Ammonia emissions from cattle urine and dung excreted on pasture

Twelve cattle were kept for three days in a circular area of 16 m radius on short pasture and fed with freshly-cut pasture. Ammonia (NH<sub>3</sub>) emissions from the urine and dung excreted by the cattle were measured with a micrometeorological mass-balance method, during the cattle presence and for 10 subsequent days. Daily-integrated emission rates peaked on Day 3 of the experiment (last day of cattle presence) and declined steadily for five days thereafter. Urine patches were the dominant sources for these emissions. On Day 9, a secondary emissions peak occurred, with dung pats likely to be the main sources. This interpretation is based on simultaneous observations of the pH evolution in urine patches and dung pats created next to the circular plot. Feed and dung samples were analysed to estimate the amounts of nitrogen (N) ingested and excreted. Total N volatilised as NH<sub>3</sub> was 19.8 (± 0.9)% of N intake and 22.4 (± 1.3)% of N excreted. The bimodal shape of the emissions time series allowed to infer separate estimates for volatilisation from urine and dung, respectively, with the result that urine accounted for 88.6 (± 2.6)% of the total NH<sub>3</sub> emissions. The emissions from urine represented 25.5 (± 2.0)% of the excreted urine-N, while the emissions from dung amounted to 11.6 (± 2.7)% of the deposited dung-N. Emissions from dung may have continued after Day 13 but were not resolved by the measurement technique. A simple resistance model shows that the magnitude of the emissions from dung is controlled by the resistance of the dung crust

The nature of iron-oxygen vacancy defect centers in PbTiO3

The iron(III) center in ferroelectric PbTiO3 together with an oxygen vacancy forms a charged defect associate, oriented along the crystallographic c-axis. Its microscopic structure has been analyzed in detail comparing results from a semi-empirical Newman superposition model analysis based on finestructure data and from calculations using density functional theory. Both methods give evidence for a substitution of Fe3+ for Ti4+ as an acceptor center. The position of the iron ion in the ferroelectric phase is found to be similar to the B-site in the paraelectric phase. Partial charge compensation is locally provided by a directly coordinated oxygen vacancy. Using high-resolution synchrotron powder diffraction, it was verified that lead titanate remains tetragonal down to 12 K, exhibiting a c/a-ratio of 1.0721.Comment: 11 pages, 5 figures, accepted in Phys. Rev.

Ammonia emissions from cattle urine and dung excreted on pasture

Twelve cattle were kept for three days in a circular area of 16 m radius on short pasture and fed with freshly-cut pasture. Ammonia (NH₃) emissions from the urine and dung excreted by the cattle were measured with a micrometeorological mass-balance method, during the cattle presence and for 10 subsequent days. Daily-integrated emission rates peaked on Day 3 of the experiment (last day of cattle presence) and declined steadily for five days thereafter. Urine patches were the dominant sources for these emissions. On Day 9, a secondary emissions peak occurred, with dung pats likely to be the main sources. This interpretation is based on simultaneous observations of the pH evolution in urine patches and dung pats created next to the circular plot. Feed and dung samples were analysed to estimate the amounts of nitrogen (N) ingested and excreted. Total N volatilised as NH₃ was 19.8 (± 0.9)% of N intake and 22.4 (± 1.3)% of N excreted. The bimodal shape of the emissions time series allowed to infer separate estimates for volatilisation from urine and dung, respectively, with the result that urine accounted for 88.6 (± 2.6)% of the total NH₃ emissions. The emissions from urine represented 25.5 (± 2.0)% of the excreted urine-N, while the emissions from dung amounted to 11.6 (± 2.7)% of the deposited dung-N. Emissions from dung may have continued after Day 13 but were not resolved by the measurement technique. A simple resistance model shows that the magnitude of the emissions from dung is controlled by the resistance of the dung crust. © Author(s) 2013

Geology of a Stratigraphically Complex Natural Gas Play: Canyon Sandstones, Val Verde Basin, Southwest Texas

This report examines the influence of stratigraphy, diagenesis, natural fractures, and in situ stress on low-permeability, gas-bearing sandstone reservoirs of the Paleozoic Ozona and Sonora Canyon Sandstones of the Val Verde Basin, Texas. The main stratigraphic controls on the distribution and quality of Canyon Sandstone reservoirs are submarine fan depositional patterns. These patterns are revealed in regional facies and maximum sandstone maps. Siderite cement is key to good within-sandstone reservoir quality. Natural fractures are widespread in both Ozona and Sonora Canyon sandstones. They could be future targets for advanced drilling methods, and they need to be taken into account in hydraulic fracture treatment design and reservoir management.Bureau of Economic Geolog

Melflufen and dexamethasone in heavily pretreated relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma

PURPOSE Melphalan flufenamide (melflufen) is a first-in-class peptide-drug conjugate that targets aminopeptidases and rapidly and selectively releases alkylating agents into tumor cells. The phase II HORIZON trial evaluated the efficacy of melflufen plus dexamethasone in relapsed and refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM), a population with an important unmet medical need. PATIENTS AND METHODS Patients with RRMM refractory to pomalidomide and/or an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody received melflufen 40 mg intravenously on day 1 of each 28-day cycle plus once weekly oral dexamethasone at a dose of 40 mg (20 mg in patients older than 75 years). The primary end point was overall response rate (partial response or better) assessed by the investigator and confirmed by independent review. Secondary end points included duration of response, progression-free survival, overall survival, and safety. The primary analysis is complete with long-term follow-up ongoing. RESULTS Of 157 patients (median age 65 years; median five prior lines of therapy) enrolled and treated, 119 patients (76%) had triple-class–refractory disease, 55 (35%) had extramedullary disease, and 92 (59%) were refractory to previous alkylator therapy. The overall response rate was 29% in the all-treated population, with 26% in the triple-class–refractory population. In the all-treated population, median duration of response was 5.5 months, median progression-free survival was 4.2 months, and median overall survival was 11.6 months at a median follow-up of 14 months. Grade $ 3 treatment-emergent adverse events occurred in 96% of patients, most commonly neutropenia (79%), thrombocytopenia (76%), and anemia (43%). Pneumonia (10%) was the most common grade 3/4 nonhematologic event. Thrombocytopenia and bleeding (both grade 3/4 but fully reversible) occurred concomitantly in four patients. GI events, reported in 97 patients (62%), were predominantly grade 1/2 (93%); none were grade 4. CONCLUSION Melflufen plus dexamethasone showed clinically meaningful efficacy and a manageable safety profile in patients with heavily pretreated RRMM, including those with triple-class–refractory and extramedullary disease

Spatial distribution of micrometre‐scale porosity and permeability across the damage zone of a reverse‐reactivated normal fault in a tight sandstone : Insights from the Otway Basin, SE Australia

This research forms part of a PhD project supported by the Australian Research Council [Discovery Project DP160101158] and through an Australian Government Research Training Program Scholarship. Dave Healy acknowledges the support of the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC, UK) through the award NE/N003063/1 ‘Quantifying the Anisotropy of Permeability in Stressed Rock’. This study was also funded by scholarships from the Petroleum Exploration Society of Australia and the Australian Petroleum Production and Exploration Association. We thank Gordon Holm for preparing thin sections and Colin Taylor for carrying out particle size measurements and mercury injection capillary pressure analyses. Aoife McFadden and David Kelsey from Adelaide Microscopy, Braden Morgan, and Sophie Harland are acknowledged for their assistance with laboratory work. Field assistants James Hall, Rowan Hansberry, and Lachlan Furness are also gratefully acknowledged for their assistance with sample collection. Discussions with Ian Duddy on the mineralogy of the Eumeralla Formation are also greatly appreciated. This forms TRaX record 416.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Naturally propped fractures caused by quartz cementation preserve oil reservoirs in basement rocks

MB is in receipt of a postgraduate studentship from PTDF (Nigeria). Skilled technical support was provided by M. Baron and J. Still. Two reviewers made valuable criticisms that improved the paper.Peer reviewedPostprin

A dose-finding Phase 2 study of single agent isatuximab (anti-CD38 mAb) in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma

A Phase 2 dose-finding study evaluated isatuximab, an anti-CD38 monoclonal antibody, in relapsed/refractory multiple myeloma (RRMM; NCT01084252). Patients with ?3 prior lines or refractory to both immunomodulatory drugs and proteasome inhibitors (dual refractory) were randomized to isatuximab 3 mg/kg every 2 weeks (Q2W), 10 mg/kg Q2W(2 cycles)/Q4W, or 10 mg/kg Q2W. A fourth arm evaluated 20 mg/kg QW(1 cycle)/Q2W. Patients (N = 97) had a median (range) age of 62 years (38-85), 5 (2-14) prior therapy lines, and 85% were double refractory. The overall response rate (ORR) was 4.3, 20.0, 29.2, and 24.0% with isatuximab 3 mg/kg Q2W, 10 mg/kg Q2W/Q4W, 10 mg/kg Q2W, and 20 mg/kg QW/Q2W, respectively. At doses ?10 mg/kg, median progression-free survival and overall survival were 4.6 and 18.7 months, respectively, and the ORR was 40.9% (9/22) in patients with high-risk cytogenetics. CD38 receptor density was similar in responders and non-responders. The most common non-hematologic adverse events (typically grade ?2) were nausea (34.0%), fatigue (32.0%), and upper respiratory tract infections (28.9%). Infusion reactions (typically with first infusion and grade ?2) occurred in 51.5% of patients. In conclusion, isatuximab is active and generally well tolerated in heavily pretreated RRMM, with greatest efficacy at doses ?10 mg/kg