Modelling spatial variation and environmental impacts of land use change in the exploitation of land-based renewable bioenergy crops

Spatial factors are of particular importance to the sustainability of land based energy crops, due both to the need to minimise feedstock transport, and to the importance of cultivation site attributes in determining key environmental impacts. This study uses geographical information system (GIS) mapping to identify sites suitable for the cultivation of Miscanthus or short rotation coppiced (SRC) SRC willow for co-firing with coal or generation of combined heat and power (CHP). Modelling using an adapted version of DayCent was performed for typical sites to assess variation in yield, nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions, evapotranspiration (ET) and change in soil organic carbon (SOC) according to soil properties, hydrologic regime and previous land use. Development of the DayCent model as part of this research gave improved simulation of the impacts of tillage on soil porosity, and resultant N2O emissions from soil, and improved simulation of growth of SRC willow following coppicing management, leading to improved yield predictions. For land use change from arable to perennial cultivation, increased SOC was simulated, along with reduced N2O emissions, particularly on soils prone to anoxia. However, in general, benefits of cultivation of Miscanthus and SRC willow for energy are maximised when the crops are grown at sites where high yields are achieved, and used to generate CHP, since this minimises the land area required per unit energy generated. Further model development work and additional field data for model verification are necessary for firmer conclusions on the change in net greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions following land use change. Additionally, indirect land use change may negate perceived benefits, and locations are difficult to predict or identify in a complex global system. Given the magnitude of identified variations in yields and changes in N2O emissions, spatial variation in benefits of bioenergy cultivation should be a factor in decisions to provide economic support for cultivation. However, calculations suggest that emissions offset by replacing energy generation from fossil fuels may have greater impact on GHG savings per gigajoule (GJ) than cultivation site attributes. Since total energy conversion efficiency may be in the region of 30% for electricity-only generation and up to 90% for CHP generation, planning feedstock supply chains to maximise efficiency of feedstock end use is therefore beneficial

Idealized Multigrid Algorithm for Staggered Fermions

An idealized multigrid algorithm for the computation of propagators of staggered fermions is investigated. Exemplified in four-dimensional $SU(2)$ gauge fields, it is shown that the idealized algorithm preserves criticality under coarsening. The same is not true when the coarse grid operator is defined by the Galerkin prescription. Relaxation times in computations of propagators are small, and critical slowing is strongly reduced (or eliminated) in the idealized algorithm. Unfortunately, this algorithm is not practical for production runs, but the investigations presented here answer important questions of principle.Comment: 11 pages, no figures, DESY 93-046; can be formatted with plain LaTeX article styl

Explosion models for thermonuclear supernovae resulting from different ignition conditions

We have explored in three dimensions the fate of a massive white dwarf as a function of different initial locations of carbon ignition, with the aid of a SPH code. The calculated models cover a variety of possibilities ranging from the simultaneous ignition of the central volume of the star to the off-center ignition in multiple scattered spots. In the former case, there are discussed the possibility of a transition to a detonation when the mean density of the nuclear flame decreases below 2x10**7 g cm**-3, and its consequences. In the last case, the dependence of the results on the number of initial igniting spots and the chance of some of these models to evolve to the pulsating delayed detonation scenario are also outlined.Comment: 5 pages, 1 figure, proceedings of IAU Colloquium 192, 'Supernovae (10 years of SN1993J)', 22-26 April 2003, Valencia, Spai

Dielectric (p,q) Strings in a Throat

We calculate the (p,q) string spectrum in a warped deformed conifold using the dielectric brane method. The spectrum is shown to have the same functional form as in the dual picture of a wrapped D3-brane with electric and magnetic fluxes on its world volume. The agreement is exact in the limit where q is large. We also calculate the dielectric spectrum in the S-dual picture. The spectrum in the S-dual picture has the same form as in the original picture but it is not exactly S-dual invariant due to an interchange of Casimirs of the non-Abelian gauge symmetries. We argue that in order to restore S-duality invariance the non-Abelian brane action should be refined, probably by a better prescription for the non-Abelian trace operation

Genome-wide and Mendelian randomisation studies of liver MRI yield insights into the pathogenesis of steatohepatitis

Background A non-invasive method to grade the severity of steatohepatitis and liver fibrosis is magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) based corrected T1 (cT1). We aimed to identify genetic variants influencing liver cT1 and use genetics to understand mechanisms underlying liver fibroinflammatory disease and its link with other metabolic traits and diseases. Methods First, we performed a genome-wide association study (GWAS) in 14,440 Europeans in UK Biobank with liver cT1 measures. Second, we explored the effects of the cT1 variants on liver blood tests, and a range of metabolic traits and diseases. Third, we used Mendelian randomisation to test the causal effects of 24 predominantly metabolic traits on liver cT1 measures. Results We identified six independent genetic variants associated with liver cT1 that reached GWAS significance threshold (p<5x10-8). Four of the variants (rs75935921 in SLC30A10, rs13107325 in SLC39A8, rs58542926 in TM6SF2, rs738409 in PNPLA3) were also associated with elevated transaminases and had variable effects on liver fat and other metabolic traits. Insulin resistance, type 2 diabetes, non-alcoholic fatty liver and BMI were causally associated with elevated cT1 whilst favourable adiposity (instrumented by variants associated with higher adiposity but lower risk of cardiometabolic disease and lower liver fat) was found to be protective. Conclusion The association between two metal ion transporters and cT1 indicates an important new mechanism in steatohepatitis. Future studies are needed to determine whether interventions targeting the identified transporters might prevent liver disease in at risk individuals

Removing singular refractive indices with sculpted surfaces

Open Access JournalThe advent of Transformation Optics established the link between geometry and material properties, and has resulted in a degree of control over electromagnetic fields that was previously impossible. For waves confined to a surface it is known that there is a simpler, but related, geometrical equivalence between the surface shape and the refractive index, and here we demonstrate that conventional devices possessing a singularity - that is, the requirement of an infinite refractive index - can be realised for waves confined to an appropriately sculpted surface. In particular, we redesign three singular omnidirectional devices: the Eaton lens, the generalized Maxwell Fish-Eye, and the invisible sphere. Our designs perfectly reproduce the behaviour of these singular devices, and can be achieved with simple isotropic media of low refractive index contrast.Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council (EPSRC

Fuzzy Sphere Dynamics and Non-Abelian DBI in Curved Backgrounds

We consider the non-Abelian action for the dynamics of $N Dp'$-branes in the background of $M Dp$-branes, which parameterises a fuzzy sphere using the SU(2) algebra. We find that the curved background leads to collapsing solutions for the fuzzy sphere except when we have $D0$ branes in the $D6$ background, which is a realisation of the gravitational Myers effect. Furthermore we find the equations of motion in the Abelian and non-Abelian theories are identical in the large $N$ limit. By picking a specific ansatz we find that we can incorporate angular momentum into the action, although this imposes restriction upon the dimensionality of the background solutions. We also consider the case of non-Abelian non-BPS branes, and examine the resultant dynamics using world-volume symmetry transformations. We find that the fuzzy sphere always collapses but the solutions are sensitive to the combination of the two conserved charges and we can find expanding solutions with turning points. We go on to consider the coincident $NS$5-brane background, and again construct the non-Abelian theory for both BPS and non-BPS branes. In the latter case we must use symmetry arguments to find additional conserved charges on the world-volumes to solve the equations of motion. We find that in the Non-BPS case there is a turning solution for specific regions of the tachyon and radion fields. Finally we investigate the more general dynamics of fuzzy $\mathbb{S}^{2k}$ in the $Dp$-brane background, and find collapsing solutions in all cases.Comment: 49 pages, 3 figures, Latex; Version to appear in JHE

Expression of ski can act as a negative feedback mechanism on retinoic acid signaling

Background: Retinoic acid signaling is essential for many aspects of early development in vertebrates. To control the levels of signaling, several retinoic acid target genes have been identified that act to suppress retinoic acid signaling in a negative feedback loop. The nuclear protein Ski has been extensively studied for its ability to suppress transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β) signaling but has also been implicated in the repression of retinoic acid signaling. Results: We demonstrate that ski expression is up-regulated in response to retinoic acid in both early Xenopus embryos and in human cell lines. Blocking retinoic acid signaling using a retinoic acid antagonist results in a corresponding decrease in the levels of ski mRNA. Finally, overexpression of SKI in human cells results in reduced levels of CYP26A1 mRNA, a known target of retinoic acid signaling. Conclusions: Our results, coupled with the known ability of Ski to repress retinoic acid signaling, demonstrate that Ski expression is a novel negative feedback mechanism acting on retinoic acid signaling. Developmental Dynamics 242:604-613, 2013. © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc

Manitoba field survey of herbicide-resistant weeds

Non-Peer ReviewedIn 2002, 150 fields were randomly selected throughout the ecoregions of Manitoba and surveyed for grass and broadleaf weeds resistant to Group 1 (ACCase inhibitor) or Group 2 (ALS inhibitor) herbicides. One-third of surveyed fields had a herbicide-resistant weed biotype. Two biotypes new to western Canada are Group 2-resistant green foxtail and redroot pigweed. Of producers with resistant biotypes, 10% or fewer were aware of their occurrence

Galaxy Zoo : Building the low-mass end of the red sequence with local post-starburst galaxies

We present a study of local post-starburst galaxies (PSGs) using the photometric and spectroscopic observations from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey and the results from the Galaxy Zoo project. We find that the majority of our local PSG population have neither early- nor late-type morphologies but occupy a well-defined space within the colour-stellar mass diagram, most notably, the low-mass end of the 'green valley' below the transition mass thought to be the mass division between low-mass star-forming galaxies and high-mass passively evolving bulge-dominated galaxies. Our analysis suggests that it is likely that local PSGs will quickly transform into 'red', low-mass early-type galaxies as the stellar morphologies of the 'green' PSGs largely resemble that of the early-type galaxies within the same mass range. We propose that the current population of PSGs represents a population of galaxies which is rapidly transitioning between the star-forming and the passively evolving phases. Subsequently, these PSGs will contribute towards the build-up of the low-mass end of the 'red sequence' once the current population of young stars fade and stars are no longer being formed. These results are consistent with the idea of 'downsizing' where the build-up of smaller galaxies occurs at later epochs.Peer reviewe