Exploring the role of multifunctional agriculture on the future of agriculture and rural development

The goal of this project was better understanding of the interplay between climate shifts and management practices as it affects soil organic matter (SOM) stocks in agricultural fields. Two advanced computer models were used to study this issue. [Keywords: WEPP, CENTURY, CARBON, EROSION

Quarkonia in Hamiltonian Light-Front QCD

A constituent parton picture of hadrons with logarithmic confinement naturally arises in weak coupling light-front QCD. Confinement provides a mass gap that allows the constituent picture to emerge. The effective renormalized Hamiltonian is computed to ${\cal O}(g^2)$, and used to study charmonium and bottomonium. Radial and angular excitations can be used to fix the coupling $\alpha$, the quark mass $M$, and the cutoff $\Lambda$. The resultant hyperfine structure is very close to experiment.Comment: 9 pages, 1 latex figure included in the text. Published version (much more reader-friendly); corrected error in self-energ

Asymptotic Freedom and Bound States in Hamiltonian Dynamics

We study a model of asymptotically free theories with bound states using the similarity renormalization group for hamiltonians. We find that the renormalized effective hamiltonians can be approximated in a large range of widths by introducing similarity factors and the running coupling constant. This approximation loses accuracy for the small widths on the order of the bound state energy and it is improved by using the expansion in powers of the running coupling constant. The coupling constant for small widths is order 1. The small width effective hamiltonian is projected on a small subset of the effective basis states. The resulting small matrix is diagonalized and the exact bound state energy is obtained with accuracy of the order of 10% using the first three terms in the expansion. We briefly describe options for improving the accuracy.Comment: plain latex file, 15 pages, 6 latex figures 1 page each, 1 tabl

Interview with Jean Lamb

https://digitalcommons.providence.edu/psp470_2023/1005/thumbnail.jp

Magnetic resonance imaging of knee hyaline cartilage and intraarticular pathology

Injuries to the hyaline cartilage of the knee joint are difficult to diagnose without invasive techniques. Even though these defects may be the most important prog nostic factors in assessing knee joint injury, they are usually not diagnosed until arthrotomy or arthroscopy. Once injuries to hyaline cartilage are found and/or treated, no technique exists to follow these over time. Plain radiographs, arthrograms, and even computed tomography fail to detail most hyaline cartilage defects. We used magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to eval uate five fresh frozen cadaver limbs and 10 patients whose pathology was known from arthrotomy or ar throscopic examination. Using a 0.35 Tesla supercon ducting magnet and spin-echo imaging technique with a head coil, we found that intraarticular fluid or air helped to delineate hyaline cartilage pathology. The multiplane capability of MRI proved to be excellent in detailing small (3 mm or more) defects on the femoral condyles and patellar surface. Cruciate ligaments were best visualized on sagittal oblique projections while meniscal pathology was best seen on true sagittal and coronal projections. MRI shows great promise in providing a noninvasive technique of evaluating hyaline cartilage defects, their response to treatment, and detailed anatomical infor mation about cruciate ligaments and menisci.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/67078/2/10.1177_036354658701500505.pd

The effect of tonsillectomy on the morbidity from recurrent tonsillitis

Background Tonsillitis is a common condition with an incidence in UK general practice of 37 per 1000 population a year.1 Recurrent tonsillitis results in significant morbidity and impacts on individuals’ quality of life. This study assesses the morbidity and quality of life of adults with recurrent tonsillitis, and the impact of surgical intervention on their health state. Objectives To describe disease-specific and global quality of life for adults with recurrent tonsillitis 6 months after tonsillectomy, using two instruments: the health impact of throat problems (HITP) and EuroQol-visual analogue scale questionnaire. To assess the overall health benefit from tonsillectomy as an intervention using the Glasgow Benefit Inventory (GBI). To assess potential predictors of tonsillectomy benefit. Design A prospective, observational cohort audit of patients who have fulfilled Scottish Intercollegiate Guideline Network (SIGN) criteria for tonsillectomy.2 Setting Secondary care, teaching hospital. Participants Seventy patients (57 female), median age 20 years (range 13-41). Results Median preoperative HITP was 47 (range 15-67), compared to 4 (0-72), (P<.001) 6 months following surgery. Median HITP difference was 39.5 (range −20 to 75). There was no significant change in global Quality of Life. Median overall 6 months GBI was 39 (−3 to 100). Patients had an average of 27 episodes of tonsillitis over a period of seven years before “achieving” tonsillectomy, significantly higher than the SIGN guidelines of three or more episodes over three years. Conclusions Recurrent tonsillitis causes a poor disease-specific quality of life. Patients experienced a median of three episodes per year for seven years before tonsillectomy. Following tonsillectomy, patients had a significant improvement in their disease-specific quality of life. Baseline HITP significantly improved after tonsillectomy. The results imply patients with recurrent acute tonsillitis may be experiencing undue dela

Atypical chemokine receptor ACKR2 controls branching morphogenesis in the developing mammary gland

Macrophages are important regulators of branching morphogenesis during development and postnatally in the mammary gland. Regulation of macrophage dynamics during these processes can therefore have a profound impact on development. We demonstrate here that the developing mammary gland expresses high levels of inflammatory CC-chemokines, which are essential in vivo regulators of macrophage migration. We further demonstrate that the atypical chemokine receptor ACKR2, which scavenges inflammatory CC-chemokines, is differentially expressed during mammary gland development. We have previously shown that ACKR2 regulates macrophage dynamics during lymphatic vessel development. Here, we extend these observations to reveal a novel role for ACKR2 in regulating the postnatal development of the mammary gland. Specifically, we show that Ackr2−/− mice display precocious mammary gland development. This is associated with increased macrophage recruitment to the developing gland and increased density of the ductal epithelial network. These data demonstrate that ACKR2 is an important regulator of branching morphogenesis in diverse biological contexts and provide the first evidence of a role for chemokines and their receptors in postnatal development processes

Rating the Financial Health of U.S. Production Agriculture using Synthetic Credit Rating

Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy, Production Economics,