Factors affecting nitrate distribution in shallow groundwater under a beef farm in South Eastern Ireland

peer-reviewedGroundwater contamination was characterised using a methodology which combines shallow groundwater geochemistry data from 17 piezometers over a 2 yr period in a statistical framework and hydrogeological techniques. Nitrate–N (NO3-N) contaminant mass flux was calculated across three control planes (rows of piezometers) in six isolated plots. Results showed natural attenuation occurs on site although the method does not directly differentiate between dilution and denitrification. It was further investigated whether NO3-N concentration in shallow groundwater (<5 m below ground level) generated from an agricultural point source on a 4.2 ha site on a beef farm in SE Ireland could be predicted from saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) measurements, ground elevation (m Above Ordnance Datum), elevation of groundwater sampling (screen opening interval) (m AOD) and distance from a dirty water point pollution source. Tobit regression, using a background concentration threshold of 2.6 mg NO3-N L−1 showed, when assessed individually in a step wise procedure, Ksat was significantly related to groundwater NO3-N concentration. Distance of the point dirty water pollution source becomes significant when included with Ksat in the model. The model relationships show areas with higher Ksat values have less time for denitrification to occur, whereas lower Ksat values allow denitrification to occur. Areas with higher permeability transport greater NO3-N fluxes to ground and surface waters. When the distribution of Cl− was examined by the model, Ksat and ground elevation had the most explanatory power but Ksat was not significant pointing to dilution having an effect. Areas with low NO3 concentration and unaffected Cl− concentration points to denitrification, low NO3 concentration and low Cl− chloride concentration points to dilution and combining these findings allows areas of denitrification and dilution to be inferred. The effect of denitrification is further supported as mean groundwater NO3-N was significantly (P < 0.05) related to groundwater N2/Ar ratio, redox potential (Eh), dissolved O2 and N2 and was close to being significant with N2O (P = 0.08). Calculating contaminant mass flux across more than one control plane is a useful tool to monitor natural attenuation. This tool allows the identification of hot spot areas where intervention other than natural attenuation may be needed to protect receptors.Research Stimulus Fund, Department of Agriculture Fisheries and Food (Ireland

QFT results for neutrino oscillations and New Physics

The CP asymmetry in neutrino oscillations, assuming new physics at production and/or detection processes, is analyzed. We compute this CP asymmetry using the standard quantum field theory within a general new physics scenario that may generate new sources of CP and flavor violation. Well known results for the CP asymmetry are reproduced in the case of V -A operators, and additional contributions from new physics operators are derived. We apply this formalism to SUSY extensions of the Standard Model where the contributions from new operators could produce a CP asymmetry observable in the next generation of neutrino experiments.Comment: 6 pages, 3 figures, version to be published in Phys.Rev.

Exploring the relationship between groundwater geochemical factors and denitrification potentials on a dairy farm in southeast Ireland

NOTICE: this is the author’s version of a work that was accepted for publication in the journal Ecological Engineering. Changes resulting from the publishing process, such as peer review, editing, corrections, structural formatting, and other quality control mechanisms may not be reflected in this document. Changes may have been made to this work since it was submitted for publication. A definitive version was subsequently published in Ecological Engineering, volume 37, issue 9, September 2011, 1304-1313. DOI: 10.1016/j.ecoleng.2011.03.025peer-reviewedNitrate (NO3−) loss from agriculture to shallow groundwater and transferral to sensitive aquatic ecosystems is of global concern. Denitrifying bioreactor technology, where a solid carbon (C) reactive media intercepts contaminated groundwater, has been successfully used to convert NO3− to di-nitrogen (N2) gas. One of the challenges of groundwater remediation research is how to track denitrification potential spatially and temporally within reactive media and subsoil. First, using δ15N/δ18O isotopes, eight wells were divided into indicative transformational processes of ‘nitrification’ or ‘denitrification’ wells. Then, using N2/argon (Ar) ratios these wells were divided into ‘low denitrification potential’ or high denitrification potential’ categories. Secondly, using falling head tests, the saturated hydraulic conductivity (Ksat) in each well was estimated, creating two groups of ‘slow’ (0.06 m day−1) and ‘fast’ (0.13 m day−1) wells, respectively. Thirdly, two ‘low denitrification potential’ wells (one fast and one slow) with high NO3− concentration were amended with woodchip to enhance denitrification. Water samples were retrieved from all wells using a low flow syringe to avoid de-gassing and analysed for N2/Ar ratio using membrane inlet mass spectrometry. Results showed that there was good agreement between isotope and chemical (N2/Ar ratio and dissolved organic C (DOC)) and physio-chemical (dissolved oxygen, temperature, conductivity and pH) parameters. To explain the spatial and temporal distribution of NO3− and other parameters on site, the development of predictive models using the available datasets for this field site was examined for NO3−, Cl−, N2/Ar and DOC. Initial statistical analysis was directed towards the testing of the effect of woodchip amendment. The analysis was formulated as a repeated measures analysis of the factorial structure for treatment and time. Nitrate concentrations were related to Ksat and water level (p < 0.0001 and p = 0.02, respectively), but did not respond to woodchip addition (p = 0.09). This non-destructive technique allows elucidation of denitrification potential over time and could be used in denitrifying bioreactor technology to assess denitrification hotspots in reactive media, while developing a NO3− spatial and temporal predictive model for bioreactor site specific conditions

Magnetic Response of Magnetospirillum Gryphiswaldense

In this study we modelled and measured the U-turn trajectories of individual magnetotactic bacteria under the application of rotating magnetic fields, ranging in ampitude from 1 to 12 mT. The model is based on the balance between rotational drag and magnetic torque. For accurate verification of this model, bacteria were observed inside 5 m tall microfluidic channels, so that they remained in focus during the entire trajectory. From the analysis of hundreds of trajectories and accurate measurements of bacteria and magnetosome chain dimensions, we confirmed that the model is correct within measurement error. The resulting average rate of rotation of Magnetospirillum Gryphiswaldense is 0.74 +- 0.03 rad/mTs.Comment: 17 pages, 12 figure

Non-immune fetal hydrops: etiology and outcome according to gestational age at diagnosis.

OBJECTIVE: Fetal hydrops is associated with increased perinatal morbidity and mortality. The etiology and outcome of fetal hydrops may differ according to the gestational age at diagnosis. The aim of this study was to evaluate the cause, evolution and outcome of non-immune fetal hydrops (NIFH), according to the gestational age at diagnosis. METHODS: This was a retrospective cohort study of all singleton pregnancies complicated by NIFH, at the Fetal Medicine Unit at St George's University Hospital, London, UK, between 2000 and 2018. All fetuses had detailed anomaly and cardiac ultrasound scans, karyotyping and infection screening. Prenatal diagnostic and therapeutic intervention, gestational age at diagnosis and delivery, as well as pregnancy outcome, were recorded. Regression analysis was used to test for potential association between possible risk factors and perinatal mortality. RESULTS: We included 273 fetuses with NIFH. The etiology of the condition varied significantly in the three trimesters. Excluding 30 women who declined invasive testing, the cause of NIFH was defined as unknown in 62 of the remaining 243 cases (25.5%). Chromosomal aneuploidy was the most common cause of NIFH in the first trimester. It continued to be a significant etiologic factor in the second trimester, along with congenital infection. In the third trimester, the most common etiology was cardiovascular abnormality. Among the 152 (55.7%) women continuing the pregnancy, 48 (31.6%) underwent fetal intervention, including the insertion of pleuroamniotic shunts, fetal blood transfusion and thoracentesis. Fetal intervention was associated significantly with lower perinatal mortality (odds ratio (OR), 0.30 (95% CI, 0.14-0.61); P  0.05). CONCLUSIONS: An earlier gestational age at diagnosis of NIFH was associated with an increased risk of aneuploidy and worse pregnancy outcome, including a higher risk of perinatal loss. Fetal therapy was associated significantly with lower perinatal mortality. © 2020 The Authors. Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd on behalf of the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology

Quantum Fluctuations in the Chirped Pendulum

An anharmonic oscillator when driven with a fast, frequency chirped voltage pulse can oscillate with either small or large amplitude depending on whether the drive voltage is below or above a critical value-a well studied classical phenomenon known as autoresonance. Using a 6 GHz superconducting resonator embedded with a Josephson tunnel junction, we have studied for the first time the role of noise in this non-equilibrium system and find that the width of the threshold for capture into autoresonance decreases as the square root of T, and saturates below 150 mK due to zero point motion of the oscillator. This unique scaling results from the non-equilibrium excitation where fluctuations, both quantum and classical, only determine the initial oscillator motion and not its subsequent dynamics. We have investigated this paradigm in an electrical circuit but our findings are applicable to all out of equilibrium nonlinear oscillators.Comment: 5 pages, 4 figure

Exploring the Power and Promise of In Silico Clinical Trials with Application in COVID-19 Infection

Background: COVID-19 pandemic has dramatically engulfed the world causing catastrophic damage to human society. Several therapeutic and vaccines have been suggested for the disease in the past months, with over 150 clinical trials currently running or under process. Nevertheless, these trials are extremely expensive and require a long time, which presents the need for alternative cost-effective methods to tackle this urgent requirement for validated therapeutics and vaccines. Bearing this in mind, here we assess the use of in silico clinical trials as a significant development in the field of clinical research, which holds the possibility to reduce the time and cost needed for clinical trials on COVID-19 and other diseases. Methods: Using the PubMed database, we analyzed six relevant scientific articles regarding the possible application of in silico clinical trials in testing the therapeutic and investigational methods of managing different diseases. Results: Successful use of in silico trials was observed in many of the reviewed evidence. Conclusion: In silico clinical trials can be used in refining clinical trials for COVID-19 infection. Keywords: in silico, clinical trials, COVID-19, SARS-CoV-2, vaccine Ho

Cold Dark Matter and b --> s gamma in the Horava-Witten Theory

The minimal supersymmetric standard model with complete, partial or no Yukawa unification and radiative electroweak breaking with boundary conditions from the Horava-Witten theory is considered. The parameters are restricted by constraining the lightest sparticle relic abundance by cold dark matter considerations and requiring the b-quark mass after supersymmetric corrections and the branching ratio of b --> s gamma to be compatible with data. Complete Yukawa unification can be excluded. Also, t-b Yukawa unification is strongly disfavored since it requires almost degenerate lightest and next-to-lightest sparticle masses. However, the b-tau or no Yukawa unification cases avoid this degeneracy. The latter with mu<0 is the most natural case. The lightest sparticle mass, in this case, can be as low as about 77 GeV.Comment: 16 pages including 4 figures, Revtex, version to appear in Phys. Lett.

Low energy consequences from supersymmetric models with left-right symmetry

We consider several low energy consequences arising from a class of supersymmetric models based on the gauge groups $SU(2)_L\times SU(2)_R \times U(1)_{B-L}$ and $SU(4)_C\times SU(2)_L \times SU(2)_R$ in which the gauge hierarchy and $\mu$ problems have been resolved. There are important constraints on the MSSM parameters $\tan \beta (\simeq m_t/m_b)$, $B$ and $\mu$, and we discuss how they are reconciled with radiative electroweak breaking. We also consider the ensuing sparticle and Higgs spectroscopy, as well as the decays $b\to s \gamma$ and $\mu \to e \gamma$. The latter process may be amenable to experimental tests through an order of magnitude increase in sensitivity.Comment: 17 pages, latex2