The impact of grazing cattle on soil physical properties and nutrient concentrations in overland flow from pasture, Part B

This report has been prepared as part of the Environmental Research Technological Development and Innovation Programme 2000–2006. The programme is financed by the Irish Government under the National Development Plan 2000–2006.End of project reportThe loss of nutrients from agricultural land to water bodies is a serious concern in many countries. To gain information on the contribution of grazing animals to diffuse nutrient losses from pasture areas to water, this study looked at the impact of cattle on nutrient concentrations in overland flow and on soil hydrology (bulk density, macroporosity and resistance to penetration). Rainfall simulations to produce overland flow were conducted and soil physical measurements were taken on experimental plots assigned to one of two treatments: 1) cattle had unrestricted access to the plot; 2) cattle could graze the plot but they could neither walk on the plot area nor deposit excrements on it. Areas to which the cattle had free access were characterised by 57%-83% lower macroporosity, by 8%-17% higher bulk density and by 27%-50% higher resistance to penetration than areas from which the cattle were excluded. The nutrients in overland flow from grassland that were affected by the presence of grazing animals were mainly the particulate nitrogen, the organic phosphorus and the potassium concentrations. Overall, the presence of cattle had a longer lasting effect on the soil hydrological parameters measured than on the nutrient concentrations in overland flow.Environmental Protection Agenc

Phenomenological Constraints on Anomaly-Free Dark Matter Models

We study minimal benchmark models of dark matter with an extra anomaly-free U(1)' gauge boson Z'. We find model parameters that give rise to the correct cosmological dark matter density while evading the latest direct detection searches for dark matter scattering produced by the XENON1T experiment, including the effects of Z-Z' mixing. We also find regions of parameter space that evade the constraints from LHC measurements of dileptons and dijets, precision electroweak measurements, and LHC searches for monojet events with missing transverse energy. We study two benchmark Z' models with Y-sequential couplings to quarks and leptons, one with a vector-like coupling to the dark matter particle and one with an axial dark matter coupling. The vector-like model is extremely tightly constrained, with only a narrow allowed strip where $m_\chi \simeq M_{Z'}/2$, and the axial model is excluded within the parameter range studied. We also consider two leptophobic Z$^\prime$ benchmark models, finding again narrow allowed strips where $m_\chi \simeq M_{Z'}/2$ as well as more extended regions where $\log_{10} (m_\chi/ {\rm GeV}) \gtrsim 3.2$.Comment: 29 pages, 18 figures, 0 anomalie

Beyond the Linearity of Current-Voltage Characteristics in Multiwalled Carbon Nanotubes

We present local and non-local electron transport measurements on individual multi-wall nanotubes for bias voltage between 0 and about 4 V. Local current-voltage characteristics are quite linear. In contrast, non-local measurements are highly non-linear; the differential non-local conductance can even become negative in the high-bias regime. We discuss the relationship between these results and transport parameters such as the elastic length, the number of current carrying shells, and the number of conducting modes.Comment: 5 pages, 5 figure

MRSA eradication of newly acquired lower respiratory tract infection in cystic fibrosis

UK cystic fibrosis (CF) guidelines recommend eradication of methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA) when cultured from respiratory samples. As there is no clear consensus as to which eradication regimen is most effective, we determined the efficacy of eradication regimens used in our CF centre and long-term clinical outcome. All new MRSA positive sputum cultures (n=37) that occurred between 2000 and 2014 were reviewed. Eradication regimen characteristics and clinical, microbiological and long-term outcome data were collected. Rifampicin plus fusidic acid was the most frequently used regimen (24 (65%) out of 37 patients), with an overall success rate of 79% (19 out of 24 patients). Eradication failure was more likely in patients with an additional MRSA-positive peripheral screening swab (p=0.03) and was associated with worse survival (p=0.04). Our results demonstrate the feasibility and clinical benefits of MRSA eradication. As peripheral colonisation was associated with lower eradication success, strategies combining systemic and topical treatments should be considered to optimise outcomes in CF patients

Surrogate utility estimation by long-term partners and unfamiliar dyads

To what extent are people able to make predictions about other people's preferences and values?We report two experiments that present a novel method assessing some of the basic processes in surrogate decision-making, namely surrogate-utility estimation. In each experiment participants formed dyads who were asked to assign utilities to health related items and commodity items, and to predict their partner's utility judgments for the same items. In experiment one we showed that older adults in long-term relationships were able to accurately predict their partner's wishes. In experiment two we showed that younger adults who were relatively unfamiliar with one another were also able to predict other people's wishes. Crucially we demonstrated that these judgments were accurate even after partialling out each participant's own preferences indicating that in order to make surrogate utility estimations people engage in perspective-taking rather than simple anchoring and adjustment, suggesting that utility estimation is not the cause of inaccuracy in surrogate decision-making. The data and implications are discussed with respect to theories of surrogate decision-making

Soil Analysis and Comparison of Soil Phosphorus Tests for the Bellsgrove Catchement, Cavan.

End of Project ReportThe Bellsgrove catchment is located in the south-east of County Cavan, on the north-west border of Lough Sheelin and is approximately 9.2 km2 in size. The Bellsgrove stream feeds into Lough Sheelin. Phosphorus loss from agricultural soils to water is perceived as an important water quality issue in the region.E u ropean Union Structural Funding (EAGGF

Minimum phosphorus needs for silage production.

End of Project ReportPhosphorus recovery in product at the low stocking rates was poor, but improved in the high stocking rates. It is deduced that when the new Teagasc recommendations are implemented, recovery of applied P in product should be very efficient. • Soil should be maintained at Index 2 (3.1 to 6.0 mg P l - 1 ) for optimum silage production • Slurry should be recycled to the silage land early in the year or after 1 st or 2 nd cut silage. • Maintenance fertilizer P should be used to supplement P in the slurry in order to replace removal in milk, meat and other losses • Where slurry is recycled, maintenance fertilizer P for silage land will be less than for grazing land as concentrates are an important source of P input to the farm. The fertilizer P maintenance requirement will normally be between 0 and 10kg P ha -1 yr -1 . • Where slurry is not recycled, maintenance P requirements for silage land are higher at 20 to 30 kg P ha -1 yr -1 • Do not apply insurance P dressings to silage land. It will not increase production and may lead to increased potential for P loss to water.European Union Structural Funding (EAGGF

Learning on the IGT follows emergence of knowledge but not differential somatic activity

The importance of unconscious autonomic activity vs. knowledge in influencing behavior on the Iowa Gambling Task (IGT) has been the subject of debate. The task's developers, Bechara and colleagues, have claimed that behavior on the IGT is influenced by somatic activity and that this activity precedes the emergence of knowledge about the task contingencies sufficient to guide behavior. Since then others have claimed that this knowledge emerges much earlier on the task. However, it has yet to be established whether somatic activity which differentiates between advantageous and disadvantageous choices on the IGT is found before this point. This study describes an experiment to determine whether knowledge sufficient to guide behavior precedes differential autonomic activity or vice versa. This experiment used a computerized version of the IGT, knowledge probes after every 10 trials and skin conductance recording to measure somatic activity. Whereas in previous reports the majority of participants end the task with full conceptual knowledge of the IGT contingencies we found little evidence in support of this conclusion. However, full conceptual knowledge was not critical for advantageous deck selection to occur and most participants had knowledge sufficient to guide behavior after approximately 40 trials. We did not find anticipatory physiological activity sufficient to differentiate between deck types in the period prior to acquiring this knowledge. However, post-punishment physiological activity was found to be larger for the disadvantageous decks in the pre-knowledge period, but only for participants who displayed knowledge. Post-reward physiological activity distinguished between the advantageous and disadvantageous decks across the whole experiment but, again, only in participants who displayed knowledge and then only in later trials following their display of knowledge