Using Stable Isotopes to Quantify Nitrogen Fates in Container Plants

Currently, in the agriculture field, it is not yet known the accurate amount of Nitrogen in fertilizer that plants take up. This statistic, known as the Nitrogen Use Efficiency is currently known to be within the 30-50% range (Lea-Cox and Ross, 2001). This is very important figure to know and it is a figure that can be improved, and therefore much time, energy, and resources can be saved. This research project will use concepts involving stable isotopes to examine red maple plant material and the soilless media that the plants were grown in. Three different isotope-labelled fertilizer treatments will be used to determine the amount of Nitrogen taken up in the plant, in the runoff water, and released to the atmosphere. Plant and media samples will be analyzed using a mass spectrometer and an accurate account of Nitrogen can then be made. The data show that the Nitrogen taken up by the plant mostly contributes to the growth of new plant material, although there are significant amounts of 15N in the old stem and old leaf samples. The conclusions that can be drawn are that Nitrogen that is processed into fertilizer is ultimately being wasted. Nitrogen is being leached into the ground water, immobilized by bacteria into organic Nitrogen, bound to the soil and media, and converted into NOx and N2; more research can be done, especially into the volatilization of the Nitrogen from fertilizers

Fabrication of full density near-nanostructured cemented carbides by combination of VC/Cr3C2 addition and consolidation by SPS and HIP technologies

The aim of present work is to study the effect of VC and/or Cr3C2 in densification, microstructural development and mechanical behavior of nanocrystalline WC-12wt.%Co powders when they are sintered by spark plasma sintering (SPS) and hot isostatic pressing (HIP). The results were compared to those corresponding to conventional sintering in vacuum. The density, microstructure, X-ray diffraction, hardness and fracture toughness of the sintered materials were evaluated. Materials prepared by SPS exhibits full densification at lower temperature (1100 degrees C) and a shorter stay time (5 min), allowing the grain growth control. However, the effect of the inhibitors during SPS process is considerably lower than in conventional sintering. Materials prepared by HIP at 1100 degrees C and 30 min present full densification and a better control of microstructure in the presence of VC. The added amount of VC allows obtaining homogeneous microstructures with an average grain size of 120 nm. The hardness and fracture toughness values obtained were about 2100 HV30 and close to 10 MPa m(1/)2, respectively. (C) 2010 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.The work is supported financially by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation by means of the project MAT 2006-12945-C03-C02 and MAT 2009-14144-C03-C02.Bonache Bezares, V.; Salvador Moya, MD.; Fernández Valdés, A.; Borrell Tomás, MA. (2011). Fabrication of full density near-nanostructured cemented carbides by combination of VC/Cr3C2 addition and consolidation by SPS and HIP technologies. International Journal of Refractory Metals and Hard Materials. 29(2):202-208. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.ijrmhm.2010.10.007S20220829

Usporedba zrcalnog modela i modela prijenosnih linija u analizi horizontalne žičane strukture iznad dvoslojnog tla

The paper presents comparison between two approximate models of energized horizontal thin-wire conductors above two-layer soil. The formulation is posed in frequency domain by using two approaches. The first one is based on quasi-static image theory within Mixed Potential Integral Equation. The second one is based on transmission line theory with approximation of per unit length parameters. The authors compare currents computed by the both approximate models of a center fed wire to establish the computation errors over a wide frequency range. The main objective is to validate the proposed image and transmission line models for various lengths of wire conductors, and various cases of low and high conductivities of two-layer soil. The verification of the results is done by comparison with exact model based on full-wave theory. Detailed parametric analysis clearly illustrate validity domain and problems when using both approximate models with respect to their use in practical EMC studies.U radu je prikazana usporedba dviju približnih modela analize pobuđenog horizontalnog tankog žičanog vodiča iznad dvoslojnog tla. Formulacija problema je izvedena u frekvencijskoj domeni pomoću dva pristupa. Prvi pristup se temelji na kvazi-statičkom zrcalnom modelu unutar integralne jednadžbe s mješovitim potencijalima. Drugi se temelji na teoriji prijenosnih linija s aproksimacijom jediničnih parametara. Autori su usporedili distribucije struje izračunate s pomoću obje približne metode kako bi odredili pogrešku metoda u širokom rasponu frekvencija. Glavni cilj bio je potvrditi predloženi zrcalni i linijski model za različite duljine žičanog vodiča i razne slučajeve niske i visoke vodljivosti slojeva tla. Provjera rezultata obavljena je usporedbom s modelom bez aproksimacija temeljenog na punovalnoj teoriji. Detaljna parametarska analiza jasno pokazuju valjanosti domene i vrste problema uz korištenje obje približne metode s obzirom na njihovu primjenu u praktičnim EMC razmatranjima

Tearing Out the Income Tax by the (Grass)Roots

Landscapes are increasingly fragmented, and conservation programs have started to look at network approaches for maintaining populations at a larger scale. We present an agent-based model of predator–prey dynamics where the agents (i.e. the individuals of either the predator or prey population) are able to move between different patches in a landscaped network. We then analyze population level and coexistence probability given node-centrality measures that characterize specific patches. We show that both predator and prey species benefit from living in globally well-connected patches (i.e. with high closeness centrality). However, the maximum number of prey species is reached, on average, at lower closeness centrality levels than for predator species. Hence, prey species benefit from constraints imposed on species movement in fragmented landscapes since they can reproduce with a lesser risk of predation, and their need for using anti-predatory strategies decreases.authorCount :

Simulation of thermal conductivity and heat transport in solids

Using molecular dynamics (MD) with classical interaction potentials we present calculations of thermal conductivity and heat transport in crystals and glasses. Inducing shock waves and heat pulses into the systems we study the spreading of energy and temperature over the configurations. Phonon decay is investigated by exciting single modes in the structures and monitoring the time evolution of the amplitude using MD in a microcanonical ensemble. As examples, crystalline and amorphous modifications of Selenium and $\rm{SiO_2}$ are considered.Comment: Revtex, 8 pages, 11 postscript figures, accepted for publication in PR