Comparison of measured and EF5-r derived N₂O fluxes from a spring-fed river

There is considerable uncertainty in the estimates of indirect N₂O emissions as defined by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's (IPCC) methodology. Direct measurements of N₂O yields and fluxes in aquatic river environments are sparse and more data are required to determine the role that rivers play in the global N₂O budget. The objectives of this research were to measure the N₂O fluxes from a spring-fed river, relate these fluxes to the dissolved N₂O concentrations and NO₃–N loading of the river, and to try and define the indirect emission factor (EF5-r) for the river. Gas bubble ebullition was observed at the river source with bubbles containing 7.9 µL N₂O L⁻¹. River NO₃–N and dissolved N₂O concentrations ranged from 2.5 to 5.3 mg L⁻¹ and 0.4 to 1.9 µg N₂O-N L⁻¹ respectively with N₂O saturation reaching 404%. Floating headspace chambers were used to sample N₂O fluxes. N₂O–N fluxes were significantly related to dissolved N₂O–N concentrations (r² = 30.6) but not to NO₃–N concentrations. The N₂O–N fluxes ranged from 38-501 µg m⁻² h⁻¹, averaging 171 µg m⁻² h⁻¹ (± Std. Dev. 85) overall. The measured N₂O–N fluxes equated to an EF5-r of only 6.6% of that calculated using the IPCC methodology, and this itself was considered to be an over-estimate due to the degassing of antecedent dissolved N₂O present in the groundwater that fed the river

Extension rates across the northern Shanxi Grabens, China, from Quaternary geology, seismicity and geodesy

Discrepancies between geological, seismic and geodetic rates of strain can indicate that rates of crustal deformation, and hence seismic hazard, are varying through time. Previous studies in the northern Shanxi Grabens, at the northeastern corner of the Ordos Plateau in northern China, have found extension rates of anywhere between 0 and 6 mm a−1 at an azimuth of between 95° and 180°. In this paper we determine extension rates across the northern Shanxi Grabens from offset geomorphological features and a variety of Quaternary dating techniques (including new IRSL and Ar-Ar ages), a Kostrov summation using a 700 yr catalogue of historical earthquakes, and recent campaign GPS measurements. We observe good agreement between Quaternary, seismic and geodetic rates of strain, and we find that the northern Shanxi Grabens are extending at around 1–2 mm a−1 at an azimuth of ≈151°. The azimuth of extension is particularly well constrained and can be reliably inferred from catalogues of small earthquakes. We do not find evidence for any substantial variations in extension rate through time, though there is a notable seismic moment rate deficit since 1750. This deficit could indicate complex fault interactions across large regions, aseismic accommodation of deformation, or that we are quite late in the earthquake cycle with the potential for larger earthquakes in the relatively near future

Accounting for the utilization of a N₂O mitigation tool in the IPCC inventory methodology for agricultural soils

In this study we review recent studies where dicyandiamide was used as a nitrification inhibitor to reduce both N₂O emissions from urine patches and nitrate leaching from pasture systems, and which led to the development of a commercial product for use on farmland. On average, emissions of N₂O and nitrate leaching were reduced by 72% and 61%, respectively. This study then demonstrates how a mitigation tool can be accounted for in the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's inventory methodology when constructing an inventory of New Zealand's agricultural soil N₂O emissions. The current New Zealand specific emission factors for EF1 (0.01), EF3PRP (0.01) and FracLEACH (0.07) are amended to values of 0.0058, 0.0058 and 0.0455. Examples are also given, based on OVERSEER TM models, of the implications of farm management scenarios on N₂O inventories and total greenhouse gas production when using a N₂O mitigation tool; CO₂ equivalents kg⁻¹ milk solid decreased from 14.2 to as little as 11.7, depending on the management scenario modelled

High-Throughput Top-Down Fabrication of Uniform Magnetic Particles

Ion Beam Aperture Array Lithography was applied to top-down fabrication of large dense (108–109 particles/cm2) arrays of uniform micron-scale particles at rates hundreds of times faster than electron beam lithography. In this process, a large array of helium ion beamlets is formed when a stencil mask containing an array of circular openings is illuminated by a broad beam of energetic (5–8 keV) ions, and is used to write arrays of specific repetitive patterns. A commercial 5-micrometer metal mesh was used as a stencil mask; the mesh size was adjusted by shrinking the stencil openings using conformal sputter-deposition of copper. Thermal evaporation from multiple sources was utilized to form magnetic particles of varied size and thickness, including alternating layers of gold and permalloy. Evaporation of permalloy layers in the presence of a magnetic field allowed creation of particles with uniform magnetic properties and pre-determined magnetization direction. The magnetic properties of the resulting particles were characterized by Vibrating Sample Magnetometry. Since the orientation of the particles on the substrate before release into suspension is known, the orientation-dependent magnetic properties of the particles could be determined

Exercise Induced Systemic Venous Hypertension in the Fontan Circulation

Increasingly end-organ injury is being demonstrated late after institution of the Fontan circulation, particularly liver fibrosis and cirrhosis. The exact mechanisms for these late phenomena remain largely elusive. Hypothesizing that exercise induces precipitous systemic venous hypertension and insufficient cardiac output for the exercise demand, i.e. a possible mechanism for end-organ injury, we sought to demonstrate the dynamic exercise responses in systemic venous (SVP) and concurrent end organ perfusion. Ten stable Fontan patients and 9 control subjects underwent incremental cycle ergometry based cardiopulmonary exercise testing. SVP was monitored in the right upper limb and regional tissue oxygen saturation was monitored in the brain and kidney using Near Infrared Spectroscopy. SVP rose profoundly in concert with workload in the Fontan group, described by the regression equation 15.97+0.073 Watts per mm Hg. In contrast SVP did not change in healthy controls. Regional renal (p<0.01) and cerebral tissue saturations (p<0.001) were significantly lower and fell more rapidly in Fontan patients. We conclude that in a stable group of adult patients with Fontan circulation high intensity exercise was associated with systemic venous hypertension and reduced systemic oxygen delivery. This physiologic substrate has the potential to contribute to endorgan injury

Molecular characterization of the EhaG and UpaG trimeric autotransporter proteins from pathogenic Escherichia coli

Trimeric autotransporter proteins (TAAs) are important virulence factors of many Gram-negative bacterial pathogens. A common feature of most TAAs is the ability to mediate adherence to eukaryotic cells or extracellular matrix (ECM) proteins via a cell surface-exposed passenger domain. Here we describe the characterization of EhaG, a TAA identified from enterohemorrhagic Escherichia coli (EHEC) O157:H7. EhaG is a positional orthologue of the recently characterized UpaG TAA from uropathogenic E. coli (UPEC). Similarly to UpaG, EhaG localized at the bacterial cell surface and promoted cell aggregation, biofilm formation, and adherence to a range of ECM proteins. However, the two orthologues display differential cellular binding: EhaG mediates specific adhesion to colorectal epithelial cells while UpaG promotes specific binding to bladder epithelial cells. The EhaG and UpaG TAAs contain extensive sequence divergence in their respective passenger domains that could account for these differences. Indeed, sequence analyses of UpaG and EhaG homologues from several E. coli genomes revealed grouping of the proteins in clades almost exclusively represented by distinct E. coli pathotypes. The expression of EhaG (in EHEC) and UpaG (in UPEC) was also investigated and shown to be significantly enhanced in an hns isogenic mutant, suggesting that H-NS acts as a negative regulator of both TAAs. Thus, while the EhaG and UpaG TAAs contain some conserved binding and regulatory features, they also possess important differences that correlate with the distinct pathogenic lifestyles of EHEC and UPEC