The impact of agricultural activities on water quality: a case for collaborative catchment-scale management using integrated wireless sensor networks

The challenge of improving water quality is a growing global concern, typified by the European Commission Water Framework Directive and the United States Clean Water Act. The main drivers of poor water quality are economics, poor water management, agricultural practices and urban development. This paper reviews the extensive role of non-point sources, in particular the outdated agricultural practices, with respect to nutrient and contaminant contributions. Water quality monitoring (WQM) is currently undertaken through a number of data acquisition methods from grab sampling to satellite based remote sensing of water bodies. Based on the surveyed sampling methods and their numerous limitations, it is proposed that wireless sensor networks (WSNs), despite their own limitations, are still very attractive and effective for real-time spatio-temporal data collection for WQM applications. WSNs have been employed for WQM of surface and ground water and catchments, and have been fundamental in advancing the knowledge of contaminants trends through their high resolution observations. However, these applications have yet to explore the implementation and impact of this technology for management and control decisions, to minimize and prevent individual stakeholder’s contributions, in an autonomous and dynamic manner. Here, the potential of WSN-controlled agricultural activities and different environmental compartments for integrated water quality management is presented and limitations of WSN in agriculture and WQM are identified. Finally, a case for collaborative networks at catchment scale is proposed for enabling cooperation among individually networked activities/stakeholders (farming activities, water bodies) for integrated water quality monitoring, control and management

Entropic Energy-Time Uncertainty Relation

Energy-time uncertainty plays an important role in quantum foundations and technologies, and it was even discussed by the founders of quantum mechanics. However, standard approaches (e.g., Robertson's uncertainty relation) do not apply to energy-time uncertainty because, in general, there is no Hermitian operator associated with time. Following previous approaches, we quantify time uncertainty by how well one can read off the time from a quantum clock. We then use entropy to quantify the information-theoretic distinguishability of the various time states of the clock. Our main result is an entropic energy-time uncertainty relation for general time-independent Hamiltonians, stated for both the discrete-time and continuous-time cases. Our uncertainty relation is strong, in the sense that it allows for a quantum memory to help reduce the uncertainty, and this formulation leads us to reinterpret it as a bound on the relative entropy of asymmetry. Due to the operational relevance of entropy, we anticipate that our uncertainty relation will have information-processing applications.Comment: 6 + 9 pages, 2 figure

Gravitational Stability of Vortices in Bose-Einstein Condensate Dark Matter

We investigate a simple model for a galactic halo under the assumption that it is dominated by a dark matter component in the form of a Bose-Einstein condensate involving an ultra-light scalar particle. In particular we discuss the possibility if the dark matter is in superfluid state then a rotating galactic halo might contain quantised vortices which would be low-energy analogues of cosmic strings. Using known solutions for the density profiles of such vortices we compute the self-gravitational interactions in such halos and place bounds on the parameters describing such models, such as the mass of the particles involved.Comment: 17 pages, 4 figures, submitted to CQ

The regulatory challenges of Australian information security practice

Information security is not directly regulated in Australia and is instead subject to a patchwork of different legal and regulatory frameworks. How Australian information security practitioners construct and action information security therefore becomes important to the overall operation of a fragmented regulatory framework. How then do Australian information security practitioners understand information security and make compliance-oriented decisions? Our exploratory interview research examined how nine Australian information security practitioners understood and constructed their role as delegated regulators of organisational information security processes. Participants expressed a number of concerns that reveal a very different world to that traditionally portrayed as the discipline and practice of information security. We examine these concerns and discuss what they mean in the context of the Australian environment

microRNAs in the Lymphatic Endothelium : Master Regulators of Lineage Plasticity and Inflammation

microRNAs (miRNAs) are highly conserved, small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression at the posttranscriptional level. They have crucial roles in organismal development, homeostasis, and cellular responses to pathological stress. The lymphatic system is a large vascular network that actively regulates the immune response through antigen trafficking, cytokine secretion, and inducing peripheral tolerance. Here, we review the role of miRNAs in the lymphatic endothelium with a particular focus on their role in lymphatic endothelial cell (LEC) plasticity, inflammation, and regulatory function. We highlight the lineage plasticity of LECs during inflammation and the importance of understanding the regulatory role of miRNAs in these processes. We propose that targeting miRNA expression in lymphatic endothelium can be a novel strategy in treating human pathologies associated with lymphatic dysfunction

DESI Commissioning Instrument Metrology

The Dark Energy Spectroscopic Instrument (DESI) is under construction to measure the expansion history of the Universe using the Baryon Acoustic Oscillation technique. The spectra of 35 million galaxies and quasars over 14000 sq deg will be measured during the life of the experiment. A new prime focus corrector for the KPNO Mayall telescope will deliver light to 5000 fiber optic positioners. The fibers in turn feed ten broad-band spectrographs. We will describe the methods and results for the commissioning instrument metrology program. The primary goals of this program are to calculate the transformations and further develop the systems that will place fibers within 5um RMS of the target positions. We will use the commissioning instrument metrology program to measure the absolute three axis Cartesian coordinates of the five CCDs and 22 illuminated fiducials on the commissioning instrument

Exploring mini rugby union coaches’ perceptions of competitive activities

The purpose of this study was to explore volunteer rugby union coaches’ perceptions of organised competitive participation during childhood. Participants were 202 under-9 (U9) mini rugby union coaches who had coached during the 2010/11 season. Coaches completed an Internet-based survey, and cluster analysis was used to identify different groups based on attitudes towards the Rugby Football Union’s current rules and proposed changes to these rules. Three distinct groups were identified based on whether they wanted to maintain the status quo (Traditionalists); maintain some elements of structure (Moderates); or have a much less structured introduction to rugby (Radicals). In total, over three quarters of coaches favoured structured elements (early specialisation), while less than a quarter favoured a less structured game (late specialisation). Only the Radical’s views matched those espoused by elite coaches and U9 players themselves, raising several issues regarding coach education for player development during childhood. In the short term there are the difficulties of aligning disparate views of U9 player development via coaching for and during competitive games. This is further complicated by the challenges of enhancing the skills of thousands of volunteer coaches with limited experience, knowledge and expertise in coaching during childhood

Defective Development of γ/δ T Cells in Interleukin 7 Receptor–Deficient Mice Is Due to Impaired Expression of T Cell Receptor γ Genes

Mice lacking the interleukin 7 receptor (IL-7R) generate α/β T cells at a detectable but greatly reduced rate, but γ/δ T cells are completely absent. The special role of IL-7R signaling in γ/δ T cell development has remained unclear. IL-7Rα−/− mice exhibit a paucity of γ gene rearrangements. This striking observation can be explained by a defect in T cell receptor (TCR)-γ gene rearrangement, a defect in TCR-γ gene transcription leading to death of γ/δ lineage cells, and/or a requirement for IL-7R in commitment of cells to the γ/δ lineage. To determine the role of IL-7R signaling in γ/δ T cell development, we examined transcription of a prerearranged TCR-γ transgene in IL-7Rα−/− mice, as well as the effects of IL-7 on transcription of endogenous, rearranged TCR-γ genes in α/β lineage cells. The results demonstrate that IL-7R–mediated signals are necessary for the normal expression of rearranged TCR-γ genes. Equally significant, the results show that the poor expression of TCR-γ genes in IL-7Rα−/− mice is responsible for the selective deficit in γ/δ cells in these mice, since a high copy TCR-γ transgene exhibited sufficient residual expression in IL-7Rα−/− mice to drive γ/δ cell development. The results indicate that the absence of γ/δ T cells in IL-7Rα−/− mice is due to insufficient TCR-γ gene expression

Cross-sectional study of Fasciola gigantica and other trematode infections of cattle in Edu Local Government Area, Kwara State, North-central Nigeria

BACKGROUND: Trematode infections of livestock are of global veterinary and public health importance causing serious economic losses. Majority of data on burden of trematode infections in Nigeria are based on abattoir surveys and there are very few data on herd level risk factors. The present study investigated the prevalence of, and herd level risk factors for, fasciolosis and other trematode infections in cattle in Edu Local Government Area (LGA). METHODS: A cross-sectional survey used two-stage study design to investigate cattle belonging to 65 households. Two questionnaires were administered for household-level and individual cattle-level data. Faecal and blood samples were obtained from the cattle. Logistic regression analyses were performed to determine risk factors for infections. RESULTS: Of 686 faecal samples analysed, 74.9 %, 16.1 %, 7.3 % and 1.2 % were positive for infections with Fasciola gigantica, paramphistomes, Dicrocoelium hospes and Schistosoma bovis respectively. Fasciola gigantica had higher prevalence in adult cattle (77.3 %) than weaners (62.5 %). Majority of co-infections was a combination of F. gigantica with paramphistomes 84/130 (64.6 %). Most (58.9 %) of the cattle belonged to FAMACHA© score 2. The mean packed cell volume (PCV) was 34.4 %. The sensitivity and specificity of FAMACHA© for anaemia (PCV < 24 %) were 18.2 and 96.9 %, respectively. Positive correlation was obtained between faecal egg counts for F. gigantica and paramphistomes (R = 0.15, P = 0.0001). Adult cattle were more likely to be infected with F. gigantica (odds ratio, OR: 1.94; Confidence Interval, CI: 1.19–3.16) than weaners. Cattle belonging to household heads aged between 40–59 years were more likely infected with paramphistomes (OR: 1.95; CI: 1.02–3.74) than those belonging to other age groups. Cattles from herds with size ≥ 100 were more likely infected with D. hospes than those from smaller herds (OR: 6.98; CI: 2.94–16.6). CONCLUSION: This study revealed high prevalence of infection with F. gigantica in Kwara State. The co-infections by F. gigantica and paramphistomes with a positive correlation should be considered during anthelmintic therapy. There is a need to optimise and validate the FAMACHA© for use in cattle based on breeds and variation in colour of ocular mucous membrane. Risk factors identified could assist in tailoring control strategies for various trematode infections to particular groups of farmers and cattle. ELECTRONIC SUPPLEMENTARY MATERIAL: The online version of this article (doi:10.1186/s13071-016-1737-5) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users