Nitrification-denitrification in WSP: a mechanism for permanent nitrogen removal in maturation ponds

A pilot-scale primary maturation pond was spiked with 15N-labelled ammonia (15NH4Cl) and 15N labelled nitrite (Na15NO2), in order to improve current understanding of the dynamics of inorganic nitrogen transformations and removal in WSP systems. Stable isotope analysis of δ15N showed that nitrification could be considered as an intermediate step in WSP, which is masked by simultaneous denitrification, under conditions of low algal activity. Molecular microbiology analysis showed that denitrification can be considered a feasible mechanism for permanent nitrogen removal in WSP, which may be supported either by ammonia-oxidising bacteria (AOB) or by methanotrophs, in addition to nitrite-oxidising bacteria (NOB). However, the relative supremacy of the denitrification process over other nitrogen removal mechanisms (e.g., biological uptake) depends upon phytoplanktonic activity

Agent-based simulation framework for airport collaborative decision making

Airport Collaborative Decision Making is based on information sharing. A better use of resources can be attained when the different stakeholders at airport operations share their more accurate and updated information. One of the main difficulties when dealing with this information sharing concept is the number of stakeholders involved and their different interest and behaviour: aircraft operators, ground handling companies, airport authority, air traffic control and the Central Flow Management Unit. It is paramount to quantify the benefit of an airport collaborative decision making strategy in order to involve all these different organisations. Simulations are required to analyse the overall system and its emerging behaviour. This paper presents the development and initial testing of an agent-based framework, which allows this behavioural analysis to be done. The simulator explicitly represents the different stakeholders involved in the A-CDM and the interactions between them from milestone 1 to 7. This framework allows independent gradual development of local behaviours and optimisation, and a gradual increase on complexity and fidelity on the simulations

An overview of a heavy rain event in southeastern Iberia: the role of large-scale meteorological conditions

International audienceThe heavy rain event of 30 January to 4 February 1993 in the Segura Basin in SE Iberia is investigated. The study emphasizes the atmospheric processes that led to thunderstorm development. The meteorological scenario has been separated into preconvective and convective periods and into large-scale and subsynoptic settings. The warm, moist air flow from the Mediterranean Sea, channelled by a high-over-low blocking pattern with a cold front over southeastern Iberia appears to be the main reason that helped trigger a severe weather occurrence. The study of the mesoscale environment parameters showed an enhanced conditional unstability through a deep troposphere layer with a moderate to strong vertical wind shear that promoted conditions to allow organization of long-lived convective structures

The TKE budget in the convective Martian planetary boundary layer

The turbulent kinetic energy (TKE) budget has been obtained for the first time from ground‐based data on Mars, both for the unstable surface layer (SL) and for the convectively driven mixed layer (CML). Values for storage, buoyancy, shear, vertical turbulent transport, dissipation, and an imbalance term accounting for the rest of the TKE budget have been determined and weighted for significance. These results have been derived from ground‐based measurements made by Viking Lander 1 (VL1) on Sol 28, Viking Lander 2 (VL2) on Sol 20, and Pathfinder (PF) on Sol 25, and through an adaptation to Mars of terrestrial similarity theory, which constitutes a new approach to the study of the TKE budget on Mars. Shear is the main TKE generator in the unstable SL for VL1 Sol 28 and PF Sol 25. It is narrowly exceeded by dissipation, the main mechanism removing TKE. Both terms present values ∼10 −1 m 2 s −3 . Buoyancy generates TKE, though it plays a minor role (∼10 −2 m 2 s −3 ). Vertical turbulent transport balances buoyancy, removing TKE from the SL by sending it upwards. The imbalance term represents 30% of the main mechanisms, while storage plays an insignificant role (∼10 −5 m 2 s −3 ). The SL TKE budget for VL2 Sol 20 presents a different behaviour instead, with the imbalance term becoming the main TKE generator, likely due to the anomalous atmospheric conditions existing during this Sol. Buoyancy and dissipation play the major roles generating and removing TKE in the CML for the three Sols under study, respectively, both showing values around 5×10 −3 m 2 s −3 . Vertical turbulent transport plays a minor role (∼10 −4 m 2 s −3 ), and so does the imbalance term, with values about 25% of buoyancy or dissipation. Finally, shear and storage terms are negligible, presenting values ∼10 −6 and ∼10 −5 m 2 s −3 , respectively. Copyright © 2011 Royal Meteorological SocietyPeer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/89471/1/883_ftp.pd

Quantitative infrared spectroscopy of minor constituents of the Earth's atmosphere

We obtain quantitative laboratory spectroscopic measurements of molecular constituents which are of importance in understanding the health of the Earth's atmosphere, and, in particular, emphasize those species which are important for understanding stratospheric kinetics or are used for long term monitoring of the stratosphere. Our measurements provide: (1) line and band intensity values which are needed to establish limits of detectability for as yet unobserved species and to quantify the abundance of those species which are observed; (2) line-positions, -half widths and pressure induced shifts are all needed for remote sensing techniques, and (3) data on the above basic molecular parameters at temperatures and pressures appropriate for the real atmosphere

Feed prices and production costs on Spanish dairy farms

This paper analyses the impact of livestock feed prices and pasture quality on the long and short-term costs of milk production in a region of Spain (Navarre). The empirical results are obtained from the estimation of a flexible short-run cost function, followed by the approximation of long-run equilibrium based on the quasi-fixed factors adjusted to their optimal levels. The results reveal a high sensitivity of milk production costs to changes in livestock feed prices due to two reasons. One is that, as milk production expands, it tends to become technologically more intensive. The other is that, in the current structure of dairy farming, land input is suboptimal, particularly in the case of large farms and areas of poor pasture. The results reveal that short-run substitution between feed and livestock is a potential strategy for farms to respond to feed price increases. They also suggest that structural policies designed to strengthen the dairy sector’s competitiveness should vary according to agro-climatic conditions. In areas of poor pasture, herd growth might be used as a long-term measure to increase competitiveness through economies of scale; while the alternatives for farms in better-endowed regions also include extensification of dairy production.This paper analyses the impact of livestock feed prices and pasture quality on long and short-term milk production costs in a region in Spain (Navarre). The empirical results are obtained by estimating a flexible short-run cost function and then approximating long-run equilibrium by adjusting the quasi-fixed factors to their optimal levels. The results reveal a high sensitivity of milk production costs to changes in livestock feed prices due to two reasons. One is that milk production tends to become technologically more intensive as milk production expands. In optimum conditions, large dairy farms appear to become less land-dependent and to rely more heavily on purchased livestock feed. The other is that the current dairy farm structure shows suboptimal quantity of land, particularly by large farms and in areas with poor pasture quality. The results reveal that short-run substitution between feed and livestock is a potential strategy for farms to respond to feed price increases. The results also suggest that structural policies to strengthen the dairy sector’s competitiveness could be made to vary across agro-climatic areas. In poor pasture areas, herd growth might be used as a long-term measure to increase competitiveness through economies of scale; while the alternatives for farms in better-endowed regions also include extensification of dairy production

Regional improvement of global reanalyses by means of a new long-term Mediterranean hindcasted precipitation dataset: a first study over the Iberian Peninsula

Generation of a Mediterranean long-term (1958-2001) homogeneous high resolution environmental database constituted the main objective whitin the HIPOCAS Project. The high number of parameters included in this database allows a complete characterization of Mediterranean storms. In this paper, the HIPOCAS precipitation reliability over the Iberian Peninsula and the Balearic Islands is evaluated against long-term in-situ observations from Iberia. In order to provide a more complete study, comparisons of the HIPOCAS field with NCEP/NCAR and ERA global reanalysis show the important improvement in the characterisation of the observed precipitation introduced by the HIPOCAS hindcast

Ab initio data-analytics study of carbon-dioxide activation on semiconductor oxide surfaces

The excessive emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2) into the atmosphere threaten to shift the CO2 cycle planet-wide and induce unpredictable climate changes. Using artificial intelligence (AI) trained on high-throughput first principles based data for a broad family of oxides, we develop a strategy for a rational design of catalytic materials for converting CO2 to fuels and other useful chemicals. We demonstrate that an electron transfer to the π-antibonding orbital of the adsorbed molecule and the associated bending of the initially linear molecule, previously proposed as the indicator of activation, are insufficient to account for the good catalytic performance of experimentally characterized oxide surfaces. Instead, our AI model identifies the common feature of these surfaces in the binding of a molecular O atom to a surface cation, which results in a strong elongation and therefore weakening of one molecular C-O bond. This finding suggests using the C-O bond elongation as an indicator of CO2 activation. Based on these findings, we propose a set of new promising oxide-based catalysts for CO2 conversion, and a recipe to find more

The interaction between polygenic risk and environmental influences: a direct test of the 3P model of insomnia in adolescents

Background: Stress is a universal phenomenon and one of the most common precipitants of insomnia. However, not everyone develops insomnia after experiencing a stressful life event. This study aims to test aspects of Spielman's ‘3P model of insomnia’ (during adolescence) by exploring the extent to which: (a) insomnia symptoms are predicted by polygenic scores (PGS); (b) life events predict insomnia symptoms; (c) the interaction between PGS and life events contribute to the prediction of insomnia symptoms; (d) gene–environment interaction effects remain after controlling for sex. Methods: The sample comprised 4,629 twins aged 16 from the Twin Early Development Study who reported on their insomnia symptoms and life events. PGS for insomnia were calculated. In order to test the main hypothesis of this study (a significant interaction between PGS and negative life events), we fitted a series of mixed effect regressions. Results: The best fit was provided by the model including sex, PGS for insomnia, negative life events, and their interactions (AIC = 26,158.7). Our results show that the association between insomnia symptoms and negative life events is stronger for those with a higher genetic risk for insomnia. Conclusions: This work sheds light on the complex relationship between genetic and environmental factors implicated for insomnia. This study has tested for the first time the interaction between genetic predisposition (PGS) for insomnia and environmental stressors (negative life events) in adolescents. This work represents a direct test of components of Spielman's 3P model for insomnia which is supported by our results