Depletion Factor Research Articles

Seasonal evolution and controlling factors of bottom oxygen depletion in the Bohai Sea

A coupled physical-biogeochemical model is used to investigate the seasonal evolution and controlling factors of oxygen depletion in the Bohai Sea (BS). Comparisons show that the model reproduces observed spatiotemporal variations of important physical and biogeochemical variables well. Bottom oxygen in the BS shows an annual cycle with significant drawdown in summer and enhanced replenishment in fall. Two oxygen-depleted regions off Qinhuangdao (QHD) and the Yellow River estuary (YRE) develop separately and experience higher oxygen depletion rates and longer durations of low-oxygen conditions. The evolution of oxygen depletion is primarily controlled by stratification and biological oxygen consumption but is also modulated by lateral transport. Strong stratification is established earlier than oxygen depletion and maintains its development. The biological oxygen consumption determines the two oxygen-depleted regions under stratified conditions. Lateral transport influenced by anticyclonic circulations favors an expansion of oxygen depletion off QHD but alleviates oxygen depletion off the YRE.

Measurement of the underground argon radiopurity for Dark Matter direct searches

A major worldwide effort is underway to procure the radiopure argon needed for DarkSide-20k (DS-20k), the first large scale detector of the new Global Argon Dark Matter Collaboration. The Urania project will extract and purify underground argon (UAr) from CO2 wells in the USA at a production rate of about 330 kg/day. Additional chemical purification of the UAr will be required prior to its use in the DS-20k LAr-TPC. The Aria project will purify UAr using a cryogenic distillation column (Seruci-I), located in Sardinia (Italy). Assessing the UAr purity in terms of 39Ar is crucial for the physics program of the DarkSide-20k experiment. DArT is a small (1 litre) radiopure chamber that will measure the 39 Ar depletion factor in the UAr. The detector will be immersed in the active liquid Ar volume of ArDM (LSC, Spain), which will act as a veto for gammas from the detector materials and the surrounding rock. In this article, the status and prospects of the UAr projects for DarkSide-20k are reviewed with a special focus in DArT.

Late Ordovician climate change and extinctions driven by elevated volcanic nutrient supply

The Late Ordovician (~459–444 million years ago) was characterized by global cooling, glaciation and severe mass extinction. These events may have been driven by increased delivery of the nutrient phosphorus (P) to the ocean and associated increases in marine productivity, but it is not clear why this occurred in the two pulses identified in the geological record. We link both cooling phases—and the extinction—to volcanic eruptions through marine deposition of nutrient-rich ash and the weathering of terrestrially emplaced ash and lava. We then reconstruct the influence of Late Ordovician volcanic P delivery on the marine system by coupling an estimate of bioavailable phosphate supply (derived from a depletion and weathering model) to a global biogeochemical model. Our model compares volcanic ash P content in marine sediments before and after alteration to determine depletion factors, and we find good agreement with observed carbon isotope and reconstructed temperature shifts. Hence, massive volcanism can drive substantial global cooling on million-year timescales due to P delivery associated with long-term weathering of volcanic deposits, offsetting the transient warming of greenhouse gas emission associated with volcanic eruptions. Such longer-term cooling and potential for marine eutrophication may be important for other volcanism-driven global events.

Quantifying the ecosystem service of non‐native weed seed predation in traditional terraced paddy fields

AbstractWeed seed predation is an important ecosystem service in paddy areas. To conserve and sustainably utilize this service, it is necessary to quantify the seed predation and reveal the relative contributions of seed predators. In this study, we quantified the extent of postdispersal seed predation of Lolium multiflorum Lam., a non‐native invasive grass weed, on levees of terraced paddy fields located in a traditional cultural landscape (satoyama landscape) of Japan. We investigated the temporal variability in seed predation of L. multiflorum during summer after the seed shed, and estimated the total seed loss due to predation on the levees of terraced paddy fields for 2 years. Furthermore, the relative contribution of invertebrates and vertebrates to the seed predation was estimated based on exclosures. The total seed loss due to predation during 4 months (from late June to late October) was consistently high (>99%) in both years (the maximum proportion of seed predation per 2 weeks = 80.0–86.7%). The seed predators were likely to be mainly invertebrates such as crickets and ground beetles. This study revealed that the seed predation intensity was consistently high and can be an important depletion factor for the seedbanks of weeds such as L. multiflorum on the levees of terraced paddy fields. The high intensity of seed predation by invertebrates might suppress the invasion and population expansion of L. multiflorum on the levees of terraced paddy fields.

The impact of nutritional risk factors and sarcopenia on survival in patients treated with pelvic exenteration for recurrent gynaecological malignancy: a retrospective cohort study

PurposeThe aim of the present study is to investigate the prognostic significance of nutritional risk factors and sarcopenia on the outcome of patients with recurrent gynaecological malignancies treated by pelvic exenteration.MethodsWe retrospectively evaluated muscle body composite measurements based on pre-operative CT scans, nutritional risk factors as assessed by a validated pre-operative questionnaire, and clinical–pathological parameters in 65 consecutive patients with recurrent gynaecological malignancies, excluding ovarian cancer, treated by pelvic exenteration at the Royal Marsden Hospital London. Predictive value for postoperative morbidity was investigated by logistic regression analyses. Relevant parameters were included in uni- and multivariate survival analyses.ResultsWe found only (1) low muscle attenuation (MA)—an established factor for muscle depletion—and (2) moderate risk for malnutrition to be independently associated with shorter overall survival (p = 0.006 and p = 0.008, respectively). MA was significantly lower in overweight and obese patients (p = 0.04). Muscle body composite measurements were not predictive for post-operative morbidity.ConclusionThe study suggests that pre-operative low MA and moderate risk for malnutrition are associated with shorter survival in patients with recurrent gynaecological malignancies treated with pelvic exenteration. Further studies are needed to validate these findings in larger cohorts.

A search for the variation of speed of light using galaxy cluster gas mass fraction measurements

In this paper, we implement a new method to test the invariance of the speed of light (c) as a function of redshift, by combining the measurements of galaxy cluster gas mass fraction, H(z) from cosmic chronometers, and Type-Ia supernovae (SNe Ia). In our analyses, we consider both a constant depletion factor (which corresponds to the ratio by which the cluster gas mass fraction is depleted with respect to the universal baryonic mean) and one varying with redshift. We also consider the influence of different H 0 estimates on our results. We look for a variation of c, given by c(z) = c 0(1+c 1 z). We find a degeneracy between our final results on c variation and the assumptions on the gas mass fraction depletion factor. Most of our analyses indicate negligible variation ofthe speed of light.

Galaxy clusters, cosmic chronometers and the Einstein equivalence principle

The Einstein equivalence principle in the electromagnetic sector can be violated in modifications of gravity theory generated by a multiplicative coupling of a scalar field to the electromagnetic Lagrangian. In such theories, deviations of the standard result for the cosmic distance duality relation, and a variation of the fine structure constant are expected and are unequivocally intertwined. In this paper, we search for these possible cosmological signatures by using galaxy cluster gas mass fraction measurements and cosmic chronometers. No significant departure from general relativity is found regardless of our assumptions about cosmic curvature or a possible depletion factor evolution in cluster measurements.

Global process-based characterization factors of soil carbon depletion for life cycle impact assessment

Regionalization of land use (LU) impact in life cycle assessment (LCA) has gained relevance in recent years. Most regionalized models are statistical, using highly aggregated spatial units and LU classes (e.g. one unique LU class for cropland). Process-based modelling is a powerful characterization tool but so far has never been applied globally for all LU classes. Here, we propose a new set of spatially detailed characterization factors (CFs) for soil organic carbon (SOC) depletion. We used SOC dynamic curves and attainable SOC stocks from a process-based model for more than 17,000 world regions and 81 LU classes. Those classes include 63 agricultural (depending on 4 types of management/production), and 16 forest sub-classes, and 1 grassland and 1 urban class. We matched the CFs to LU elementary flows used by LCA databases at country-level. Results show that CFs are highly dependent on the LU sub-class and management practices. For example, transformation into cropland in general leads to the highest SOC depletion but SOC gains are possible with specific crops.

Primordial nucleosynthesis with varying fundamental constants

The success of primordial nucleosynthesis has been limited by the long-standing lithium problem. We use a self-consistent perturbative analysis of the effects of the relevant theoretical parameters on primordial nucleosynthesis, including variations of nature’s fundamental constants, to explore the problem and its possible solutions in the context of the latest observations and theoretical modeling. We quantify the amount of depletion needed to solve the lithium problem, and show that transport processes of chemical elements in stars are able to account for it. Specifically, the combination of atomic diffusion, rotation, and penetrative convection allows us to reproduce the lithium surface abundances of Population II stars, starting from the primordial lithium abundance. We also show that even with this depletion factor, a preference for a value of the fine-structure constant at this epoch remains that is larger than the value currently obtained in the laboratory by a few parts per million of relative variation at a statistical significance level of two to three standard deviations. This preference is driven by the recently reported discrepancy between the best-fit values for the baryon-to-photon ratio (or equivalently, the Deuterium abundance) inferred from cosmic microwave background and primordial nucleosynthesis analyses, and is largely insensitive to the Helium-4 abundance. We thus conclude that the lithium problem most likely has an astrophysical solution, while the Deuterium discrepancy provides a possible indication of new physics.

3: Vitamin D Improves Autologous Fat Graft Retention

Purpose:Autologous fat grafting is a widely used technique in aesthetic and reconstructive surgery, however, unpredictable volume reabsorption may lead to unsatisfactory outcomes. Previously, we demonstrated that a fat-soluble Vitamin D3 analogue, calcitriol, significantly improved fat retention in a xenograft mouse model by 25% across multiple donors when injected systemically (p < 0.05). While calcitriol has minimal toxicity, is FDA approved, and has positive immunomodulatory and antioxidant properties, systemic administration bypasses key Vitamin D synthesis regulatory steps, thus increasing risk with high-dose use. We hypothesize that systemic supplementation with Vitamin D3 (cholecalciferol) will likewise improve fat-graft retention similar to calcitriol while avoiding potential regulatory and iatrogenic risk. In this study we compared in vivo human fat graft retention in mice treated with systemic cholecalciferol, calcitriol or vehicle control in a mouse xenograft model. In vitro adipose lipoaspirate culture was used to interrogate the therapeutic mechanism of action.Methods:Lipoaspirate was harvested from 6 unique donors using a 2mm cannula and used in parallel for both in vitro and in vivo studies. In vivo: 0.3mL of lipoaspirate was injected bilaterally on dorsal flanks of homozygous Foxn1nu immunocompromised mice. Calcitriol (50ng), cholecalciferol (50ng, 500ng, 5000ng) or vehicle control was administered thrice weekly by IP injection. Graft volume retention was measured at 12 weeks. In vitro: 1mL of lipoaspirate was submerged in phenol-red free DMEM (10% FBS) containing calcitriol or cholecalciferol (15.6nM, 62.5 nM or 250 nM) for 7 days with one media change. Terminal analyses include tissue weight, stromal cell viability, concentration of active vitamin D metabolite (1,25(OH)2D3), and gene upregulation by qRT-PCR.Results:Previously, we demonstrated that systemic administration of 50ng calcitriol thrice weekly significantly improved human fat graft retention across multiple donors in a mouse xenograft model. Our current in vivo data suggest 5000ng cholecalciferol is similarly effective. In-vitro assays show 62.5nM and 250nM cholecalciferol significantly increased adipose stromal cell viability compared to controls (85.3+/-2.9% and 87.7+/-3.7 versus 77.6+/-2.8%, respectively p<0.05;). Analysis of final adipose 1,25(OH)2D3 concentration by ELISA showed both calcitriol and cholecalciferol treatments equally increased Vitamin D metabolite concentrations in all donors. qRT-PCR analysis of gene expression show that pro-survival autophagy is significantly increased by both cholecalciferol and calcitriol, though increased concentration of calcitriol was required to induce significant increases from controls.Conclusion:Cholecalciferol (Vitamin D3) is a highly promising therapeutic for improving fat grafting outcomes. Our in vitro data suggests that in the context of hypoxia, nutrient depletion, or growth factor deprivation, such as occurs immediately following fat grafting, vitamin D3 promotes stromal cell autophagy. In this context, autophagy is crucial for maintaining cellular ATP production and macromolecular synthesis and, therefore, represents an essential pro-survival pathway which allows grafted cells to survive. The results herein provide evidence to incorporate vitamin D3 as a safe, cost-effective nutritional supplement into the perioperative workflow to improve fat viability after grafting.

Inter-relationships between water depletion and temperature differential in row crop canopies in a sub-humid climate

Irrigation has a great impact on global food security as it contributes to the majority of the world’s agricultural food supply. It is essential to judiciously utilize water resources through efficient irrigation management since the majority of U.S. groundwater aquifers are rapidly depleting. Thus, quantification of the relationships between water depletion and environmental factors is important for understanding crop response to varying levels of water stresses that depletion can cause. The objectives of this research were to: 1) investigate the relationship between root zone water depletion (Drw) and canopy temperature differential (ΔT) at different ranges of Drw; and 2) develop upper (water stressed) and lower (non-water stressed) baselines for quantification of crop water stress index (CWSI) in a sub-humid climate. The research was conducted over maize and soybean during 2018, 2019, and 2020 growing seasons. Sensor node stations comprising of an infrared thermometer and three soil water sensors were installed at various sites over maize and soybean fields. ΔT tends to increase with the increase in Drw when the range of Drw includes values greater than 170 mm for maize and values greater than 160 mm for soybean. The results indicate that ΔT and Drw are unrelated until a soil-water depletion threshold is attained, and these Drw threshold values could be considered as indicators to trigger irrigation for efficient agricultural water management. To the best of the authors’ knowledge, the research is the first to develop upper and lower CWSI baselines for east-central Nebraska. The baselines developed in this study could facilitate the quantification of CWSI for irrigation scheduling of maize and soybean in east-Central Nebraska. Future work should aim to investigate the potential in using Drw and/or ΔT to determine efficient water allocation and if a threshold CWSI could be used for timing of irrigation to prevent yield loss.

THE STUDY OF PERSONALITY’S PSYCHO-ENERGY STATES SELF-REGULATION IN THE EXTREME ENVIRONMENT

The article is devoted to the study of the possibilities of self-regulation of psychoenergetic states of the individual in an extreme environment. Theoretical analysis of the concept of subjective vitality in psychology in accordance with various scientific theories is presented. Vitality is presented as a subjectively perceived state that reflects the fullness of vitality and energy. Self-determination (autonomy) and competence are defined as conditions for enhancing subjective vitality. It is noted that high vitality is the opposite pole of depression. Depression is understood as a mental state and mood disorder. The content of the phenomenon of depression, symptoms and some reasons for its occurrence are revealed. Psychological and physiological factors of increase and depletion of vital energy of the person are analyzed. An analysis of the results of an empirical study of subjective vitality and depression in parachuting. The features of the chosen type of sports activity, which are essential for research, are commented.&#x0D; Skydivers have a high level of subjective vitality as a condition, dispositional vitality as a personal quality and a low level of depression. A comparative analysis of the results with the indicators of the control group, which indicated a direct positive impact of skydiving on the overall level of vital energy of the individual. It has been found that the level of subjective vitality in parachutists decreases at the end of the jumping season, while the level of depressive manifestations increases. Emphasis is placed on the importance of subjective activity, interpersonal interaction with like-minded people, experiences of self-competence, control over circumstances.&#x0D; Groups of empirical methods were used in the study: psychodiagnostic method (method of studying the subjective and dispositional vitality of R. Ryan and K. Frederick, Beck depression scale); from the group of methods of analysis (processing) of data: qualitative and quantitative analysis of the obtained results, methods of computer processing of experimental data. The study involved 180 respondents aged 22 to 50 years, 90 representatives of parachuting and 90 respondents of the control group. Empirical research was carried out on the basis of: Aviation Complex “Avia-Soyuz” Aerodrome “Maiske”. All study participants received informed consent to participate in the study.

Promotion of Growth and Physiological Characteristics in Water-Stressed Triticum aestivum in Relation to Foliar-Application of Salicylic Acid

The present work reports the assessment of the effectiveness of a foliar-spray of salicylic acid (SA) on growth attributes, biochemical characteristics, antioxidant activities and osmolytes accumulation in wheat grown under control (100% field capacity) and water stressed (60% field capacity) conditions. The total available water (TAW), calculated for a rooting depth of 1.65 m was 8.45 inches and readily available water (RAW), considering a depletion factor of 0.55, was 4.65 inches. The water contents corresponding to 100 and 60% field capacity were 5.70 and 1.66 inches, respectively. For this purpose, seeds of two wheat cultivars (Fsd-2008 and S-24) were grown in pots subjected to water stress. Water stress at 60% field capacity markedly reduced the growth attributes, photosynthetic pigments, total soluble proteins (TSP) and total phenolic contents (TPC) compared with control. However, cv. Fsd-2008 was recorded as strongly drought-tolerant and performed better compared to cv. S-24, which was moderately drought tolerant. However, water stress enhanced the contents of malondialdehyde (MDA), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) and membrane electrolyte leakage (EL) and modulated the activities of antioxidant enzymes (superoxide dismutase (SOD), peroxidase (POD), and catalase (CAT), as well as accumulation of ascorbic acid (AsA), proline (Pro) and glycine betaine (GB) contents. Foliar-spray with salicylic acid (SA; 0, 3 mM and 6 mM) effectively mitigated the adverse effects of water stress on both cultivars. SA application at 6 mM enhanced the shoot and root length, as well as their fresh and dry weights, and improved photosynthetic pigments. SA foliage application further enhanced the activities of antioxidant enzymes (SOD, POD, and CAT) and nonenzymatic antioxidants such as ascorbic acid and phenolics contents. However, foliar-spray of SA reduced MDA, H2O2 and membrane permeability in both cultivars under stress conditions. The results of the present study suggest that foliar-spray of salicylic acid was effective in increasing the tolerance of wheat plants under drought stress in terms of growth attributes, antioxidant defense mechanisms, accumulation of osmolytes, and by reducing membrane lipid peroxidation.

Innate immune memory mediates increased susceptibility to Alzheimer’s disease-like pathology in sepsis surviving mice

Sepsis survivors show long-term impairments, including alterations in memory and executive function. Evidence suggests that systemic inflammation contributes to the progression of Alzheimeŕs disease (AD), but the mechanisms involved in this process are still unclear. Boosted (trained) and diminished (tolerant) innate immune memory has been described in peripheral immune cells after sepsis. However, the occurrence of long-term innate immune memory in the post-septic brain is fully unexplored. Here, we demonstrate that sepsis causes long-lasting trained innate immune memory in the mouse brain, leading to an increased susceptibility to Aβ oligomers (AβO), central neurotoxins found in AD. Hippocampal microglia from sepsis-surviving mice shift to an amoeboid/phagocytic morphological profile when exposed to low amounts of AβO, and this event was accompanied by the upregulation of several pro-inflammatory proteins (IL-1β, IL-6, INF-γ and P2X7 receptor) in the mouse hippocampus, suggesting that a trained innate immune memory occurs in the brain after sepsis. Brain exposure to low amounts of AβO increased microglial phagocytic ability against hippocampal synapses. Pharmacological blockage of brain phagocytic cells or microglial depletion, using minocycline and colony stimulating factor 1 receptor inhibitor (PLX3397), respectively, prevents cognitive dysfunction induced by AβO in sepsis-surviving mice. Altogether, our findings suggest that sepsis induces a long-lasting trained innate immune memory in the mouse brain, leading to an increased susceptibility to AβO-induced neurotoxicity and cognitive impairment.

Cosmological Constraints from Galaxy Cluster Sparsity, Cluster Gas Mass Fraction, and Baryon Acoustic Oscillation Data

Abstract In recent years, the availability of large, complete cluster samples has enabled numerous cosmological parameter inference analyses using cluster number counts. These have provided constraints on the cosmic matter density Ω m and the amplitude of matter density fluctuations σ 8 alternative to that obtained from other standard probes. However, systematics uncertainties, such as the mass calibration bias and selection effects, may still significantly affect these data analyses. Hence, it is timely to explore other proxies of galaxy cluster cosmology that can provide cosmological constraints complementary to those obtained from cluster number counts. Here we use measurements of the cluster sparsity from weak-lensing mass estimates of the LC2-single and HSC-XXL cluster catalogs to infer constraints on a flat ΛCDM model. The cluster sparsity has the advantage of being insensitive to selection and mass calibration bias. On the other hand, it primarily constrains a degenerate combination of Ω m and σ 8 (along approximately constant curves of and, to a lesser extent, the reduced Hubble parameter h. Hence, in order to break the internal parameter degeneracies, we perform a combined likelihood analysis of the cluster sparsity estimates with cluster gas mass fraction measurements and BAO data. We find marginal constraints that are competitive with those from other standard cosmic probes: Ω m = 0.316 ± 0.013, σ 8 = 0.757 ± 0.067 (corresponding to S 8 = 0.776 ± 0.064), and h = 0.696 ± 0.017 at 1σ. Moreover, assuming a conservative Gaussian prior on the mass bias of gas mass fraction data, we find a lower limit on the gas depletion factor Y b,500c ≳ 0.89.

A model-independent test of the evolution of gas depletion factor for SPT-SZ and Planck ESZ clusters

The gas mass fraction in galaxy clusters has been widely used to determine cosmological parameters. This method assumes that the ratio of the cluster gas mass fraction to the cosmic baryon fraction (gamma (z)) is constant as a function of redshift. In this work, we look for a time evolution of gamma (z) at R_{500} by using both the SPT-SZ and Planck Early SZ (ESZ) cluster data, in a model-independent fashion without any explicit dependence on the underlying cosmology. For this calculation, we use a non-parametric functional form for the Hubble parameter obtained from Gaussian Process regression using cosmic chronometers. We parameterize gamma (z) as: gamma (z)= gamma _0(1+gamma _1 z) to constrain the redshift evolution. We find contradictory results between both the samples. For SPT-SZ, gamma (z) decreases as a function of redshift (at more than 5sigma ), whereas a positive trend with redshift is found for Planck ESZ data (at more than 4sigma ). We however find that the gamma _1 values for a subset of SPT-SZ and Planck ESZ clusters between the same redshift interval agree to within 1sigma . When we allow for a dependence on the halo mass in the evolution of the gas depletion factor, the 4-5sigma discrepancy reduces to 2sigma .

Managing residential solar photovoltaic-battery systems for grid and life cycle economic and environmental co-benefits under time-of-use rate design

The residential time-of-use (TOU) rates have been increasingly discussed or implemented by the US power utilities. The TOU rate design can potentially promote residential battery installations targeting increased selling or utilization of solar energy during the on-peak hours. However, our understanding in terms of the design and management of solar photovoltaic (PV)-battery systems for economic, environmental, and grid co-benefits under the TOU design remains limited. This study integrated system dynamics modeling with life cycle assessment to investigate the peak load reduction, life cycle cost, as well as life cycle climate change, water depletion, and fossil fuel depletion effects of residential grid-connected PV-battery systems under a TOU rate design. A residential prototype house in the Boston-Logan area, MA was selected for model simulation. Our study found solar PV-battery systems that maximize the on-peak grid selling can achieve the highest on-peak load reduction and economic benefits. However, they may not result in the highest environmental benefits, as on-peak hours have lower carbon emission and fossil fuel depletion factors as compared with the mid-peak hours in the New England grid. This suggests a potential tradeoff between the need of on-peak load reduction, economic saving, and environmental protection. Installing a PV system alone presents relatively strong economic and environmental performances, but its on-peak load reduction is limited. Installing a battery system but without an effective control strategy might result in relatively weak peak-load reduction, economic, and environmental outcomes. This highlights the importance of effective battery control in the implementation of solar PV-battery systems.

The initial gas-phase sulfur abundance in the Orion Molecular Cloud from sulfur radio recombination lines

The abundances of chemical elements and their depletion factors are essential parameters for understanding the composition of the gas and dust that are ultimately incorporated into stars and planets. Sulfur is an abundant but peculiar element in the sense that, despite being less volatile than other elements (e.g., carbon), it is not a major constituent of dust grains in diffuse interstellar clouds. Here, we determine the gas-phase carbon-to-sulfur abundance ratio, [C]/[S], and the [S] in a dense star-forming cloud from new radio recombination lines (RRLs) detected with the Yebes 40m telescope – at relatively high frequencies (∼40 GHz ≃ 7 mm) and angular resolutions (down to 36″) – in the Orion Bar, a rim of the Orion Molecular Cloud (OMC). We detect nine Cnα RRLs (with n = 51–59) as well as nine narrow line features separated from the Cnα lines by δv = −8.4 ± 0.3 km s−1. Based on this velocity separation, we assign these features to sulfur RRLs, with little contribution of RRLs from the more condensable elements Mg, Si, or Fe. Sulfur RRLs lines trace the photodissociation region of the OMC. In these neutral gas layers, up to AV ≃ 4, the ions C+ and S+ lock in most of the C and S gas-phase reservoir. We determine a relative abundance of [C]Ori/[S]Ori = 10.4 ± 0.6 and, adopting the same [C]Ori measured in the translucent gas toward star θ1 Ori B, an absolute abundance of [S]Ori = (1.4 ± 0.4)⋅10−5. This value is consistent with emission models of the observed sulfur RRLs if N(S+) ≃ 7⋅1017 cm−2 (beam-averaged). The [S]Ori is the “initial” sulfur abundance in the OMC, before an undetermined fraction of the [S]Ori goes into molecules and ice mantles in the cloud interior. The inferred abundance [S]Ori matches the solar abundance, thus implying that there is little depletion of sulfur onto rocky dust grains, with D(S) = 0.0 ± 0.2 dex.

Mineral Resource Depletion Assessment: Alternatives, Problems, Results

The depletion of non-renewable natural resources (primarily mineral and energy resources) and its assessment is a problem that is analyzed based on the concept of sustainable development. Mineral resource depletion assessment is particularly important for resource-based economies. It provides for assessing the impact of mineral asset disposal that results from the suspension or termination of operations conducted by a mining company due to insurmountable circumstances. The results of such an event will be manifested at the national, regional, and local levels and felt by mining companies, suppliers, workers, the population of the territory, and other stakeholders. The study clarifies the attributes and essence of mineral resource depletion, analyzes the advantages and limitations of the existing tools for assessing mineral resource depletion, identifies depletion factors, describes a methodology for assessing mineral resource depletion, and contains a case study of a tin deposit. The results of the study contribute to the development of the theory on the depletion of non-renewable natural resources. They provide for assessing losses to social wellbeing that can be caused by stopping the use of profitable mineral reserves.

Deuterium chemodynamics of massive pre-stellar cores

ABSTRACT High levels of deuterium fractionation of N2H+ (i.e. $\mathrm{D^{{\mathrm{N_2H^+}}}_{\text{frac}}}$≳ 0.1) are often observed in pre-stellar cores (PSCs) and detection of N2D+ is a promising method to identify elusive massive PSCs. However, the physical and chemical conditions required to reach such high levels of deuteration are still uncertain, as is the diagnostic utility of N2H+ and N2D+ observations of PSCs. We perform 3D magnetohydrodynamics simulations of a massive, turbulent, magnetized PSC, coupled with a sophisticated deuteration astrochemical network. Although the core has some magnetic/turbulent support, it collapses under gravity in about one free-fall time, which marks the end of the simulations. Our fiducial model achieves relatively low $\mathrm{D^{{\mathrm{N_2H^+}}}_{\text{frac}}}$∼0.002 during this time. We then investigate effects of initial ortho-para ratio of H2 ($\mathrm{OPR^{H_2}}$), temperature, cosmic ray (CR) ionization rate, CO and N-species depletion factors, and prior PSC chemical evolution. We find that high CR ionization rates and high depletion factors allow the simulated $\mathrm{D^{{\mathrm{N_2H^+}}}_{\text{frac}}}$ and absolute abundances to match observational values within one free-fall time. For $\mathrm{OPR^{H_2}}$, while a lower initial value helps the growth of $\mathrm{D^{{\mathrm{N_2H^+}}}_{\text{frac}}}$, the spatial structure of deuteration is too widespread compared to observed systems. For an example model with elevated CR ionization rates and significant heavy element depletion, we then study the kinematic and dynamic properties of the core as traced by its N2D+ emission. The core, undergoing quite rapid collapse, exhibits disturbed kinematics in its average velocity map. Still, because of magnetic support, the core often appears kinematically subvirial based on its N2D+ velocity dispersion.