Aqua regia extractable selenium concentrations of some Scottish topsoils measured by ICP-MS and the relationship with mineral and organic soil components

The definitive version is available at www3.interscience.wiley.com.Peer reviewedPreprin

Including leakage in network models: an application to calibrate leak valves in EPANET

EPANET is one of the most widely used software packages for water network hydraulic modelling, and is especially interesting for educational and research purposes because it is in the public domain. However, EPANET simulations are demand-driven, and the program does not include a specific functionality to model water leakage, which is pressure-driven. Consequently, users are required to deal with this drawback by themselves. As a general solution for this problem, this paper presents a methodology for including leakage in EPANET models by following a two-stage process. Firstly, leakage is spatially distributed among the nodes, according to the characteristics of the network. Secondly, leakage is modelled through an emitter at each node. The process is described in detail and two numerical examples illustrate the applicability and advantages of the method. In addition, free access through a URL is provided to the leakage modelling tool that has been developed.Cobacho Jordán, R.; Arregui De La Cruz, F.; Soriano Olivares, J.; Cabrera Rochera, E. (2015). Including leakage in network models: an application to calibrate leak valves in EPANET. Journal of Water Supply: Research and Technology - Aqua. 64(2):130-138. doi:10.2166/aqua.2014.197S130138642Al-Ghamdi, A. S. (2011). Leakage–pressure relationship and leakage detection in intermittent water distribution systems. Journal of Water Supply: Research and Technology-Aqua, 60(3), 178-183. doi:10.2166/aqua.2011.003Almandoz, J., Cabrera, E., Arregui, F., Cabrera, E., & Cobacho, R. (2005). Leakage Assessment through Water Distribution Network Simulation. Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management, 131(6), 458-466. doi:10.1061/(asce)0733-9496(2005)131:6(458)Ameyaw, E. E., Memon, F. A., & Bicik, J. (2013). Improving equity in intermittent water supply systems. Journal of Water Supply: Research and Technology-Aqua, 62(8), 552-562. doi:10.2166/aqua.2013.065Boulos, P. F., & Bros, C. M. (2010). Assessing the carbon footprint of water supply and distribution systems. Journal - American Water Works Association, 102(11), 47-54. doi:10.1002/j.1551-8833.2010.tb11338.xCabrera, E., Pardo, M. A., Cobacho, R., & Cabrera, E. (2010). Energy Audit of Water Networks. Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management, 136(6), 669-677. doi:10.1061/(asce)wr.1943-5452.0000077Cabrera, E., Cobacho, R., Estruch, V., & Aznar, J. (2011). Analytical hierarchical process (AHP) as a decision support tool in water resources management. Journal of Water Supply: Research and Technology-Aqua, 60(6), 343-351. doi:10.2166/aqua.2011.016Cassa, A. M., & van Zyl, J. E. (2013). Predicting the head-leakage slope of cracks in pipes subject to elastic deformations. Journal of Water Supply: Research and Technology-Aqua, 62(4), 214-223. doi:10.2166/aqua.2013.094Cavallo, A., Di Nardo, A., De Maria, G., & Di Natale, M. (2013). Automated fuzzy decision and control system for reservoir management. Journal of Water Supply: Research and Technology-Aqua, 62(4), 189-204. doi:10.2166/aqua.2013.046Colombo, A. F., & Karney, B. W. (2002). Energy and Costs of Leaky Pipes: Toward Comprehensive Picture. Journal of Water Resources Planning and Management, 128(6), 441-450. doi:10.1061/(asce)0733-9496(2002)128:6(441)Prats, A. G., Picó, S. G., Alzamora, F. M., & Bello, M. Á. J. (2012). Random Scenarios Generation with Minimum Energy Consumption Model for Sectoring Optimization in Pressurized Irrigation Networks Using a Simulated Annealing Approach. Journal of Irrigation and Drainage Engineering, 138(7), 613-624. doi:10.1061/(asce)ir.1943-4774.0000452Germanopoulos, G. (1985). A technical note on the inclusion of pressure dependent demand and leakage terms in water supply network models. Civil Engineering Systems, 2(3), 171-179. doi:10.1080/02630258508970401GERMANOPOULOS, G., & JOWITT, P. (1989). LEAKAGE REDUCTION BY EXCESS PRESSURE MINIMIZATION IN A WATER SUPPLY NETWORK. Proceedings of the Institution of Civil Engineers, 87(2), 195-214. doi:10.1680/iicep.1989.2003Giustolisi, O., Savic, D., & Kapelan, Z. (2008). Pressure-Driven Demand and Leakage Simulation for Water Distribution Networks. Journal of Hydraulic Engineering, 134(5), 626-635. doi:10.1061/(asce)0733-9429(2008)134:5(626)Islam, M. S., Sadiq, R., Rodriguez, M. J., Francisque, A., Najjaran, H., Naser, B., & Hoorfar, M. (2012). Evaluating leakage potential in water distribution systems: a fuzzy-based methodology. Journal of Water Supply: Research and Technology - Aqua, 61(4), 240-252. doi:10.2166/aqua.2012.151Kleiner, Y., & Rajani, B. (2002). Forecasting Variations and Trends in Water-Main Breaks. Journal of Infrastructure Systems, 8(4), 122-131. doi:10.1061/(asce)1076-0342(2002)8:4(122)Shamir, U., & Howard, C. D. D. (1979). An Analytic Approach to Scheduling Pipe Replacement. Journal - American Water Works Association, 71(5), 248-258. doi:10.1002/j.1551-8833.1979.tb04345.xWalski, T. M., & Pelliccia, A. (1982). Economic analysis of water main breaks. Journal - American Water Works Association, 74(3), 140-147. doi:10.1002/j.1551-8833.1982.tb04874.

Strangers in the night: nightlife studies and new urban tourism

This paper draws together recent scholarship from the study of urban tourism and nightlife. Though studies of urban tourism do not always specifically address nightlife, and likewise studies of the night and nightlife do not always examine tourism, both bodies of research overlap in important ways. Concerns about commercialisation, gentrification, displacement, and urban change are to be found in both bodies of research. However, while the study of urban tourism typically recognises the erasure of the host / guest binary and seeks to destabilise the notion of who is a tourist or stranger, studies of nightlife often rest on a much clearer distinction between who belongs and who does not. An argument proposed here is that while the host / guest, tourist / non-tourist binary is perhaps reconfiguring, the night and nightlife spaces reinstate these binaries in various ways. This paper thinks through debates about tourists and residents in the night, focusing in particular on questions of belonging, place identification and gentrification through night-time uses

Observation of Very High Energy Gamma Rays from HESS J1804-216 with CANGAROO-III Telescopes

We observed the unidentified TeV gamma-ray source HESS J1804-216 with the CANGAROO-III atmospheric Cerenkov telescopes from May to July in 2006. We detected very high energy gamma rays above 600 GeV at the 10 sigma level in an effective exposure of 76 hr. We obtained a differential flux of (5.0+/-1.5_{stat}+/-1.6_{sys})\times 10^{-12}(E/1 TeV)^{-\alpha} cm^{-2}s^{-1}TeV^{-1} with a photon index \alpha of 2.69 +/- 0.30_{stat} +/- 0.34_{sys}, which is consistent with that of the H.E.S.S. observation in 2004. We also confirm the extended morphology of the source. By combining our result with multi-wavelength observations, we discuss the possible counterparts of HESS J1804-216 and the radiation mechanism based on leptonic and hadronic processes for a supernova remnant and a pulsar wind nebula.Comment: 11 pages, 12 figures, Accepted in Ap

Evaluating the influence of progesterone concentration and time of exposure on in vitro endometrial decidualisation

This study aimed to evaluate the influence of progesterone (concentration and time of exposure) on endometrial decidualisation using an in vitro model cell line: Human Endometrial Stromal Cells (HESCs). HESCs exposed to progesterone (1 and 10 μM) had higher percentages of decidualised cells and higher expression of the decidual marker (Insulin Like Growth Factor Binding Protein 1 (IGFBP1)) compared with those exposed to (0.1 μM). Among those HESCs cultured with 1 μM progesterone for 11 days, the highest rate of morphological differentiation (40–50%) occurred between days 7–9 and IGFBP1 peaked on day 7. The cell-cycle pathway was significantly down-regulated in HESCs exposed to at least 1 μM progesterone regardless of the incubation period. We conclude that exposure to high progesterone concentration for 7–9 days is essential to maximise the process of decidualisation

Suboptimal mid-luteal progesterone concentrations are associated with aberrant endometrial gene expression, potentially resulting in implantation failure

Research questionWhat is the difference in endometrial transcriptomics between women with normal and with low mid-luteal progesterone during the implantation window?DesignAn endometrial biopsy and serum progesterone concentration were taken from participants during the mid-luteal phase (LH+7 to LH+9). A total of 12 participants were recruited and categorized into two groups based on their progesterone concentrations: normal progesterone (>15 ng/ml, n = 6) and low progesterone ([less than] 15 ng/ml, n = 6). Global endometrial gene expression between the two groups was compared by microarray techniques. Principal component analysis was used to display the gene's expression pattern. Pathway and gene ontology enrichment analysis were performed to determine the biological mechanism of progesterone on the endometrium.ResultsSeveral key genes related to endometrial receptivity were found to be regulated by progesterone. With regard to gene ontology and pathway analysis, progesterone was shown to be mainly involved in structure morphogenesis predominantly during a process of decidualization, extracellular matrix–receptor interaction and cell adhesion. Distinct differences were observed in the transcriptomic profiles between the two groups, indicating potential impairment of endometrial receptivity in women with suboptimal progesterone concentrations. There was a relatively similar pattern of gene expression between endometrial samples with progesterone concentrations approximately 10 ng/ml and >15 ng/ml. Thus, a progesterone concentration of between 10 and 15 ng/ml appears to be sufficient to induce endometrial receptivity.ConclusionsAbnormally low progesterone below the threshold of 10–15 ng/ml during the implantation window results in aberrant endometrial gene expression that may affect implantation potential

Event-related alpha suppression in response to facial motion

This article has been made available through the Brunel Open Access Publishing Fund.While biological motion refers to both face and body movements, little is known about the visual perception of facial motion. We therefore examined alpha wave suppression as a reduction in power is thought to reflect visual activity, in addition to attentional reorienting and memory processes. Nineteen neurologically healthy adults were tested on their ability to discriminate between successive facial motion captures. These animations exhibited both rigid and non-rigid facial motion, as well as speech expressions. The structural and surface appearance of these facial animations did not differ, thus participants decisions were based solely on differences in facial movements. Upright, orientation-inverted and luminance-inverted facial stimuli were compared. At occipital and parieto-occipital regions, upright facial motion evoked a transient increase in alpha which was then followed by a significant reduction. This finding is discussed in terms of neural efficiency, gating mechanisms and neural synchronization. Moreover, there was no difference in the amount of alpha suppression evoked by each facial stimulus at occipital regions, suggesting early visual processing remains unaffected by manipulation paradigms. However, upright facial motion evoked greater suppression at parieto-occipital sites, and did so in the shortest latency. Increased activity within this region may reflect higher attentional reorienting to natural facial motion but also involvement of areas associated with the visual control of body effectors. © 2014 Girges et al