ALBERT

Description: In this study, two exposure experiments were conducted to determine the potential impacts of an oil spill and the use of dispersant on sponge model Halichondria panicea. First sponge samples were exposed for 48h to (1) water accommodated oil fraction (WAF), (2) chemically enhanced water accommodated oil fraction (CEWAF), (3) dispersant contaminated seawater, (4) Benzo-A-Pyrene in seawater and (5) DMSO in seawater. Clearance rate for each sponge samples was measured before (time point 1), during (time point 2) and after (time point 3) the exposure. Sponge tissue samples were also collected to conduct a transcriptomic analysis of sponge gene expression response. Second a new set of sponge samples were exposed for 48h to WAF and CEWAF solutions produced with increasing oil loadings. Clearance rate was measured in each samples at the end of the exposure and tissue samples were collected to determine the gene expression levels of three genes of interest (by qPCR).

Description: In this study, two exposure experiments were conducted to determine the potential impacts of an oil spill and the use of dispersant on sponge model Halichondria panicea. First sponge samples were exposed for 48h to (1) water accommodated oil fraction (WAF), (2) chemically enhanced water accommodated oil fraction (CEWAF), (3) dispersant contaminated seawater, (4) Benzo-A-Pyrene in seawater and (5) DMSO in seawater. Clearance rate for each sponge samples was measured before (time point 1), during (time point 2) and after (time point 3) the exposure. Sponge tissue samples were also collected to conduct a transcriptomic analysis of sponge gene expression response. Second a new set of sponge samples were exposed for 48h to WAF and CEWAF solutions produced with increasing oil loadings. Clearance rate was measured in each samples at the end of the exposure and tissue samples were collected to determine the gene expression levels of three genes of interest (by qPCR).

Description: The genus Fusarium includes numerous important plant and human pathogens, as well as many industrially and commercially important species. During our investigation of fungal diversity in China, a total of 356 fusarioid isolates were obtained and identified from diverse diseased and healthy plants, or different environmental habitats, i.e., air, carbonatite, compost, faeces, soil and water, representing hitherto one of the most intensive sampling and identification efforts of fusarioid taxa in China. Combining morphology, multi-locus phylogeny and ecological preference, these isolates were identified as 72 species of Fusarium and allied genera, i.e., Bisifusarium (1), Fusarium (60), and Neocosmospora (11). A seven-locus dataset, comprising the 5.8S nuclear ribosomal RNA gene with the two flanking internal transcribed spacer (ITS) regions, the intergenic spacer region of the rDNA(IGS), partial translation elongation factor 1-alpha (tef1), partial calmodulin (cam), partial RNApolymerase largest subunit (rpb1), partial RNA polymerase second largest subunit (rpb2) gene regions, and partial β-tubulin (tub2), were sequenced and employed in phylogenetic analyses. A genus-level phylogenetic tree was constructed using combined tef1, rpb1, and rpb2 sequences, which confirmed the presence of four fusarioid genera among the isolates studied. Further phylogenetic analyses of two allied genera (Bisifusarium and Neocosmospora) and nine species complexes of Fusarium were separately conducted employing different multi-locus datasets, to determine relationships among closely related species. Twelve novel species were identified and described in this paper. The F. babinda species complex is herein renamed as the F. falsibabinda species complex, including descriptions of new species. Sixteen species were reported as new records from China.

Description: Highlights • Code comparisons build confidence in simulators to model interdependent processes. • International hydrate reservoir simulators are compared over five complex problems. • Geomechanical processes significantly impact response of gas hydrate reservoirs. • Simulators yielded comparable results, however many differences are noted. • Equivalent constitutive models are required to achieve agreement across simulators. Geologic reservoirs containing gas hydrate occur beneath permafrost environments and within marine continental slope sediments, representing a potentially vast natural gas source. Numerical simulators provide scientists and engineers with tools for understanding how production efficiency depends on the numerous, interdependent (coupled) processes associated with potential production strategies for these gas hydrate reservoirs. Confidence in the modeling and forecasting abilities of these gas hydrate reservoir simulators (GHRSs) grows with successful comparisons against laboratory and field test results, but such results are rare, particularly in natural settings. The hydrate community recognized another approach to building confidence in the GHRS: comparing simulation results between independently developed and executed computer codes on structured problems specifically tailored to the interdependent processes relevant for gas hydrate-bearing systems. The United States Department of Energy, National Energy Technology Laboratory, (DOE/NETL), sponsored the first international gas hydrate code comparison study, IGHCCS1, in the early 2000s. IGHCCS1 focused on coupled thermal and hydrologic processes associated with producing gas hydrates from geologic reservoirs via depressurization and thermal stimulation. Subsequently, GHRSs have advanced to model more complex production technologies and incorporate geomechanical processes into the existing framework of coupled thermal and hydrologic modeling. This paper contributes to the validation of these recent GHRS developments by providing results from a second GHRS code comparison study, IGHCCS2, also sponsored by DOE/NETL. IGHCCS2 includes participants from an international collection of universities, research institutes, industry, national laboratories, and national geologic surveys. Study participants developed a series of five benchmark problems principally involving gas hydrate processes with geomechanical components. The five problems range from simple geometries with analytical solutions to a representation of the world's first offshore production test of methane hydrates, which was conducted with the depressurization method off the coast of Japan. To identify strengths and limitations in the various GHRSs, study participants submitted solutions for the benchmark problems and discussed differing results via teleconferences. The GHRSs evolved over the course of IGHCCS2 as researchers modified their simulators to reflect new insights, lessons learned, and suggested performance enhancements. The five benchmark problems, final sample solutions, and lessons learned that are presented here document the study outcomes and serve as a reference guide for developing and testing gas hydrate reservoir simulators.