The relationship between physical examination and ultrasonography for large entheses is best for the Achilles tendon and patellar tendon origin

Objective: To investigate the relationship between physical examination (PE) and sonographic features of enthesitis, based on anatomical sites. Methods: The analysis was done using merged raw data of 3 studies on 2298 entheses. Results: Patients with clinical Achilles enthesitis had more abnormalities on ultrasound (hypoechogenicity (p<0.001), thickening (p=0.01), Doppler (p=0.002) and erosions (p=0.02). The patellar tendon origin also correlated with PE but distal patellar tendon insertion and plantar aponeurosis were uncoupled from the ultrasound. Conclusion: The relationship between clinical and sonographic findings for large entheses is dependent on the anatomical site and is best for the Achilles tendon and patellar tendon origin

Microsegregation in Al-Cu Alloys

A comparison has been made between the amount of microsegregation predicted by a numerical model and that found experimentally in Al-Cu alloys varying in composition between 1 and 8 wt pct Cu. A depleted region was predicted and observed experimentally near the Al[subscript 2]Cu. The depleted region was formed below the eutectic temperature and had a significant effect on the ordered composition-fraction plots, particularly for high alloy compositions. Although the fit between experiment and theory was reasonably good, it was concluded that it was necessary to propose that local equilibrium was not maintained between the phases in the solid-state reactions

A Study of Microsegregation in Al-Cu Using a Novel Single-Pan Scanning Calorimeter

A single-pan scanning calorimeter has been developed that eliminates the smearing of latent heat that occurs in a conventional two-pan heat-flux differential scanning calorimeter (DSC). In the new calorimeter, accurate enthalpy/temperature data was obtained in pure Al without smearing, and excellent sensitivity to new phases was obtained in a multicomponent Al alloy (LM25). The calorimeter has been used to investigate microsegregation in an Al-4.45 wt pct Cu alloy. The enthalpy/temperature data fell between that calculated, assuming no mixing in the solid (Scheil) and complete mixing in the solid (equilibrium solidification). The amount of segregation agreed well with that calculated using a diffusion-based model of microsegregation. The difficulty of getting the fraction solid from the enthalpy data is discussed, and it is concluded that it is not possible to do so without using a microsegregation model. In addition, it is concluded that it is wrong to assume that the enthalpy of an alloy can be given by a specific heat term and a constant latent heat term that depend on fraction liquid as is assumed in most casting models. [This article is based on a presentation given in the symposium “Fundamentals of Solidification,” which occurred at the TMS Fall meeting in Indianapolis, Indiana, November 4–8, 2001, under the auspices of the TMS Solidification Committee.

Soil Moisture Product Validation Good Practices Protocol Version 1.0

The role of soil moisture in the water, energy and carbon cycle of the Earth cannot be understated. Soil moisture has a major impact on agriculture, land surface hydrology, weather and climate forecasting. Soil moisture is responsible for the partitioning of solar energy into latent and sensible heat flux at the Earth's surface, which is a key element of the energy cycle. Soil moisture also partitions precipitation into soil water, ground water, and surface runoff. Thus, land surface hydrology is critically concerned with monitoring and modeling surface soil moistureas it influences infiltration and therefore land surface runoff (Figure 1). Soil moisture is a primary concern for agriculture where it is a necessary element for growth and also the mechanism for movement of nutrients towards crops, impacting yield and productivity. Weather and climate forecasting can see great advances in skill with the incorporation of soil moisture state into models