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Background and Purpose About 56% of symptomatic COVID-19 survivors have been found with neuropsychological comorbidities, such as depression, anxiety, posttraumatic stress disorders (PTSD), and impaired quality of life (QoL). Alongside, antimicrobial, anti-inflammatory, neuroprotective, regenerative, immunomodulatory, cardio-pulmonary health promotive, and psychological benefits of yogic and Ayurvedic intervention are well documented. Therefore, this study aimed to assess the effect of online Yoga (OYI) and Yoga cum Ayurveda intervention (OYAI) on COVID-19-induced depression, anxiety, PTSD, and poor QoL. Method Seventy-two participants (males/females: 33/26) with at least a 3-month back history of symptomatic COVID-19 infection and age (mean ± SD: 32.33 ± 9.9 and 33.04 ± 12.9 for males and females, respectively) were recruited from Patanjali Ayurveda Hospital, Haridwar, India, and All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Rishikesh, Uttarakhand, India, before random allocation into an equal-sized control group (CG), Yoga group (YG) and Yoga cum concoction (YCG) group. Split-plot analysis of variance and Kruskal–Wallis tests with Bonferroni adjusted post hoc comparisons were computed for normal and nonnormal data using IBM SPSS (25th Version, SPSS South Asia Private Limited, Bangalore, India). Results Both the treatments—the 30-day OYI and OYAI, significantly improved depression ( P < .002, ES: -0.99 and P < .001, ES: -2.11), anxiety ( P < .001, ES: -1.32 and -1.89), PTSD ( P < .001, ES: -1.8 and -1.83) and QoL related constructs ( P < .001, ES: 0.63 and 0.76; 0.71 and 0.93 for each OYI and OYAI versus general health and physical health; P < .001, ES: 0.65 for OYAI versus psychological health; and P < .003, ES: 0.54 for OYI versus environment) of the participants compared to the controls. Conclusion OYAI may better ameliorate COVID-19-induced psychological comorbidities than OYI with no adverse effects.

This paper aimed at investigating factors about interrelationship between E-Learning Orientation, E-Learning Implementation, E-Learning Perception, and E-Learning Satisfaction. The information of the study was gathered from 330 students of large university affiliated institutes. Judgment or purposive sampling is used for selection of respondents. The outcome of study showed relationship of all variables for a proposed model. All the constructs are correlated with each other. E-Learning Orientation, E-Learning Implementation, and E-Learning Perception are having positive relationship on E-Learning Satisfaction. The output of this study can be utilized to improve E-Learning environment system in better ways. Variables used in this study are taken for the first time for such type of research work. The work also intended to participate in current literature about E-Learning Orientation, E-Learning Implementation, E-Learning Perception, and E-Learning Satisfaction.

Oxygen sensitization and incorporation of ternary lead chalcogenide PbSe1-xTex thin films was investigated with two methods: adding oxygen via PbO to the bulk source alloy and post-deposition oxygen annealing. Characterization of the composition, structure, and morphology of these films confirmed that they follow Vegard's law for lattice parameter, and adding PbO to the source alloy did not impact the lattice parameter. However, adding PbO changed the electrical carrier properties observed in Hall effect measurements without forming any new oxide phase. Conversely, post-deposition annealing increased the lattice parameter due to oxygen incorporation into the lattice via interstitials in samples with appropriate grain boundary orientations. Morphological analysis revealed that PbSe0.8Te0.2 films demonstrated (100) texture, while PbSe0.6Te0.4 films demonstrated (111) texture with resulting grain boundary orientations more favorable to oxygen diffusion and incorporation. This varying oxygen incorporation from PbO source and oxygen annealing methods reveals trends that can lead to improved photodetector performance.

The relation between spirituality and health has been argued for decades. The study aimed to ascertain the extent and nature of the relationship between spirituality quantified in terms of Spiritual Intelligence (SI) and distress in ascetics. Sixty-three Hindu ascetics aged 31.3 ± 6.6 years were sampled from Patanjali Yogpeeth, India. Participants’ distress and spiritual levels were measured by using the Cornell Medical Index Health Questionnaires (CMHIQs) and Spiritual Intelligence Self-Report Inventory-24 (SISRI-24), respectively. Multiple regression analyses showed an insignificant negative relationship between SI and distress implying SI as a predictor of psychosomatic health.

Concentration-dependent thermophysical properties of molten Mg-Pb and Mg-Ga alloys at 1000 K was compared using the Redlich Kister equation by optimizing exponential interaction energy parameters based on the R-K polynomials framework. The mixing behavior was investigated by giving more emphasis to the role of temperature-dependent interaction energy parameters. Our study shows that the magnesium gallium alloy is slightly interacting than the magnesium lead alloy. The surface tension and viscosity of both alloys was compared using the Butler equation as improved by Kaptay and KRP (Kozlov-Ronanov-Petrov) approach respectively. The surface tension of Mg-Pb liquid alloy increases but decreases in Mg-Ga alloy with an increase in the concentration of Mg. The viscosity has a nonlinear variation for both alloys with the increase in the concentration of magnesium.

A sudden application of sources results in time-varying currents and voltages in the circuit known as transients. This phenomenon occurs frequently during switching. A simple circuit constituting a resistor, an inductor, and a capacitor is termed an RLC circuit. It may be in parallel or series configuration or both. Different values of damping factors determine the different nature of the transient response. We applied different numerical solution methods such as explicit (forward) Euler method, third-order Runge-Kutta (RK3) method, and Butcher's fifth-order Runge-Kutta (BRK5) method to approximate the solution of second-order differential equation with initial value problem (IVP). We thoroughly compared the numerical solutions obtained by these methods with the necessary visualization and analysis of error. We also examined the superiority of these methods over one another and the appropriateness of numerical methods for different damping conditions is explored. With high accuracy of the approximation and thorough analysis of the observation, we found Butcher's fifth-order Runge-Kutta (BRK5) method to be the best numerical technique. Regarding the different values of damping factors, we considered the further possibility of discussion and analysis of this iterative method.

International audience; The involvement of meteoric water in orogens dynamics through surface processes is well known as for example in the Himalayas where erosion, resulting of the interplay between climate and tectonics shapes the most spectacular landscapes on the planet. But what about more internal and deepest surface fluid infiltration? Here we report analysis of the δ18O(water)and δD(water)of extracted water from fluid inclusions hosted into Cenozoic quartz veins sampled in the core of the Himalayan range, near the Main Central Thrust and the South Tibetan Detachment. Isotopic and microthermometric values suggest a meteoric origin for the fluids trapped in the quartz of syn-to post-kinematic veins formed between 10 to 20 km depth. Moreover, the isotopic compositions obtained in this study on quartz fluid inclusions water collected along a transect across the Himalayan range evolved with the topography in a similar manner than the modern meteoric water. Considering the age of formation of the quartz veins between 18 and 12 Ma, we deduce that the morphology of the Himalayan topographic front was already shaped during the Miocene but located further north.

We have used a theoretical model based on the assumption of compound formation in binary alloys to study the thermodynamic, microscopic and surface properties of Bi-Pb and In-Pb liquid alloys. A re...

This research explores mixing behaviour of liquid In – Tl system through thermodynamic and the structural properties on the basis of Complex Formation Model. The properties like surface tension and viscosity have been analyzed through simple statistical model and Moelwyn – Hughes equation. The interaction parameters are found to be positive, concentration independent and temperature dependent. Theoretical results are in a good agreement with the corresponding literature data which support homo-coordinating tendency in the liquid In-Tl alloy. BIBECHANA 18 (2021) 149-158

Theoretical study of thermodynamic properties of binary liquid Potassium-Thallium alloy at temperatures 798 K, 1000 K, 1200 K and 1400 K have been analyzed as a function of concentration by considering temperature dependent exponential interaction parameters in the framework of R-K polynomials. The viscosity and surface tension of the alloy have been studied by BBK model and improved derivation of Butler equation respectively. The study provides the information of moderately interacting as well as segregating nature at the low concentration of Thallium and ordering nature at high concentration of Thallium and the viscosity and surface tension of the alloy decrease with increase in temperature.

The thermodynamic and structural properties of binary alloy Ag- Sb at temperature 1250K have been reported theoretically using quasi lattice model. The interchange energy has been considered a function of a temperature and thus various thermodynamic quantities are calculated at elevated temperature. The theoretical values of free energy of mixing, heat of mixing, entropy of mixing and chemical activity are reasonable agreement with experimental values in all concentrations of antimony from 0.1 to 0.9. The theoretical analysis tells that the alloy shows both ordering nature in Ag rich end and segregating nature in Sb rich end .The study reveals that the properties of alloy are asymmetric around equi-atomic composition. The Ag_3 Sn complexes are most likely to exist in the liquid state and are moderately interacting.

Bi – Mg is a strongly interacting system (the free energy of mixing GM> 3 RT at equiatomic composition), the compositional dependence of the thermodynamic properties (free energy of mixing, heat of...

We demonstrate thin films of PbSe1−xSx and PbSe1−xTex lead chalcogenide ternary alloys as infrared detectors. The films were deposited on single crystal BaF2 substrates using physical vapor deposition. Detectivity in the wavelength range from 1 μm to 5 μm was measured at −40°C, and all films showed photoresponse signals more than an order of magnitude larger than their noise. The detectivity spectra were used to assess the tunability of the band gap from mixing the lead chalcogenide binaries. The PbSe1−xSx system showed tunability that followed Vegard’s law, while the PbSe1−xTex system showed tunability with a bowing parameter of −0.096 eV. Comparisons to measurements from the literature taken at room temperature suggest that the bowing parameter decreases with decreasing temperature, and the band gap temperature coefficient with respect to composition also shows bowing., ONR (Award N68335- 19-C-0070)

Cover crop biomass is helpful for weed and pest control, soil erosion control, nutrient recycling, and overall soil health and crop productivity improvement. These benefits may vary based on cover crop species and their biomass. There is growing interest in the agricultural sector of using remotely sensed imagery to estimate cover crop biomass. Four small plot study sites located at the United States Department of Agriculture Agricultural Research Service, Crop Production Systems Research Unit farm, Stoneville, MS with different cereals, legumes, and their mixture as fall-seeded cover crops were selected for this analysis. A randomized complete block design with four replications was used at all four study sites. Cover crop biomass and canopy-level hyperspectral data were collected at the end of April, just before cover crop termination. High-resolution (3 m) PlanetScope imagery (Dove satellite constellation with PS2.SD and PSB.SD sensors) was collected throughout the cover crop season from November to April in the 2021 and 2022 study cycles. Results showed that mixed cover crop increased biomass production up to 24% higher compared to single species rye. Reflectance bands (blue, green, red and near infrared) and vegetation indices derived from imagery collected during March were more strongly correlated with biomass (r = 0–0.74) compared to imagery from November (r = 0.01–0.41) and April (r = 0.03–0.57), suggesting that the timing of imagery acquisition is important for biomass estimation. The highest correlation was observed with the near-infrared band (r = 0.74) during March. The R2 for biomass prediction with the random forest model improved from 0.25 to 0.61 when cover crop species/mix information was added along with Planet imagery bands and vegetation indices as biomass predictors. More study with multiple timepoint biomass, hyperspectral, and imagery collection is needed to choose appropriate bands and estimate the biomass of mix cover crop species.

Introduction: The Internet is integral to modern life, but its overuse harms health and is treated as an addiction. This study aimed to explore the prevalence of Internet Addiction (IA) among university students and propose an integral yoga prescription for its prevention and treatment.

Winter manure application contributes substantial nutrient loss during snowmelt and influences water quality. The goal of this study is to develop best management practices (BMPs) for winter manure management. We compared nutrient concentrations in snowmelt runoff from three dates of feedlot solid beef manure application (November, January, and March) at 18 tons ha−1 on untilled and fall-tilled plots. The manure was applied at a single rate. Sixteen 4 m2 steel frames were installed in the fall to define individual plots. Treatments were randomly assigned so that each tillage area had two control plots, two that received manure during November, two in January, and two in March. Snowmelt runoff from each individual plot was collected in March and analyzed for runoff volume (RO), ammonium-nitrogen (NH4-N), nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N), total suspended solids (TSS), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), total phosphorus (TP), and total dissolved phosphorus (TDP). Snowmelt runoff concentrations and loads of NH4-N, TKN, TP, and TDP were significantly higher in runoff from manure application treatments compared to control. The concentration of NH4-N and loads of NH4-N and TDP were significantly (p = 0.05) greater (42%, 51%, and 47%, respectively) from untilled compared to fall-tilled plots. The November application significantly increased RO, NH4-N, and TDP concentrations and loads in the snowmelt runoff compared to January and March applications. Results showed that nutrient losses in snowmelt runoff were reduced from manure applications on snow compared to non-snow applications. The fall tillage before winter manure application decreased nutrient losses compared to untilled fields.

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Bothriochloa spp. include aromatic grasses that produce essential oils. Some of these grasses are reported to repel economically important insects. Leaves, stems, and seedheads of ‘WW-B.Dahl’ old world bluestem [Bothriochloa bladhii (Retz) S.T. Blake] were sampled during 3 years. Quantitative analysis by GC and GC–MS methods revealed a total of 172 compounds from methylation method, and 105 compounds from steam distillation method. Acorenone-B [spiro[4.5]dec-6-en-8-one, 1,7-dimethyl-4-(1-methylethyl)-] was in greatest concentration in both methods; however, this compound was detected on only one date (12 August) out of three collection dates extracted by steam distillation. Twenty-two compounds were detected by simple solvent extraction, in which acorenone-B was in greatest concentration in seedheads and least in stems. Diethylhexyl adipate was in highest concentration in stems and least in seedheads among the oils extracted by simple solvent. Camphene and limonene were present in the samples that contained seedheads. Naphthalene, a known insect deterrent, was detected in oils extracted from all methods and in all plant parts. Old world bluestem grass contained measurable amounts of essential oils that may be associated with previously observed repellency of red imported fire ants (Solenopsis invicta Buren).

We have extended a computational model used to research the thermodynamic properties of binary liquid alloys to study chemical short-range order parameters and diffusion coefficients. Numerous simulations have also been employed for surface properties such as surface concentration and surface tension. The propensities for phase separation of the Pb–Sb alloy were also observed with a temperature rise. The structural and thermodynamic properties of the alloys were measured using the same interaction parameters that are suitable for the free energy of mixing and mixing enthalpy. The interaction parameters are discovered to be temperature-dependent but concentration-independent. Our results indicate that the liquid alloy Pb–Sb has a weakly interacting composition. According to the surface property review, the element Sb having a higher surface concentration than its bulk concentration segregates over the surface of the alloy.

This manuscript describes the commissioning of the Mini-CAPTAIN liquid argon detector in a neutron beam at the Los Alamos Neutron Science Center (LANSCE), which led to a first measurement of high-energy neutron interactions in argon. The Mini-CAPTAIN detector consists of a Time Projection Chamber (TPC) with an accompanying photomultiplier tube (PMT) array sealed inside a liquid-argon-filled cryostat. The liquid argon is constantly purified and recirculated in a closed-loop cycle during operation. The specifications and assembly of the detector subsystems and an overview of their performance in a neutron beam are reported., 21 pages, 27 figures

CdTe is considered to be an ideal semiconductor for X-ray and gamma-ray detectors. It is a wide bandgap semiconductor with high absorption coefficient and low electron-hole creation energy. Still, the use of this material is limited by the lack of availability and cost of large area crystals and challenges of coupling CdTe crystals with the read-out electronics. To overcome this problem, we investigated low-temperature growth of CdTe directly on the application-specific integrated circuit (ASIC). CdTe was deposited using modified close-space sublimation; water cooling was utilized to reduce substrate heating. Films, with thickness up to 500 µm, were grown at temperatures as low as 100 °C with the growth rates as high as 80 µm/hour. CdTe films were polycrystalline and highly resistive (9.0 × 107- 2.0 × 108 Ohm*cm). The grain size increased with the substrate temperature while resistivity remained nearly constant. X-ray-generated current was recorded with excitation energies of interest (16.5 KeV - 50 KeV). We are exploring the low-temperature grown CdTe as a potential alternative to expensive single crystals and associated bonding costs which will enable development inexpensive high quality radiation imagers.

Background Hypertension is a major cardiovascular risk factor. White coat hypertension refers to elevated office blood pressure but normal out of office blood pressure. White-coat hypertension has a risk of cardiovascular events more than normotensives. Objective To identify the prevalence of white coat hypertension among patients presented in the cardiology department. Method The descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted among 165 patients who visited the cardiology outpatient department of Kathmandu Medical College and Teaching Hospital from December 2017 to November 2018. Blood pressure was measured at the hospital, and ambulatory blood pressure device was used to monitor 24hrs pattern. Hypertension is classified as per recent guideline. Data were entered and analysed using Statistical Package for social sciences version 20. Result Out of 165 ambulatory blood pressure monitoring conducted patients, 140 participants were enrolled in the study based on inclusion criteria. Among them 55% (77) were male, and 45% (63) were female. Age ranged from 18-78 years with a mean of 43.82 ± 12.31 years. Overall among 140 participants 14.28% had white coat hypertension, however, after excluding twenty-two high normal group, among 118 participants who were hypertensive according to office BP, 16.9% (20) had white coat hypertension, and 33.57% of patients did not have nocturnal dipping of blood pressure. Conclusion The white coat hypertension is prevalent among around one-sixth of hypertensive patients visiting tertiary care centre, and one third have non-dipping which needs to be considered in the management of hypertension.

A saprophytic soil fungus, Aspergillus flavus, produces aflatoxin (toxigenic strains) in the kernels of corn (Zea mays L.) and seeds of many other crops. Many strains of A. flavus do not produce toxigenic aflatoxin, and soil application of these atoxigenic strains is a suppressive control tactic to assist in controlling toxigenic conspecifics. Effects of atoxigenic A. flavus applications on honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) and other bees are unknown, and basic information on bee occurrences in cornfields treated with and without this biological agent is needed to inform integrated pest management in corn. Fields receiving atoxigenic A. flavus applications of FourSureTM were compared to nearby control fields in three counties in corn production regions in eastern Texas. In each cornfield, 20 bee bowl traps were deployed along four equal transects located between corn rows, with contents of the bowls (i.e., bees) retrieved after 24 h. Eleven bee genera from four families were collected from cornfields, with only two honey bees collected and zero honey bees observed in transects. The sweat bee genus Agapostemon (primarily composed of the Texas striped sweat bee A. texanus) was most abundant in cornfields (44% of the total number of bees collected), followed by long-horned bees (Melissodes spp., 24%). The southernmost county (i.e., San Patricio) produced over 80% of the total number of bees collected. Bee numbers occurring in cornfields with applications of atoxigenic A. flavus applications were not significantly different from those of nearby control fields. Although not statistically significant, total numbers of bees tended to be lower in FourSure-treated fields than in control fields. More extensive research on bee abundances in relation to the effect of atoxigenic A. flavus is warranted.

A saprophytic soil fungus, Aspergillus flavus, produces aflatoxin (toxigenic strains) in the kernels of corn (Zea mays L.) and seeds of many other crops. Many strains of A. flavus do not produce toxigenic aflatoxin, and soil application of these atoxigenic strains is a suppressive control tactic to assist in controlling toxigenic conspecifics. Effects of atoxigenic A. flavus applications on honey bees (Apis mellifera L.) and other bees are unknown, and basic information on bee occurrences in corn fields treated with and without this biological pesticide is needed to inform integrated pest management in corn. Fields with atoxigenic A. flavus applications were compared to nearby control fields in three counties in corn production regions in eastern Texas. In each corn field, twenty bee bowl traps were deployed along four equal transects located between corn rows, with contents of the bowls (i.e. bees) retrieved after 24 hours. Eleven bee genera from four families were collected from corn fields, with only two honey bees collected and zero honey bees observed in transects. The sweat bee genus Agapostemon (primarily composed of the Texas-striped sweat bee A. texanus) was most abundant in corn fields (44% of the total number of bees collected) followed by long-horned bees (Melissodes spp., 24%). The southernmost county (i.e. San Patricio) produced over 80% of the total number of bees collected. Bee communities occurring in corn production fields with applications of atoxigenic A. flavus applications were not significantly different from nearby control fields. While little is known of bee resource use in corn production systems in Texas, the abundant yet variable bee communities across latitudes in this study suggests a need to investigate the influence of farming practices on bee resources in regional corn production systems.

‘WW-B.Dahl’ Old World bluestem [OWB, Bothriochloa bladhii (Retz) S.T. Blake] is a persistent pasture grass in the semi-arid Texas High Plains. Some growers are transitioning their irrigated continuous cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) land to dryland or low-irrigation production of WW-B.Dahl owing to diminished water supply. This grass strongly deters soil-dwelling ants (Hymenoptera: Formicidae), presumably via release of unidentified phytochemical repellants in the soil. Our aim was to determine whether the inhibitory effects of OWB extend to soil microbial community structure and function in relation to other adapted forages. We compared soil chemical and microbial properties in a Pullman clay-loam soil for OWB relative to OWB-alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.), alfalfa, and native mixed-grass pastures at 0–5 cm and 10–15 cm depth in June and December of 2016. The pastures ranged in age from 7 to 17 yr. Most measurements of organic forms of C and N showed greatest amounts in OWB-alfalfa; however, not always significantly. Enzyme activities linked to C, N, and S transformations were greatest (P ≤ 0.03) with OWB-alfalfa. This trend was similar for alkaline phosphatase activity, involved in P cycling, but not always significantly. Soil organic C in OWB was 1.2–1.4 fold greater than in the native mix depending on soil depth and sampling date, whereas SOC in OWB-alfalfa was 1.4–1.6 fold greater than in the native mix. Enzyme activities and microbial biomass N (MBN) were likewise greater in OWB and OWB-alfalfa than in the native mix, likely because the latter received no irrigation or N inputs. The microbial community structure demonstrated greater total FAMEs, bacterial markers for Gram+, Gram−, and actinomycetes in OWB-alfalfa compared to OWB, alfalfa, and native mix. Similar results were found in fungal markers for arbuscular mycorrhizal fungi (AMF) and saprophytic fungi. Protozoan indicators were found only in December, of which the native mix had the highest levels in the 0–5 cm depth. In general, selected soil properties, soil microbial biomass, community and enzyme activities were greater in December than in June except AMF, which was greater in June. The stimulating effect of OWB growing with alfalfa on the soil microbial community suggested this forage combination as favorable for soil health in relation to OWB, alfalfa alone, and native mixed-grass pastures. The previously reported inhibitory effect of OWB on soil-dwelling ants did not carry over to a depressing effect on the soil microbial component.

CsI activated with thallium is one of the most important scintillators in the radiation detection field. With one of the highest conversion efficiencies (60 000 photons/MeV) of all scintillators in current use, along with its high density and effective atomic number, excellent light transport properties, broad commercial availability, and low cost, it has become the detector of choice for a wide variety of applications, especially medical diagnostics. Now, it has become particularly attractive for radiographic scanning and active interrogation of cargo in transit as well. It does have one drawback, however, in its relatively long-lived afterglow, which restricts its use in high-count-rate applications, causing reconstruction artifacts in CT and reduced contrast and image blurring in high-speed radiographic scanning and imaging. In previous work, we have already demonstrated that this afterglow can be substantially suppressed at low energies ( $\mu \text{m}$ thick and up to $45 \times 45$ cm2 in area, and expect yet further development in the future. This provides a combination of high-resolution, high-frame-rate, and large-area capabilities not hitherto available for imaging applications.

Many bankruptcy prediction models have been created over the years using a mix of variables derived mostly from accrual-based accounting statements and were industry specific. The primary issue with using a model comprised of accrual-based variables is that firm management can manipulate different components and make the balance sheet and income statement misleading (Wanuga 2006). Thus, firms appear financially healthy yet unable to meet the day-to-day cash flow needs of the firm; these financial issues are less likely to be hidden in the cash flow statement (Sharma 2001). In this study, we use a binary regression model with theoretically supported variables obtained from the cash flow statement to forecast firm success versus distress. Of particular interest, we examine firms representing 85 industries using firm data during and immediately following the greatest recession in United States history (Fieldhouse 2014; Lee 2014). The model is generic in the sense that it can be used to predict the probability of success-distress of any entity using the three major financial statements. We find that the overall model correctly classifies organizations 90.290 percent of the time.

State-of-the-art model parameterization consists of calibrating and validating the model using monitored data. When data are not available, many studies have relied on alternate strategies, including parameter sets obtained for eco-hydrologically similar watersheds and best professional judgment (BPJ). The objectives of this study were to (1) test the accuracy of four APEX parameterization strategies to predict runoff quantity and quality in a small agricultural watershed and (2) compare the effects of the different parameter sets on relative and absolute water quality outcomes for different conservation practice scenarios. A BPJ and three parameter sets obtained on nearby and more distant sites, including two fully calibrated parameter sets, i.e., for runoff, sediment, and total phosphorus (TP), and one partially calibrated parameter set, i.e., for runoff and TP only, were evaluated based on edge-of-field runoff, sediment loss, and TP loss, as well as for long-term annual predictions and relative changes for six conservation practice scenarios. Only the parameter sets that were fully calibrated met the model performance criteria on the test watershed and produced similar 30-year average annual predictions for the conservation practices. Relative changes in conservation outcomes were similar for the fully and partially calibrated parameter sets. They were different for the BPJ parameter set for at least one conservation practice. In the absence of site-specific data, the best parameterization strategy was to use parameter sets from a model calibrated for runoff, sediment, and nutrient losses from an eco-hydrologically similar site. Partial calibration of the model was sufficient to obtain consistent relative effects of the conservation practices. Keywords: Conservation practices, Hydrologic modeling, Model parameterization, Phosphorus, Sediment.

A theoretical model based on the assumption of compound formation in binary liquid alloy has been used to investigate the thermodynamic properties (free energy of mixing, enthalpy of mixing and entropy of mixing), microscopic properties (concentration fluctuation in long wavelength limit and chemical short range order parameter), surface properties (surface tension and surface composition) and dynamic properties ( viscosity and diffusion coefficient). All the properties of Al2Fe binary melt have been measured using the same energy parameters configured for experimental values of free energy of mixing. The energy parameters are detected as independent of concentration, but depend on temperature. The findings are well consistent with the experimental standards.

The Agricultural Policy Environmental eXtender (APEX) model is capable of estimating edge-of-field water, nutrient, and sediment transport and is used to assess the environmental impacts of management practices. The current practice is to fully calibrate the model for each site simulation, a task that requires resources and data not always available. The objective of this study was to compare model performance for flow, sediment, and phosphorus transport under two parameterization schemes: a best professional judgment (BPJ) parameterization based on readily available data and a fully calibrated parameterization based on site-specific soil, weather, event flow, and water quality data. The analysis was conducted using 12 datasets at four locations representing poorly drained soils and row-crop production under different tillage systems. Model performance was based on the Nash-Sutcliffe efficiency (NSE), the coefficient of determination () and the regression slope between simulated and measured annualized loads across all site years. Although the BPJ model performance for flow was acceptable (NSE = 0.7) at the annual time step, calibration improved it (NSE = 0.9). Acceptable simulation of sediment and total phosphorus transport (NSE = 0.5 and 0.9, respectively) was obtained only after full calibration at each site. Given the unacceptable performance of the BPJ approach, uncalibrated use of APEX for planning or management purposes may be misleading. Model calibration with water quality data prior to using APEX for simulating sediment and total phosphorus loss is essential.