The environmentally relevant Desulfovibrio species are sulfate-reducing bacteria that are of interest in the bioremediation of heavy metal contaminated water. Among these, the genome of D. vulgaris Hildenborough encodes a large number of two component systems consisting of 72 putative response regulators (RR) and 64 putative histidinekinases (HK), the majority of which are uncharacterized. We classified the D. vulgaris Hildenborough RRs based on their output domains and compared the distribution of RRs in other sequenced Desulfovibrio species. We have successfully purified most RRs and several HKs as His-tagged proteins. We performed phospho-transfer experiments to verify relationships between cognate pairs of HK and RR, and we have also mapped a few non-cognate HK-RR pairs. Presented here are our discoveries from the Desulfovibrio RR categorization and results from the in vitro studies using purified His tagged D. vulgaris HKs and RRs.

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This paper examines three models used to estimate the maximum power (P{sub m}) of PV modules when the irradiance and PV cell temperature are known: (1) the power temperature coefficient model, (2) the PVFORM model, and (3) the bilinear interpolation model. A variation of the power temperature coefficient model is also presented that improved model accuracy. For modeling values of P{sub m}, an 'effective' plane-of-array (POA) irradiance (E{sub e}) and the PV cell temperature (T) are used as model inputs. Using E{sub e} essentially removes the effects of variations in solar spectrum and reflectance losses, and permits the influence of irradiance and temperature on model performance for P{sub m} to be more easily studied. Eq. 1 is used to determine E{sub e} from T and the PV module's measured short-circuit current (I{sub sc}). Zero subscripts denote performance at Standard Reporting Conditions (SRC).

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The overall objective of this project is to examine the activity of nonspecific phosphohydrolases present in naturally occurring subsurface microorganisms for the purpose of promoting the immobilization of radionuclides through the production of uranium [U(VI)] phosphate precipitates. Specifically, we hypothesize that the precipitation of U(VI) phosphate minerals may be promoted through the microbial release and/or accumulation of PO4 3- as a means to detoxify radionuclides and heavy metals. An experimental approach was designed to determine the extent of phosphatase activity in bacteria previously isolated from contaminated subsurface soils collected at the ERSP Field Research Center (FRC) in Oak Ridge, TN. Screening of 135 metal resistant isolates for phosphatase activity indicated the majority (75 of 135) exhibited a phosphatase-positive phenotype. During this phase of the project, a PCR based approach has also been designed to assay FRC isolates for the presence of one or more classes of the characterized non-specific acid phophastase (NSAP) genes likely to be involved in promoting U(VI) precipitation. Testing of a subset of Pb resistant (Pbr) Arthrobacter, Bacillus and Rahnella strains indicated 4 of the 9 Pbr isolates exhibited phosphatase phenotypes suggestive of the ability to bioprecipitate U(VI). Two FRC strains, a Rahnella sp. strain Y9602 and …

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In environments where the amount of the inorganic electron acceptors (oxygen, nitrate, sulfate, sulfur oroxidized metal ions (Fe3+;Mn4+) is insufficient for complete breakdown of organic matter, methane is formed as the major reduced end product. In such methanogenic environments organic acids are degraded by syntrophic associations of fermenting, acetogenic bacteria (e.g., sulfate-reducing bacteria (SRB) as"secondary fermenters") and methanogenic archaea. In these consortia, the conversion of lactate to acetate, CO2 and methane depends on the cooperating activities of both metabolically distinct microbial groups that are tightly linked by the need to maintain the exchanged metabolites (hydrogenandformate) at very low concentrations.

Polymeric encapsulation materials are typically used in concentrating photovoltaic (CPV) modules to protect the cell from the field environment. Because it is physically located adjacent to the cell, the encapsulation is exposed to a high optical flux, often including light in the ultraviolet (UV) and infrared (IR) wavelengths. The durability of encapsulants used in CPV modules is critical to the technology, but is presently not well understood. This work seeks to identify the appropriate material types, field-induced failure mechanisms, and factors of influence (if possible) of polymeric encapsulation. These results will ultimately be weighed against those of future qualification and accelerated life test procedures.

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This poster graphically presents data pertaining to occupational radiation exposure in terms of total effective dose (TED), primarily, but also collective dose and average measureable dose.

The STAR Forward TPCs (FTPCs) extend the STAR acceptance for charged particles into the region 2.5 < |eta| < 4.0. We see the first signal of directed flow (v{sub 1}) at RHIC energies. While v{sub 1} is consistent with zero in the central rapidity region it rises up to 2 percent at pseudorapidities of +-4. With this signal we can verify that elliptic flow (v{sub 2}) is in-plane. The measurement of v{sub 2} in the FTPCs confirms the falloff by a factor of about 2 compared to mid-rapidity previously seen by PHOBOS [1]. In addition we look for higher harmonics (v{sub n}, n>2) where in the case of v{sub 4} a signal is seen in the STAR TPC. With the available statistics for the FTPCs we give an upper limit for these harmonics, since the results agree with zero within the errors. However, the falloff of v{sub 4} from mid-rapidity to forward-rapidities appears to be faster than for v{sub 2}.[1] B.B. Back. Phys. Rev. Lett. 89, 222301 (2002)

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Parabolic trough receivers, or heat collection elements (HCEs), absorb sunlight focused by the mirrors and transfer that thermal energy to a fluid flowing within them. Thje absorbing tube of these receivers typically operates around 400 C (752 F). HCE manufacturers prevent thermal loss from the absorbing tube to the environment by using sputtered selective Cermet coatings on the absorber and by surrounding the absorber with a glass-enclosed evacuated annulus. This work quantifies the heat loss of the Solel UVAC2 and Schott PTR70 HCEs. At 400 C, the HCEs perform similarly, losing about 400 W/m of HCE length. To put this in perspective, the incident beam radiation on a 5 m mirror aperture is about 4500 W/m, with about 75% of that energy ({approx} 3400 W/m) reaching the absorber surface. Of the 3400 W/m on the absorber, about 3000 W/m is absorbed into the working fluid while 400 W/m is lost to the environment.

D. vulgaris Hildenborough has 72 response regulators. The Desulfovibrio are sulfate reducing bacteria that are important in the sulfur and carbon cycles in anoxic habitats. Its large number of two componenent systems are probably critical to its ability to sense and respond to its environment. Our goal is to map these RRs to the genes they regulate using a DNA-affinity-purification-chip (DAP-chip) protocol. First target determined usuing EMSA. A positive target was determined for as many RRs as possible using EMSA. Targets were selected based on gene proximity, regulon predictions and/or predicted sigma54 dependent promoters. qPCR was used to ensure that the target was enriched from sheared genomic DNA before proceeding to the DAP-chip.

Multiple sets of chemotaxis genes including three cheA homologs were identified in the genome sequence of the anaerobic bacterium Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough. Each CheA is a histidine kinase (HK) and part of a two component signal transduction system. Knock out mutants in the three cheA genes were created using single cross-over homologous recombination insertion. We studied the phenotypes of the cheA mutants in detail and discovered that ?cheA-3 has a non swarming/swimming phenotype both in the soft agar plates and Palleroni chamber assays. CheA-3 shows similarity to the Shewanella oneidensis CheA-3 and the Vibrio cholerae CheA-2 that are responsible for chemotaxis in the respective organisms. We did not find any morphological or structural differences between the three Delta cheA mutants and the wild type cells in electron microscopy. Our results from these studies are presented.

Recent advancements in utility-scale wind turbine technology and pricing have vastly increased the potential land area where turbines can be deployed in the United States. This presentation quantifies the new developable land potential (e.g., capacity curves), visually identifies new areas for possible development (e.g., new wind resource maps), and begins to address deployment barriers to wind in new areas for modern and future turbine technology.

Effective environmental management of DOE sites requires reliable prediction of reactive transport phenomena. A central issue in prediction of subsurface reactive transport is the impact of multiscale physical, chemical, and biological heterogeneity. Heterogeneity manifests itself through incomplete mixing of reactants at scales below those at which concentrations are explicitly defined (i.e., the numerical grid scale). This results in a mismatch between simulated reaction processes (formulated in terms of average concentrations) and actual processes (controlled by local concentrations). At the field scale, this results in apparent scale-dependence of model parameters and inability to utilize laboratory parameters in field models. Accordingly, most field modeling efforts are restricted to empirical estimation of model parameters by fitting to field observations, which renders extrapolation of model predictions beyond fitted conditions unreliable. The objective of this project is to develop a theoretical and computational framework for (1) connecting models of coupled reactive transport from pore-scale processes to field-scale bioremediation through a hierarchy of models that maintain crucial information from the smaller scales at the larger scales; and (2) quantifying the uncertainty that is introduced by both the upscaling process and uncertainty in physical parameters. One of the challenges of addressing scale-dependent effects of coupled processes in …

The role of tetraheme cytochrome c3 (CycA) in the metabolism of the sulfate-reducing bacterium Desulfovibrio vulgaris Hildenborough (DvH) was investigated by deletion of the cycA gene using a marker-exchange deletion strategy. A highly abundant periplasmic cytochrome, CycA has the important function of transferring electrons from periplasmic hydrogenases (Hyd, Hyn, Hys) to transmembrane complexes which transport the electrons to the cytoplasm where sulfate is reduced. Previous studies have indicated that during its interaction with periplasmic hydrogenases, CycA is also involved in the reduction of toxic metals. Growth of the cycA mutant strain on lactate as the electron donor and sulfate as the terminal electron acceptor showed that, despite its abundance, CycA is not essential for DvH growth. However, the rate of growth of the mutant strain was significantly lower, and the extent of growth less, than rates and extents of growth of the wild type and complement strains on lactate/sulfate medium. This indicates that a portion of the electrons generated from cytoplasmic lactate oxidation are transported by CycA for energy production, possibly in a hydrogen cycling mechanism employed to generate ATP. Failure of the mutant strain to grow on either formate or H2, with sulfate or sulfite as electron acceptors, further …

For the in situ reductive immobilization of U to be an acceptable strategy for the removal of that element from groundwater, the long-term stability of U(IV) must be determined. Rates of biotransformation of Fe species influence the mineralogy of the resulting products (Fredrickson et al., 2003; Senko et al., 2005), and we hypothesize that the rate of U(VI) reduction influences the mineralogy of resultant U(IV) precipitates. We hypothesize that slower rates of U(VI) reduction will yield U(IV) phases that are more resistant to reoxidation, and will therefore be more stable upon cessation of electron donor addition. U(IV) phases formed by relatively slow reduction may be more crystalline or larger in comparison to their relatively rapidly-formed counterparts (Figure 1), thus limiting the reactivity of slowly-formed U(IV) phases toward various oxidants. The physical location of U(IV) precipitates relative to bacterial cells may also limit the reactivity of biogenic U(IV) phases. In this situation, we expect that precipitation of U(IV) within the bacterial cell may protect U(IV) from reoxidation by limiting physical contact between U(IV) and oxidants (Figure 1). We assessed the effect of U(VI) reduction rate on the subsequent reoxidation of biogenic U(IV) and are currently conducting column scale studies to determine …

As a major user of engineered nanoparticles, the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) uses various methods to monitor the health of emergent technologies workers (ETW) who handle or could potentially be exposed to unbound engineered nanoparticles (UNP). Using data from DOE’s Illness and Injury Surveillance Program (IISP), Oak Ridge Associated Universities (ORAU) created a registry of ETWs. IISP currently tracks 125,000 workers at 14 DOE facilities. Workers in IISP, who were classified as ETWs, were placed in a separate database using Microsoft Access. Using SAS (Version 9.2; Cary, NC), the health status of this cohort was analyzed by a variety of different variables such as age, gender, occupation, years of employment, number of years classified as an ETW, and site.

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Remediation and long-term stewardship of uranium-contaminated sediments and groundwaters are critical problems at a number of DOE facilities and mining sites. Some remediation strategies based on in-situ bioreduction of U are potentially effective in significantly decreasing U concentrations in groundwaters. However, a number of basic processes require understanding in order to identify conditions more conducive to success of reduction-based U stabilization. Our current research targets several of these issues including: (1) effects of organic carbon (OC) forms and supply rates on stability of bioreduced U, (2) the roles of Fe(III)- and Mn(III,IV)-oxides as potential U oxidants in sediments, and (3) microbial community changes in relation to U redox changes. These issues were identified in our previous study on U bioreduction and reoxidation (Wan et al., 2005). Most of our studies are being conducted on historically U-contaminated sediments from Area 2 of the Field Research Center, Oak Ridge National Laboratory, in flow-through columns simulating in-situ field remediation.

Microbiomes play very important roles in terms of nutrition, health and disease by interacting with their hosts. Based on sequence data currently available in public domains, we have developed a functional gene array to monitor both organismal and functional gene profiles of normal microbiota in human and mouse hosts, and such an array is called human and mouse microbiota array, HMM-Chip. First, seed sequences were identified from KEGG databases, and used to construct a seed database (seedDB) containing 136 gene families in 19 metabolic pathways closely related to human and mouse microbiomes. Second, a mother database (motherDB) was constructed with 81 genomes of bacterial strains with 54 from gut and 27 from oral environments, and 16 metagenomes, and used for selection of genes and probe design. Gene prediction was performed by Glimmer3 for bacterial genomes, and by the Metagene program for metagenomes. In total, 228,240 and 801,599 genes were identified for bacterial genomes and metagenomes, respectively. Then the motherDB was searched against the seedDB using the HMMer program, and gene sequences in the motherDB that were highly homologous with seed sequences in the seedDB were used for probe design by the CommOligo software. Different degrees of specific probes, including gene-specific, …

Dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) is commonly measured in water and is an important parameter for understanding carbonate equilibrium, carbon cycling, and water-rock interaction. While accurate measurements can be made in the analytical laboratory, we have developed a rapid, portable technique that can be used to obtain accurate and precise data in the field as well.