Nitrous Oxide

Switchgrass ( L.) has been promoted as a potential feedstock for cellulosic biofuel in the United States. Switchgrass is known to respond to N fertilizer, but optimal rates remain unclear. Given the potential nonlinear response of nitrous oxide (NO) emissions to N inputs, N additions to switchgrass above optimal levels could have large impacts on the greenhouse gas balance of switchgrass-based biofuel. Additionally, N additions are likely to have large impacts on switchgrass production costs. Yield, N removal, and net returns were measured in switchgrass receiving 0 to 200 kg N ha in Manhattan, KS, from 2012 to 2014. Emissions of NO were measured in the 0- to 150-kg N ha treatments. Total emissions of NO increased from 0.2 to 3.0 kg NO-N ha as N inputs increased from 0 to 150 kg N ha. The 3-yr averages of fertilizer-induced emission factors were 0.7, 2.1, and 2.6% at 50, 100, and 150 kg N ha, respectively. Removal of N at harvest increased linearly with increasing N rate. Switchgras...

OBJECTIVE: To compare the time course of endotracheal tube cuff pressures in presence of nitrous oxide (N2O), obtained in a tracheal model with those measured during clinical anaesthesia. STUDY DESIGN: Experimental and clinical prospective study. MATERIAL: ...

Burning of rice straw is a common practice in northwest India, where rice–wheat cropping system is extensively followed. The practice results in loss of nutrients, atmospheric pollution and emission of greenhouse gases. A field experiment was conducted at Indian Agricultural Research Institute, New Delhi, India during the rabi season (November to April) of 2002–2003 to evaluate the efficacy of the various modes of rice straw recycling in soil in improving yield and soil fertility and reducing not only carbon dioxide emission but also nitrous oxide (N2O) emission. The treatment with no rice straw incorporation and application of recommended doses of fertilizer (120, 26 and 50 kg N, P and K ha−1, respectively), gave the highest yield of wheat. Treatments with the incorporation of rice straw at 5 Mg ha−1 with additional amount of inorganic N (60 kg N ha−1) or inoculation of microbial culture had similar grain yields to that of the treatment with no straw incorporation. The lowest yield was recorded in the plots where rice straw was incorporated in soil without additional inorganic N and with manure application. All the treatments with rice straw incorporation had larger soil organic C despite the effect on the mineralisation of soil organic matter. Emission of N2O was more when additional N was added with rice straw and secondary when straw was added to the soil because of higher microbial activity. The study showed that burning of rice straw could be avoided without affecting yield of wheat crop by incorporating rice straw in soil with an additional dose of inorganic N or microbial inoculation. However, the reduction of N2O emission due to avoiding burning is in part counterbalanced by an increase in emission during the subsequent wheat cultivation.

Nitrous oxide (N2O) has become a routine intervention in contemporary American dental practice, especially in the management of children. However, routines translate to confidence which in turn may lead to overconfidence, such that possible risks and misuses are insufficiently acknowledged. This article ethically evaluates the use of nitrous oxide as a practice routine in treating children. Nitrous oxide administration is analyzed in reference to three internationally acknowledged principles of dental ethics: nonmaleficence, beneficence, and patient autonomy. In reference to the principle of nonmaleficence, the potential for adverse effects of N2O is discussed, particularly when it is administered in conjunction with other sedatives and anesthetics. The importance of abiding by clinical protocols is emphasized. Next, in reference to the principle of beneficence, the authors address the problematic application of N2O for the benefit of individuals other than the patient (e.g., dentis...

Resistojets operating at low power (less than lOO W) and using liquid propellants have re-emerged as attractive propulsion options for orbit-raising small satellites deployed at Space Shuttle altitudes (approx. 2OO km). Compared to low power pulsed plasma thrusters (PPT), the resistojet produces two orders of magnitude more thrust (approximately 1.4 mN compared to 140 mN) which is required to overcome drag at solar maximum. The wet mass of both systems is approximately equal although the propellant volume for the PPT is significantly lower since it is stored in solid form. The major disadvantage of the resistojet propulsion system compared to the PPT, is in the complexity added from the propellant tanks. Shuttle integration concerns for the solid Teflon (trademark) propellant of the PPT are minimal or non-existent. Although non-toxic, the water or nitrous oxide propellant of the resistojet requires pressurized tanks and valves which increase safety requirements. To investigate the usefulness of the resistojet for small satellite applications, a series of performance tests have been completed at the AFRL Electric Propulsion Laboratory using the JPL inverted pendulum thrust stand. The tests were conducted for two types of resistojet thrusters developed at the University of Surrey which utilize a packed bed of SiC particles for the heat exchanger. Performance testing eas accomplished at power levels from 0-600 W for five propellants: water, nitrous oxide, water/ methanol, nitrogen, and helium. Two endurance tests were conducted to determine possible failure modes. Performance characterization and thermal models were developed for future design applications of these thrusters. Future USAF and Surrey Satellite Technology, Ltd. (SSTL) missions using these resistojets are also discussed.

Coastal salt marshes are sensitive to global climate change and may play an important role in mitigating global warming. To evaluate the impacts of Spartina alterniflora invasion on global warming potential (GWP) in Chinese coastal areas, we measured CH4 and N2 O fluxes and soil organic carbon sequestration rates along a transect of coastal wetlands in Jiangsu province, China, including open water; bare tidal flat; and invasive S. alterniflora, native Suaeda salsa, and Phragmites australis marshes. Annual CH4 emissions were estimated as 2.81, 4.16, 4.88, 10.79, and 16.98 kg CH4  ha(-1) for open water, bare tidal flat, and P. australis, S. salsa, and S. alterniflora marshes, respectively, indicating that S. alterniflora invasion increased CH4 emissions by 57-505%. In contrast, negative N2 O fluxes were found to be significantly and negatively correlated (P < 0.001) with net ecosystem CO2 exchange during the growing season in S. alterniflora and P. australis marshes. Annual N2 O em...