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Abstract Soil organic matter (SOM) and texture are key properties influencing soil nutrient and water dynamics but are time‐consuming procedures for analytical laboratories. Our objective was to evaluate SOM and soil texture predictions using Mehlich‐3 nutrients and pH in Arkansas soils. Particle size was determined by the hydrometer method (2‐ and 8‐h readings) and SOM by loss on ignition. Two datasets were used to calibrate clay and sand (n = 409) and SOM (n = 1019) prediction models using simple and multiple regression. Estimated cation exchange capacity was highly correlated with clay, resulting in significant prediction models alone or combined with phosphorus (P); pH and copper (Cu); or pH, sodium (Na), and Cu (R2 = 0.84, 0.88, 0.89, and 0.90; p

Farmers widely use malathion, even in households, and significant amounts seep through groundwater and effluent wastewater. It is toxic to animal and human life. Hence, its removal from wastewater is necessary. Here, we report the applicability of hydroxyapatite as a catalyst in the UV-light-assisted degradation of malathion. The hydroxyapatite was synthesized via calcination from milkfish (MF1000) and cream dory (CD1000) bones. FTIR and PXRD results proved the successful synthesis of hydroxyapatite from the fish bones. SEM images revealed that the synthesized hydroxyapatite varies in size from 19 to 52 nm with a pseudo-spherical morphology. Degradation efficiency increases when catalyst dosage or irradiation time are increased. Degradation efficiencies range from 8.18% to 67.80% using MF1000 and from 20.50% to 67.90% using CD1000. Malathion obeys first-order kinetics with a kinetic constant up to 7.0289 × 10−3 min−1 for 0.6 g catalyst loading. Meanwhile, malathion obeys second-order kinetics with a kinetic constant up to 1.1946 × 10−3 L min−1 mg−1 for 0.6 g loading. Across all catalyst loadings, CD1000 has faster degradation kinetics compared to MF1000. The results of this study validate that the calcined fish bones are effective in removing malathion in an aqueous solution, which significantly lessens the detrimental effects of pesticides in groundwater and wastewater.

Due to anaerobic conditions that develop in soils under flooded-rice (Oryza sativa L.) production, along with the global extent of rice production, it is estimated that rice cultivation is responsible for 11% of global anthropogenic methane (CH4) emissions. In order to adequately estimate CH4 emissions, it is important to include data representing the range of environmental, climatic, and cultural factors occurring in rice production, particularly from Arkansas, the leading rice-producing state in the US, and from clay soils. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of previous crop (i.e., rice or soybean (Glycine max L.)) and cultivar (i.e., Cheniere (pure-line, semidwarf), CLXL745 (hybrid), and Taggart (pure-line, standard-stature)) on CH4 fluxes and emissions from rice grown on a Sharkey clay (very-fine, smectitic, thermic Chromic Epiaquerts) in eastern Arkansas. Rice following rice as a previous crop generally had greater (p

Proper soil sampling is critical for accurate fertilizer recommendations. Samples collected in extremely wet or dry conditions may compromise the integrity of the sample and influence analytical results. We evaluated the effects of six soil moistures, two sampling depths (0–10 and 0–15 cm), and two soil probes on soil core uniformity and soil test results. Moisture treatments encompassed a range from dry (11.2%–18.5% moisture) to saturated conditions in Captina, Dewitt, Calhoun, and Calloway silt loam soils. Core depth and dry core weight were measured in all soils, and pH and Mehlich‐3 extractable P, K, S, and Zn were assessed for Calhoun and Calloway soils. Soil moisture, probe, or their interaction influenced core depth and weight, while chemical properties were significantly affected only by soil moisture. Sampling very dry or saturated soils compromised the collection of uniform cores mainly for the 0‐ to 15‐cm depth. Soil pH tended to increase with increasing moisture, but the mean values fluctuated only ±0.3 units. Across soils and depths, extractable S consistently decreased by 16%–48% as soil moisture at sampling time increased. Phosphorus was affected by soil moisture for 0–15 cm samples in both soils but showed no clear pattern. Soil moisture at the time of sampling affected soil test K for both soils and sample depths with individual cores varying up to 47 mg kg−1 (i.e., 59–106 mg kg−1). Greater soil test P and K variability occurred for very dry and wet conditions, which often prohibit collecting samples to the proper depth and could impact fertilizer rate recommendations. Core Ideas: Soil moisture and probe type influence sampling reproducibility and soil test results.Very dry or wet soil conditions affect the accuracy and precision of soil sample depth.Soil sample depth and moisture condition at collection time can influence soil test results.Soil test results and fertilizer recommendations are influenced by soil sampling accuracy. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Soil organic matter (SOM) and texture are key properties influencing soil nutrient and water dynamics but are time‐consuming procedures for analytical laboratories. Our objective was to evaluate SOM and soil texture predictions using Mehlich‐3 nutrients and pH in Arkansas soils. Particle size was determined by the hydrometer method (2‐ and 8‐h readings) and SOM by loss on ignition. Two datasets were used to calibrate clay and sand (n = 409) and SOM (n = 1019) prediction models using simple and multiple regression. Estimated cation exchange capacity was highly correlated with clay, resulting in significant prediction models alone or combined with phosphorus (P); pH and copper (Cu); or pH, sodium (Na), and Cu (R2 = 0.84, 0.88, 0.89, and 0.90; p < 0.0001, respectively). Soil nutrients were weakly correlated with sand, resulting in a prediction model with moderate accuracy when using Mehlich‐3 P, calcium (Ca), Na, iron (Fe), and manganese (Mn) (R2 = 0.49; p < 0.0001). Clay and sand prediction models presented comparable accuracy when validated on a new dataset (n = 103). Predicted sand and clay showed good accuracy in grouping soils into medium (65%) and fine (96%) textural categories but had limited ability to define the coarse‐textural group (9%). SOM had moderate goodness‐of‐fit statistics for calibration and validation datasets using pH, P, Ca, Na, Mn, and zinc (R2 = 0.65 and 0.70, respectively; p < 0.0001). Mehlich‐3 nutrients can be used to estimate soil texture and assist with crop management decisions, but further research is needed to improve SOM prediction. Core Ideas: Estimated cation exchange capacity and Mehlich‐3 nutrients are good predictors of soil clay content.The model's accuracy is comparable for both calibration and validation datasets.Single Mehlich‐3 extractable nutrients have a low correlation with sand and soil organic matter (SOM).Soil fine‐ and medium‐textural groups can be predicted using Mehlich‐3 nutrients.SOM prediction with moderate accuracy was possible only when using complex models. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Farmers widely use malathion, even in households, and significant amounts seep through groundwater and effluent wastewater. It is toxic to animal and human life. Hence, its removal from wastewater is necessary. Here, we report the applicability of hydroxyapatite as a catalyst in the UV-light-assisted degradation of malathion. The hydroxyapatite was synthesized via calcination from milkfish (MF1000) and cream dory (CD1000) bones. FTIR and PXRD results proved the successful synthesis of hydroxyapatite from the fish bones. SEM images revealed that the synthesized hydroxyapatite varies in size from 19 to 52 nm with a pseudo-spherical morphology. Degradation efficiency increases when catalyst dosage or irradiation time are increased. Degradation efficiencies range from 8.18% to 67.80% using MF1000 and from 20.50% to 67.90% using CD1000. Malathion obeys first-order kinetics with a kinetic constant up to 7.0289 × 10−3 min−1 for 0.6 g catalyst loading. Meanwhile, malathion obeys second-order kinetics with a kinetic constant up to 1.1946 × 10−3 L min−1 mg−1 for 0.6 g loading. Across all catalyst loadings, CD1000 has faster degradation kinetics compared to MF1000. The results of this study validate that the calcined fish bones are effective in removing malathion in an aqueous solution, which significantly lessens the detrimental effects of pesticides in groundwater and wastewater. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Phosphorus and potassium are key nutrients for plant physiological processes and are required in large amounts for adequate corn (Zea mays L.) production. Corn is a major row crop, and up‐to‐date soil test‐based fertilizer recommendations are required to enhance production and profitability. The results from 32 P and 42 K field trials evaluating irrigated corn response to fertilizer P and K rates were used to (i) correlate corn's relative yield response to Mehlich‐3 soil test P and K, (ii) determine the frequency and magnitude of the yield response to fertilization, and (iii) calibrate fertilizer P and K rates to soil test P and K. The quadratic and linear models identified 36 parts per million (ppm) P (r2 =.68, P <.0001) and 110 ppm K (r2 =.36, P <.0001) as the Mehlich‐3 soil test P and K values needed to produce 95% of maximum yield without fertilization. Additional research is needed on soils with P < 15 and > 35 ppm and K < 60 and > 120 ppm to enhance the scope of data in the analyses and improve our understanding of corn's response to P and K fertilization. The current thresholds defining soil test K levels perform well in interpreting soil K availability and corn's response to K fertilization. Mehlich‐3 soil test P level definitions should be modified to improve the accuracy of soil test‐based decisions for irrigated corn. The calibration results suggest the recommended P2O5 and K2O rates are greater than needed to maximize yield. Core Ideas: The Mehlich‐3 soil test P producing 95% relative yield (RY) without fertilizer P was 36 ppm.Existing soil test‐based P recommendations should be modified to improve their accuracy.The critical Mehlich‐3 soil test K to produce 95% RY without fertilizer K was 110 ppm.The frequency and magnitude of corn yield response to P fertilization are correlated.The greatest yield benefit from P and K fertilization occurs in soils testing very low and low. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Aortix™ is a novel percutaneous mechanical circulatory support device designed to facilitate diuresis in patients with cardiorenal syndrome. We describe for the first time the development of end-organ hypoperfusion from excess blood acceleration at the nominal setting and demonstrate through temporal-perfusion marker curves, the potential for speed modulation to optimize results. This will inform future device development and investigation of patient-specific device titration.

Maintenance work orders are commonly used to document information about wind turbine operation and maintenance. This includes details about proactive and reactive wind turbine downtimes, such as preventative and corrective maintenance. However, the information contained in maintenance work orders is often unstructured and difficult to analyze, presenting challenges for decision-makers wishing to use it for optimizing operation and maintenance. To address this issue, this work compares three different approaches to calculating reliability key performance indicators from maintenance work orders. The first approach involves manual labeling of the maintenance work orders by domain experts, using the schema defined in an industrial guideline to assign the label accordingly. The second approach involves the development of a model that automatically labels the maintenance work orders using text classification methods. Through this method, we are able to achieve macro average and weighted average F1-scores of 0.75 and 0.85 respectively. The third technique uses an AI-assisted tagging tool to tag and structure the raw maintenance information, together with a novel rule-based approach for extracting relevant maintenance work orders for failure rate calculation. In our experiments, the AI-assisted tool leads to an 88% drop in tagging time in comparison to the other two approaches, while expert labeling and text classification are more accurate in KPI extraction. Overall, our findings make extracting maintenance information from maintenance work orders more efficient, enable the assessment of reliability key performance indicators, and therefore support the optimization of wind turbine operation and maintenance.

Learning to facilitate whole-class mathematical discussions is a complex task. Teachers must become adept at using discourse moves to elicit and extend student thinking and move discussions towards a mathematical point. Practice-based mathematics methods courses give pre-service teachers opportunities to rehearse these moves in a controlled setting. Providing opportunities for practice, often called rehearsals or approximations of practice, have been shown to be effective at developing pre-service teachers' abilities to use discourse moves, but we still do not have a clear understanding of the types of discourse moves pre-service teachers use during discussions or how these moves change over the course of a discussion. In this article, we analyze. whole-class discussions facilitated by pre-service teachers to determine the types of discourse moves used as the discussion progresses. Based on this data and relevant literature, we propose a framework for the structure of whole-class mathematical discussions.

Objectives The COVID-19 pandemic highlighted concerns regarding the equity of medical care. We evaluated associations between race/ethnicity, timing of hospital presentation and outcomes of acute appendicitis (AP) and acute cholecystitis (AC) during the initial pandemic peak.Methods Analysis was performed on a prospective, observational, multicenter study of adults with AP or AC. Patients were categorized as pre-pandemic (pre-CoV: October 2019–January 2020) or during the first pandemic peak (CoV: April 2020 through 4 months following the end of local pandemic restrictions). Patient demographics, American Association for the Surgery of Trauma (AAST) imaging/pathology grade, duration of symptoms before triage, time from triage to intervention and hospital length of stay were collected.Results A total of 2165 patients (1496 pre-CoV, 669 CoV) were included from 19 centers. Asian and Hispanic patients with AC had a longer duration of symptoms prior to presentation during CoV than pre-CoV (100.6 hours vs 37.5 hours, p

Periodically poled AlN thin films with submicron domain widths were fabricated for nonlinear applications in the UV-VIS region. A procedure utilizing metalorganic chemical vapor deposition growth of AlN in combination with laser interference lithography was developed for making a nanoscale lateral polarity structure (LPS) with domain size down to 600 nm. The Al-polar and N-polar domains were identified by wet etching the periodic LPS in a potassium hydroxide solution and subsequent scanning electron microscopy (SEM) characterization. Fully coalesced and welldefined vertical interfaces between the adjacent domains were established by cross-sectional SEM. AlN LPSs were mechanically polished and surface roughness with a root mean square value of ∼10 nm over a 90 lmμ90 lm area was achieved. 3.8 lm wide and 650 nm thick AlN LPS waveguides were fabricated. The achieved domain sizes, surface roughness, and waveguides are suitable for second harmonic generation in the UVC spectrum. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Due to anaerobic conditions that develop in soils under flooded-rice (Oryza sativa L.) production, along with the global extent of rice production, it is estimated that rice cultivation is responsible for 11% of global anthropogenic methane (CH4) emissions. In order to adequately estimate CH4 emissions, it is important to include data representing the range of environmental, climatic, and cultural factors occurring in rice production, particularly from Arkansas, the leading rice-producing state in the US, and from clay soils. The objective of this study was to determine the effects of previous crop (i.e., rice or soybean (Glycine max L.)) and cultivar (i.e., Cheniere (pure-line, semidwarf), CLXL745 (hybrid), and Taggart (pure-line, standard-stature)) on CH4 fluxes and emissions from rice grown on a Sharkey clay (very-fine, smectitic, thermic Chromic Epiaquerts) in eastern Arkansas. Rice following rice as a previous crop generally had greater (p<0.01) fluxes than rice following soybean, resulting in growing season emissions (p<0.01) of 19.6 and 7.0 kg CH4-C ha−1, respectively. The resulting emissions from CLXL745 (10.2 kg CH4-C ha−1) were less (p=0.03) than those from Cheniere or Taggart (15.5 and 14.2 kg CH4-C ha−1, resp.), which did not differ. Results of this study indicate that common Arkansas practices, such as growing rice in rotation with soybean and planting hybrid cultivars, may result in reduced CH4 emissions relative to continuous rice rotations and pure-line cultivars, respectively. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Despite recent dramatic successes, natural language processing (NLP) is not ready to address a variety of real‐world problems. Its reliance on large standard corpora, a training and evaluation paradigm that favors the learning of shallow heuristics, and large computational resource requirements, makes domain‐specific application of even the most successful NLP techniques difficult. This paper proposes technical language processing (TLP) which brings engineering principles and practices to NLP specifically for the purpose of extracting actionable information from language generated by experts in their technical tasks, systems, and processes. TLP envisages NLP as a socio‐technical system rather than as an algorithmic pipeline. We describe how the TLP approach to meaning and generalization differs from that of NLP, how data quantity and quality can be addressed in engineering technical domains, and the potential risks of not adapting NLP for technical use cases. Engineering problems can benefit immensely from the inclusion of knowledge from unstructured data, currently unavailable due to issues with out of the box NLP packages. We illustrate the TLP approach by focusing on maintenance in industrial organizations as a case‐study.

To compete with today’s rapidly changing labour market one has to continuously self-adapt towards new attitudes and mindset. To assist such an endeavor the combination of entrepreneurship and STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) skills is considered favorable. Following these basic premises, the paper presents a European project, TEAM_STAR, focused on developing a 3D game environment to promote these new skills in secondary school students for new digital careers.

Nowadays, the effectiveness of technology integration into teaching and learning approaches is widely recognised, mainly, in those pedagogical practices where students are the centre and co-constructors of their knowledge process. Specifically, the authors underline the potentialities of combining the gamification techniques and 3D virtual environments to design innovative learning settings through the description of two projects, TALETE and AVATAR, funded by the European Commission.

As a result of a number of national initiatives, we are seeing rapid growth in the data important to materials science that are available over the web. Consequently, it is becoming increasingly difficult for researchers to learn what data are available and how to access them. To address this problem, the Research Data Alliance (RDA) Working Group for International Materials Science Registries (IMRR) was established to bring together materials science and information technology experts to develop an international federation of registries that can be used for global discovery of data resources for materials science. A resource registry collects high-level metadata descriptions of resources such as data repositories, archives, websites, and services that are useful for data-driven research. By making the collection searchable, it aids scientists in industry, universities, and government laboratories to discover data relevant to their research and work interests. We present the results of our successful piloting of a registry federation for materials science data discovery. In particular, we out a blueprint for creating such a federation that is capable of amassing a global view of all available materials science data, and we enumerate the requirements for the standards that make the registries interoperable within the federation. These standards include a protocol for exchanging resource descriptions and a standard metadata schema for encoding those descriptions. We summarize how we leveraged an existing standard (OAI-PMH) for metadata exchange. Finally, we review the registry software developed to realize the federation and describe the user experience.

The International Materials Resource Registries (IMRR) working group of the Research Data Alliance (RDA) was created to spur initial development of a federated registry system to allow for easier discovery and access to materials data. As part of this effort, a controlled vocabulary and metadata schema were developed with contributions from members of the working group and other experts. Here we describe the process, the resulting vocabulary and XML schema, and lessons learned in the development and use of the schema.

This paper investigates total ionizing dose (TID) effects on the piezoelectric properties of lead zirconate titanate (PZT). The capacitance and contact voltage of thin-film, PZT-based relays were measured following incremental ^60Co TID irradiations. The devices were held in several different bias conditions, during exposure. The direction of the biasing electric field during exposure, along with the polarization prior to exposure, has a measurable impact on post-irradiation operating voltage of the relay. In all cases, the switching voltage, as obtained via the peak values in a capacitance versus voltage sweep, shifted in a direction that would minimize the switching electric field in the direction of pre-exposure polarization. These effects were observed to be both significantly greater than the shifts experienced by a set of control samples, as well as reversible via aging at room temperature. The devices display remarkable robustness, operating during active TID exposure [dose rate = 855.6 rad(Si)/s], failing at a TID greater than 15 Mrad(Si). [ABSTRACT FROM PUBLISHER]

The article introduces G.A.STEM project aiming at improving STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering, Math) skills acquisition through the use of Arts and mini-games design and development. The project favors STEM learning through valorization and re-evaluation of cultural heritage coming from the promotion of art-works and cultural exchanging among partner countries (Finland, Italy, Belgium, and Estonia), considering art as an effective interconnector focused on problem-oriented creativity development. The work summarizes the intermediate results achieved so far according to the project’s progress.

Evaluation research on changing social service systems has been plagued with problems attributed to a lack of the stability, required for rigorous evaluation designs. The authors present an alternative conceptualization scheme and model which permits evaluation to be done in such changing environments. The authors distinguish among sets, strategies, and programs and identify a time perspective in the use of evaluative criteria that focus on client relationships both within and outside programs. The model described should permit research teams to address system administration concerns while at the same time taking advantage of the natural changing setting for testing theoretical propositions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Examines changes in secure care in Massachusetts juvenile correction. Discussion of the decision-making process used for placing youths in secure care; History of juvenile correction in the state; Youths' characteristics bearing on the disposition decision;

The Center for Criminal Justice at the Harvard Law School is in the fifth year of a seven-year project to study the reforms undertaken by the Massachusetts Department of Youth Services to close training schools and substitute a diversified network of community-based correctional services for youth. The following account outlines the research design of the project and presents preliminary findings to date. The Department is still consolidating its new system of public and privately purchased services. However, current indications based on six months of community exposure following treatment reveal a significant decline in court appearances and a greater positive response of youth to the new programs. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]