Understanding the controls on sediment-P interactions and dynamics along a non-tidal river system in a rural–urban catchment: the River Nene

The release of Phosphorus (P) from river sediments has been identified as a contributing factor to waters failing the criteria for ‘Good Ecological Status’ under the EU Water Framework Directive (WFD). To identify the contribution of sediment-P to river systems, an understanding of the factors that influence its distribution within the entire non-tidal system is required. Thus the aims of this work were to examine the (i) total (PTotal) and labile (PLabile) concentrations in sediment, (ii) the sequestration processes and (iii) the interactions between sediment P and the river water in the six non-tidal water bodies of the River Nene, U.K. Collection of sediments followed a long period of flooding and high stream flow. In each water body, five cores were extracted and homogenised for analysis with an additional core being taken and sampled by depth increments. Comparing the distribution of sediment particle size and PTotal data with soil catchment geochemical survey data, large increases in PTotal were identified in sediments from water body 4–6, where median concentrations of PTotal in the sediment (3603 mg kg−1) were up to double those of the catchment soils. A large proportion of this increase may be related to in-stream sorption of P, particularly from sewage treatment facilities where the catchment becomes more urbanised after water body 3. A linear correlation (r = 0.8) between soluble reactive phosphate (SRP) and Boron in the sampled river waters was found suggesting increased STW input in water bodies 4–6. PLabile concentrations in homogenised cores were up to 100 mg kg−1 PO4–P (generally < 2% of PTotal) and showed a general increase with distance from the headwaters. A general increase in Equilibrium Phosphate Concentrations (EPC0) from an average of 0.9–∼1.7 μm L−1 was found between water bodies 1–3 and 4–6. Fixation within oxalate extractable phases (Al, Fe and Mn) accounted for ∼90% of P binding in water bodies 4–6, but only between 31 and 74% in water bodies 1–3. Statistical models predicting PTotal (R2 = 0.78), oxalate extractable P (R2 = 0.78) and Olsen P (R2 = 0.73) concentrations in river sediments identified Mn oxy-hydroxides (MnOx) as a strong predictive variable along with the location within the river system. It is suggested that MnOx within model predictions is identifying a pool of mixed Fe–Mn oxy-hydroxides (MnOx–FeOOH) or Fe oxy-hydroxide (FeOOH) from the wider FeOxalate pool that are particularly effective at sorbing and fixing P. The findings demonstrate how sediment and P may accumulate along a 100 km non-tidal river system, the extent to which a range of processes can fix P within mineral phases and how natural flooding processes may flush sediment from the river channel. The processes identified in this study are likely to be applicable to similar river systems over their non-tidal water bodies in eastern England

Helium-cluster decay widths of molecular states in beryllium and carbon isotopes

The $\alpha$ particle and $^6$He emissions from possible molecular states in beryllium and carbon isotopes have been studied using a mean-field-type cluster potential. Calculations can reproduce well the $\alpha$-decay widths of excited states in $^{8}$Be, $^{12}$C and $^{20}$Ne. For the nucleus $^{10}$Be, we discussed the $\alpha$-decay widths with different shapes or decay modes, in order to understand the very different decay widths of two excited states. The widths of $^{6}$He decay from $^{12}$Be and $\alpha$ decays from $^{13,14}$C are predicted, which could be useful for future experiments.Comment: 12 pgaes, 1 figur

Stability and Instability of Extreme Reissner-Nordstr\"om Black Hole Spacetimes for Linear Scalar Perturbations I

We study the problem of stability and instability of extreme Reissner-Nordstrom spacetimes for linear scalar perturbations. Specifically, we consider solutions to the linear wave equation on a suitable globally hyperbolic subset of such a spacetime, arising from regular initial data prescribed on a Cauchy hypersurface crossing the future event horizon. We obtain boundedness, decay and non-decay results. Our estimates hold up to and including the horizon. The fundamental new aspect of this problem is the degeneracy of the redshift on the event horizon. Several new analytical features of degenerate horizons are also presented.Comment: 37 pages, 11 figures; published version of results contained in the first part of arXiv:1006.0283, various new results adde

Thermal and back-action noises in dual-sphere gravitational-waves detectors

We study the sensitivity limits of a broadband gravitational-waves detector based on dual resonators such as nested spheres. We determine both the thermal and back-action noises when the resonators displacements are read-out with an optomechanical sensor. We analyze the contributions of all mechanical modes, using a new method to deal with the force-displacement transfer functions in the intermediate frequency domain between the two gravitational-waves sensitive modes associated with each resonator. This method gives an accurate estimate of the mechanical response, together with an evaluation of the estimate error. We show that very high sensitivities can be reached on a wide frequency band for realistic parameters in the case of a dual-sphere detector.Comment: 10 pages, 7 figure

Computing gravitational waves from slightly nonspherical stellar collapse to black hole: Odd-parity perturbation

Nonspherical stellar collapse to a black hole is one of the most promising gravitational wave sources for gravitational wave detectors. We numerically study gravitational waves from a slightly nonspherical stellar collapse to a black hole in linearized Einstein theory. We adopt a spherically collapsing star as the zeroth-order solution and gravitational waves are computed using perturbation theory on the spherical background. In this paper we focus on the perturbation of odd-parity modes. Using the polytropic equations of state with polytropic indices $n_p=1$ and 3, we qualitatively study gravitational waves emitted during the collapse of neutron stars and supermassive stars to black holes from a marginally stable equilibrium configuration. Since the matter perturbation profiles can be chosen arbitrarily, we provide a few types for them. For $n_p=1$, the gravitational waveforms are mainly characterized by a black hole quasinormal mode ringing, irrespective of perturbation profiles given initially. However, for $n_p=3$, the waveforms depend strongly on the initial perturbation profiles. In other words, the gravitational waveforms strongly depend on the stellar configuration and, in turn, on the ad hoc choice of the functional form of the perturbation in the case of supermassive stars.Comment: 31 pages, accepted for publication in Phys. Rev. D, typos and minor errors correcte

Electronic structure of the strongly hybridized ferromagnet CeFe2

We report on results from high-energy spectroscopic measurements on CeFe2, a system of particular interest due to its anomalous ferromagnetism with an unusually low Curie temperature and small magnetization compared to the other rare earth-iron Laves phase compounds. Our experimental results indicate very strong hybridization of the Ce 4f states with the delocalized band states, mainly the Fe 3d states. In the interpretation and analysis of our measured spectra, we have made use of two different theoretical approaches: The first one is based on the Anderson impurity model, with surface contributions explicitly taken into account. The second method consists of band-structure calculations for bulk CeFe2. The analysis based on the Anderson impurity model gives calculated spectra in good agreement with the whole range of measured spectra, and reveals that the Ce 4f -- Fe 3d hybridization is considerably reduced at the surface, resulting in even stronger hybridization in the bulk than previously thought. The band-structure calculations are ab initio full-potential linear muffin-tin orbital calculations within the local-spin-density approximation of the density functional. The Ce 4f electrons were treated as itinerant band electrons. Interestingly, the Ce 4f partial density of states obtained from the band-structure calculations also agree well with the experimental spectra concerning both the 4f peak position and the 4f bandwidth, if the surface effects are properly taken into account. In addition, results, notably the partial spin magnetic moments, from the band-structure calculations are discussed in some detail and compared to experimental findings and earlier calculations.Comment: 10 pages, 8 figures, to appear in Phys. Rev. B in December 200

An Experimental Investigation of Colonel Blotto Games

"This article examines behavior in the two-player, constant-sum Colonel Blotto game with asymmetric resources in which players maximize the expected number of battlefields won. The experimental results support all major theoretical predictions. In the auction treatment, where winning a battlefield is deterministic, disadvantaged players use a 'guerilla warfare' strategy which stochastically allocates zero resources to a subset of battlefields. Advantaged players employ a 'stochastic complete coverage' strategy, allocating random, but positive, resource levels across the battlefields. In the lottery treatment, where winning a battlefield is probabilistic, both players divide their resources equally across all battlefields." (author's abstract)"Dieser Artikel untersucht das Verhalten von Individuen in einem 'constant-sum Colonel Blotto'-Spiel zwischen zwei Spielern, bei dem die Spieler mit unterschiedlichen Ressourcen ausgestattet sind und die erwartete Anzahl gewonnener Schlachtfelder maximieren. Die experimentellen Ergebnisse bestätigen alle wichtigen theoretischen Vorhersagen. Im Durchgang, in dem wie in einer Auktion der Sieg in einem Schlachtfeld deterministisch ist, wenden die Spieler, die sich im Nachteil befinden, eine 'Guerillataktik' an, und verteilen ihre Ressourcen stochastisch auf eine Teilmenge der Schlachtfelder. Spieler mit einem Vorteil verwenden eine Strategie der 'stochastischen vollständigen Abdeckung', indem sie zufällig eine positive Ressourcenmenge auf allen Schlachtfeldern positionieren. Im Durchgang, in dem sich der Gewinn eines Schlachtfeldes probabilistisch wie in einer Lotterie bestimmt, teilen beide Spieler ihre Ressourcen gleichmäßig auf alle Schlachtfelder auf." (Autorenreferat

Psychosocial issues and coping mechanisms of pregnant and postnatal women diagnosed with COVID-19: A qualitative study

Objective There is a paucity of data on the psychosocial issues and coping mechanisms among pregnant and postnatal women with COVID-19 infection. We, therefore, aimed to explore the psychosocial issues and coping mechanisms of pregnant and postnatal women diagnosed with COVID-19 at tertiary-level hospitals. Methods This was a qualitative phenomenological study conducted in 2021 with a sample size of 16 women admitted at two referral hospitals serving as COVID-19 admission facilities for pregnant and postnatal women in Lusaka, Zambia. In-depth interviews were conducted via telephone to understand what these women experienced when diagnosed with COVID-19. All the interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Thematic analysis was conducted using the six steps approach to develop emerging themes. Results Two major themes emerged: psychosocial issues and coping mechanisms. The primary psychosocial issues were worry and stigma. Women worried about infecting their unborn baby or neonate, being separated from the baby, the general safety of the baby, and the health of other family members. Women also worried about the attitude of health care providers and faced discrimination or stigma because of their infection. Thus, some coping mechanisms were developed that helped them, such as a positive attitude, keeping the disease secret, reliance on family members for support and using positive information from social media. Conclusion This study provides unique insights into the psychosocial experiences of pregnant and postnatal women diagnosed with COVID-19. Women were particularly concerned about the unborn baby's well-being and discrimination.This study suggests the need for policy and clinical practice to consider the integration of effective mental health services into the provision of maternal health and COVID-19 services

The Intentional Use of Service Recovery Strategies to Influence Consumer Emotion, Cognition and Behaviour

Service recovery strategies have been identified as a critical factor in the success of. service organizations. This study develops a conceptual frame work to investigate how specific service recovery strategies influence the emotional, cognitive and negative behavioural responses of . consumers., as well as how emotion and cognition influence negative behavior. Understanding the impact of specific service recovery strategies will allow service providers' to more deliberately and intentionally engage in strategies that result in positive organizational outcomes. This study was conducted using a 2 x 2 between-subjects quasi-experimental design. The results suggest that service recovery has a significant impact on emotion, cognition and negative behavior. Similarly, satisfaction, negative emotion and positive emotion all influence negative behavior but distributive justice has no effect

Brand origin identification by consumers: A classification perspective

The authors apply a classification perspective to (1) examine the extent to which consumers can identify the correct country of origin (COO) of different brands of consumer durables, (2) investigate the factors facilitating/hindering correct COO identification, and (3) trace the implications of correct/incorrect COO identification on brand evaluation. The results from a U.K. sample indicate that consumers' ability to classify brands correctly according to their origin is limited and also reveal substantial differences in the classification of different brands to their COO. Moreover, the key antecedent of correct COO identification is consumer ethnocentrism, with sociodemographics (e.g., age, gender) also playing a role. Finally, the authors find that though there are differences in brand evaluations depending on whether the correct COO was identified, such differences are not observed for all brands investigated