Risk Assessment of E. coli Survival Up to the Grazing Exclusion Period After Dairy Slurry, Cattle Dung, and Biosolids Application to Grassland

peer-reviewedGrassland application of dairy slurry, cattle dung, and biosolids offers an opportunity to recycle valuable nutrients (N, P, and K), which may all introduce pathogens to the soil environment. Herein, a temporal risk assessment of the survival of Escherichia coli (E. coli) up to 40 days in line with the legislated grazing exclusion time points after application was examined across six scenarios: (1) soil and biosolids mixture, (2) biosolids amended soil, (3) dairy slurry application, (4) cattle dung on pasture, (5) comparison of scenario 2, 3, and 4, and (6) maximum legal vs. excess rate of application for scenario 2 and 3. The risk model input parameters were taken or derived from regressions within the literature and an uncertainty analysis (n = 1,000 trials for each scenario) was conducted. Scenario 1 results showed that E. coli survival was higher in the soil/biosolids mixture for higher biosolids portion, resulting in the highest 20 day value of residual E. coli concentration (i.e., C20, log10 CFU g−1 dw) of 1.0 in 100% biosolids or inoculated soil and the lowest C20 of 0.098 in 75/25 soil/biosolids ratio, respectively, in comparison to an average initial value of ~6.4 log10 CFU g−1 dw. The E. coli survival across scenario 2, 3, and 4 showed that the C20 value of biosolids (0.57 log10 CFU g−1 dw) and dairy slurry (0.74 log10 CFU ml−1) was 2.9–3.7 times smaller than that of cattle dung (2.12 log10 CFU g−1 dw). The C20 values of biosolids and dairy slurry associated with legal and excess application rates ranged from 1.14 to 1.71 log10 CFU ha−1, which is a significant reduction from the initial concentration range (12.99 to 14.83 log10 CFU ha−1). The E. coli survival in un-amended soil was linear with a very low decay rate resulting in a higher C20 value than that of biosolids or dairy slurry. The risk assessment and uncertainly analysis showed that the residual concentrations in biosolids/dairy slurry applied soil after 20 days would be 45–57% lower than that of the background soil E. coli concentration. This means the current practice of grazing exclusion times is safe to reduce the risk of E. coli transmission into the soil environment.This publication has emanated from research funded by the EU FP7 Environment theme–Grant no. 265269 Marketable sludge derivatives from a highly integrated wastewater treatment plant (END-O-SLUDG)

Bacterial dimethylsulfoniopropionate degradation genes in the oligotrophic North Pacific subtropical gyre

Dimethylsulfoniopropionate (DMSP) is an organic sulfur compound that is rapidly metabolized by marine bacteria either by cleavage to dimethylsulfide (DMS) or demethylation to 3-methiolpropionate. The abundance and diversity of genes encoding bacterial DMS production (dddP) and demethylation (dmdA) were measured in the North Pacific subtropical gyre (NPSG) between May 2008 and February 2009 at Station ALOHA (22°45=N, 158°00=W) at two depths: 25mand the deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM;~100 m). The highest abundance of dmdA genes was in May 2008 at 25 m, with~16.5% of cells harboring a gene in one of the eight subclades surveyed, while the highest abundance of dddP genes was in July 2008 at 25 m, with~2% of cells harboring a gene. The dmdA gene pool was consistently dominated by homologs from SAR11 subclades, which was supported by findings in metagenomic data sets derived from Station ALOHA. Expression of the SAR11 dmdA genes was low, with typical transcript:gene ratios between 1:350 and 1:1,400. The abundance of DMSP genes was statistically different between 25mand the DCM and correlated with a number of environmental variables, including primary production, photosynthetically active radiation, particulate DMSP, and DMS concentrations. At 25 m, dddP abundance was positively correlated with pigments that are diagnostic of diatoms; at the DCM, dmdA abundance was positively correlated with temperature. Based on gene abundance, we hypothesize that SAR11 bacterioplankton dominate DMSP cycling in the oligotrophic NPSG, with lesser but consistent involvement of other members of the bacterioplankton community

Grassland Phosphorus and Nitrogen Fertiliser Replacement value of Dairy Processing Dewatered Sludge

peer reviewdDairy processing sludge is currently a bio-based fertiliser being spread to grassland without knowledge pertaining to its phosphorus (P) or nitrogen (N) fertiliser replacement value. This creates uncertainty of desired crop yield achievement and unproductive nutrient recycling and also poses a great challenge to the dairy milk processing industry in promoting their food processing by-product as valuable recyclable fertiliser. Therefore four representative samples, i.e. two activated sludge (aluminium-precipitated (Al-sludge) and iron-precipitated (Fe-sludge)), and two lime-stabilised calcium-precipitated sludge (Ca1- and Ca2-sludge), were examined at field scale to assess P and N availability for crop yield and uptake in comparison to reference mineral fertilisers over one seasonal year. The field plots were set-up on a light textured clay loam soil within the optimum plant available P (Morgan's soil P index 3, i.e. medium / adequate soil P level) in two separate adjoining areas consisting of P and N availability experiments. Each experiment consisted of 40 plots (each 8×2 m2) of 10 treatments with 4 replications arranged in a randomised complete block design. All dairy sludge (40 kg-P ha−1) and mineral P treatments (rates 0–50 kg-P ha−1) produced similar yields and uptake, and crop P was not affected by sludge applications despite the presence of high Al, Ca and Fe. During the experiment there was no significant change in P index (stayed at index 3) indicating that no treatment caused a decline in P into index 2 (i.e. low soil P level), therefore replacing P removed by the crop. The only change in Morgan's P was observed in the Ca-sludge treatments, but this was due to Morgan's reagent overestimating plant available P in high Ca conditions. From N trial plots a significantly higher grass yield and N uptake was observed for Fe and both Ca-type sludge applied plots than the control (zero N) plot during the 1st harvest, while no statistical difference observed in the subsequent harvests (up to 4th harvesting). The N fertiliser replacement value (derived from mineral N response) of sludge samples was observed to be in the order of Fe (54%)>Ca2 (25%)>Ca1 (22%)>Al (8%) with greater promise of N fertiliser efficiency of Fe and Ca types. Overall these bio-based sludges show promise in recycling P and N for grassland application but longer term trials in other soil types considering other environmental aspects (losses to soil, water and air) can further optimize the management of dairy sludge as an alternative to chemical fertiliser

CP-odd observables in neutralino production with transverse e+ and e- beam polarization

We consider neutralino production and decay e^+e^ --> chi^0_i chi^0_j, chi^0_j --> chi^0_1 f \bar{f} at a linear collider with transverse e^+ and e^- beam polarization. We propose CP asymmetries by means of the azimuthal distribution of the produced neutralinos and of that of the final leptons, while taking also into account the subsequent decays of the neutralinos. We include the complete spin correlations between production and decay. Our framework is the Minimal Supersymmetric Standard Model with complex parameters. In a numerical study we show that there are good prospects to observe these CP asymmetries at the International Linear Collider and estimate the accuracy expected for the determination of the phases in the neutralino sector.Comment: 30 pages, minor changes in the introduction, references adde

Spectral Properties of the Overlap Dirac Operator in QCD

We discuss the eigenvalue distribution of the overlap Dirac operator in quenched QCD on lattices of size 8^{4}, 10^{4} and 12^{4} at \beta = 5.85 and \beta = 6. We distinguish the topological sectors and study the distributions of the leading non-zero eigenvalues, which are stereographically mapped onto the imaginary axis. Thus they can be compared to the predictions of random matrix theory applied to the \epsilon-expansion of chiral perturbation theory. We find a satisfactory agreement, if the physical volume exceeds about (1.2 fm)^{4}. For the unfolded level spacing distribution we find an accurate agreement with the random matrix conjecture on all volumes that we considered.Comment: 16 pages, 8 figures, final version published in JHE

Cultural orientations and preference for HRM policies and practices:the case of Oman

This study empirically examines the influence of cultural orientations on employee preferences of human resource management (HRM) policies and practices in Oman. Data were collected from 712 employees working in six large Omani organizations. The findings indicate that there is a number of differences among Omani employees regarding value orientations due especially to age, education and work experience. The findings show a strong orientation towards mastery, harmony, thinking and doing, and a weak orientation towards hierarchy, collectivism, subjugation and human nature-as-evil. The results demonstrate a clear link between value orientations and preferences for particular HRM policies and practices. Group-oriented HRM practices are preferred by those who scored high on collectivism and being orientations, and those who scored low on thinking and doing orientations. Hierarchy-oriented HRM practices are preferred by those scoring high on hierarchy, subjugation and human nature-as-bad orientations, and those scoring low on thinking and mastery orientations. Finally, preference for loose and informal HRM practices was positively associated with being, and negatively associated with thinking, doing and harmony orientations. The theoretical and practical implications of these findings are discussed in detail

Observation of the decay \psip\rar\kstark

Using 14 million $\psi(2S)$ events collected with the BESII detector, branching fractions of \psip\rar\kstarkpm and \kstarknn are determined to be: \calB(\psip\rar\kstarkpm)=(2.9^{+1.3}_{-1.7}\pm0.4)\times 10^{-5} and \calB(\psip\rar\kstarknn)=(13.3^{+2.4}_{-2.7}\pm1.9)\times 10^{-5}. The results confirm the violation of the "12%" rule for these two decay channels with higher precision. A large isospin violation between the charged and neutral modes is observed.Comment: 5 pages, 3 figure

Measurements of ψ(2S)\psi(2S) decays into Vector- Tensor final states

Decays of the $\psi(2S)$ into vector plus tensor meson final states have been studied with 14 million $\psi(2S)$ events collected with the BESII detector. Branching fractions of \psi(2S) \rt \omega f_{2}(1270), $\rho a_2(1320)$, $K^*(892)^0\bar{K}^*_2(1430)^0+c.c.$ and $\phi f_2^{\prime}(1525)$ are determined. They improve upon previous BESI results and confirm the violation of the "12%" rule for $\psi(2S)$ decays to VT channels with higher precision.Comment: 7 pages, 7 figures and 2 table

MultiCellDS: a community-developed standard for curating microenvironment-dependent multicellular data

Exchanging and understanding scientific data and their context represents a significant barrier to advancing research, especially with respect to information siloing. Maintaining information provenance and providing data curation and quality control help overcome common concerns and barriers to the effective sharing of scientific data. To address these problems in and the unique challenges of multicellular systems, we assembled a panel composed of investigators from several disciplines to create the MultiCellular Data Standard (MultiCellDS) with a use-case driven development process. The standard includes (1) digital cell lines, which are analogous to traditional biological cell lines, to record metadata, cellular microenvironment, and cellular phenotype variables of a biological cell line, (2) digital snapshots to consistently record simulation, experimental, and clinical data for multicellular systems, and (3) collections that can logically group digital cell lines and snapshots. We have created a MultiCellular DataBase (MultiCellDB) to store digital snapshots and the 200+ digital cell lines we have generated. MultiCellDS, by having a fixed standard, enables discoverability, extensibility, maintainability, searchability, and sustainability of data, creating biological applicability and clinical utility that permits us to identify upcoming challenges to uplift biology and strategies and therapies for improving human health

MultiCellDS: a standard and a community for sharing multicellular data

Cell biology is increasingly focused on cellular heterogeneity and multicellular systems. To make the fullest use of experimental, clinical, and computational efforts, we need standardized data formats, community-curated "public data libraries", and tools to combine and analyze shared data. To address these needs, our multidisciplinary community created MultiCellDS (MultiCellular Data Standard): an extensible standard, a library of digital cell lines and tissue snapshots, and support software. With the help of experimentalists, clinicians, modelers, and data and library scientists, we can grow this seed into a community-owned ecosystem of shared data and tools, to the benefit of basic science, engineering, and human health