Fluid structure in the immediate vicinity of an equilibrium three-phase contact line and assessment of disjoining pressure models using density functional theory

We examine the nanoscale behavior of an equilibrium three-phase contact line in the presence of long-ranged intermolecular forces by employing a statistical mechanics of fluids approach, namely density functional theory (DFT) together with fundamental measure theory (FMT). This enables us to evaluate the predictive quality of effective Hamiltonian models in the vicinity of the contact line. In particular, we compare the results for mean field effective Hamiltonians with disjoining pressures defined through (I) the adsorption isotherm for a planar liquid film, and (II) the normal force balance at the contact line. We find that the height profile obtained using (I) shows good agreement with the adsorption film thickness of the DFT-FMT equilibrium density profile in terms of maximal curvature and the behavior at large film heights. In contrast, we observe that while the height profile obtained by using (II) satisfies basic sum rules, it shows little agreement with the adsorption film thickness of the DFT results. The results are verified for contact angles of 20, 40 and 60 degrees

Prevalence estimates of neurodevelopmental disorders in Japan: A community sample questionnaire study

Abstract Aim The prevalence estimates of neurodevelopmental disorders have been calculated by questionnaire surveys scored by a single rater, which introduces inherent rater biases. The present study aimed to estimate the prevalence and comorbidity rates of four neurodevelopmental disorders based both on parent and teacher rating scales. Methods We performed a community sample survey recruiting 3852 children aged 6?9?years. Both parents and teachers evaluated clinical conditions in children using questionnaire-style scales. These scales with the cut-off values were used to estimate the prevalence and comorbidity rates of attention deficit / hyperactive disorder, autism spectrum disorder, specific learning disorder (or developmental dyslexia), and developmental coordination disorder. Results The prevalence estimates were separately confirmed according to the raters. Some estimates were higher than those in the previous studies conducted in other countries. We also found a large disagreement between the parent and teacher rating scores. Moreover, the degree of agreement between two raters varied depending on the severity of clinical condition in the child. Conclusion These estimates are the first findings based on evaluating children by two raters. The prevalence and comorbidity estimates are informative to the researchers and clinicians of pediatric neurology. The disagreement between two raters raises questions about previous estimates of neurodevelopmental disorders. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.Peer reviewe

Economic assessments of practices and policies to address climate change and sustainable development for agriculture at global, regional and farm population scales

The objective of this thesis is to address knowledge gaps, which can assist policy makers in preparing the agriculture sector for the challenges of addressing climate change. A range of methodologies are employed at different scales for these purposes. These include a global bioeconomic analysis and a global computable general equilibrium model to assess the global scale abatement potential of the ruminant sector (inclusive of cattle, sheep and goats), and the economic consequences of policies employed to achieve this potential. With the inevitable emergence of climate change policies and growing consumer expectations for improved environmental performance, these global analyses reveal that there is reasonable potential for the ruminant sector to contribute to global greenhouse gas (GHG) mitigation efforts, with the associated effectiveness and economic impacts varying widely depending on the choice of policy. The global scale analyses are complemented by a range of modelling assessments at the region and farm population scale in different smallholder production contexts, which reveal that there are also opportunities to exploit synergies between agricultural development, and climate change mitigation and adaptation objectives. It should be noted, however, that the global scale models are not formally linked to the smaller scale models (i.e. changes in the price and quantity variables in the global models are not used to update any of the variables in the smaller scale models). It was shown that the global abatement potential for the ruminant sector indicated by the marginal abatement cost curves constructed in this thesis, could be substantially amplified by a global carbon tax. However, due to its disproportionately harmful impacts on ruminant production in low income countries, the overall merit of this policy option is questionable. In contrast, the use a producer subsidy to compensate producers for their tax expenses could effectively address these issues, albeit for a much reduced global mitigation potential. Another key insight of this research is that a carbon tax could restructure the global cattle sector, increasing the share of cattle meat supplied by the dairy sector relative to the beef sector. Closing yield gaps for mixed smallholder farmers in several parts of Sub Saharan Africa, without the introduction of new technologies, could provide marked benefits for smallholder incomes and food supply, and reduce GHG emission intensities of production. Similarly, the intensification of beef production in Eastern Indonesia with improved feed from tree-legumes could deliver large increases in production and smallholder incomes and also lower the emission intensity of beef products. This innovation also has good potential for scaling up and is likely to benefit multiple value chain participants. It was also found that the costs of climate change could be partially offset by interventions based on increased fertilisation and the retention of crop residues for a population of mixed smallholder farmers in Sub Saharan Africa. Significantly, vastly different conclusions about the economic desirability of these practices were apparent when assessing their performance through the lens of the aggregate population, compared to considering the impacts on individual farms within the population. Despite the large variation in scales and methods utilised in this thesis, a number of cross-cutting themes emerged from the analyses. For instance, the economic advantages of targeting sectors and producers with practices that can contribute to climate change mitigation and adaptation for the least cost or highest return, were apparent at different scales of analyses. Related to this, positive synergies between producer profits and mitigation or adaptation outcomes were also found across the analyses, for a range of improved practices and policies. Further, benefits from the integration of crop and livestock enterprises were apparent in the different analyses, although some practices were shown to generate trade-offs between these enterprises. Finally, all the studies in this thesis touched upon the challenges associated with barriers to the adoption of improved practices

Wide-Orbit Exoplanet Demographics

The Kepler, K2 and TESS transit surveys are revolutionizing our understanding of planets orbiting close to their host stars and our understanding of exoplanet systems in general, but there remains a gap in our understanding of wide-orbit planets. This gap in our understanding must be filled if we are to understand planet formation and how it affects exoplanet habitability. We summarize current and planned exoplanet detection programs using a variety of methods: microlensing (including WFIRST), radial velocities, Gaia astrometry, and direct imaging. Finally, we discuss the prospects for joint analyses using results from multiple methods and obstacles that could hinder such analyses. We endorse the findings and recommendations published in the 2018 National Academy report on Exoplanet Science Strategy. This white paper extends and complements the material presented therein

Freak Waves in Random Oceanic Sea States

Freak waves are very large, rare events in a random ocean wave train. Here we study the numerical generation of freak waves in a random sea state characterized by the JONSWAP power spectrum. We assume, to cubic order in nonlinearity, that the wave dynamics are governed by the nonlinear Schroedinger (NLS) equation. We identify two parameters in the power spectrum that control the nonlinear dynamics: the Phillips parameter $\alpha$ and the enhancement coefficient $\gamma$. We discuss how freak waves in a random sea state are more likely to occur for large values of $\alpha$ and $\gamma$. Our results are supported by extensive numerical simulations of the NLS equation with random initial conditions. Comparison with linear simulations are also reported.Comment: 7 pages, 6 figures, to be published in Phys. Rev. Let

Upper Extremity Superficial Vein Thromboses Presenting as Acute Neck Pain in a Young and Healthy Male: A Case Report

# Background and Purpose Neck pain in the United States is pervasive and contributes to disability. While the majority of neck pain in young and healthy individuals is neuromusculoskeletal in nature, screening for red flags is necessary for ruling-out serious medical pathologies. The purpose of this case report is to describe a young and healthy male subject with a primary complaint of acute neck pain with multiple underlying upper extremity superficial vein thromboses (UESVTs). # Case Description The subject was a 27-year-old male active-duty Soldier referred to physical therapy by his primary care provider (PCP) for acute left-sided neck pain. Prior to physical therapy, the subject had been treated with cyclobenzaprine, oxycodone-acetaminophen, trigger point injection and had undergone a D-dimer to rule out a potential thrombus due to air travel and lower extremity immobilization. # Outcomes The subject underwent a D-dimer, Doppler ultrasound, pharmacological treatment of Rivaroxaban, and was referred to hematology/oncology to rule out systemic causes of SVTs. Evidence of subtle increases in blood pressure over the course of three months, a positive D-dimer, and symptoms incongruent with clinical presentation contributed to referral to a hematology/oncology specialist and a diagnosis of multiple UESVTs. The subject was able to return to his previous level of activity by six months and remained free of SVTs at two-year follow-up. # Discussion UESVT events are rare and can be challenging to identify. This case report describes a unique presentation of acute neck pain caused by underlying UESVTs in an otherwise healthy and active young male. # Level of Evidence Level

Wide-Orbit Exoplanet Demographics

The Kepler, K2 and TESS transit surveys are revolutionizing our understanding of planets orbiting close to their host stars and our understanding of exoplanet systems in general, but there remains a gap in our understanding of wide-orbit planets. This gap in our understanding must be filled if we are to understand planet formation and how it affects exoplanet habitability. We summarize current and planned exoplanet detection programs using a variety of methods: microlensing (including WFIRST), radial velocities, Gaia astrometry, and direct imaging. Finally, we discuss the prospects for joint analyses using results from multiple methods and obstacles that could hinder such analyses. We endorse the findings and recommendations published in the 2018 National Academy report on Exoplanet Science Strategy. This white paper extends and complements the material presented therein