Nitrogen movement through the braidplain

Rivers drive the earth system by moving life-critical elements like nitrogen and carbon from land to sea. Understanding exactly how, and how much, nitrogen rivers export is increasingly needed for both science and management: humans have now tripled the global flux of reactive nitrogen, and the vast majority of this extra reactive nitrogen is applied directly to land. But resolving this apparently straightforward question about nitrogen transport becomes profoundly complex with the dynamic four-dimensional hydrology of braided rivers. Braided rivers’ fluctuating water levels can rapidly change how much nitrogen moves laterally across channels, vertically between the shallow groundwater, surface water, and atmosphere, or longitudinally downstream. These physical movements in turn will affect how the rivers’ biological communities retain or emit nitrogen. In this talk I will use historical water quality data collected from the main stem of eight Canterbury rivers and the outcomes from a cross-braidplain pilot study to outline the challenges and opportunities for quantifying how nitrogen moves into and out of braided rivers. Resolving basic questions about how nitrogen moves through braided rivers will pave the way for understanding environmental issues like how increasing groundwater nitrate levels in Canterbury are affecting both the rivers themselves and the coastal ecosystems into which they flow

Emplaced and embodied encounters: methodological reflections on transcultural research in contexts of Italian migration

This article explores the practical, ethical, and epistemological issues which arise when carrying out and sharing research in contexts of Italian migration, highlighting how greater reflexivity on our own geographic and historical location as researchers can productively inform and shape our understanding of sites of contact, exchange and confrontation in relation to contemporary Italy. Specifically, we write as researchers informed by ethnographic theories and practices, and who through our research have engaged in emplaced and embodied cultural encounters in sites which are identifiable as both transcultural and Italian. Drawing on vignettes from research in Italy and the UK, the article highlights some of the particular contradictions, opportunities and responsibilities generated by our respective positions. We address how our positionings as white, English and female scholars located within nationally-defined Italian Studies structures have raised pertinent questions of power, privilege and voice, as we place our own biographies and bodies, themselves shaped by specific colonial, national and local histories, into critical dialogue with those on and with whom we research. Through a discussion of these ‘irresolvable tensions’ of our research, we seek to practically engage with the broader imperative of finding new ways of studying and writing culture

Flow regulates biological NO₃¯ and N₂O production in a turbid sub-tropical stream

Streams play a critical role in attenuating the excess reactive nitrogen generated from human activities. These systems can consequently also emit significant amounts of N₂O, a potent greenhouse gas. Models and manipulative experiments now suggest that hydrology regulates the balance between nitrogen removal and N₂O production. We aimed to empirically test this hypothesis by measuring changes in the concentration and isotopic composition of NO₃¯ (δ¹⁸O, δ¹⁵N) and N₂O (δ¹⁸O, δ¹⁵N, site preference) in hyporheic sediments and surface water of a 30 m reach over eight days of falling stream discharge (2.7 to 1.8 m³ s¯¹). The stream was persistently heterotrophic (productivity/respiration: 0.005 - 0.2), while changes in conductivity, δ¹⁸O-H₂O, and ²²²Rn indicated that hyporheic mixing decreased and net groundwater inputs increased as discharge declined. The shallow groundwater had high inorganic N concentrations (2 – 10 mg 1¯¹), but increased in groundwater inputs could not fully explain the concurrent increases in NO₃¯ (1 – 3 mg N 1¯¹) and N₂O (700 to 1000% saturation) in the surface water. Biologically, rather than solely hydrologically, regulated stream nitrogen export was confirmed by changes in N₂O and NO₃¯ isotopic composition. However, isotope patterns indicated that nitrification, not denitrification, increased surface water NO₃¯ and N₂O concentrations as hyporheic exchange decreased. These findings empirically demonstrate how flow dynamics regulate biological NO₃¯ production as well as transport, with implications for predicting aquatic N₂O emissions

Early stages of phase selection in MOF formation observed in molecular Monte Carlo simulations

Metal-organic frameworks (MOF) comprising metal nodes bridged by organic linkers show great promise because of their guest-specific gas sorption, separation, drug-delivery, and catalytic properties. The selection of metal node, organic linker, and synthesis conditions in principle offers engineered control over both structure and function. For MOFs to realise their potential and to become more than just promising materials, a degree of predictability in the synthesis and a better understanding of the self-assembly or initial growth processes is of paramount importance. Using cobalt succinate, a MOF that exhibits a variety of phases depending on synthesis temperature and ligand to metal ratio, as proof of concept, we present a molecular Monte Carlo approach that allows us to simulate the early stage of MOF assembly. We introduce a new Contact Cluster Monte Carlo (CCMC) algorithm which uses a system of overlapping "virtual sites" to represent the coordination environment of the cobalt and both metal-metal and metal-ligand associations. Our simulations capture the experimentally observed synthesis phase distinction in cobalt succinate at 348 K. To the best of our knowledge this is the first case in which the formation of different MOF phases as a function of composition is captured by unbiased molecular simulations. The CCMC algorithm is equally applicable to any system in which short-range attractive interactions are a dominant feature, including hydrogen-bonding networks, metal-ligand coordination networks, or the assembly of particles with "sticky" patches, such as colloidal systems or the formation of protein complexes.</p

Social Media, Research, and the Digital Humanities

Social media research is often associated with the fields of (new) media and communication studies, which have to a large extent laid the theoretical and methodological foundations for such research. Although recent years have seen an increasing interest in the role of social media in relation to Digital Humanities (DH) research, there remains an urgent need for the humanities as a whole to respond to the undeniable importance of social media in relation to contemporary cultural forms and practices. Building on earlier efforts to explore the intersections between media studies and DH, this essay aims to articulate what (digital) humanists bring to the study of social media and how social media research connects with more established approaches within DH. In doing so, it emphasises how expansive definitions of DH research in relation to both our methods and objects of study can further the field’s potential to make a vital contribution to wider understandings of the digital in contemporary society

Evaluation of NES and NNES students' perceptions of NES and NNES instructors in Engineering

In response to the continually growing population of internationals at the University of Illinois in Urbana-Champaign, the population of international Engineering students has also grown, with it, the number of international TAs/instructors. The previous literature on native English speaking students' perceptions of Non-Native-English-Speaking instructors has shown that language barriers and accents have been a cause for difficulties within the class between instructors and students. Thus, this paper aims to look at the relationship between students and instructors, specifically Non-Native-English-Speaking instructors who come to the university as professors and TAs and determine if there are similar difficulties within the Engineering department between its students and instructors. The method of research for this study included surveying as well as interviewing Engineering students, past and present, to determine if these students have had any difficulties in learning due to accent/language barriers. Thus, this research looks at the perceptions that Native-English-Speaking students (NES) as well as Non-Native-English-Speaking students (NNES) have towards Native-English-Speaking teachers (NEST) and Non-Native-English-Speaking teachers (NNEST). In comparing these two groups of students and instructors, the results showed that both NES and NNES students within the Engineering department have a preference for NESTs due to language barriers/difficulties both among Native English speakers as well as Non-Native English speakers. This paper also recommends solutions to these language barriers such as workshops or classes for instructors who have been rated lower among student rating, more intentional pairing between Native and Non-Native English speaking TAs with professors, as well as more intentionality from the instructor at the beginning of the semester to alleviate some of the problems that may arise due to language misunderstanding. More research should follow that focuses specifically on Native and Non-Native English speaking instructors and their perceptions of how language has impacted their instruction as well as the students' comprehension

Language policy and politics: the central state and linguistic minorities in Spain and Italy, 1992-2010

Linguistic minorities are playing a crucial role in determining how states are reimagining themselves in more plural and inclusive ways. Pressure from both supranational and sub-state levels of government has meant that the repression of linguistic minorities by state institutions is no longer acceptable and even attitudes of neglect are widely condemned. However, while there has been a noticeable change in attitudes towards linguistic minorities in many European states, the specific role of the central state in relation to these groups remains ambiguous and merits further study. This thesis thus compares the language policies of the central states of Spain and Italy between 1992 and 2010, concerning two specific linguistic minorities in each country. These include Catalan-speakers in Catalonia and the German-speaking minority in Alto Adige/Südtirol, which have received considerable recognition and find themselves in a comparable situation within their respective states. In contrast, the Asturian- and Sardinian-speaking minorities have received the most minimal recognition at both the regional and state levels. Three sources of primary data were identified for the purposes of this study: official state documentation and legislation, elite interviews with political and institutional representatives, and state-wide newspapers. The research reveals the rationales, ideologies and motivations behind the actions of the central states of Spain and Italy in their approaches towards these distinct groups. New insight is provided by considering cases which have not previously been compared, as well as focusing on the typically hidden language policies of the state in contrast to the visible and widely studied policies implemented at the regional or provincial levels. This approach allows conclusions to be drawn on the extent to which both states may be moving away from the traditional monolingual nation-state model and provides recommendations for future approaches to linguistic minorities at the state and European levels

Quantifying the association of natal household wealth with women’s early marriage in Nepal

Background. Women’s early marriage (<18 years) is a critical global health issue affecting 650 million women worldwide. It is associated with a range of adverse maternal physical and mental health outcomes, including early childbearing, child undernutrition and morbidity. Poverty is widely asserted to be the key risk factor driving early marriage. However, most studies do not measure wealth in the natal household, but instead, use marital household wealth as a proxy for natal wealth. Further research is required to understand the key drivers of early marriage. Methods. We investigated whether natal household poverty was associated with marrying early, independently of women’s lower educational attainment and broader markers of household disadvantage. Data on natal household wealth (material asset score) for 2,432 women aged 18-39 years was used from the cluster-randomized Low Birth Weight South Asia Trial in lowland rural Nepal. Different early marriage definitions (<15, <16, <17 and <18 years) were used because most of our population marries below the conventional 18-year cut-off. Logistic mixed-effects models were fitted to estimate the probabilities, derived from adjusted Odds Ratios, of (a) marrying at different early ages for the full sample and for the uneducated women, and (b) being uneducated in the first place. Results. Women married at median age 15 years (interquartile range 3), and only 18% married ≥18 years. Two-thirds of the women were entirely uneducated. We found that, rather than poverty, women’s lower education was the primary factor associated with early marriage, regardless of how ‘early’ is defined. Neither poverty nor other markers of household disadvantage were associated with early marriage at any age in the uneducated women. However, poverty was associated with women being uneducated. Conclusion. When assets are measured in the natal household in this population, there is no support for the conventional hypothesis that household poverty is associated with daughters’ early marriage, but it is associated with not going to school. We propose that improving access to free education would both reduce early marriage and have broader benefits for maternal and child health and gender equality.Leverhulme Trust (RPG-2017-264) and DFID South Asia Hub (Grant Number: PO 5675)

New Directions in Digital Modern Languages: Introduction

In this article, the editors introduce the Digital Modern Languages Special Collection that results from an open call that sought out new and emerging research at the intersection of Modern Languages and digital culture, media and technologies. They explain the intentionally wide-ranging and transdisciplinary scope of the Collection, which reflects an openness to the many ways Digital Modern Languages research is practised. The Collection also includes research on a wide range of geographical and linguistic contexts, reflecting wider calls to move beyond the limited range of languages traditionally associated with “Modern Languages”. Through this combined transdisciplinary and cross-languages focus, the Collection seeks to contribute to the broader strategic identity transformation of the wider field

Differences in maternal and early child nutritional status by offspring sex in lowland Nepal.

OBJECTIVE: On average, boys grow faster than girls in early life but appear more susceptible to undernutrition. We investigated sex differences in early child growth, and whether maternal nutritional status and diet differed by offspring sex during and after pregnancy in an undernourished population. METHODS: We analyzed longitudinal data from a cluster-randomized trial from plains Nepal, stratifying results by child or gestational age. Children's outcomes (0-20 months) were weight, length, and head circumference and their z-scores relative to WHO reference data in 2-monthly intervals (n range: 24837 to 25 946). Maternal outcomes were mid-upper arm circumference (MUAC), and body mass index (BMI) during pregnancy (12-40 weeks) (n = 5550 and n = 5519) and postpartum (n = 15 710 and n = 15 356), and diet in pregnancy. We fitted unadjusted and adjusted mixed-effects linear and logistic regression models comparing boys with girls. RESULTS: Boys were larger than girls, however relative to their sex-specific reference they had lower length and head circumference z-scores from birth to 12 months, but higher weight-for-length z-scores from 0 to 6 months. Mothers of sons had higher MUAC and BMI around 36 weeks gestation but no other differences in pregnancy diets or pregnancy/postpartum maternal anthropometry were detected. Larger sex differences in children's size in the food supplementation study arm suggest that food restriction in pregnancy may limit fetal growth of boys more than girls. CONCLUSIONS: Generally, mothers' anthropometry and dietary intake do not differ according to offspring sex. As boys are consistently larger, we expect that poor maternal nutritional status may compromise their growth more than girls. Copyright © 2021 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd