain barrier (BBB) to the differential response to stroke in adults and neonates is poorly understood. We asked if the structure and function of the BBB is disrupted differently in neonatal and adult rats by transient middle cerebral artery occlusion. In adult rats, albumin leakage into injured regions was markedly increased during 2–24 h reperfusion but leakage remained low in the neonates. Functional assays employing intravascular tracers in the neonates showed that BBB permeability to both large (70-kDa dextran) and small (3-kDa dextran, Gd-DTPA) tracers remained largely undisturbed 24h after reperfusion. The profoundly different functional integrity of the BBB was associated with the largely nonoverlapping patterns of regulated genes in endothelial cells purified from injured and uninjured adult and neonatal brain at 24h (endothelial transcriptome, 31,042 total probe sets). Within significantly regulated 1,266 probe sets in injured adults and 361 probe sets in neonates, changes in the gene expression of the basal lamina components, adhesion molecules, the tight junction protein occludin, and MMP-9 were among the key differences. The protein expression of collagen-IV, laminin, claudin-5, occludin and ZO-1 was also better preserved in neonatal rats. Neutrophil infiltration remained low in acutely injured neonates but neutralization of CINC-1 in the systemic circulation enhanced neutrophil infiltration, BBB permeability and injury. The markedly more integrant BBB in neonatal brain than in adult brain after acute stroke may have major implications for the treatment of neonatal stroke. PMID:22787045

Predicting Large-scale Effects During Cookoff of Plastic-Bonded Explosives (PBX 9501 PBX 9502 and LX-14)

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Hobbs, Michael L.; Kaneshige, Michael J.; Erikson, William W.

In this study, we have made reasonable cookoff predictions of large-scale explosive systems by using pressure-dependent kinetics determined from small-scale experiments. Scale-up is determined by properly accounting for pressure generated from gaseous decomposition products and the volume that these reactive gases occupy, e.g. trapped within the explosive, the system, or vented. The pressure effect on the decomposition rates has been determined for different explosives by using both vented and sealed experiments at low densities. Low-density explosives are usually permeable to decomposition gases and can be used in both vented and sealed configurations to determine pressure-dependent reaction rates. In contrast, explosivesmore » that are near the theoretical maximum density (TMD) are not as permeable to decomposition gases, and pressure-dependent kinetics are difficult to determine. Ignition in explosives at high densities can be predicted by using pressure-dependent rates determined from the low-density experiments as long as gas volume changes associated with bulk thermal expansion are also considered. In the current work, cookoff of the plastic-bonded explosives PBX 9501 and PBX 9502 is reviewed and new experimental work on LX-14 is presented. Reactive gases are formed inside these heated explosives causing large internal pressures. The pressure is released differently for each of these explosives. For PBX 9501, permeability is increased and internal pressure is relieved as the nitroplasticizer melts and decomposes. Internal pressure in PBX 9502 is relieved as the material is damaged by cracks and spalling. For LX-14, internal pressure is not relieved until the explosive thermally ignites. The current paper is an extension of work presented at the 26th ICDERS symposium [1].« less

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

McKee, E.H.

Ground water flow through the region south and west of Frenchman Flat, in the Ash Meadows subbasin of the Death Valley ground water flow system, is controlled mostly by the distribution of permeable and impermeable rocks. Geologic structures such as faults are instrumental in arranging the distribution of the aquifer and aquitard rock units. Most permeability is in fractures caused by faulting in carbonate rocks. Large faults are more likely to reach the potentiometric surface about 325 meters below the ground surface and are more likely to effect the flow path than small faults. Thus field work concentrated on identifyingmore » large faults, especially where they cut carbonate rocks. Small faults, however, may develop as much permeability as large faults. Faults that are penetrative and are part of an anastomosing fault zone are particularly important. The overall pattern of faults and joints at the ground surface in the Spotted and Specter Ranges is an indication of the fracture system at the depth of the water table. Most of the faults in these ranges are west-southwest-striking, high-angle faults, 100 to 3500 meters long, with 10 to 300 /meters of displacement. Many of them, such as those in the Spotted Range and Rock Valley are left-lateral strike-slip faults that are conjugate to the NW-striking right-lateral faults of the Las Vegas Valley shear zone. These faults control the ground water flow path, which runs west-southwest beneath the Spotted Range, Mercury Valley and the Specter Range. The Specter Range thrust is a significant geologic structure with respect to ground water flow. This regional thrust fault emplaces siliceous clastic strata into the north central and western parts of the Specter Range.« less

Can't see the woods for the trees: exploring the range and connection of tobacco industry argumentation in the 2012 UK standardised packaging consultation.

PubMed

Lie, Jessamina Lih Yan; Fooks, Gary; de Vries, Nanne K; Heijndijk, Suzanne M; Willemsen, Marc C

2017-07-25

Transnational tobacco company (TTC) submissions to the 2012 UK standardised packaging consultation are studied to examine TTC argumentation in the context of Better Regulation practices. A content analysis was conducted of Philip Morris International and British American Tobacco submissions to the 2012 UK consultation. Industry arguments concerning expected costs and (contested) benefits of the policy were categorised into themes and frames. The inter-relationship between frames through linked arguments was mapped to analyse central arguments using an argumentation network. 173 arguments were identified. Arguments fell into one of five frames: ineffectiveness, negative economic consequences, harm to public health, increased crime or legal ramifications. Arguments highlighted high costs to a wide range of groups, including government, general public and other businesses. Arguments also questioned the public health benefits of standardised packaging and highlighted the potential benefits to undeserving groups. An increase in illicit trade was the most central argument and linked to the greatest variety of arguments. In policy-making systems characterised by mandatory impact assessments and public consultations, the wide range of cost (and contested benefits) based arguments highlights the risk of TTCs overloading policy actors and causing delays in policy adoption. Illicit trade related arguments are central to providing a rationale for these arguments, which include the claim that standardised packaging will increase health risks. The strategic importance of illicit trade arguments to industry argumentation in public consultations underlines the risks of relying on industry data relating to the scale of the illicit trade. © Article author(s) (or their employer(s) unless otherwise stated in the text of the article) 2017. All rights reserved. No commercial use is permitted unless otherwise expressly granted.

Factors impacting teachers' argumentation instruction in their science classrooms

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

McNeill, Katherine L.; Katsh-Singer, Rebecca; González-Howard, María; Loper, Suzanna

2016-08-01

Science education research, reform documents and standards include scientific argumentation as a key learning goal for students. The role of the teacher is essential for implementing argumentation in part because their beliefs about argumentation can impact whether and how this science practice is integrated into their classroom. In this study, we surveyed 42 middle school science teachers and conducted follow-up interviews with 25 to investigate the factors that teachers believe impact their argumentation instruction. Teachers responded that their own learning goals had the greatest impact on their argumentation instruction while influences related to context, policy and assessment had the least impact. The minor influence of policy and assessment was in part because teachers saw a lack of alignment between these areas and the goals of argumentation. In addition, although teachers indicated that argumentation was an important learning goal, regardless of students' backgrounds and abilities, the teachers discussed argumentation in different ways. Consequently, it may be more important to help teachers understand what counts as argumentation, rather than provide a rationale for including argumentation in instruction. Finally, the act of trying out argumentation in their own classrooms, supported through resources such as curriculum, can increase teachers' confidence in teaching argumentation.

Interaction of vortex rings with multiple permeable screens

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Musta, Mustafa N.; Krueger, Paul S.

2014-11-01

Interaction of a vortex ring impinging on multiple permeable screens orthogonal to the ring axis was studied to experimentally investigate the persistence and decay of vortical structures inside the screen array using digital particle image velocimetry in a refractive index matched environment. The permeable screens had porosities (open area ratios) of 83.8%, 69.0%, and 55.7% and were held by a transparent frame that allowed the screen spacing to be changed. Vortex rings were generated using a piston-cylinder mechanism at nominal jet Reynolds numbers of 1000, 2000, and 3000 with piston stroke length-to-diameter ratios of 2 and 3. The interaction of vortex rings with the porous medium showed a strong dependence of the overall flow evolution on the screen porosity, with a central flow being preserved and vortex ring-like structures (with smaller diameter than the primary vortex ring) being generated near the centerline. Due to the large rod size used in the screens, immediate reformation of the transmitted vortex ring with size comparable to the primary ring (as has been observed with thin screens) was not observed in most cases. Since the screens have lower complexity and high open area ratios, centerline vortex ring-like flow structures formed with comparable size to the screen pore size and penetrated through the screens. In the case of low porosity screens (55.7%) with large screen spacing, re-emergence of large scale (large separation), weak vortical structures/pairs (analogous to a transmitted vortex ring) was observed downstream of the first screen. Additional smaller scale vortical structures were generated by the interaction of the vortex ring with subsequent screens. The size distribution of the generated vortical structures were shown to be strongly affected by porosity, with smaller vortical structures playing a stronger role as porosity decreased. Finally, porosity significantly affected the decay of total energy, but the effect of screen spacing decreased as porosity decreased.

Permeability of acetic acid across gel and liquid-crystalline lipid bilayers conforms to free-surface-area theory.

PubMed Central

Xiang, T X; Anderson, B D

1997-01-01

Solubility-diffusion theory, which treats the lipid bilayer membrane as a bulk lipid solvent into which permeants must partition and diffuse across, fails to account for the effects of lipid bilayer chain order on the permeability coefficient of any given permeant. This study addresses the scaling factor that must be applied to predictions from solubility-diffusion theory to correct for chain ordering. The effects of bilayer chemical composition, temperature, and phase structure on the permeability coefficient (Pm) of acetic acid were investigated in large unilamellar vesicles by a combined method of NMR line broadening and dynamic light scattering. Permeability values were obtained in distearoylphosphatidylcholine, dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine, dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine, and dilauroylphosphatidylcholine bilayers, and their mixtures with cholesterol, at various temperatures both above and below the gel-->liquid-crystalline phase transition temperatures (Tm). A new scaling factor, the permeability decrement f, is introduced to account for the decrease in permeability coefficient from that predicted by solubility-diffusion theory owing to chain ordering in lipid bilayers. Values of f were obtained by division of the observed Pm by the permeability coefficient predicted from a bulk solubility-diffusion model. In liquid-crystalline phases, a strong correlation (r = 0.94) between f and the normalized surface density sigma was obtained: in f = 5.3 - 10.6 sigma. Activation energies (Ea) for the permeability of acetic acid decreased with decreasing phospholipid chain length and correlated with the sensitivity of chain ordering to temperature, [symbol: see text] sigma/[symbol: see text](1/T), as chain length was varied. Pm values decreased abruptly at temperatures below the main phase transition temperatures in pure dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine and dimyristoylphosphatidylcholine bilayers (30-60-fold) and below the pretransition in dipalmitoylphosphatidylcholine bilayers (8-fold), and the linear relationship between in f and sigma established for liquid-crystalline bilayers was no longer followed. However, in both gel and liquid-crystalline phases in f was found to exhibit an inverse correlation with free surface area (in f = -0.31 - 29.1/af, where af is the average free area (in square angstroms) per lipid molecule). Thus, the lipid bilayer permeability of acetic acid can be predicted from the relevant chain-packing properties in the bilayer (free surface area), regardless of whether chain ordering is varied by changes in temperature, lipid chain length, cholesterol concentration, or bilayer phase structure, provided that temperature effects on permeant dehydration and diffusion and the chain-length effects on bilayer barrier thickness are properly taken into account. PMID:8994607

Porosity and permeability determination of organic-rich Posidonia shales based on 3-D analyses by FIB-SEM microscopy

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Grathoff, Georg H.; Peltz, Markus; Enzmann, Frieder; Kaufhold, Stephan

2016-07-01

The goal of this study is to better understand the porosity and permeability in shales to improve modelling fluid and gas flow related to shale diagenesis. Two samples (WIC and HAD) were investigated, both mid-Jurassic organic-rich Posidonia shales from Hils area, central Germany of different maturity (WIC R0 0.53 % and HAD R0 1.45 %). The method for image collection was focused ion beam (FIB) microscopy coupled with scanning electron microscopy (SEM). For image and data analysis Avizo and GeoDict was used. Porosity was calculated from segmented 3-D FIB based images and permeability was simulated by a Navier Stokes-Brinkman solver in the segmented images. Results show that the quantity and distribution of pore clusters and pores (≥ 40 nm) are similar. The largest pores are located within carbonates and clay minerals, whereas the smallest pores are within the matured organic matter. Orientation of the pores calculated as pore paths showed minor directional differences between the samples. Both samples have no continuous connectivity of pore clusters along the axes in the x, y, and z direction on the scale of 10 to 20 of micrometer, but do show connectivity on the micrometer scale. The volume of organic matter in the studied volume is representative of the total organic carbon (TOC) in the samples. Organic matter does show axis connectivity in the x, y, and z directions. With increasing maturity the porosity in organic matter increases from close to 0 to more than 5 %. These pores are small and in the large organic particles have little connection to the mineral matrix. Continuous pore size distributions are compared with mercury intrusion porosimetry (MIP) data. Differences between both methods are caused by resolution limits of the FIB-SEM and by the development of small pores during the maturation of the organic matter. Calculations show no permeability when only considering visible pores due to the lack of axis connectivity. Adding the organic matter with a background permeability of 1 × 10-21 m2 to the calculations, the total permeability increased by up to 1 order of magnitude for the low mature and decreases slightly for the overmature sample from the gas window. Anisotropy of permeability was observed. Permeability coefficients increase by 1 order of magnitude if simulations are performed parallel to the bedding. Our results compare well with experimental data from the literature suggesting that upscaling may be possible in the future as soon as maturity dependent organic matter permeability coefficients can be determined.

A PERMEABLE ACTIVE AMENDMENT CONCRETE (PAAC) FOR CONTAMINANT REMEDIATION AND EROSION CONTROL

DOE Office of Scientific and Technical Information (OSTI.GOV)

Knox, A.; Paller, M.; Dixon, K.

2012-06-29

The final project report for SEED SERDP ER - 2134 describes the development of permeable active amendment concrete (PAAC), which was evaluated through four tasks: 1) development of PAAC; 2) assessment of PAAC for contaminant removal; 3) evaluation of promising PAAC formulations for potential environmental impacts; and 4) assessment of the hydraulic, physical, and structural properties of PAAC. Conventional permeable concrete (often referred to as pervious concrete) is concrete with high porosity as a result of an extensive and interconnected void content. It is made from carefully controlled amounts of water and cementitious materials used to create a paste thatmore » forms a coating around aggregate particles. The mixture has a substantial void content (e.g., 15% - 25%) that results in a highly permeable structure that drains quickly. In PAAC, the aggregate material is partly replaced by chemically-active amendments that precipitate or adsorb contaminants in water that flows through the concrete interstices. PAAC combines the relatively high structural strength, ample void space, and water permeability of pervious concrete with the contaminant sequestration ability of chemically-active amendments to produce a new material with superior durability and ability to control contaminant mobility. The high surface area provided by the concrete interstices in PAAC provides significant opportunity for contaminants to react with the amendments incorporated into the concrete matrix. PAAC has the potential to immobilize a large variety of organic and inorganic contaminants by incorporating different active sequestering agents including phosphate materials (rock phosphate), organoclays, zeolite, and lime individually or in combinations.« less

Monitoring Single-channel Water Permeability in Polarized Cells*

PubMed Central

Erokhova, Liudmila; Horner, Andreas; Kügler, Philipp; Pohl, Peter

2011-01-01

So far the determination of unitary permeability (pf) of water channels that are expressed in polarized cells is subject to large errors because the opening of a single water channel does not noticeably increase the water permeability of a membrane patch above the background. That is, in contrast to the patch clamp technique, where the single ion channel conductance may be derived from a single experiment, two experiments separated in time and/or space are required to obtain the single-channel water permeability pf as a function of the incremental water permeability (Pf,c) and the number (n) of water channels that contributed to Pf,c. Although the unitary conductance of ion channels is measured in the native environment of the channel, pf is so far derived from reconstituted channels or channels expressed in oocytes. To determine the pf of channels from live epithelial monolayers, we exploit the fact that osmotic volume flow alters the concentration of aqueous reporter dyes adjacent to the epithelia. We measure these changes by fluorescence correlation spectroscopy, which allows the calculation of both Pf,c and osmolyte dilution within the unstirred layer. Shifting the focus of the laser from the aqueous solution to the apical and basolateral membranes allowed the FCS-based determination of n. Here we validate the new technique by determining the pf of aquaporin 5 in Madin-Darby canine kidney cell monolayers. Because inhibition and subsequent activity rescue are monitored on the same sample, drug effects on exocytosis or endocytosis can be dissected from those on pf. PMID:21940624

The impact of in-situ stress and outcrop-based fracture geometry on hydraulic aperture and upscaled permeability in fractured reservoirs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Bisdom, Kevin; Bertotti, Giovanni; Nick, Hamidreza M.

2016-10-01

Aperture has a controlling impact on porosity and permeability and is a source of uncertainty in modeling of naturally fractured reservoirs. This uncertainty results from difficulties in accurately quantifying aperture in the subsurface and from a limited fundamental understanding of the mechanical and diagenetic processes that control aperture. In the absence of cement bridges and high pore pressure, fractures in the subsurface are generally considered to be closed. However, experimental work, outcrop analyses and subsurface data show that some fractures remain open, and that aperture varies even along a single fracture. However, most fracture flow models consider constant apertures for fractures. We create a stress-dependent heterogeneous aperture by combining Finite Element modeling of discrete fracture networks with an empirical aperture model. Using a modeling approach that considers fractures explicitly, we quantify equivalent permeability, i.e. combined matrix and stress-dependent fracture flow. Fracture networks extracted from a large outcropping pavement form the basis of these models. The results show that the angle between fracture strike and σ1 has a controlling impact on aperture and permeability, where hydraulic opening is maximum for an angle of 15°. At this angle, the fracture experiences a minor amount of shear displacement that allows the fracture to remain open even when fluid pressure is lower than the local normal stress. Averaging the heterogeneous aperture to scale up permeability probably results in an underestimation of flow, indicating the need to incorporate full aperture distributions rather than simplified aperture models in reservoir-scale flow models.

In Situ Measurement of Permeability in the Vicinity of Faulted Nonwelded Bishop Tuff, Bishop, CA

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Dinwiddie, C. L.; Fedors, R. W.; Ferrill, D. A.; Bradbury, K. K.

2002-12-01

The nonwelded Bishop Tuff includes matrix-supported massive ignimbrites and clast-supported bedded deposits. Fluid flow through such faulted nonwelded tuff is likely to be influenced by a combination of host rock properties and the presence of deformation features, such as open fractures, mineralized fractures, and fault zones that exhibit comminuted fault rock and clays. Lithologic contacts between fine- and coarse-grained sub-units of nonwelded tuff may induce formation of capillary and/or permeability barriers within the unsaturated zone, potentially leading to down-dip lateral diversion of otherwise vertically flowing fluid. However, discontinuities (e.g., fractures and faults) may lead to preferential sub-vertical fast flow paths in the event of episodic infiltration rates, thus disrupting the potential for both (1) large-scale capillary and/or permeability barriers to form and for (2) redirection of water flow over great lateral distances. This study focuses on an innovative technique for measuring changes in matrix permeability near faults in situ--changes that may lead to enhancement of vertical fluid flow and disruption of lateral fluid flow. A small-drillhole minipermeameter probe provides a means to eliminate extraction of fragile nonwelded tuffs as a necessity for permeability measurement. Advantages of this approach include (1) a reduction of weathering-effects on measured permeability, and (2) provision of a superior sealing mechanism around the gas injection zone. In order to evaluate the effect of faults and fault zone deformation on nonwelded tuff matrix permeability, as well as to address the potential for disruption of lithologic barrier-induced lateral diversion of flow, data were collected from two fault systems and from unfaulted host rock. Two hundred and sixty-seven gas-permeability measurements were made at 89 locations; i.e. permeability measurements were made in triplicate at each location with three flow rates. Data were collected at the first fault and perpendicularly away from it within the hanging wall to a distance of 6 m [20 ft] along one transect, and perpendicular to the fault from the foot wall to the hanging wall for a distance of 6 m [20 ft] along a second transect. Additionally, eight water-permeameter tests were conducted in order to augment the gas-permeability data. Gas-permeability measurements were collected along two transects at the main fault of the second fault system and perpendicularly away from it within the foot wall to a distance of 10.5 m [34 ft], crossing several secondary faults in the process. Data were also collected within the fault gouge of the main fault, and were found to vary therein by an order of magnitude. This Bishop Tuff study supports the U.S. Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) review of hydrologic property studies at Yucca Mountain, Nevada, which are conducted by the U.S. Department of Energy. This abstract is an independent product of the CNWRA and does not necessarily reflect the views or regulatory position of the NRC.

Argumentation, Dialogue Theory, and Probability Modeling: Alternative Frameworks for Argumentation Research in Education

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Nussbaum, E. Michael

2011-01-01

Toulmin's model of argumentation, developed in 1958, has guided much argumentation research in education. However, argumentation theory in philosophy and cognitive science has advanced considerably since 1958. There are currently several alternative frameworks of argumentation that can be useful for both research and practice in education. These…

Distribution of effluent injected into the Boulder Zone of the Floridan aquifer system at the North District Wastewater Treatment Plant, southeastern Florida, 1997–2011

USGS Publications Warehouse

King, Jeffrey N.; Decker, Jeremy D.

2018-02-09

Nonhazardous, secondarily treated, domestic wastewater (effluent) has been injected about 1 kilometer below land surface into the Boulder Zone of the Floridan aquifer system at the North District Wastewater Treatment Plant in southeastern Florida. The Boulder Zone contains saline, nonpotable water. Effluent transport out of the injection zone is a risk of underground effluent injection. At the North District Wastewater Treatment Plant, injected effluent was detected outside the Boulder Zone. The U.S. Geological Survey, in cooperation with Miami-Dade Water and Sewer Department, investigated effluent transport from the Boulder Zone to overlying permeable zones in the Floridan aquifer system.One conceptual model is presented to explain the presence of effluent outside of the injection zone in which effluent injected into the Boulder Zone was transported to the Avon Park permeable zone, forced by buoyancy and injection pressure. In this conceptual model, effluent injected primarily into the Boulder Zone reaches a naturally occurring feature (a karst-collapse structure) near an injection well, through which the effluent is transported vertically upward to the uppermost major permeable zone of the Lower Floridan aquifer. The effluent is then transported laterally through the uppermost major permeable zone of the Lower Floridan aquifer to another naturally occurring feature northwest of the North District Wastewater Treatment Plant, through which it is then transported vertically upward into the Avon Park permeable zone. In addition, a leak within a monitoring well, between monitoring zones, allowed interflow between the Avon Park permeable zone and the Upper Floridan aquifer. A groundwater flow and effluent transport simulation of the hydrogeologic system at the North District Wastewater Treatment Plant, based on the hypothesized and non-unique conceptualization of the subsurface hydrogeology and flow system, generally replicated measured effluent constituent concentration trends. The model was calibrated to match observed concentration trends for total ammonium (NH4+) and total dissolved solids.The investigation qualitatively indicates that fractures, karst-collapse structures, faults, or other hydrogeologic features may permit effluent injected into the Boulder Zone to be transported to overlying permeable zones in the Floridan aquifer system. These findings, however, are qualitative because the locations of transport pathways that might exist from the Boulder Zone to the Avon Park permeable zone are largely unknown.

An Argumentation Framework based on Paraconsistent Logic

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Umeda, Yuichi; Takahashi, Takehisa; Sawamura, Hajime

Argumentation is the most representative of intelligent activities of humans. Therefore, it is natural to think that it could have many implications for artificial intelligence and computer science as well. Specifically, argumentation may be considered a most primitive capability for interaction among computational agents. In this paper we present an argumentation framework based on the four-valued paraconsistent logic. Tolerance and acceptance of inconsistency that this logic has as its logical feature allow for arguments on inconsistent knowledge bases with which we are often confronted. We introduce various concepts for argumentation, such as arguments, attack relations, argument justification, preferential criteria of arguments based on social norms, and so on, in a way proper to the four-valued paraconsistent logic. Then, we provide the fixpoint semantics and dialectical proof theory for our argumentation framework. We also give the proofs of the soundness and completeness.

Externally pressurized porous cylinder for multiple surface aerosol generation and method of generation

DOEpatents

Apel, Charles T.; Layman, Lawrence R.; Gallimore, David L.

1988-01-01

A nebulizer for generating aerosol having small droplet sizes and high efficiency at low sample introduction rates. The nebulizer has a cylindrical gas permeable active surface. A sleeve is disposed around the cylinder and gas is provided from the sleeve to the interior of the cylinder formed by the active surface. In operation, a liquid is provided to the inside of the gas permeable surface. The gas contacts the wetted surface and forms small bubbles which burst to form an aerosol. Those bubbles which are large are carried by momentum to another part of the cylinder where they are renebulized. This process continues until the entire sample is nebulized into aerosol sized droplets.

Structure of the lunar interior from magnetic field measurements

NASA Technical Reports Server (NTRS)

Dyal, P.; Parkin, C. W.; Daily, W. D.

1976-01-01

A network of lunar surface and orbiting magnetometers was used to obtain measurements of electrical conductivity and magnetic permeability of the lunar interior. An exceptionally large solar transient event, when the moon was in a geomagnetic tail lobe, enabled the most accurate lunar electromagnetic sounding information to date to be obtained. A new analytical technique using a network of two surface magnetometers and a satellite magnetometer superimposes many time series measurements to improve the signal-to-noise ratio and uses both the amplitude and phase information of all three vector components of the magnetic field data. Size constraints on a hypothetical highly conducting lunar core are investigated with the aid of the permeability results.

Evaluation of organic matter, subsurface temperature and pressure with regard to gas generation in low-permeability Upper Cretaceous and Lower Tertiary sandstones in Pacific Creek area, Sublette and Sweetwater Counties, Wyoming.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Law, B.E.; Spencer, C.W.; Bostick, N.H.

1980-01-01

The onset of overpressuring occurs at c.3,500 m, near the base of the U. Cretaceous Lance Formation. The development of overpressuring may involve several processes; however, interpretation of the available information indicates that active generation of large amounts of wet gas is one of the more important processes. The present minimum temperature at the top of overpressuring is at least 88oC. The preservation of abnormally high pressures is due to presently active generation of gas in a thick interval of discontinuous, very low-permeability shales, siltstones, and sandstones. - from Authors

THE ANATOMIC SITE OF THE TRANSEPITHELIAL PERMEABILITY BARRIERS OF TOAD BLADDER

PubMed Central

DiBona, Donald R.; Civan, Mortimer M.; Leaf, Alexander

1969-01-01

An examination of the mucosal epithelium of the urinary bladder of the toad reveals that the two major cell types which abut on the urinary surface, the granular and mitochondria-rich cells, also contact the basement membrane. Thus, the epithelium functions as a single cell layer. Although basal cells are interpolated between the granular cells and the basement membrane over a large portion of the epithelium, they do not constitute an additional continuous cell layer. This finding is consistent with extensive physiological data which had assumed that the major permeability barriers of this epithelium were the apical and basal-lateral plasma membranes of a single layer of cells. PMID:5782445

The Selective Laziness of Reasoning.

PubMed

Trouche, Emmanuel; Johansson, Petter; Hall, Lars; Mercier, Hugo

2016-11-01

Reasoning research suggests that people use more stringent criteria when they evaluate others' arguments than when they produce arguments themselves. To demonstrate this "selective laziness," we used a choice blindness manipulation. In two experiments, participants had to produce a series of arguments in response to reasoning problems, and they were then asked to evaluate other people's arguments about the same problems. Unknown to the participants, in one of the trials, they were presented with their own argument as if it was someone else's. Among those participants who accepted the manipulation and thus thought they were evaluating someone else's argument, more than half (56% and 58%) rejected the arguments that were in fact their own. Moreover, participants were more likely to reject their own arguments for invalid than for valid answers. This demonstrates that people are more critical of other people's arguments than of their own, without being overly critical: They are better able to tell valid from invalid arguments when the arguments are someone else's rather than their own. Copyright © 2015 Cognitive Science Society, Inc.

IMPROVING HYDROLOGIC SUSTAINABILITY OF TEXAS A&M UNIVERSITY CAMPUS

EPA Science Inventory

For small to mid-sized rain events, LID scenarios, including permeable pavements, rainwater harvesting, green roofs, and riparian buffer strips perform similarly to a conventional Best Management Practice, a detention pond, with respect to peak flows and HFR. For large rain ev...

Underlying molecular and cellular mechanisms in childhood irritable bowel syndrome

USDA-ARS?s Scientific Manuscript database

Irritable bowel syndrome (IBS) affects a large number of children throughout the world. The symptom expression of IBS is heterogeneous, and several factors which may be interrelated within the IBS biopsychosocial model play a role. These factors include visceral hyperalgesia, intestinal permeability...

Lithology, reservoir properties, and burial history of portion of Gammon Shale ( Cretaceous), southwestern North Dakota.

USGS Publications Warehouse

Gautier, D.L.

1981-01-01

In the northern Great Plains, large quantities of biogenic methane are contained at shallow depths in Cretaceous marine mudstones. The Gammon Shale and equivalents of the Milk River Formation in Canada are typical. At Little Missouri field, Gammon reservoirs consist of discontinuous lenses and laminae of siltstone, enclosed by silty clay shale. Large amounts of allogenic clay, including highly expansible mixed-layer illite-smectite cause great water sensitivity and high water-saturation values. Studies show that the Gammon has not undergone thermal conditions sufficient for oil or thermal gas generation. The scarcity of authigenic silicates suggests that diagenesis has been inhibited by the presence of free methane. Shale layers are practically impermeable whereas siltstone microlenses are porous (30-40%) and have permeabilities on the order of 3-30 md. Organic matter in the low-permeability reservoirs served as the source of biogenic methane, and capillary forces acted as the trapping mechanism for gas accumulation. Much of the Gammon interval is potentially economic. -from Author

Financial incentives to encourage healthy behaviour: an analysis of U.K. media coverage.

PubMed

Parke, Hannah; Ashcroft, Richard; Brown, Rebecca; Marteau, Theresa M; Seale, Clive

2013-09-01

Policies to use financial incentives to encourage healthy behaviour are controversial. Much of this controversy is played out in the mass media, both reflecting and shaping public opinion. To describe U.K. mass media coverage of incentive schemes, comparing schemes targeted at different client groups and assessing the relative prominence of the views of different interest groups. Thematic content analysis. National and local news coverage in newspapers, news media targeted at health-care providers and popular websites between January 2005 and February 2010. U.K. mass media. The study included 210 articles. Fifteen separate arguments favourable towards schemes, and 19 unfavourable, were identified. Overall, coverage was more favourable than unfavourable, although most articles reported a mix of views. Arguments about the prevalence and seriousness of the health problems targeted by incentive schemes were uncontested. Moral and ethical objections to such schemes were common, focused in particular on recipients such as drug users or the overweight who were already stereotyped as morally deficient, and these arguments were largely uncontested. Arguments about the effectiveness of schemes and their potential for benefit or harm were areas of greater contestation. Government, public health and other health-care provider interests dominated favourable coverage; opposition came from rival politicians, taxpayers' representatives, certain charities and from some journalists themselves. Those promoting incentive schemes for people who might be regarded as 'undeserving' should plan a media strategy that anticipates their public reception. © 2011 John Wiley & Sons Ltd.

Financial incentives to encourage healthy behaviour: an analysis of UK media coverage

PubMed Central

Parke, Hannah; Ashcroft, Richard; Brown, Rebecca; Marteau, Theresa M; Seale, Clive

2011-01-01

Abstract Background  Policies to use financial incentives to encourage healthy behaviour are controversial. Much of this controversy is played out in the mass media, both reflecting and shaping public opinion. Objective  To describe UK mass media coverage of incentive schemes, comparing schemes targeted at different client groups and assessing the relative prominence of the views of different interest groups. Design  Thematic content analysis. Subjects  National and local news coverage in newspapers, news media targeted at health‐care providers and popular websites between January 2005 and February 2010. Setting  UK mass media. Results  The study included 210 articles. Fifteen separate arguments favourable towards schemes, and 19 unfavourable, were identified. Overall, coverage was more favourable than unfavourable, although most articles reported a mix of views. Arguments about the prevalence and seriousness of the health problems targeted by incentive schemes were uncontested. Moral and ethical objections to such schemes were common, focused in particular on recipients such as drug users or the overweight who were already stereotyped as morally deficient, and these arguments were largely uncontested. Arguments about the effectiveness of schemes and their potential for benefit or harm were areas of greater contestation. Government, public health and other health‐care provider interests dominated favourable coverage; opposition came from rival politicians, taxpayers’ representatives, certain charities and from some journalists themselves. Conclusions  Those promoting incentive schemes for people who might be regarded as ‘undeserving’ should plan a media strategy that anticipates their public reception. PMID:21771227

Gut: An underestimated target organ for Aluminum.

PubMed

Vignal, C; Desreumaux, P; Body-Malapel, M

2016-06-01

Since World War II, several factors such as an impressive industrial growth, an enhanced environmental bioavailability and intensified food consumption have contributed to a significant amplification of human exposure to aluminum. Aluminum is particularly present in food, beverages, some drugs and airbone dust. In our food, aluminum is superimposed via additives and cooking utensils. Therefore, the tolerable intake of aluminum is exceeded for a significant part of the world population, especially in children who are more vulnerable to toxic effects of pollutants than adults. Faced with this oral aluminum influx, intestinal tract is an essential barrier, especially as 38% of ingested aluminum accumulates at the intestinal mucosa. Although still poorly documented to date, the impact of oral exposure to aluminum in conditions relevant to real human exposure appears to be deleterious for gut homeostasis. Aluminum ingestion affects the regulation of the permeability, the microflora and the immune function of intestine. Nowadays, several arguments are consistent with an involvement of aluminum as an environmental risk factor for inflammatory bowel diseases. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Masson SAS. All rights reserved.

Argument in Transition: Proceedings of the Summer Conference on Argumentation (3rd, Alta, Utah, July 28-31, 1983).

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Zarefsky, David, Ed.; And Others

Prepared by scholars from across the United States, the more than 80 papers in this collection address new developments and recurrent problems in the theory, practice, criticism, and teaching of argumentation. The papers are organized according to 10 broad categories: argumentation theory, argumentation in special fields, political argumentation,…

Using Toulmin's Argument Pattern in the Evaluation of Argumentation in School Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Simon, Shirley

2008-01-01

Toulmin's model of argument has been used by researchers as a theoretical perspective on argument and as a methodological tool for analysing episodes of oral argumentation in school science. An adaptation of Toulmin's Argument Pattern (TAP) has also informed a professional development programme for teachers. Research on the impact of the programme…

On the Senses of "Argument."

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hample, Dale

In order to clarify and define the subject matter of argumentation, this paper examines the two senses of argument identified by D. J. O'Keefe and then proposes a third sense of argument as another legitimate perspective in argumentation. As discussed in the paper, O'Keefe's two senses of argument are a thing people make and a kind of interaction…

Flip or Flop? Students' Perspectives of a Flipped Lecture in Mathematics

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Novak, Julia; Kensington-Miller, Barbara; Evans, Tanya

2017-01-01

This paper describes students' perspectives of a one-off flipped lecture in a large undergraduate mathematics service course. The focus was on calculating matrix determinants and was designed specifically to introduce debate and argumentation into a mathematics lecture. The intention was to promote a deeper learning and understanding through…

English 177: Literature and Popular Culture, The Graphic Novel

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Misemer, Leah

2015-01-01

This section of English 177: Literature and Popular Culture, The Graphic Novel was designed to teach students to "make compelling arguments about and in various media" and to produce a "professional-like final product that represents their work to the world at large." While twice weekly lectures by Professor Robin Valenza…

On the Effectiveness of Higher Education in Russia

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Korotkov, R.

2006-01-01

More and more often the scientific literature indicates that the effectiveness of the Russian system of higher professional education has declined. The arguments cite the increase in the number of college students and institutions of higher learning, the large number of graduates who are working in jobs that are not in their specialty, the large…

Assessment of Differences in University Oceanography Students' Scientific Writing.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Takao, Allison Y.; Kelly, Gregory J.

The purpose of this paper is to assess the differences in university oceanography students' scientific writing. Specifically, the authors examine the argumentation structures of a high scoring paper and a low scoring paper. This study was conducted in an introductory level oceanography course in a large public university. In this course students…

College Students' Use of Behavioral Alteration Techniques as a Function of Aggressive Communication

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kennedy-Lightsey, Carrie D.; Myers, Scott A.

2009-01-01

This study examined the associations between students' self-reported verbal aggressiveness and argumentativeness and their perceptions of student BATs (Golish, 1999) as appropriate and effective as well as how likely they were to use each BAT. Participants were 187 undergraduate students enrolled in communication courses at a large Mid-Atlantic…

75 FR 63231 - Self-Regulatory Organizations; NASDAQ OMX PHLX, Inc.; Notice of Filing and Immediate...

Federal Register 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014

2010-10-14

... obligations in options and increased automation; specifically, the disseminated size is no longer an... for the trading floor community to keep handy, in lieu of the large, unwieldy rulebook; the Exchange... submit written data, views and arguments concerning the foregoing, including whether the proposed rule...

A Different Approach to Preparing Novakian Concept Maps: The Indexing Method

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Turan Oluk, Nurcan; Ekmekci, Güler

2016-01-01

People who claim that applying Novakian concept maps in Turkish is problematic base their arguments largely upon the structural differences between the English and Turkish languages. This study aims to introduce the indexing method to eliminate problems encountered in Turkish applications of Novakian maps and to share the preliminary results of…

Straight Privilege: Unpacking the (Still) Invisible Knapsack

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Tollefson, Kaia

2010-01-01

Several unearned benefits attending straight privilege are listed, prefaced by two main arguments. First, it is argued that the rampant heterosexism in the U.S. is largely attributable to many Americans' framing of heterosexism as a matter of religious freedom rather than as a form of bigotry. It is further argued that educators' elimination of…

Campus Schools: The Search for Safe and Orderly Environment in Large School Settings

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ortiz, Monica

2012-01-01

Establishing "new small schools" is a major focus of school improvement, especially at the high school level, with the hopes of increasing academic success and reducing violence. Key arguments for small schools are the personalization of schooling and increased academic performance. The structures and process of small schools are…

Exploring Science Educators' Cosmological Worldviews through the Binoculars of an Argumentation Framework

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Ogunniyi, M. B.

2011-01-01

The mandate of the new South African curriculum for educators to enact a science-indigenous knowledge curriculum in their classrooms is not only challenging to their cosmological beliefs, it is equally challenging to their instructional practices. This is because science educators (teachers) in South Africa have been schooled largely in western…

Scaffolding Literacies across the Bachelor of Education Program: An Argument for a Course-Wide Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Devereux, Linda; Wilson, Kate

2008-01-01

Contemporary teacher educators often find themselves teaching large numbers of students from increasingly diverse backgrounds an expanded curriculum in a university environment characterised by cost-cutting and a climate of "user pays". Ensuring that students graduate with sufficiently well-developed literacy skills to equip them to prepare future…

Understanding Principal Leadership: An International Perspective and a Narrative Approach

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Slater, Charles L.

2011-01-01

This article reviews recent literature in educational administration that supports the argument that leadership matters. School principals exert influence on teachers, who in turn affect student achievement. There is a need for an international approach both to replicate large studies and to use a narrative approach to study leaders in their…

Recognizing Mechanistic Reasoning in Student Scientific Inquiry: A Framework for Discourse Analysis Developed from Philosophy of Science

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Russ, Rosemary S.; Scherr, Rachel E.; Hammer, David; Mikeska, Jamie

2008-01-01

Science education reform has long focused on assessing student inquiry, and there has been progress in developing tools specifically with respect to experimentation and argumentation. We suggest the need for attention to another aspect of inquiry, namely "mechanistic reasoning." Scientific inquiry focuses largely on understanding causal…

Hard Facts and Soft Skills

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Terego, Alex

2009-01-01

The argument now raging in academic circles pits those who espouse teaching 21st century skills against those who believe that schools should be teaching explicit and well-sequenced content. This debate has largely been framed as an either-or proposition. In this author's view, portraying this debate as one between two mutually exclusive sides…

Verb and sentence production and comprehension in aphasia: Northwestern Assessment of Verbs and Sentences (NAVS)

PubMed Central

Cho-Reyes, Soojin; Thompson, Cynthia K.

2015-01-01

Background Verbs and sentences are often impaired in individuals with aphasia, and differential impairment patterns are associated with different types of aphasia. With currently available test batteries, however, it is challenging to provide a comprehensive profile of aphasic language impairments because they do not examine syntactically important properties of verbs and sentences. Aims This study presents data derived from the Northwestern Assessment of Verbs and Sentences (NAVS; Thompson, 2011), a new test battery designed to examine syntactic deficits in aphasia. The NAVS includes tests for verb naming and comprehension, and production of verb argument structure in simple active sentences, with each examining the effects of the number and optionality of arguments. The NAVS also tests production and comprehension of canonical and non-canonical sentences. Methods & Procedures A total of 59 aphasic participants (35 agrammatic and 24 anomic) were tested using a set of action pictures. Participants produced verbs or sentences for the production subtests and identified pictures corresponding to auditorily provided verbs or sentences for the comprehension subtests. Outcomes & Results The agrammatic group, compared to the anomic group, performed significantly more poorly on all subtests except verb comprehension, and for both groups comprehension was less impaired than production. On verb naming and argument structure production tests both groups exhibited difficulty with three-argument verbs, affected by the number and optionality of arguments. However, production of sentences using three-argument verbs was more impaired in the agrammatic, compared to the anomic, group. On sentence production and comprehension tests, the agrammatic group showed impairments in all types of non-canonical sentences, whereas the anomic group exhibited difficulty primarily with the most difficult, object relative, structures. Conclusions Results show that verb and sentence deficits seen in individuals with agrammatic aphasia are largely influenced by syntactic complexity; however, individuals with anomic aphasia appear to exhibit these impairments only for the most complex forms of verbs and sentences. The present data indicate that the NAVS is useful for characterising verb and sentence deficits in people with aphasia. PMID:26379358

Patterns in Students' Argumentation Confronted with a Risk-focused Socio-scientific Issue

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Kolstø, Stein Dankert

2006-11-01

This paper reports a qualitative study on students’ informal reasoning on a controversial socio-scientific issue. Twenty-two students from four science classes in Norway were interviewed about the local construction of new power lines and the possible increased risk of childhood leukaemia. The focus in the study is on what arguments the students employ when asked about their decision-making and the interplay between knowledge and personal values. Five different types of main arguments are identified: the relative risk argument, the precautionary argument, the uncertainty argument, the small risk argument, and the pros and cons argument. These arguments are presented through case studies, and crucial information and values are identified for each argument. The students made use of a range of both scientific and non-scientific knowledge. The findings are discussed in relation to possible consequences for teaching models aimed at increasing students’ ability to make thoughtful decisions on socio-scientific issues.

Using the Cognitive Apprenticeship Web-based Argumentation System to Improve Argumentation Instruction

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tsai, Chun-Yen; Jack, Brady Michael; Huang, Tai-Chu; Yang, Jin-Tan

2012-08-01

This study investigated how the instruction of argumentation skills could be promoted by using an online argumentation system. This system entitled `Cognitive Apprenticeship Web-based Argumentation' (CAWA) system was based on cognitive apprenticeship model. One hundred eighty-nine fifth grade students took part in this study. A quasi-experimental design was adopted and qualitative and quantitative analyses were used to evaluate the effectiveness of this online system in measuring students' progress in learning argumentation. The results of this study showed that different teaching strategies had effects on students' use of argumentation in the topics of daily life and the concept of `vision.' When the CAWA system was employed during the instruction and practice of argumentation on these two topics, the students' argumentation performance improved. Suggestions on how the CAWA system could be used to enhance the instruction of argumentation skills in science education were also discussed.

Nonviolent unitarization: basic postulates to soft quantum structure of black holes

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Giddings, Steven B.

2017-12-01

A first-principles approach to the unitarity problem for black holes is systematically explored, based on the postulates of 1) quantum mechanics 2) the ability to approximately locally divide quantum gravitational systems into subsystems 3) correspondence with quantum field theory predictions for appropriate observers and (optionally) 4) universality of new gravitational effects. Unitarity requires interactions between the internal state of a black hole and its surroundings that have not been identified in the field theory description; correspondence with field theory indicates that these are soft. A conjectured information-theoretic result for information transfer between subsystems, partly motivated by a perturbative argument, then constrains the minimum coupling size of these interactions of the quantum atmosphere of a black hole. While large couplings are potentially astronomically observable, given this conjecture one finds that the new couplings can be exponentially small in the black hole entropy, yet achieve the information transfer rate needed for unitarization, due to the large number of black hole internal states. This provides a new possible alternative to arguments for large effects near the horizon. If universality is assumed, these couplings can be described as small, soft, state-dependent fluctuations of the metric near the black hole. Open questions include that of the more fundamental basis for such an effective picture.

Quality, Evolution, and Positional Change of University Students' Argumentation Patterns about Organic Agriculture during an Argument-Critique-Argument Experience

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Yu, Shu-Mey; Yore, Larry D.

2013-01-01

The purpose of this study was to investigate the quality, evolution, and position of university students' argumentation about organic agriculture over a 4-week argument-critique-argument e-learning experience embedded in a first year university biology course. The participants (N = 43) were classified into three groups based on their…

Integrated argument-based inquiry with multiple representation approach to promote scientific argumentation skill

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Suminar, Iin; Muslim, Liliawati, Winny

2017-05-01

The purpose of this research was to identify student's written argument embedded in scientific inqury investigation and argumentation skill using integrated argument-based inquiry with multiple representation approach. This research was using quasi experimental method with the nonequivalent pretest-posttest control group design. Sample ot this research was 10th grade students at one of High School in Bandung using two classes, they were 26 students of experiment class and 26 students of control class. Experiment class using integrated argument-based inquiry with multiple representation approach, while control class using argument-based inquiry. This study was using argumentation worksheet and argumentation test. Argumentation worksheet encouraged students to formulate research questions, design experiment, observe experiment and explain the data as evidence, construct claim, warrant, embedded multiple modus representation and reflection. Argumentation testinclude problem which asks students to explain evidence, warrants, and backings support of each claim. The result of this research show experiment class students's argumentation skill performed better than control class students that of experiment class was 0.47 and control class was 0.31. The results of unequal variance t-test for independent means show that students'sargumentationskill of experiment class performed better significantly than students'sargumentationskill of control class.

TAPping into argumentation: Developments in the application of Toulmin's Argument Pattern for studying science discourse

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Erduran, Sibel; Simon, Shirley; Osborne, Jonathan

2004-11-01

This paper reports some methodological approaches to the analysis of argumentation discourse developed as part of the two-and-a-half year project titled Enhancing the Quality of Argument in School Scienc'' supported by the Economic and Social Research Council in the United Kingdom. In this project researchers collaborated with middle-school science teachers to develop models of instructional activities in an effort to make argumentation a component of instruction. We begin the paper with a brief theoretical justification for why we consider argumentation to be of significance to science education. We then contextualize the use of Toulmin's Argument Pattern in the study of argumentation discourse and provide a justification for the methodological outcomes our approach generates. We illustrate how our work refines and develops research methodologies in argumentation analysis. In particular, we present two methodological approaches to the analysis of argumentation resulting in whole-class as well as small-group student discussions. For each approach, we illustrate our coding scheme and some results as well as how our methodological approach has enabled our inquiry into the quality of argumentation in the classroom. We conclude with some implications for future research in argumentation in science education.

Analysis of scientific argumentation in two physical chemistry classrooms using the POGIL approach

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Moon, Alena C.

The benefits of facilitating argumentation in science education have been well reported (Jimenez-Aleixandre & Erduran, 2007). Engaging in argumentation has shown to model authentic scientific inquiry as well as promote development of content knowledge. However, less emphasis has been placed on facilitating argumentation in upper level undergraduate courses, though it is important for evaluating undergraduate curricula to characterize upper level students' scientific reasoning. This work considers two implementations of the POGIL physical chemistry curriculum and evaluates the classroom argumentation. The researchers aimed to consider the content of the arguments and dialectical features characteristic of socially constructed arguments (Nielson, 2013). To do this, whole class sessions were videotaped and Toulmin's Argument Pattern (TAP) was used to identify the arguments generated during the class (Erduran, Simon, & Osborne, 2004). A learning progression on chemical thinking (Sevian & Talanquer, 2014) was used as a domain-specific measure of argument quality. Results show differences in argumentation between and across both classrooms that can be explained by analysis of instructor facilitation and the POGIL curriculum. The results from this work will be used to make recommendations for instructor facilitation of argumentation and reform of the POGIL curriculum.

Using Computer-Assisted Argumentation Mapping to develop effective argumentation skills in high school advanced placement physics

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Heglund, Brian

Educators recognize the importance of reasoning ability for development of critical thinking skills, conceptual change, metacognition, and participation in 21st century society. There is a recognized need for students to improve their skills of argumentation, however, argumentation is not explicitly taught outside logic and philosophy---subjects that are not part of the K-12 curriculum. One potential way of supporting the development of argumentation skills in the K-12 context is through incorporating Computer-Assisted Argument Mapping to evaluate arguments. This quasi-experimental study tested the effects of such argument mapping software and was informed by the following two research questions: 1. To what extent does the collaborative use of Computer-Assisted Argumentation Mapping to evaluate competing theories influence the critical thinking skill of argument evaluation, metacognitive awareness, and conceptual knowledge acquisition in high school Advanced Placement physics, compared to the more traditional method of text tables that does not employ Computer-Assisted Argumentation Mapping? 2. What are the student perceptions of the pros and cons of argument evaluation in the high school Advanced Placement physics environment? This study examined changes in critical thinking skills, including argumentation evaluation skills, as well as metacognitive awareness and conceptual knowledge, in two groups: a treatment group using Computer-Assisted Argumentation Mapping to evaluate physics arguments, and a comparison group using text tables to evaluate physics arguments. Quantitative and qualitative methods for collecting and analyzing data were used to answer the research questions. Quantitative data indicated no significant difference between the experimental groups, and qualitative data suggested students perceived pros and cons of argument evaluation in the high school Advanced Placement physics environment, such as self-reported sense of improvement in argument evaluation and low perceived value of the learning task, respectively. The discussion presents implications for practice and research, such as introducing motivation scaffolds to support appreciation of task value, and addressing major differences between the design of this study and similar published studies, respectively. This work provides contributions in that it tested the effect of Computer-Assisted Argumentation Mapping on the critical thinking skills of twelfth-grade students within the context of evaluating physics arguments, a previously unexplored age group and domain.

Problems with change in R2 as applied to theory of reasoned action research.

PubMed

Trafimow, David

2004-12-01

The paradigm of choice for theory of reasoned action research seems to depend largely on the notion of change in variance accounted for (DeltaR2) as new independent variables are added to a multiple regression equation. If adding a particular independent variable of interest increases the variance in the dependent variable that can be accounted for by the list of independent variables, then the research is deemed to be 'successful', and the researcher is considered to have made a convincing argument about the importance of the new variable. In contrast to this trend, I present arguments that suggest serious problems with the paradigm, and conclude that studies on attitude-behaviour relations would advance the field of psychology to a far greater extent if researchers abandoned it.

Permeability evolution associated to creep and episodic slow slip of a fault affecting clay formations: Results from the FS fault activation experiment in Mt Terri (Switzerland).

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Guglielmi, Y.; Nussbaum, C.; Birkholzer, J. T.; De Barros, L.; Cappa, F.

2017-12-01

There is a large spectrum of fault slow rupture processes such as stable creep and slow slip that radiate no or little seismic energy, and which relationships to normal earthquakes and fault permeability variations are enigmatic. Here we present measurements of a fault slow rupture, permeability variation and seismicity induced by fluid-injection in a fault affecting the Opalinus clay (Mt Terri URL, Switzerland) at a depth of 300 m. We observe multiple dilatant slow slip events ( 0.1-to-30 microm/s) associated with factor-of-1000 increase of permeability, and terminated by a magnitude -2.5 main seismic event associated with a swarm of very small magnitude ones. Using fully coupled numerical modeling, we calculate that the short term velocity strengthening behavior observed experimentally at laboratory scale is overcome by longer slip weakening that may be favored by slip induced dilation. Two monitoring points set across the fault allow estimating that, at the onset of the seismicity, the radius of the fault patch invaded by pressurized fluid is 9-to-11m which is in good accordance with a fault instability triggering when the dimensions of the critical slip distance are overcome. We then observe that the long term slip weakening is associated to an exponential permeability increase caused by a cumulated effective normal stress drop of about 3.4MPa which controls the successive slip activation of multiple fracture planes inducing a 0.1MPa shear stress drop in the fault zone. Therefore, our data suggest that the induced earthquake that terminated the rupture sequence may have represented enough dynamic stress release to arrest the fault permeability increase, suggesting the high sensitivity of the slow rupture processes to the structural heterogeneity of the fault zone hydromechanical properties.

Deep permeability of the San Andreas Fault from San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD) core samples

USGS Publications Warehouse

Morrow, Carolyn A.; Lockner, David A.; Moore, Diane E.; Hickman, Stephen H.

2014-01-01

The San Andreas Fault Observatory at Depth (SAFOD) scientific borehole near Parkfield, California crosses two actively creeping shear zones at a depth of 2.7 km. Core samples retrieved from these active strands consist of a foliated, Mg-clay-rich gouge containing porphyroclasts of serpentinite and sedimentary rock. The adjacent damage zone and country rocks are comprised of variably deformed, fine-grained sandstones, siltstones, and mudstones. We conducted laboratory tests to measure the permeability of representative samples from each structural unit at effective confining pressures, Pe up to the maximum estimated in situ Pe of 120 MPa. Permeability values of intact samples adjacent to the creeping strands ranged from 10−18 to 10−21 m2 at Pe = 10 MPa and decreased with applied confining pressure to 10−20–10−22 m2 at 120 MPa. Values for intact foliated gouge samples (10−21–6 × 10−23 m2 over the same pressure range) were distinctly lower than those for the surrounding rocks due to their fine-grained, clay-rich character. Permeability of both intact and crushed-and-sieved foliated gouge measured during shearing at Pe ≥ 70 MPa ranged from 2 to 4 × 10−22 m2 in the direction perpendicular to shearing and was largely insensitive to shear displacement out to a maximum displacement of 10 mm. The weak, actively-deforming foliated gouge zones have ultra-low permeability, making the active strands of the San Andreas Fault effective barriers to cross-fault fluid flow. The low matrix permeability of the San Andreas Fault creeping zones and adjacent rock combined with observations of abundant fractures in the core over a range of scales suggests that fluid flow outside of the actively-deforming gouge zones is probably fracture dominated.

On the relation between fluvio-deltaic flood basin geomorphology and the wide-spread occurrence of arsenic pollution in shallow aquifers.

PubMed

Donselaar, Marinus E; Bhatt, Ajay G; Ghosh, Ashok K

2017-01-01

Pollution of groundwater with natural (geogenic) arsenic occurs on an enormous, world-wide scale, and causes wide-spread, serious health risks for an estimated more than hundred million people who depend on the use of shallow aquifers for drinking and irrigation water. A literature review of key studies on arsenic concentration levels yields that Holocene fluvial and deltaic flood basins are the hotspots of arsenic pollution, and that the dominant geomorphological setting of the arsenic-polluted areas consists of shallow-depth meandering-river deposits with sand-prone fluvial point-bar deposits surrounded by clay-filled (clay plug) abandoned meander bends (oxbow lakes). Analysis of the lithofacies distribution and related permeability contrasts of the geomorphological elements in two cored wells in a point bar and adjacent clay plug along the Ganges River, in combination with data of arsenic concentrations and organic matter content reveals that the low-permeable clay-plug deposits have a high organic matter content and the adjacent permeable point-bar sands show high but spatially very variable arsenic concentrations. On the basis of the geomorphological juxtaposition, the analysis of fluvial depositional processes and lithofacies characteristics, inherent permeability distribution and the omnipresence of the two geomorphological elements in Holocene flood basins around the world, a generic model is presented for the wide-spread arsenic occurrence. The anoxic deeper part (hypolimnion) of the oxbow lake, and the clay plugs are identified as the loci of reactive organic carbon and microbial respiration in an anoxic environment that triggers the reductive dissolution of iron oxy-hydroxides and the release of arsenic on the scale of entire fluvial floodplains and deltaic basins. The adjacent permeable point-bar sands are identified as the effective trap for the dissolved arsenic, and the internal permeability heterogeneity is the cause for aquifer compartmentalization, with large arsenic concentration differences between neighboring compartments. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Causes of distal volcano-tectonic seismicity inferred from hydrothermal modeling

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Coulon, C. A.; Hsieh, P. A.; White, R.; Lowenstern, J. B.; Ingebritsen, S. E.

2017-10-01

Distal volcano-tectonic (dVT) seismicity typically precedes eruption at long-dormant volcanoes by days to years. Precursory dVT seismicity may reflect magma-induced fluid-pressure pulses that intersect critically stressed faults. We explored this hypothesis using an open-source magmatic-hydrothermal code that simulates multiphase fluid and heat transport over the temperature range 0 to 1200 °C. We calculated fluid-pressure changes caused by a small (0.04 km3) intrusion and explored the effects of flow geometry (channelized vs. radial flow), magma devolatilization rates (0-15 kg/s), and intrusion depths (5 and 7.5 km, above and below the brittle-ductile transition). Magma and host-rock permeabilities were key controlling parameters and we tested a wide range of permeability (k) and permeability anisotropies (kh/kv), including k constant, k(z), k(T), and k(z, T, P) distributions, examining a total of 1600 realizations to explore the relevant parameter space. Propagation of potentially causal pressure changes (ΔP ≥ 0.1 bars) to the mean dVT location (6 km lateral distance, 6 km depth) was favored by channelized fluid flow, high devolatilization rates, and permeabilities similar to those found in geothermal reservoirs (k 10- 16 to 10- 13 m2). For channelized flow, magma-induced thermal pressurization alone can generate cases of Δ P ≥ 0.1 bars for all permeabilities in the range 10- 16 to 10- 13 m2, whereas in radial flow regimes thermal pressurization causes Δ P < 0.1 bars for all permeabilities. Changes in distal fluid pressure occurred before proximal pressure changes given modest anisotropies (kh/kv 10-100). Invoking k(z,T,P) and high, sustained devolatilization rates caused large dynamic fluctuations in k and P in the near-magma environment but had little effect on pressure changes at the distal dVT location. Intrusion below the brittle-ductile transition damps but does not prevent pressure transmission to the dVT site.

Geometry of the Nojima fault at Nojima-Hirabayashi, Japan - II. Microstructures and their implications for permeability and strength

USGS Publications Warehouse

Moore, Diane E.; Lockner, D.A.; Ito, H.; Ikeda, R.; Tanaka, H.; Omura, K.

2009-01-01

Samples of damage-zone granodiorite and fault core from two drillholes into the active, strike-slip Nojima fault zone display microstructures and alteration features that explain their measured present-day strengths and permeabilities and provide insight on the evolution of these properties in the fault zone. The least deformed damage-zone rocks contain two sets of nearly perpendicular (60-90?? angles), roughly vertical fractures that are concentrated in quartz-rich areas, with one set typically dominating over the other. With increasing intensity of deformation, which corresponds generally to increasing proximity to the core, zones of heavily fragmented rock, termed microbreccia zones, develop between prominent fractures of both sets. Granodiorite adjoining intersecting microbreccia zones in the active fault strands has been repeatedly fractured and locally brecciated, accompanied by the generation of millimeter-scale voids that are partly filled with secondary minerals. Minor shear bands overprint some of the heavily deformed areas, and small-scale shear zones form from the pairing of closely spaced shear bands. Strength and permeability measurements were made on core collected from the fault within a year after a major (Kobe) earthquake. Measured strengths of the samples decrease regularly with increasing fracturing and fragmentation, such that the gouge of the fault core and completely brecciated samples from the damage zone are the weakest. Permeability increases with increasing disruption, generally reaching a peak in heavily fractured but still more or less cohesive rock at the scale of the laboratory samples. Complete loss of cohesion, as in the gouge or the interiors of large microbreccia zones, is accompanied by a reduction of permeability by 1-2 orders of magnitude below the peak values. The core samples show abundant evidence of hydrothermal alteration and mineral precipitation. Permeability is thus expected to decrease and strength to increase somewhat in active fault strands between earthquakes, as mineral deposits progressively seal fractures and fill pore spaces. ?? Birkh??user Verlag, Basel 2009.

Modeling the effects of hydraulic stimulation on geothermal reservoirs

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

De Simone, Silvia; Vilarrasa, Victor; Carrera, Jesús; Alcolea, Andrés; Meier, Peter

2013-04-01

Geothermal energy represents a huge power source that can provide clean energy in potentially unlimited supply. When designing geothermal energy production from deep hot rocks, permeability is considered to control the economic efficiency of the heat extraction operations. In fact, a high permeability heat exchanger is required to achieve a cost-competitive power generation. The typical procedure entails intercepting naturally fractured rocks and enhancing their permeability by means of stimulation. Hydraulic stimulation is the most widely used method. It involves the massive injection of a large volume of water at high flow rates to increase the downhole pore pressure. This overpressure reduces the effective stresses, which tends to induce shearing along the fracture planes. In this way permeability is enhanced due to dilatancy, especially in the direction perpendicular to shear. These processes usually trigger microseismic events, which are sometimes of sufficient magnitude to be felt by the local population. This causes a negative impact on the local population and may compromise the continuation of the project. Hence, understanding the mechanisms triggering these induced micro-earthquakes is important to properly design and manage geothermal stimulation and operations so as to prevent them. We analyzed the thermo-hydro-mechanical response of a fractured deep rock mass subjected to hydraulic stimulation. Considering that seismicity is triggered when failure condition are reached, we studied the variation of the stress regime due to the hydraulic and thermal perturbations during fluid injection. Starting with a simplified model with constant permeability fault zones, more sophisticated schemes are considered to simulate the behavior of the discontinuity zones, including permeability variation associated to temperature, pressure and stress regime changes. Numerical simulations are performed using the finite element numerical code CODE_BRIGHT, which allows to solve fully coupled thermo-hydro-mechanical problems. Results allowed to estimate the impact of the hydraulic stimulation on the overall behavior.

Coupling Flow & Transport Modeling with Electromagnetic Geophysics to Better Understand Crustal Permeability

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pepin, J.; Folsom, M.; Person, M. A.; Kelley, S.; Gomez-Velez, J. D.; Peacock, J.

2016-12-01

Over the last 30 years, considerable effort has focused on understanding the distribution of permeability within the earth's crust and its implications for flow and transport. The scarcity of direct observations makes the description of permeabilities beyond depths of about 3 km particularly challenging. Numerous studies have defined depth-decay relationships for basement permeability, while others note that it is too complex to be characterized by a general relationship. Hydrothermal modeling studies focusing on two geothermal systems within the tectonically active Rio Grande rift of New Mexico suggest that there may be laterally extensive regions of highly permeable (10-14 to 10-12 m2) basement rocks at depths ranging between 4 and 8 km. The NaCl groundwater signature, elevated fracture density, and secondary mineralization of fractured basement outcrops associated with these geothermal systems indicate that there may indeed be significant groundwater flow within the basement rocks of the rift. We hypothesize that there are extensive regions of highly permeable crystalline basement rocks at depths greater than 3 km within the Rio Grande rift. These fractured zones serve as large conduits for geothermal fluids before they ascend to shallow depths through gaps in overlying confining sediments or along faults. To test these hypotheses, we use a combination of geophysical observations and flow and transport modeling. We used electromagnetic geophysics (TEM & MT) to image resistivity in one of the hypothesized deep circulation geothermal systems near Truth or Consequences, NM. The resistivity dataset, in tandem with geochemical and thermal observations, is then used to calibrate a hydrothermal model of the system. This new calibration methodology has the potential to change the way researchers study crustal fluid flow and geothermal systems; thereby providing a tool to explore depths greater than 3 km where minimal data is available. In addition, it has the advantage of being scale-independent; meaning it can be applied to localized models just as well as continental-scale models.

A Permeability Study of O2 and the Trace Amine p-Tyramine through Model Phosphatidylcholine Bilayers

PubMed Central

Holland, Bryan W.; Berry, Mark D.; Gray, C. G.; Tomberli, Bruno

2015-01-01

We study here the permeability of the hydrophobic O2 molecule through a model DPPC bilayer at 323K and 350K, and of the trace amine p-tyramine through PC bilayers at 310K. The tyramine results are compared to previous experimental work at 298K. Nonequilibrium work methods were used in conjunction to simultaneously obtain both the potential of mean force (PMF) and the position dependent transmembrane diffusion coefficient, D(z), from the simulations. These in turn were used to calculate the permeability coefficient, P, through the inhomogeneous solubility-diffusion model. The results for O2 are consistent with previous simulations, and agree with experimentally measured P values for PC bilayers. A temperature dependence in the permeability of O2 through DPPC was obtained, with P decreasing at higher temperatures. Two relevant species of p-tyramine were simulated, from which the PMF and D(z) were calculated. The charged species had a large energetic barrier to crossing the bilayer of ~ 21 kcal/mol, while the uncharged, deprotonated species had a much lower barrier of ~ 7 kcal/mol. The effective in silico permeability for p-tyramine was calculated by applying three approximations, all of which gave nearly identical results (presented here as a function of the pKa). As the permeability value calculated from simulation was highly dependent on the pKa of the amine group, a further pKa study was performed that also varied the fraction of the uncharged and zwitterionic p-tyramine species. Using the experimental P value together with the simulated results, we were able to label the phenolic group as responsible for the pKa1 and the amine for the pKa2, that together represent all of the experimentally measured pKa values for p-tyramine. This agrees with older experimental results, in contrast to more recent work that has suggested there is a strong ambiguity in the pKa values. PMID:26086933

The Distribution of Charged Amino Acid Residues and the Ca2+ Permeability of Nicotinic Acetylcholine Receptors: A Predictive Model.

PubMed

Fucile, Sergio

2017-01-01

Nicotinic acetylcholine receptors (nAChRs) are cation-selective ligand-gated ion channels exhibiting variable Ca 2+ permeability depending on their subunit composition. The Ca 2+ permeability is a crucial functional parameter to understand the physiological role of nAChRs, in particular considering their ability to modulate Ca 2+ -dependent processes such as neurotransmitter release. The rings of extracellular and intracellular charged amino acid residues adjacent to the pore-lining TM2 transmembrane segment have been shown to play a key role in the cation selectivity of these receptor channels, but to date a quantitative relationship between these structural determinants and the Ca 2+ permeability of nAChRs is lacking. In the last years the Ca 2+ permeability of several nAChR subtypes has been experimentally evaluated, in terms of fractional Ca 2+ current ( Pf , i.e., the percentage of the total current carried by Ca 2+ ions). In the present study, the available Pf -values of nAChRs are used to build a simplified modular model describing the contribution of the charged residues in defined regions flanking TM2 to the selectivity filter controlling Ca 2+ influx. This model allows to predict the currently unknown Pf -values of existing nAChRs, as well as the hypothetical Ca 2+ permeability of subunit combinations not able to assemble into functional receptors. In particular, basing on the amino acid sequences, a Pf > 50% would be associated with homomeric nAChRs composed by different α subunits, excluding α7, α9, and α10. Furthermore, according to the model, human α7β2 receptors should have Pf -values ranging from 3.6% (4:1 ratio) to 0.1% (1:4 ratio), much lower than the 11.4% of homomeric α7 nAChR. These results help to understand the evolution and the function of the large diversity of the nicotinic receptor family.

Facies-controlled fluid migration patterns and subsequent reservoir collapse by depressurization - the Entrada Sandstone, Utah

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Sundal, A.; Skurtveit, E.; Midtkandal, I.; Hope, I.; Larsen, E.; Kristensen, R. S.; Braathen, A.

2016-12-01

The thick and laterally extensive Middle Jurassic Entrada Sandstone forms a regionally significant reservoir both in the subsurface and as outcrops in Utah. Individual layers of fluvial sandstone within otherwise fine-grained aeolian dunes and silty inter-dune deposits of the Entrada Earthy Member are of particular interest as CO2 reservoir analogs to study injectivity, reservoir-caprock interaction and bypass systems. Detailed mapping of facies and deformation structures, including petrographic studies and core plug tests, show significant rock property contrasts between layers of different sedimentary facies. Beds representing fluvial facies appear as white, medium-grained, well-sorted and cross-stratified sandstone, displaying high porosity, high micro-scale permeability, low tensile strength, and low seismic velocity. Subsequent to deposition, these beds were structurally deformed and contain a dense network of deformation bands, especially in proximity to faults and injectites. Over- and underlying low-permeability layers of inter-dune aeolian facies contain none or few deformation bands, display significantly higher rock strengths and high seismic velocities compared to the fluvial inter-beds. Permeable units between low-permeability layers are prone to become over-pressured during burial, and the establishment of fluid escape routes during regional tectonic events may have caused depressurization and selective collapse of weak layers. Through-cutting, vertical sand pipes display large clasts of stratified sandstone suspended in remobilized sand matrix, and may have served as permeable fluid conduits and pressure vents before becoming preferentially cemented and plugged. Bleached zones around faults and fractures throughout the succession indicate leakage and migration of reducing fluids. The fluvial beds are porous and would appear in wireline logs and seismic profiles as excellent reservoirs; whereas due to dense populations of deformation bands they may in fact display reduced horizontal and vertical permeability locally. Facies-related differences in geomechanical properties, pressure distribution and selective structural collapse have significant implications for injectivity and reservoir behavior.

Cross-formational flow of water into coalbed methane reservoirs: controls on relative permeability curve shape and production profile

PubMed Central

Karacan, C. Özgen

2017-01-01

Coalbed methane (CBM) wells tend to produce large volumes of water, especially when there is hydraulic connectivity between coalbed and nearby formations. Cross-formational flow between producing coal and adjacent formations can have significant production and environmental implications, affecting economic viability of production from these shallow reservoirs. Such flows can also affect how much gas can be removed from a coalbed prior to mining and thus can have implications for methane control in mining as well. The aim of this paper is to investigate the impact of water flow from an external source into coalbed on production performance and also on reservoir variables including cleat porosity and relative permeability curves derived from production data analysis. A reservoir model is constructed to investigate the production performance of a CBM well when cross-formational flow is present between the coalbed and the overlying formation. Results show that cleat porosity calculated by analysis of production data can be more than one order of magnitude higher than actual cleat porosity. Due to hydraulic connectivity, water saturation within coalbed does not considerably change for a period of time, and hence, the peak of gas production is delayed. Upon depletion of the overlying formation, water saturation in coalbed quickly decreases. Rapid decline of water saturation in the coalbed corresponds to a sharp increase in gas production. As an important consequence, when cross-flow is present, gas and water relative permeability curves, derived from simulated production data, have distinctive features compared to the initial relative permeability curves. In the case of cross-flow, signatures of relative permeability curves are concave downward and low gas permeability for a range of water saturation, followed by rapid increase afterward for water and gas, respectively. The results and analyses presented in this work can help to assess the impact of cross-formational flow on reservoir variables derived from production data analysis and can also contribute to identifying hydraulic connectivity between coalbed and adjacent formations. PMID:28626492

Explanation can cause Forgetting: Memory Dynamics in the Generation of New Arguments.

PubMed

Soares, Julia S; Storm, Benjamin C

2017-10-01

Retrieval-induced forgetting is observed when the retrieval of target information causes the forgetting of nontarget information. The present study investigated whether similar dynamics occur in the context of generating arguments in the process of explanation. Participants studied arguments associated with several issues before attempting to think of new arguments pertaining to a subset of those issues. When given a later memory test, participants were less likely to recall the studied arguments if they had attempted to think of new arguments than if they had not. This argument-induced forgetting effect was observed regardless of whether participants attempted to generate arguments that either agreed or disagreed with the position of the arguments they studied. The effect was significantly reduced, however, and even numerically reversed, when participants generated arguments that were highly related to the studied arguments. This finding fits well with previous research on retrieval-induced forgetting, which has shown that the retrieval or generation of new information fails to cause the forgetting of old information when the two types of information are well integrated or semantically associated.

Argument-Driven Inquiry as a Way to Help Students Learn How to Participate in Scientific Argumentation and Craft Written Arguments: An Exploratory Study

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Sampson, Victor; Grooms, Jonathon; Walker, Joi Phelps

2011-01-01

This exploratory study examines how a series of laboratory activities designed using a new instructional model, called Argument-Driven Inquiry (ADI), influences the ways students participate in scientific argumentation and the quality of the scientific arguments they craft as part of this process. The two outcomes of interest were assessed with a…

Negotiating Competing Schemas for Discourse: A Framework and Study of Argument Construction. The Writing of Arguments across Diverse Contexts. Study 2. Final Report.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Higgins, Lorraine; Flower, Linda

A study described college student writers as they constructed arguments, creating a picture of school-based argument drawn not from ideal models of arguments as envisioned by educators, but from experiences of students themselves. A three-part framework that synthesizes rhetorical perspectives on argument with a social-cognitive view of the…

Tidal Fluctuations in a Deep Fault Extending Under the Santa Barbara Channel, California

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Garven, G.; Stone, J.; Boles, J. R.

2013-12-01

Faults are known to strongly affect deep groundwater flow, and exert a profound control on petroleum accumulation, migration, and natural seafloor seepage from coastal reservoirs within the young sedimentary basins of southern California. In this paper we focus on major fault structure permeability and compressibility in the Santa Barbara Basin, where unique submarine and subsurface instrumentation provide the hydraulic characterization of faults in a structurally complex system. Subsurface geologic logs, geophysical logs, fluid P-T-X data, seafloor seep discharge patterns, fault mineralization petrology, isotopic data, fluid inclusions, and structural models help characterize the hydrogeological nature of faults in this seismically-active and young geologic terrain. Unique submarine gas flow data from a natural submarine seep area of the Santa Barbara Channel help constrain fault permeability k ~ 30 millidarcys for large-scale upward migration of methane-bearing formation fluids along one of the major fault zones. At another offshore site near Platform Holly, pressure-transducer time-series data from a 1.5 km deep exploration well in the South Ellwood Field demonstrate a strong ocean tidal component, due to vertical fault connectivity to the seafloor. Analytical models from classic hydrologic papers by Jacob-Ferris-Bredehoeft-van der Kamp-Wang can be used to extract large-scale fault permeability and compressibility parameters, based on tidal signal amplitude attenuation and phase shift at depth. For the South Ellwood Fault, we estimate k ~ 38 millidarcys (hydraulic conductivity K~ 3.6E-07 m/s) and specific storage coefficient Ss ~ 5.5E-08 m-1. The tidal-derived hydraulic properties also suggest a low effective porosity for the fault zone, n ~ 1 to 3%. Results of forward modeling with 2-D finite element models illustrate significant lateral propagation of the tidal signal into highly-permeable Monterey Formation. The results have important practical implications for fault characterization, petroleum migration, structural diagenesis, and carbon sequestration.

The Terminology of Fault Zones in the Brittle Regime: Making Field Observations More Useful to the End User

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Shipton, Z.; Caine, J. S.; Lunn, R. J.

2013-12-01

Geologists are tiny creatures living on the 2-and-a-bit-D surface of a sphere who observe essentially 1D vanishingly small portions (boreholes, roadcuts, stream and beach sections) of complex, 4D tectonic-scale structures. Field observations of fault zones are essential to understand the processes of fault growth and to make predictions of fault zone mechanical and hydraulic properties at depth. Here, we argue that a failure of geologists to communicate their knowledge effectively to other scientists/engineers can lead to unrealistic assumptions being made about fault properties, and may result in poor economic performance and a lack of robustness in industrial safety cases. Fault zones are composed of many heterogeneously distributed deformation-related elements. Low permeability features include regions of intense grain-size reduction, pressure solution, cementation and shale smears. Other elements are likely to have enhanced permeability through fractures and breccias. Slip surfaces can have either enhanced or reduced permeability depending on whether they are open or closed, and the local stress state. The highly variable nature of 1) the architecture of faults and 2) the properties of deformation-related elements demonstrates that there are many factors controlling the evolution of fault zone internal structures (fault architecture). The aim of many field studies of faults is to provide data to constrain predictions at depth. For these data to be useful, pooling of data from multiple sites is usually necessary. This effort is frequently hampered by variability in the usage of fault terminologies. In addition, these terms are often used in ways as to make it easy for 'end-users' such as petroleum reservoir engineers, mining geologists, and seismologists to mis-interpret or over-simplify the implications of field studies. Field geologists are comfortable knowing that if you walk along strike or up dip of a fault zone you will find variations in fault rock type, number and orientations of slip surfaces, variation in fracture density, relays, asperities, variable juxtaposition relationships etc. Problems can arise when "users" of structural geology try to apply models to general cases without understanding that these are simplified models. For example, when a section like the one in Chester and Logan 1996, gets projected infinitely into the third dimension along a fault the size of the San Andreas (seismology), or Shale Gouge Ratios are blindly applied to an Allen diagram without recognising that sub-seismic scale relays may provide "hidden" juxtapositions resulting in fluids bypassing low permeability fault cores. Phrases like 'low-permeability fault core and high-permeabilty damage zone' fail to appreciate fault zone complexity. Internicene arguments over the details of terminology that baffle the "end users" can make detailed field studies that characterise fault heterogeneity seem irrelevant. We argue that the field geology community needs to consider ways to make sure that we educate end-users to appropriate and cautious approaches to use of the data we provide with an appreciation of the uncertainties inherent in our limited ability to characterize 4D, tectonic structures, at the same time as understanding the value of carefully collected field data.

Evolution as represented through argumentation: A qualitative study on reasoning and argumentation in high school biology teaching practices

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Yalcinoglu, Pelin

This study aimed to explore high school biology teachers' epistemological criteria and their attention to reasoning and argumentation within their instructional practices. This study investigated: (1) what epistemological criteria do high school biology teachers use when justifying the validity of conclusions, (2) what is the frequency of the explicit use of reasoning and argumentation, if any, in high school biology teachers' instructional practices, and to what extend are reasoning and argumentation skills reflected, if at all, in high school biology teachers' modes of assessment. Three different data collection methods were employed in this study; face-to-face interviews, classroom observations, and document collections. Teachers' epistemological criteria were investigated to provide insight about their reasoning structures. This investigation was made possible by having teachers provide an argument about the validity of hypothetical conclusions drawn by the students based on two different scenarios related to evolution. Toulmin's Argument Pattern used to create rubric to analyze high school biology teachers' levels of reasoning through argumentation. Results of the data analysis suggested following findings. First, high school biology teachers participated in this study presented variety of epistemological criteria which were presented as high, moderate and low levels of reasoning through the argumentations. Second, elements of Toulmin's Argument Pattern were visible in the participants teaching practices, however students were not explicitly introduced to a well structured argument in those classrooms. High level of reasoning was not evident in the instructional practices of the observed teachers. High school biology classrooms which were observed in this study do not provide opportunities for students to practice high level of reasoning or improve their argumentation skills. Third, Interview Protocols designed for this study were found useful to identify the epistemological criteria and level of reasoning individuals presented through argumentation. Toulmin's Argument Pattern provides a practical method to analyze the structure of arguments. Results of this study suggest the following implications for improving science education. These implications might be helpful in increasing teacher awareness of the importance of explicit teaching of reasoning and argumentation in science classrooms. Toulmin's Argument Model should be introduced to teachers through teacher education or professional development programs to increase the use of reasoning and argumentation skills in instructional practices. Toulmin's Argument Pattern may be used to design lessons or unit plans which present science as argumentation. Therefore, by engaging students in argumentation, teachers may help students to improve their content knowledge along with reasoning and argumentation skills in science classrooms. The results of this study suggest that use of Toulmin's Argument Pattern to evaluate high school biology teachers' presented levels of reasoning is a promising approach to understanding the structure of reasoning and argumentation that biology teachers use when providing judgments about the validity of hypothetical conclusions. The interview protocols and the rubrics used in this study should be tested in different subject areas in order to enhance and validate the use of Toulmin's Argument Pattern in measuring individuals' epistemological criteria and level of reasoning.

Argument structure hierarchy system and method for facilitating analysis and decision-making processes

DOEpatents

Janssen, Terry

2000-01-01

A system and method for facilitating decision-making comprising a computer program causing linkage of data representing a plurality of argument structure units into a hierarchical argument structure. Each argument structure unit comprises data corresponding to a hypothesis and its corresponding counter-hypothesis, data corresponding to grounds that provide a basis for inference of the hypothesis or its corresponding counter-hypothesis, data corresponding to a warrant linking the grounds to the hypothesis or its corresponding counter-hypothesis, and data corresponding to backing that certifies the warrant. The hierarchical argument structure comprises a top level argument structure unit and a plurality of subordinate level argument structure units. Each of the plurality of subordinate argument structure units comprises at least a portion of the grounds of the argument structure unit to which it is subordinate. Program code located on each of a plurality of remote computers accepts input from one of a plurality of contributors. Each input comprises data corresponding to an argument structure unit in the hierarchical argument structure and supports the hypothesis or its corresponding counter-hypothesis. A second programming code is adapted to combine the inputs into a single hierarchical argument structure. A third computer program code is responsive to the second computer program code and is adapted to represent a degree of support for the hypothesis and its corresponding counter-hypothesis in the single hierarchical argument structure.

Genetic enhancement--a threat to human rights?

PubMed

Fenton, Elizabeth

2008-01-01

Genetic enhancement is the modification of the human genome for the purpose of improving capacities or 'adding in' desired characteristics. Although this technology is still largely futuristic, debate over the moral issues it raises has been significant. George Annas has recently leveled a new attack against genetic enhancement, drawing on human rights as his primary weapon. I argue that Annas' appeal to human rights ultimately falls flat, and so provides no good reason to object to genetic technology. Moreover, this argument is an example of the broader problem of appealing to human rights as a panacea for ethical problems. Human rights, it is often claimed, are 'trumps': if it can be shown that a proposed technology violates human rights, then it must be cast aside. But human rights are neither a panacea for ethical problems nor a trump card. If they are drafted into the service of an argument, it must be shown that an actual human rights violation will occur. Annas' argument against genetic technology fails to do just this. I shall conclude that his appeal to human rights adds little to the debate over the ethical questions raised by genetic technology.

An elementary argument for the magnetic field outside a solenoid

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Pathak, Aritro

2017-01-01

The evaluation of the magnetic field inside and outside a uniform current density infinite solenoid of uniform cross-section is an elementary problem in classical electrodynamics that all undergraduate Physics students study. Symmetry properties of the cylinder and the judicious use of Ampere’s circuital law leads to correct results; however it does not explain why the field is non zero for a finite length solenoid, and why it vanishes as the solenoid becomes infinitely long. An argument is provided in Farley and Price (2001 Am. J. Phys. 69 751), explaining how the magnetic field behaves outside the solenoid and not too far from it, as a function of the length of the solenoid. A calculation is also outlined for obtaining the field just outside the circular cross section solenoid, in the classic text Classical Electrodynamics by Jackson, 3rd edn (John Wiley and Sons, Inc.), problems 5.3-5.5. The purpose of this paper is to provide an elementary argument for why the field becomes negligible as the length of the solenoid is increased. A quantitative analysis is provided for the field outside the solenoid, at radial distances large compared to the linear dimension of the solenoid cross section.

Effects of dimethyl sulfoxide on asymmetric division and cytokinesis in mouse oocytes

PubMed Central

2014-01-01

Background Dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO) is used extensively as a permeable cryoprotectant and is a common solvent utilized for several water-insoluble substances. DMSO has various biological and pharmacological activities; however, the effect of DMSO on mouse oocyte meiotic maturation remains unknown. Results In DMSO-treated oocytes, we observed abnormal MII oocytes that contained large polar bodies, including 2-cell–like MII oocytes, during in vitro maturation. Oocyte polarization did not occur, due to the absence of actin cap formation and spindle migration. These features are among the primary causes of abnormal symmetric division; however, analysis of the mRNA expression levels of genes related to asymmetric division revealed no significant difference in the expression of these factors between the 3% DMSO-treated group and the control group. After each “blastomere” of the 2-cell–like MII stage oocytes was injected by one sperm head respectively, the oocytes still possessed the ability to extrude the second polar body from each “blastomere” and to begin cleavage. However, MII oocytes with large polar bodies developed to the blastocyst stage after intracytoplasmic sperm injection (ICSI). Furthermore, other permeable cryoprotectants, such as ethylene glycol and glycerol, also caused asymmetric division failure. Conclusion Permeable cryoprotectants, such as DMSO, ethylene glycol, and glycerol, affect asymmetric division. DMSO disrupts cytokinesis completion by inhibiting cortical reorganization and polarization. Oocytes that undergo symmetric division maintain the ability to begin cleavage after ICSI. PMID:24953160

Respiratory strategy is a major determinant of [3H]water and [14C]chlorpyrifos uptake in aquatic insects

USGS Publications Warehouse

Buchwalter, D.B.; Jenkins, J.J.; Curtis, L.R.

2002-01-01

Despite the extensive use of aquatic insects to evaluate freshwater ecosystem health, little is known about the underlying factors that result in sensitivity differences between taxa. Organismal characteristics (respiratory strategy and body size) were used to explore the rates of [3H]H2O and [14)C]chlorpyrifos accumulation in aquatic insects. Ten aquatic insect taxa, including ephemeropteran, trichopteran, dipteran, hemipteran, and coleopteran species, were exposed to [14C]chlorpyrifos (240 ng??L-1) and [3H]H2O for up to 12 h. Because exchange epithelial surfaces on the)integument are permeable to water, [3H]H2O was used as a quantitative surrogate for exposed cellular surface area.) [14C]Chlorpyrifos uptake rates were highly correlated with water permeability in all 10 taxa tested and largely covaried with body size and respiratory strategy. Rates were highest among smaller organisms on a per-weight basis and in taxa with relatively large external cellular surfaces such as gills. Air-breathing taxa were significantly less permeable to both [3)HH20 and [14C)C]chlorpyrifos. A method for labeling exposed epithelial surfaces with a fluorescent dye was developed. This technique allowed discrimination between exchange epithelium and barrier tissue on the integument. Fluorescent dye distributions on the body surface provided a rapid method for estimating exposed epithelium consistent with [3H]H2O and [14)C]chlorpyrifos accumulation.

Sometimes a cigar [magazine] is more than just a cigar [magazine]: pro-smoking arguments in Cigar Aficionado, 1992-2000.

PubMed

DeSantis, Alan D; Morgan, Susan E

2003-01-01

Since its first issue in 1992, few periodicals have enjoyed the rapid growth and international popularity of Cigar Aficionado. Although the magazine professes to simply celebrate "the good life and the joys of cigar smoking," we argue that it serves a more insidious function; specifically, the periodical supplies readers with 7 persuasive strategies aimed at rebuking dominant anti-smoking health assertions: (a) the cigars-are-not-cigarettes argument, (b) the life-is-dangerous argument, (c) the health-benefits argument, (d) the moderation argument, (e) the old-smokers argument, (f) the bad-science argument, and (g) the good-science argument. These pro-smoking arguments ultimately serve to relieve the cognitive dissonance associated with the consumption of a potentially deadly product and to maintain a loyal readership, free from guilt or anxiety.

Icelandic Morphosyntax and Argument Structure

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Wood, Jim

2012-01-01

This dissertation is about the elements that build verbs, the elements that introduce arguments, and how these elements interact to determine the interpretation of arguments and events. A theory of argument structure is a theory how arguments are introduced syntactically, interpreted semantically, and marked morphologically, and how this…

The nature and development of hypothetico-predictive argumentation with implications for science teaching

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Lawson, Anton E.

2003-11-01

This paper explicates a pattern of scientific argumentation in which scientists respond to causal questions with the generation and test of alternative hypotheses through cycles of hypothetico-predictive argumentation. Hypothetico-predictive arguments are employed to test causal claims that exist on at least two levels (designated stage 4 in which the causal claims are perceptible, and stage 5 in which the causal claims are imperceptible). Origins of the ability to construct and comprehend hypothetico-predictive arguments at the highest level can be traced to pre-verbal reasoning of the sensory-motor child and the gradual internalization of verbally mediated arguments involving nominal, categorical, causal and, finally, theoretical propositions. Presumably, the ability to construct and comprehend hypothetico-predictive arguments (an aspect of procedural knowledge) is necessary for the construction of conceptual knowledge (an aspect of declarative knowledge) because such arguments are used during concept construction and conceptual change. Science instruction that focuses on the generation and debate of hypothetico-predictive arguments should improve students' conceptual understanding and their argumentative/reasoning skills.

The Evaluation of Argument Mapping as a Learning Tool: Comparing the Effects of Map Reading versus Text Reading on Comprehension and Recall of Arguments

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Dwyer, Christopher P.; Hogan, Michael J.; Stewart, Ian

2010-01-01

The current study compared the effects on comprehension and memory of learning via text versus learning via argument map. Argument mapping is a method of diagrammatic representation of arguments designed to simplify the reading of an argument structure and allow for easy assimilation of core propositions and relations. In the current study, 400…

Modelling the endothelial blood-CNS barriers: a method for the production of robust in vitro models of the rat blood-brain barrier and blood-spinal cord barrier

PubMed Central

2013-01-01

Background Modelling the blood-CNS barriers of the brain and spinal cord in vitro continues to provide a considerable challenge for research studying the passage of large and small molecules in and out of the central nervous system, both within the context of basic biology and for pharmaceutical drug discovery. Although there has been considerable success over the previous two decades in establishing useful in vitro primary endothelial cell cultures from the blood-CNS barriers, no model fully mimics the high electrical resistance, low paracellular permeability and selective influx/efflux characteristics of the in vivo situation. Furthermore, such primary-derived cultures are typically labour-intensive and generate low yields of cells, limiting scope for experimental work. We thus aimed to establish protocols for the high yield isolation and culture of endothelial cells from both rat brain and spinal cord. Our aim was to optimise in vitro conditions for inducing phenotypic characteristics in these cells that were reminiscent of the in vivo situation, such that they developed into tight endothelial barriers suitable for performing investigative biology and permeability studies. Methods Brain and spinal cord tissue was taken from the same rats and used to specifically isolate endothelial cells to reconstitute as in vitro blood-CNS barrier models. Isolated endothelial cells were cultured to expand the cellular yield and then passaged onto cell culture inserts for further investigation. Cell culture conditions were optimised using commercially available reagents and the resulting barrier-forming endothelial monolayers were characterised by functional permeability experiments and in vitro phenotyping by immunocytochemistry and western blotting. Results Using a combination of modified handling techniques and cell culture conditions, we have established and optimised a protocol for the in vitro culture of brain and, for the first time in rat, spinal cord endothelial cells. High yields of both CNS endothelial cell types can be obtained, and these can be passaged onto large numbers of cell culture inserts for in vitro permeability studies. The passaged brain and spinal cord endothelial cells are pure and express endothelial markers, tight junction proteins and intracellular transport machinery. Further, both models exhibit tight, functional barrier characteristics that are discriminating against large and small molecules in permeability assays and show functional expression of the pharmaceutically important P-gp efflux transporter. Conclusions Our techniques allow the provision of high yields of robust sister cultures of endothelial cells that accurately model the blood-CNS barriers in vitro. These models are ideally suited for use in studying the biology of the blood-brain barrier and blood-spinal cord barrier in vitro and for pre-clinical drug discovery. PMID:23773766

Modelling the endothelial blood-CNS barriers: a method for the production of robust in vitro models of the rat blood-brain barrier and blood-spinal cord barrier.

PubMed

Watson, P Marc D; Paterson, Judy C; Thom, George; Ginman, Ulrika; Lundquist, Stefan; Webster, Carl I

2013-06-18

Modelling the blood-CNS barriers of the brain and spinal cord in vitro continues to provide a considerable challenge for research studying the passage of large and small molecules in and out of the central nervous system, both within the context of basic biology and for pharmaceutical drug discovery. Although there has been considerable success over the previous two decades in establishing useful in vitro primary endothelial cell cultures from the blood-CNS barriers, no model fully mimics the high electrical resistance, low paracellular permeability and selective influx/efflux characteristics of the in vivo situation. Furthermore, such primary-derived cultures are typically labour-intensive and generate low yields of cells, limiting scope for experimental work. We thus aimed to establish protocols for the high yield isolation and culture of endothelial cells from both rat brain and spinal cord. Our aim was to optimise in vitro conditions for inducing phenotypic characteristics in these cells that were reminiscent of the in vivo situation, such that they developed into tight endothelial barriers suitable for performing investigative biology and permeability studies. Brain and spinal cord tissue was taken from the same rats and used to specifically isolate endothelial cells to reconstitute as in vitro blood-CNS barrier models. Isolated endothelial cells were cultured to expand the cellular yield and then passaged onto cell culture inserts for further investigation. Cell culture conditions were optimised using commercially available reagents and the resulting barrier-forming endothelial monolayers were characterised by functional permeability experiments and in vitro phenotyping by immunocytochemistry and western blotting. Using a combination of modified handling techniques and cell culture conditions, we have established and optimised a protocol for the in vitro culture of brain and, for the first time in rat, spinal cord endothelial cells. High yields of both CNS endothelial cell types can be obtained, and these can be passaged onto large numbers of cell culture inserts for in vitro permeability studies. The passaged brain and spinal cord endothelial cells are pure and express endothelial markers, tight junction proteins and intracellular transport machinery. Further, both models exhibit tight, functional barrier characteristics that are discriminating against large and small molecules in permeability assays and show functional expression of the pharmaceutically important P-gp efflux transporter. Our techniques allow the provision of high yields of robust sister cultures of endothelial cells that accurately model the blood-CNS barriers in vitro. These models are ideally suited for use in studying the biology of the blood-brain barrier and blood-spinal cord barrier in vitro and for pre-clinical drug discovery.

The Biot coefficient for a low permeability heterogeneous limestone

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Selvadurai, A. P. S.

2018-04-01

This paper presents the experimental and theoretical developments used to estimate the Biot coefficient for the heterogeneous Cobourg Limestone, which is characterized by its very low permeability. The coefficient forms an important component of the Biot poroelastic model that is used to examine coupled hydro-mechanical and thermo-hydro-mechanical processes in the fluid-saturated Cobourg Limestone. The constraints imposed by both the heterogeneous fabric and its extremely low intact permeability [K \\in (10^{-23},10^{-20}) m2 ] require the development of alternative approaches to estimate the Biot coefficient. Large specimen bench-scale triaxial tests (150 mm diameter and 300 mm long) that account for the scale of the heterogeneous fabric are complemented by results for the volume fraction-based mineralogical composition derived from XRD measurements. The compressibility of the solid phase is based on theoretical developments proposed in the mechanics of multi-phasic elastic materials. An appeal to the theory of multi-phasic elastic solids is the only feasible approach for examining the compressibility of the solid phase. The presence of a number of mineral species necessitates the use of the theories of Voigt, Reuss and Hill along with the theories proposed by Hashin and Shtrikman for developing bounds for the compressibility of the multi-phasic geologic material composing the skeletal fabric. The analytical estimates for the Biot coefficient for the Cobourg Limestone are compared with results for similar low permeability rocks reported in the literature.

Does the 'old bag' make a good 'wind bag'?: Comparison of four fabrics commonly used as exclusion bags in studies of pollination and reproductive biology.

PubMed

Neal, Paul R; Anderson, Gregory J

2004-05-01

Fabrics used in pollination bags may exclude pollen carried by biotic vectors, but have varying degrees of permeability to wind-borne pollen. The permeability of bags to wind-borne pollen may have important consequences in studies of pollination and reproductive biology. The permeability of four fabrics commonly used in the construction of pollination bags was examined. Deposition of wind-borne pollen on horizontally and vertically oriented microscope slides was assessed on slides enclosed in pollination bags, as well as on control slides. It was found that the permeability of fabrics to wind-borne pollen, as measured by deposition on both horizontally and vertically oriented slides, decreased with pore size. However, deposition on horizontal slides was always greater than on vertical slides for a given fabric; this could manifest itself as differential success of pollination of flowers in bags-dependent on flower orientation. Obviously, bags with mesh size smaller than most pollen grains are impermeable to pollen. However, material for such bags is very expensive. In addition, it was also observed that bags with even moderately small pore size, such as pores (approx. 200 microm) in twisted fibre cotton muslin, offered highly significant barriers to passage of wind-borne pollen. Such bags are sufficiently effective in most large-sample-size reproductive biology studies.

High-Glucose or -Fructose Diet Cause Changes of the Gut Microbiota and Metabolic Disorders in Mice without Body Weight Change.

PubMed

Do, Moon Ho; Lee, Eunjung; Oh, Mi-Jin; Kim, Yoonsook; Park, Ho-Young

2018-06-13

High fat diet-induced changes in gut microbiota have been linked to intestinal permeability and metabolic endotoxemia, which is related to metabolic disorders. However, the influence of a high-glucose (HGD) or high-fructose (HFrD) diet on gut microbiota is largely unknown. We performed changes of gut microbiota in HGD- or HFrD-fed C57BL/6J mice by 16S rRNA analysis. Gut microbiota-derived endotoxin-induced metabolic disorders were evaluated by glucose and insulin tolerance test, gut permeability, Western blot and histological analysis. We found that the HGD and HFrD groups had comparatively higher blood glucose and endotoxin levels, fat mass, dyslipidemia, and glucose intolerance without changes in bodyweight. The HGD- and HFrD-fed mice lost gut microbial diversity, characterized by a lower proportion of Bacteroidetes and a markedly increased proportion of Proteobacteria. Moreover, the HGD and HFrD groups had increased gut permeability due to alterations to the tight junction proteins caused by gut inflammation. Hepatic inflammation and lipid accumulation were also markedly increased in the HGD and HFrD groups. High levels of glucose or fructose in the diet regulate the gut microbiota and increase intestinal permeability, which precedes the development of metabolic endotoxemia, inflammation, and lipid accumulation, ultimately leading to hepatic steatosis and normal-weight obesity.

Biophysical model of ion transport across human respiratory epithelia allows quantification of ion permeabilities.

PubMed

Garcia, Guilherme J M; Boucher, Richard C; Elston, Timothy C

2013-02-05

Lung health and normal mucus clearance depend on adequate hydration of airway surfaces. Because transepithelial osmotic gradients drive water flows, sufficient hydration of the airway surface liquid depends on a balance between ion secretion and absorption by respiratory epithelia. In vitro experiments using cultures of primary human nasal epithelia and human bronchial epithelia have established many of the biophysical processes involved in airway surface liquid homeostasis. Most experimental studies, however, have focused on the apical membrane, despite the fact that ion transport across respiratory epithelia involves both cellular and paracellular pathways. In fact, the ion permeabilities of the basolateral membrane and paracellular pathway remain largely unknown. Here we use a biophysical model for water and ion transport to quantify ion permeabilities of all pathways (apical, basolateral, paracellular) in human nasal epithelia cultures using experimental (Ussing Chamber and microelectrode) data reported in the literature. We derive analytical formulas for the steady-state short-circuit current and membrane potential, which are for polarized epithelia the equivalent of the Goldman-Hodgkin-Katz equation for single isolated cells. These relations allow parameter estimation to be performed efficiently. By providing a method to quantify all the ion permeabilities of respiratory epithelia, the model may aid us in understanding the physiology that regulates normal airway surface hydration. Copyright © 2013 Biophysical Society. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

Experimental observation of permeability changes in dolomite at CO2 sequestration conditions.

PubMed

Tutolo, Benjamin M; Luhmann, Andrew J; Kong, Xiang-Zhao; Saar, Martin O; Seyfried, William E

2014-02-18

Injection of cool CO2 into geothermally warm carbonate reservoirs for storage or geothermal energy production may lower near-well temperature and lead to mass transfer along flow paths leading away from the well. To investigate this process, a dolomite core was subjected to a 650 h, high pressure, CO2 saturated, flow-through experiment. Permeability increased from 10(-15.9) to 10(-15.2) m(2) over the initial 216 h at 21 °C, decreased to 10(-16.2) m(2) over 289 h at 50 °C, largely due to thermally driven CO2 exsolution, and reached a final value of 10(-16.4) m(2) after 145 h at 100 °C due to continued exsolution and the onset of dolomite precipitation. Theoretical calculations show that CO2 exsolution results in a maximum pore space CO2 saturation of 0.5, and steady state relative permeabilities of CO2 and water on the order of 0.0065 and 0.1, respectively. Post-experiment imagery reveals matrix dissolution at low temperatures, and subsequent filling-in of flow passages at elevated temperature. Geochemical calculations indicate that reservoir fluids subjected to a thermal gradient may exsolve and precipitate up to 200 cm(3) CO2 and 1.5 cm(3) dolomite per kg of water, respectively, resulting in substantial porosity and permeability redistribution.

Drug-like properties and the causes of poor solubility and poor permeability.

PubMed

Lipinski, C A

2000-01-01

There are currently about 10000 drug-like compounds. These are sparsely, rather than uniformly, distributed through chemistry space. True diversity does not exist in experimental combinatorial chemistry screening libraries. Absorption, distribution, metabolism, and excretion (ADME) and chemical reactivity-related toxicity is low, while biological receptor activity is higher dimensional in chemistry space, and this is partly explainable by evolutionary pressures on ADME to deal with endobiotics and exobiotics. ADME is hard to predict for large data sets because current ADME experimental screens are multi-mechanisms, and predictions get worse as more data accumulates. Currently, screening for biological receptor activity precedes or is concurrent with screening for properties related to "drugability." In the future, "drugability" screening may precede biological receptor activity screening. The level of permeability or solubility needed for oral absorption is related to potency. The relative importance of poor solubility and poor permeability towards the problem of poor oral absorption depends on the research approach used for lead generation. A "rational drug design" approach as exemplified by Merck advanced clinical candidates leads to time-dependent higher molecular weight, higher H-bonding properties, unchanged lipophilicity, and, hence, poorer permeability. A high throughput screening (HTS)-based approach as exemplified by unpublished data on Pfizer (Groton, CT) early candidates leads to higher molecular weight, unchanged H-bonding properties, higher lipophilicity, and, hence, poorer aqueous solubility.

Highly permeable polymeric membranes based on the incorporation of the functional water channel protein Aquaporin Z

PubMed Central

Kumar, Manish; Grzelakowski, Mariusz; Zilles, Julie; Clark, Mark; Meier, Wolfgang

2007-01-01

The permeability and solute transport characteristics of amphiphilic triblock-polymer vesicles containing the bacterial water-channel protein Aquaporin Z (AqpZ) were investigated. The vesicles were made of a block copolymer with symmetric poly-(2-methyloxazoline)-poly-(dimethylsiloxane)-poly-(2-methyloxazoline) (PMOXA15-PDMS110-PMOXA15) repeat units. Light-scattering measurements on pure polymer vesicles subject to an outwardly directed salt gradient in a stopped-flow apparatus indicated that the polymer vesicles were highly impermeable. However, a large enhancement in water productivity (permeability per unit driving force) of up to ≈800 times that of pure polymer was observed when AqpZ was incorporated. The activation energy (Ea) of water transport for the protein-polymer vesicles (3.4 kcal/mol) corresponded to that reported for water-channel-mediated water transport in lipid membranes. The solute reflection coefficients of glucose, glycerol, salt, and urea were also calculated, and indicated that these solutes are completely rejected. The productivity of AqpZ-incorporated polymer membranes was at least an order of magnitude larger than values for existing salt-rejecting polymeric membranes. The approach followed here may lead to more productive and sustainable water treatment membranes, whereas the variable levels of permeability obtained with different concentrations of AqpZ may provide a key property for drug delivery applications. PMID:18077364

Numerical Simulation of Heat Transfer in Porous Metals for Cooling Applications

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Gauna, Edgar Avalos; Zhao, Yuyuan

2017-08-01

Porous metals have low densities and novel physical, mechanical, thermal, electrical, and acoustic properties. Hence, they have attracted a large amount of interest over the last few decades. One of their applications is for thermal management in the electronics industry because of their fluid permeability and thermal conductivity. The heat transfer capability is achieved by the interaction between the internal channels within the porous metal and the coolant flowing through them. This paper studies the fluid flow and heat transfer in open-cell porous metals manufactured by space holder methods by numerical simulation using software ANSYS Fluent. A 3D geometric model of the porous structure was created based on the face-centered-cubic arrangement of spheres linked by cylinders. This model allows for different combinations of pore parameters including a wide range of porosity (50 to 80 pct), pore size (400 to 1000 µm), and metal particle size (10 to 75 µm). In this study, water was used as the coolant and copper was selected as the metal matrix. The flow rate was varied in the Darcian and Forchheimer's regimes. The permeability, form drag coefficient, and heat transfer coefficient were calculated under a range of conditions. The numerical results showed that permeability increased whereas the form drag coefficient decreased with porosity. Both permeability and form drag coefficient increased with pore size. Increasing flow rate and decreasing porosity led to better heat transfer performance.

Explicit argumentation instruction to facilitate conceptual understanding and argumentation skills

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Seda Cetin, Pinar

2014-01-01

Background: Argumentation is accepted by many science educators as a major component of science education. Many studies have investigated students' conceptual understanding and their engagement in argumentative activities. However, studies conducted in the subject of chemistry are very rare. Purpose: The present study aimed to investigate the effects of argumentation-based chemistry lessons on pre-service science teachers' understanding of reaction rate concepts, their quality of argumentation, and their consideration of specific reaction rate concepts in constructing an argument. Moreover, students' perceptions of argumentation lessons were explored. Sample: There were 116 participants (21 male and 95 female), who were pre-service first-grade science teachers from a public university. The participants were recruited from the two intact classes of a General Chemistry II course, both of which were taught by the same instructor. Design and methods: In the present study, non-equivalent control group design was used as a part of quasi-experimental design. The experimental group was taught using explicit argumentation activities, and the control group was instructed using traditional instruction. The data were collected using a reaction rate concept test, a pre-service teachers' survey, and the participants' perceptions of the argumentation lessons questionnaire. For the data analysis, the Wilcoxon Signed Rank Test, the Mann-Whitney U-test and qualitative techniques were used. Results: The results of the study indicated that an argumentation-based intervention caused significantly better acquisition of scientific reaction rate-related concepts and positively impacted the structure and complexity of pre-service teachers' argumentation. Moreover, the majority of the participants reported positive feelings toward argumentation activities. Conclusions: As students are encouraged to state and support their view in the chemistry classroom when studying reaction rate, it was observed that their understanding increased in terms of both the context and the quality of the argumentation that they produced. In light of the findings, it is suggested that argumentation activities should be developed to promote students' science content knowledge and argumentation skills.

Interplay between Content Knowledge and Scientific Argumentation

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Hakyolu, Hanife; Ogan-Bekiroglu, Feral

2016-01-01

This research study aimed to analyze the relationship between content knowledge and argumentation by examining students' prior subject matter knowledge and their production of arguments as well as by comparing students' arguments with their knowledge-in-use during scientific argumentation sessions. A correlational research design was carried out…

Individual Events as a Laboratory for Argument: Analogues for Limited Preparation Events.

ERIC Educational Resources Information Center

Kay, Jack

To better serve as a laboratory for argument, individual events competition should represent analogues of "real world" argumentation/communication situations. The individual events laboratory must fulfill a pedagogical function, and should also "create" knowledge about argumentation strategies, specific fields of argument, and…

19 CFR 351.309 - Written argument.

Code of Federal Regulations, 2010 CFR

2010-04-01

... 19 Customs Duties 3 2010-04-01 2010-04-01 false Written argument. 351.309 Section 351.309 Customs... Information and Argument § 351.309 Written argument. (a) Introduction. Written argument may be submitted... these documents. (b) Written argument—(1) In general. In making the final determination in a...

Argumentation in undergraduate chemistry laboratories

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Walker, Joi Phelps

To address the need for reform in undergraduate science education a new instructional model called Argument-Driven Inquiry (ADI) was developed and then implemented in a undergraduate chemistry course at a community college in the southeastern United States (Sampson, Walker, & Grooms, 2009; Walker, Sampson, & Zimmerman, in press). The ADI instructional model is designed to give a more central place to argumentation and the role of argument in the social construction of scientific knowledge. This research investigated the growth in the quality of the student generated arguments and the scientific argumentation that took place over the course of a semester. Students enrolled in two sections of General Chemistry I laboratory at the community college participated in this study. The students worked in collaborative groups of three or four. The students were given a variation of the same performance task three times during the semester in order to measure individual ability to use evidence and justify their choice of evidence with appropriate rationale. Five ADI investigations took place during the semester and the laboratory reports for each were collected from each student and the argument section of each report was scored. All the student groups were video recorded five times during the semester as they generated and evaluated arguments and the quality of the group argumentation was assessed using an instrument called the Assessment of Scientific Argumentation in the Classroom (ASAC) observation protocol. As time was the independent variable in this study a repeated measure ANOVA was used to evaluate the significance of student improvement in each area (argumentation, written argument and performance task) over the course of the semester (Trochim, 1999). In addition, a multiple regression analysis was conducted to evaluate how well the ASAC scores predicted individual scores on both the performance task and the written arguments (Green & Salkind, 2005). There was significant growth over the course of the semester in all three measures, performance-based assessment, written argument and oral argumentation. There also was a significant correlation between written and oral arguments that was used to generate a linear model using oral argumentation as a predictor of written argument. The results of this suggest that the use of an integrated instructional model such as ADI can have a positive impact on the quality of the arguments students include in their investigation reports, the argumentation they engage in during lab activities, and their overall performance on tasks that require them to develop and support a valid conclusion with genuine evidence.

Family boundary characteristics, work-family conflict and life satisfaction: A moderated mediation model.

PubMed

Qiu, Lin; Fan, Jinyan

2015-10-01

Although work-family border and boundary theory suggest individuals' boundary characteristics influence their work-family relationship, it is largely unknown how boundary flexibility and permeability mutually influence work-family conflict and subsequent employee outcomes. Moreover, the existing work-family conflict research has been mainly conducted in the United States and other Western countries. To address these gaps in the work-family literature, the present study examines a moderated mediation model regarding how family boundary characteristics may influence individuals' work-family conflict and life satisfaction with a sample of 278 Chinese full-time employees. Results showed that employees' family flexibility negatively related to their perceived work interference with family (WIF) and family interference with work (FIW), and both these two relationships were augmented by individuals' family permeability. In addition, WIF mediated the relationship between family flexibility and life satisfaction; the indirect effect of family flexibility on life satisfaction via WIF was stronger for individuals with higher family permeability. The theoretical and managerial implications of these findings are discussed. © 2014 International Union of Psychological Science.

Achieving high permeability and enhanced selectivity for Angstrom-scale separations using artificial water channel membranes.

PubMed

Shen, Yue-Xiao; Song, Woochul C; Barden, D Ryan; Ren, Tingwei; Lang, Chao; Feroz, Hasin; Henderson, Codey B; Saboe, Patrick O; Tsai, Daniel; Yan, Hengjing; Butler, Peter J; Bazan, Guillermo C; Phillip, William A; Hickey, Robert J; Cremer, Paul S; Vashisth, Harish; Kumar, Manish

2018-06-12

Synthetic polymer membranes, critical to diverse energy-efficient separations, are subject to permeability-selectivity trade-offs that decrease their overall efficacy. These trade-offs are due to structural variations (e.g., broad pore size distributions) in both nonporous membranes used for Angstrom-scale separations and porous membranes used for nano to micron-scale separations. Biological membranes utilize well-defined Angstrom-scale pores to provide exceptional transport properties and can be used as inspiration to overcome this trade-off. Here, we present a comprehensive demonstration of such a bioinspired approach based on pillar[5]arene artificial water channels, resulting in artificial water channel-based block copolymer membranes. These membranes have a sharp selectivity profile with a molecular weight cutoff of ~ 500 Da, a size range challenging to achieve with current membranes, while achieving a large improvement in permeability (~65 L m -2  h -1  bar -1  compared with 4-7 L m -2  h -1  bar -1 ) over similarly rated commercial membranes.

Transmembrane protein diffusion in gel-supported dual-leaflet membranes.

PubMed

Wang, Chih-Ying; Hill, Reghan J

2014-11-18

Tools to measure transmembrane-protein diffusion in lipid bilayer membranes have advanced in recent decades, providing a need for predictive theoretical models that account for interleaflet leaflet friction on tracer mobility. Here we address the fully three-dimensional flows driven by a (nonprotruding) transmembrane protein embedded in a dual-leaflet membrane that is supported above and below by soft porous supports (e.g., hydrogel or extracellular matrix), each of which has a prescribed permeability and solvent viscosity. For asymmetric configurations, i.e., supports with contrasting permeability, as realized for cells in contact with hydrogel scaffolds or culture media, the diffusion coefficient can reflect interleaflet friction. Reasonable approximations, for sufficiently large tracers on low-permeability supports, are furnished by a recent phenomenological theory from the literature. Interpreting literature data, albeit for hard-supported membranes, provides a theoretical basis for the phenomenological Stokes drag law as well as strengthening assertions that nonhydrodynamic interactions are important in supported bilayer systems, possibly leading to overestimates of the membrane/leaflet viscosity. Our theory provides a theoretical foundation for future experimental studies of tracer diffusion in gel-supported membranes.

Co-fabrication of chitosan and epoxy photoresist to form microwell arrays with permeable hydrogel bottoms

PubMed Central

Ornoff, Douglas M.; Wang, Yuli; Proctor, Angela; Shah, Akash S.; Allbritton, Nancy L.

2015-01-01

Microfabrication technology offers the potential to create biological platforms with customizable patterns and surface chemistries, allowing precise control over the biochemical microenvironment to which a cell or group of cells is exposed. However, most microfabricated platforms grow cells on impermeable surfaces. This report describes the co-fabrication of a micropatterned epoxy photoresist film with a chitosan film to create a freestanding array of permeable, hydrogel-bottomed microwells. These films possess optical properties ideal for microscopy applications, and the chitosan layers are semi-permeable with a molecular exclusion of 9.9 ± 2.1 kDa. By seeding cells into the microwells, overlaying inert mineral oil, and supplying media via the bottom surface, this hybrid film permits cells to be physically isolated from one another but maintained in culture for at least 4 days. Arrays co-fabricated using these materials reduce both large-molecular-weight biochemical crosstalk between cells and mixing of different clonal populations, and will enable high-throughput studies of cellular heterogeneity with increased ability to customize dynamic interrogations compared to materials in currently available technologies. PMID:26447557

[Adaptive reactions of students from mountain and plain regions of Latin America to conditions of middle Russia].

PubMed

Ermakova, N V

2003-01-01

This article contains results of the comparative study of the functional state of respiratory and cardiovascular systems of almost healthy students (man) of age 19-22, inhabitants of mountain and plain regions of Latin America during their adaptation to the conditions of middle Russia. We have established that there are reliable distinctions in the functional state of cardio-respiratory system of students from mountain and plain regions of Latin America. So for representatives of mountain regions of LA were typical higher indicators of vital capacity, permeability of large and medium bronchial tubes, stroke volume, lower indicators of heart rate, systolic arterial pressure, myocard tension index, but higher coefficient of myocard efficiency than for inhabitants the plain. Considerable distinctions have been observed also in the intercommunication between different indicators. There have been marked considerable correlation connections between small bronchial tubes permeability and cardiovascular system indicators for plain inhabitants. For mountain regions inhabitants almost every indicator of bronchial tubes permeability correlate reliably with vital capacity, but didn't correlate with hemodynamics indicators.

Freeze fracturing of elastic porous media: a mathematical model

PubMed Central

Vlahou, I.; Worster, M. G.

2015-01-01

We present a mathematical model of the fracturing of water-saturated rocks and other porous materials in cold climates. Ice growing inside porous rocks causes large pressures to develop that can significantly damage the rock. We study the growth of ice inside a penny-shaped cavity in a water-saturated porous rock and the consequent fracturing of the medium. Premelting of the ice against the rock, which results in thin films of unfrozen water forming between the ice and the rock, is one of the dominant processes of rock fracturing. We find that the fracture toughness of the rock, the size of pre-existing faults and the undercooling of the environment are the main parameters determining the susceptibility of a medium to fracturing. We also explore the dependence of the growth rates on the permeability and elasticity of the medium. Thin and fast-fracturing cracks are found for many types of rocks. We consider how the growth rate can be limited by the existence of pore ice, which decreases the permeability of a medium, and propose an expression for the effective ‘frozen’ permeability. PMID:25792954

Freeze fracturing of elastic porous media: a mathematical model.

PubMed

Vlahou, I; Worster, M G

2015-03-08

We present a mathematical model of the fracturing of water-saturated rocks and other porous materials in cold climates. Ice growing inside porous rocks causes large pressures to develop that can significantly damage the rock. We study the growth of ice inside a penny-shaped cavity in a water-saturated porous rock and the consequent fracturing of the medium. Premelting of the ice against the rock, which results in thin films of unfrozen water forming between the ice and the rock, is one of the dominant processes of rock fracturing. We find that the fracture toughness of the rock, the size of pre-existing faults and the undercooling of the environment are the main parameters determining the susceptibility of a medium to fracturing. We also explore the dependence of the growth rates on the permeability and elasticity of the medium. Thin and fast-fracturing cracks are found for many types of rocks. We consider how the growth rate can be limited by the existence of pore ice, which decreases the permeability of a medium, and propose an expression for the effective 'frozen' permeability.

Nucleation speed limit on remote fluid induced earthquakes

USGS Publications Warehouse

Parsons, Thomas E.; Akinci, Aybige; Malignini, Luca

2017-01-01

Earthquakes triggered by other remote seismic events are explained as a response to long-traveling seismic waves that temporarily stress the crust. However, delays of hours or days after seismic waves pass through are reported by several studies, which are difficult to reconcile with the transient stresses imparted by seismic waves. We show that these delays are proportional to magnitude and that nucleation times are best fit to a fluid diffusion process if the governing rupture process involves unlocking a magnitude-dependent critical nucleation zone. It is well established that distant earthquakes can strongly affect the pressure and distribution of crustal pore fluids. Earth’s crust contains hydraulically isolated, pressurized compartments in which fluids are contained within low-permeability walls. We know that strong shaking induced by seismic waves from large earthquakes can change the permeability of rocks. Thus, the boundary of a pressurized compartment may see its permeability rise. Previously confined, overpressurized pore fluids may then diffuse away, infiltrate faults, decrease their strength, and induce earthquakes. Magnitude-dependent delays and critical nucleation zone conclusions can also be applied to human-induced earthquakes.

Contention between supply of hydrothermal fluid and conduit obstruction: inferences from numerical simulations

NASA Astrophysics Data System (ADS)

Tanaka, Ryo; Hashimoto, Takeshi; Matsushima, Nobuo; Ishido, Tsuneo

2018-05-01

We investigate a volcanic hydrothermal system using numerical simulations, focusing on change in crater temperature. Both increases and decreases in crater temperature have been observed before phreatic eruptions. We follow the system's response for up to a decade after hydrothermal fluid flux from the deep part of the system is increased and permeability is reduced at a certain depth in a conduit. Our numerical simulations demonstrate that: (1) changes in crater temperature are controlled by the magnitude of the increase in hydrothermal fluid flux and the degree of permeability reduction; (2) significant increases in hydrothermal flux with decreases in permeability induce substantial pressure changes in shallow depths in the edifice and decreases in crater temperature; (3) the location of maximum pressure change differs between the mechanisms. The results of this study imply that it is difficult to predict eruptions by crater temperature change alone. One should be as wary of large eruptions when crater temperature decreases as when crater temperature increases. It is possible to clarify the implications of changes in crater temperature with simultaneous observation of ground deformation.[Figure not available: see fulltext.

The composition of the incubation medium influences the sensitivity of mitochondrial permeability transition to cyclosporin A.

PubMed

Chávez, Edmundo; García, Noemi; Zazueta, Cecilia; Correa, Francisco; Avilés, César; García, Gerardo; Balam, Eros O

2003-04-01

The aim of this work was to study permeability transition, and the influence of the composition of the incubation medium, on the inhibitory action of cyclosporin A. It was found that cyclosporin inhibited the opening of a nonspecific pore, as induced by the uncoupler carbonyl cyanide m-chlorophenylhydrazone, provided K+ was present in the incubation medium, but failed to do so if mitochondria are incubated in sucrose or Na+-based medium. It was also found that the sensitivity of mitochondria to the uncoupler depended on the incubation mixture, being more sensitive when sucrose was the osmotic support. Matrix Ca2+ release, large amplitude swelling, and drop in transmembrane electric gradient revealed permeability transition. The titration of membrane thiol groups shows them to be increased in mitochondria incubated in sucrose medium, in comparison with the values found in mitochondria incubated in KCl or NaCl medium. Our proposal is that the incubation in sucrose medium propitiated a conformational change of membrane proteins in such a way that cyclosporin was unable to bind to its target site.

Nucleation speed limit on remote fluid-induced earthquakes.

PubMed

Parsons, Tom; Malagnini, Luca; Akinci, Aybige

2017-08-01

Earthquakes triggered by other remote seismic events are explained as a response to long-traveling seismic waves that temporarily stress the crust. However, delays of hours or days after seismic waves pass through are reported by several studies, which are difficult to reconcile with the transient stresses imparted by seismic waves. We show that these delays are proportional to magnitude and that nucleation times are best fit to a fluid diffusion process if the governing rupture process involves unlocking a magnitude-dependent critical nucleation zone. It is well established that distant earthquakes can strongly affect the pressure and distribution of crustal pore fluids. Earth's crust contains hydraulically isolated, pressurized compartments in which fluids are contained within low-permeability walls. We know that strong shaking induced by seismic waves from large earthquakes can change the permeability of rocks. Thus, the boundary of a pressurized compartment may see its permeability rise. Previously confined, overpressurized pore fluids may then diffuse away, infiltrate faults, decrease their strength, and induce earthquakes. Magnitude-dependent delays and critical nucleation zone conclusions can also be applied to human-induced earthquakes.

Auxin Does Not Alter the Permeability of Pea Segments to Tritium-labeled Water.

PubMed

Dowler, M J; Rayle, D L

1974-02-01

The possibility of an auxin effect on the permeability of pea (Pisum sativum L. ev. Alaska) segments to tritium-labeled water has been investigated by three separate laboratories, and the combined results are presented. We were unable to obtain any indication of a rapid effect of indoleacetic acid on the efflux of (3)HHO when pea segments previously "loaded" for 90 minutes with (3)HHO were transferred to unlabeled aqueous medium with indoleacetic acid. We were able to confirm that segments pretreated with (3)HHO plus indoleacetic acid for 60 to 90 minutes can show an enhanced (3)HHO release as compared with minus indoleacetic acid controls. However, this phenomenon appears to be due to an increased uptake of (3)HHO during the prolonged indoleacetic acid pretreatment, and therefore we conclude that auxin does not alter the permeability of pea segments to (3)HHO in either short term or long term tests. We confirm previous reports that the uptake of (3)HHO in pea segments proceeds largely through the cut surfaces, and that the cuticle is a potent barrier to (3)HHO flux.