Hydraulic Modeling of Glacial Dam-Break Floods on the West Branch of the Susquehanna River, Pennsylvania

This study investigates the potential hydraulic conditions of catastrophic floods in the West Branch of the Susquehanna River (West Branch) during the middle to late Pleistocene period and the influence of these paleofloods on the current river bed form. The current channel bed form is characterized using sonar bathymetry data collection techniques. The paleofloods are hypothesized based on published geological evidence of early Pleistocene glacial Lake Lesley in the West Branch Valley, which was formed by a glacial ice dam that potentially failed during mild climate cycles in the Pleistocene period. A one-dimensional, steady hydraulic model is developed to simulate estimates of paleoflood peak discharges and the modern 100 year return period peak discharge. The computed water-surface profiles, shear stresses, and flood inundation maps could explain the erosional and depositional features identified by other researchers as being formed during the Pleistocene and could explain features revealed by the bathymetry data. Therefore, the hydraulic modeling results support previously inferred hypotheses of the occurrence of glacial dam-break floods on the West Branch of the Susquehanna River. The differences that are evident between the paleoflood simulations and the simulation of the modern 100 year peak discharge are attributable to valley constrictions that cause substantial backwater effects for the larger paleoflood discharges but not for the lower modern flood discharge volume. The ability to simulate potential paleofloods in the West Branch of the Susquehanna River complements the paleostage indicator work done by other researchers and enables innovative analysis of glaciofluvial processes and their effect on the current river bed form

Post-Flood Cleanup Alternatives along Stream Corridors in Central Pennsylvania Helping Resolve River and Land Use Conflicts in an Economically and Ecologically Sustainable Manner

Report on managing river corridors of Central Pennsylvania in an economically and ecologically sustainable manner. Fluvial geomorphologists and civil engineers from Bucknell University present results of research and analysis of the impact of floods on Central Pennsylvania streams, bridges, dams, and roads. Ten sections cover 1. Key Concepts for Managing River Corridors in a Sustainable Manner; 2. Options for Managing the Conflict between Nature and Man; 3. The Physical Imperatives of River Systems; 4. Dynamic Equilibrium of Streams and Anticipating Adjustments in the Future; 5. The Conflict: Today’s Accounting; 6. Cost-Benefit Analysis; 7. Short vs. Long Term Solutions: A Choice of Management Scenarios; 8. “Stream-Cleaning” – allow gravel or “do nothing”? 9. Informing the Alternative Selection Process; 10. Managing Sustainably. The report focuses on the long term benefits of a geomorphic corridor management approach which can benefit both property owners and riparian ecosystems. The largest challenge is not in conducting the scientific analyses to determine the river’s slope and planform requirements, but rather in how to redefine the relationship of public and private investments with fluvial dynamics in an equitable manner over time within a watershed. The larger short term costs associated with using a geomorphic-based approach, where land conversion is necessary, become more acceptable and economically justifiable where channelization projects have failed repeatedly or in post flood remediation where major erosion, property damage, and channel avulsions have occurred. A passive geomorphic approach may be the most desirable alternative due to its lower maintenance costs but is highly dependent upon landowners willing to accept what may be significant changes in land use expectations. Concluding recommendations exhort State and Federal agencies involved with river resource management to work together to provide economic incentives and technical assistance for towns and landowners to make decisions that resolve immediate conflicts with the long term watershed solutions in mind

Assessment of Stream Restoration Structures in Streams of North-Central Pennsylvania

Interest in stream restoration has increased over the last two decades, leading to a growth in the industry to the point that it has become a 1 billion dollar per year enterprise (Bernhart et al 2005, Thompson 2002). In north-central Pennsylvania alone, over $9 million has been spent since 1999 on stream restoration projects, from the designing stage to actual construction and reconstruction of the sites. Even though a extensive amount of money is being spent on the construction of these projects, very little to no post-monitoring is taking place. Without post-monitoring of the projects, it is unknown if they actually work. After a successful statewide stream restoration assessment was completed in North Carolina by the advisor of this project, it was discussed to undertake a similar one for the state of Pennsylvania starting with the north-central region. This includes Bradford, Cambria, Cameron, Centre, Columbia, Lycoming, McKean, Montour, Northumberland, Potter, Sullivan, Tioga, and Union Counties. Within these 13 counties over 60 restoration projects have been implemented since the 1990s ranging in type from FGM structures to Fish and Boat Commission habitat structures. Twenty-two of the restoration sites comprising of 58,255 feet of restoration work were selected for individual site assessment during March 2008-May 2009. Over 300 structures were assessed during this period of time for structural integrity and the degree to which the adjacent bed and banks had been affected by unintended erosion or deposition. Approximately 75% of the structures have sustained some structural damage (ranking \u3e1) or erosion or deposition (ranking \u3e1). Thirty-five percent of the structures have sustained significant damage (ranking \u3e2) or significant erosion or deposition (ranking \u3e3). Most of the damage (63% of all structures) is related to erosion or deposition which can impact the functionality of the structure. Many of the streams in north-central Pennsylvania are experiencing pulses of aggradation of gravel-cobble size clasts throughout the stream system. This pulse of gravel is contributing to the partial burial of individual structures and may fill in the pool that was created by the structure. Out of the four highly used structure types (cross vanes, j-hooks, log vanes, and rock vanes), j-hooks and rock vanes sustained the highest percentage of damage compared to the other two structures. Much more work needs to be completed in this region before we can fully grasp an understanding for failure of the various structures

THE IMPLICATIONS OF MULTIGENERATIONAL DIFFERENCES WITHIN THE WORKFORCE

This paper identifies and discusses generational effects on public administration, particularly in the field of public administration and public policy. Specifically, it is the conclusion here that identifying the different perspectives, attitudes, and behaviors exhibited by the five traditional generational groups (traditionalists/veterans, Baby Boomers, Generation X, Generation Y/Millenials, and Generation Z) will assist managers in the public sector field to better communicate with their employees, thus resulting in a more effective working environment through enhancing organizational cohesion and cooperation. A phenomenological mixed method will be employed, utilizing peer-reviewed literature and governmentally issued statistics. Discussion of these aspects follows below and includes an argument for the potential implications of these communication issues for public administration and how understanding generational differences can strengthen work relationships and maximize employee performance. The study highlights the importance of addressing the generational gap in the workplace to ensure it is an asset as opposed to a liabilit

Illuminating all-hadronic final states with a photon: Exotic decays of the Higgs boson to four bottom quarks in vector boson fusion plus gamma at hadron colliders

We investigate the potential to detect Higgs boson decays to four bottom quarks through a pair of pseudoscalars, a final state that is predicted by many theories beyond the Standard Model. For the first time, the signal sensitivity is evaluated for the final state using the vector boson fusion (VBF) production with and without an associated photon, for the Higgs at $m_H=125\,\textrm{GeV}$, at hadron colliders. The signal significance is $4$ to $6\sigma$, depending on the pseudoscalar mass $m_a$, when setting the the Higgs decay branching ratio to unity, using an integrated luminosity of $150\,\textrm{fb}^{-1}$ at $\sqrt{s}=13\,\textrm{TeV}$. This corresponds to an upper limit of $0.3$, on the Higgs branching ratio to four bottom quarks, with a non-observation of the decay. We also consider several variations of selection requirements - input variables for the VBF tagging and the kinematic variables for the photon - that could help guide the design of new triggers for the Run-3 period of the LHC and for the HL-LHC

Not All Children with Cystic Fibrosis Have Abnormal Esophageal Neutralization during Chemical Clearance of Acid Reflux.

PurposeAcid neutralization during chemical clearance is significantly prolonged in children with cystic fibrosis, compared to symptomatic children without cystic fibrosis. The absence of available reference values impeded identification of abnormal findings within individual patients with and without cystic fibrosis. The present study aimed to test the hypothesis that significantly more children with cystic fibrosis have acid neutralization durations during chemical clearance that fall outside the physiological range.MethodsPublished reference value for acid neutralization duration during chemical clearance (determined using combined impedance/pH monitoring) was used to assess esophageal acid neutralization efficiency during chemical clearance in 16 children with cystic fibrosis (3 to <18 years) and 16 age-matched children without cystic fibrosis.ResultsDuration of acid neutralization during chemical clearance exceeded the upper end of the physiological range in 9 of 16 (56.3%) children with and in 3 of 16 (18.8%) children without cystic fibrosis (p=0.0412). The likelihood ratio for duration indicated that children with cystic fibrosis are 2.1-times more likely to have abnormal acid neutralization during chemical clearance, and children with abnormal acid neutralization during chemical clearance are 1.5-times more likely to have cystic fibrosis.ConclusionSignificantly more (but not all) children with cystic fibrosis have abnormally prolonged esophageal clearance of acid. Children with cystic fibrosis are more likely to have abnormal acid neutralization during chemical clearance. Additional studies involving larger sample sizes are needed to address the importance of genotype, esophageal motility, composition and volume of saliva, and gastric acidity on acid neutralization efficiency in cystic fibrosis children

Synaptically activated burst-generating conductances may underlie a group-pacemaker mechanism for respiratory rhythm generation in mammals

Breathing, chewing, and walking are critical life-sustaining behaviors in mammals that consist essentially of simple rhythmic movements. Breathing movements in particular involve the diaphragm, thorax, and airways but emanate from a network in the lower brain stem. This network can be studied in reduced preparations in vitro and using simplified mathematical models that make testable predictions. An iterative approach that employs both in vitro and in silico models argues against canonical mechanisms for respiratory rhythm in neonatal rodents that involve reciprocal inhibition and pacemaker properties. We present an alternative model in which emergent network properties play a rhythmogenic role. Specifically, we show evidence that synaptically activated burst-generating conductances-which are only available in the context of network activity-engender robust periodic bursts in respiratory neurons. Because the cellular burst-generating mechanism is linked to network synaptic drive we dub this type of system a group pacemaker. © 2010 Elsevier B.V

Should the Psychiatrist Be Hospitalized?

Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/68096/2/10.1177_002076407502100212.pd

What's in an accent? The impact of accented synthetic speech on lexical choice in human-machine dialogue

The assumptions we make about a dialogue partner's knowledge and communicative ability (i.e. our partner models) can influence our language choices. Although similar processes may operate in human-machine dialogue, the role of design in shaping these models, and their subsequent effects on interaction are not clearly understood. Focusing on synthesis design, we conduct a referential communication experiment to identify the impact of accented speech on lexical choice. In particular, we focus on whether accented speech may encourage the use of lexical alternatives that are relevant to a partner's accent, and how this is may vary when in dialogue with a human or machine. We find that people are more likely to use American English terms when speaking with a US accented partner than an Irish accented partner in both human and machine conditions. This lends support to the proposal that synthesis design can influence partner perception of lexical knowledge, which in turn guide user's lexical choices. We discuss the findings with relation to the nature and dynamics of partner models in human machine dialogue.Comment: In press, accepted at 1st International Conference on Conversational User Interfaces (CUI 2019

Evaluation of simulated soil carbon dynamics in Arctic-Boreal ecosystems

© The Author(s), 2020. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Huntzinger, D. N., Schaefer, K., Schwalm, C., Fisher, J. B., Hayes, D., Stofferahn, E., Carey, J., Michalak, A. M., Wei, Y., Jain, A. K., Kolus, H., Mao, J., Poulter, B., Shi, X., Tang, J., & Tian, H. Evaluation of simulated soil carbon dynamics in Arctic-Boreal ecosystems. Environmental Research Letters, 15(2), (2020): 025005, doi:10.1088/1748-9326/ab6784.Given the magnitude of soil carbon stocks in northern ecosystems, and the vulnerability of these stocks to climate warming, land surface models must accurately represent soil carbon dynamics in these regions. We evaluate soil carbon stocks and turnover rates, and the relationship between soil carbon loss with soil temperature and moisture, from an ensemble of eleven global land surface models. We focus on the region of NASA's Arctic-Boreal vulnerability experiment (ABoVE) in North America to inform data collection and model development efforts. Models exhibit an order of magnitude difference in estimates of current total soil carbon stocks, generally under- or overestimating the size of current soil carbon stocks by greater than 50 PgC. We find that a model's soil carbon stock at steady-state in 1901 is the prime driver of its soil carbon stock a hundred years later—overwhelming the effect of environmental forcing factors like climate. The greatest divergence between modeled and observed soil carbon stocks is in regions dominated by peat and permafrost soils, suggesting that models are failing to capture the frozen soil carbon dynamics of permafrost regions. Using a set of functional benchmarks to test the simulated relationship of soil respiration to both soil temperature and moisture, we find that although models capture the observed shape of the soil moisture response of respiration, almost half of the models examined show temperature sensitivities, or Q10 values, that are half of observed. Significantly, models that perform better against observational constraints of respiration or carbon stock size do not necessarily perform well in terms of their functional response to key climatic factors like changing temperature. This suggests that models may be arriving at the right result, but for the wrong reason. The results of this work can help to bridge the gap between data and models by both pointing to the need to constrain initial carbon pool sizes, as well as highlighting the importance of incorporating functional benchmarks into ongoing, mechanistic modeling activities such as those included in ABoVE.This work was supported by NASA'S Arctic Boreal Vulnerability Experiment (ABoVE; https://above.nasa.gov); NNN13D504T. Funding for the Multi-scale synthesis and Terrestrial Model Intercomparison Project (MsTMIP; https://nacp.ornl.gov/MsTMIP.shtml) activity was provided through NASA ROSES Grant #NNX10AG01A. Data management support for preparing, documenting, and distributing model driver and output data was performed by the Modeling and Synthesis Thematic Data Center at Oak Ridge National Laboratory (MAST-DC; https://nacp.ornl.gov), with funding through NASA ROSES Grant #NNH10AN681. Finalized MsTMIP data products are archived at the ORNL DAAC (https://daac.ornl.gov). We also acknowledge the modeling groups that provided results to MsTMIP. The synthesis of site-level soil respiration, temperature, and moisture data reported in Carey et al 2016a, 2016b) was funded by the US Geological Survey (USGS) John Wesley Powell Center for Analysis and Synthesis Award G13AC00193. Additional support for that work was also provided by the USGS Land Carbon Program. JBF carried out the research at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory, California Institute of Technology, under a contract with the National Aeronautics and Space Administration. California Institute of Technology. Government sponsorship acknowledged