Farm-scale carbon and nitrogen fluxes in pastoral dairy production systems using different nitrogen fertilizer regimes

Nutrient Cycling in Agroecosystems - The nitrogen (N) fertilizer application rate (kg ha?1 year?1) in pastoral dairy systems affects the flow of N through the soil,...     

Formation and Degradation of Beta-casomorphins in Dairy Processing

Milk proteins including casein are sources of peptides with bioactivity. One of these peptides is beta-casomorphin (BCM) which belongs to a group of opioid peptides formed from β-casein variants. Beta-casomorphin 7 (BCM7) has been demonstrated to be enzymatically released from the A1 or B β-casein variant. Epidemiological evidence suggests the peptide BCM 7 is a risk factor for development of human diseases, including increased risk of type 1 diabetes and cardiovascular diseases but this has not been thoroughly substantiated by research studies. High performance liquid chromatography coupled to UV-Vis and mass spectrometry detection as well as enzyme–linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) has been used to analyze BCMs in dairy products. BCMs have been detected in raw cow's milk and human milk and a variety of commercial cheeses, but their presence has yet to be confirmed in commercial yoghurts. The finding that BCMs are present in cheese suggests they could also form in yoghurt, but be degraded during yoghurt processing. Whether BCMs do form in yoghurt and the amount of BCM forming or degrading at different processing steps needs further investigation and possibly will depend on the heat treatment and fermentation process used, but it remains an intriguing unknown.     

Synthesis and characterization of a new photochromic alkylene sulfide derivative

A process has been developed for the synthesis of a new photochromic alkylene sulfide derivative. The process involves the synthesis of an alkylene sulfide with terminal free amino groups and a novel unsymmetrical photochromic diarylperfluorocyclopentene containing an aldehyde group, which coupled together to produce the corresponding Schiff base. The structures of the products were confirmed by a range of spectroscopic techniques.     

Experiencing visual impairment in a lifetime home: an interpretative phenomenological inquiry

Lifetime home standards (LTHS) are a set of standards aimed at making homes more accessible. Previous research, however, indicates that LTHS do not adequately meet the needs of those with sensory impairments. Now, with visual impairment set to increase globally and acknowledging the recognised link between quality of dwelling and wellbeing, this article aims to examine the experiences of visually impaired people living in lifetime homes. The objectives are to investigate existing lifetime homes and to identify whether LTHS meet occupants’ needs. Qualitative semi-structured interviews were carried out with six visually impaired people living in homes designed to LTHS in Northern Ireland. Collected data was analysed using interpretative phenomenological analysis identifying three super-ordinate themes: (1) living with visual impairment; (2) design considerations and (3) coping strategies. A core theme of balance between psychological and physical needs emerged through interconnection of super-ordinate themes. Although there are benefits to living in lifetime homes, negative aspects are also apparent with occupants employing several coping strategies to overcome difficulties. Whilst residents experience negative emotions following visual impairment diagnoses, results suggest that occupants still regard their homes as key places of security and comfort in addition to then highlighting the need for greater consideration of specific individual needs within general guidelines.     

Comparing Five and Lower-Dimensional Grain Boundary Character and Energy Distributions in Copper: Experiment and Molecular Statics Simulation

Metallurgical and Materials Transactions A - The misorientation of 515 grain boundaries has been determined using electron backscatter diffraction data from an 18 μm thick copper foil with...     

Developing SCBA mechanical stress resistance tests for fire fighting

The National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health has carried out a field study to determine the vibration and impact levels that self-contained breathing apparatus are subjected to in simulated fire fighting use. Also, the forces that facemask retaining straps experience in simulated fire fighting use were measured. Notes: Dr. Crouch is on the staff of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health. Shamsul Abedin is with the Engineering and Test Division of Dayton T. Brown, Inc. Mention of company names or products does not constitute endorsement by the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health.     

English Hill Towns: Some Further Steps in Appreciating their Identity in the Wider Landscape

The notion that English hill towns can be identified as a particular type of settlement is reinforced and a systematic analysis of the characteristics that contribute to their identity in the wider landscape is undertaken. Fourteen towns that meet the working definition of an English hill town are examined in terms of four sets of characteristics that constitute their distinctive features: the continuing imprint of their origins, location and early functions; the influence of natural physical features on their founding and subsequent development; their morphological form; and the visual characteristics that are the medium through which their identity is mainly experienced — pre-eminent amongst these are a town's visual profile, its figure - ground relationship with the landscape, and its skyline. Groups of hill towns with consistent characteristics are identified, including 'classic' English hill towns. While the analysis is not directed explicitly towards the development and implementation of planning policy, the fuller understanding of hill towns gained through the analysis should enrich the policy process.     

Whites' neighbourhood racial preferences and neighbourhood racial composition in the United States: evidence from the multi‐city study of urban inequality

Within the housing segregation literature major disagreements have developed over two fundamental issues: (1) the role that whites' aversion to racially mixed neighbourhoods plays in causing modern segregation in the US; and (2) the factors that underlie this aversion, including the effects of inter‐racial contact on whites' neighbourhood racial preferences and whether these preferences reflect neighbourhood stereotyping as opposed to pure racial prejudice. Extant evidence on these issues is either old or indirect. This paper provides direct evidence on these issues using new data from the Multi‐City Study of Urban Inequality. The results suggest that (1) whites' neighbourhood racial preferences play an important role in explaining the racial composition of their neighbourhoods; (2) inter‐racial contact in neighbourhoods and workplaces leads to a greater willingness among whites to live with blacks; and (3) although younger and more educated whites express a stronger taste for integration than other whites, the magnitude of these differences leads to only a small increase in the black percentage of the neighbourhood. In addition, the results provide no evidence in support of the hypothesis that whites stereotype black neighbourhoods rather than blacks per se.     

Fate of physical,chemical, and microbial contaminants in domestic wastewater following treatment by small constructed wetlands

In order to evaluate the efficacy of constructed wetlands for treatment of domestic wastewater for small communities located in rural areas, small-scale wetland mesocosms (400 L each) containing two treatment designs (a mixture of Typha, Scirpus, and Juncus species; control without vegetation) were planted into two depths (45 or 60 cm) with pea gravel. Each mesocosm received 19 L/day of primary-treated domestic sewage. Mesocosms were monitored (inflow and outflow samples) on a monthly basis over a 2-year period for pH, total suspended solids (TSS), 5-day biochemical oxygen demand (BOD(5)), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), dissolved oxygen (DO), and conductivity. Microbiological analyses included enumeration of fecal coliforms, enterococci, Salmonella, Shigella, Yersinia, and coliphage. Significant differences between influent and effluent water quality for the vegetated wetlands (p<0.05) were observed in TSS, BOD(5), and TKN. Increased DO and reduction in fecal coliform, enterococcus, Salmonella, Shigella, Yersinia, and coliphage populations also were observed in vegetated wetlands. Greatest microbial reductions were observed in the planted mesocosms compared to those lacking vegetation. Despite marked reduction of several contaminants, wetland-treated effluents did not consistently meet final discharge limits for receiving bodies of water. Removal efficiencies for bacteria and several chemical parameters were more apparent during the initial year compared to the second year of operation, suggesting concern for long-term efficiency and stability of such wetlands.