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Weaving together Anglo-American folklore, the Indian captivity narrative genre, and science fiction and fantasy with Midwest settings, Attebery explores the lasting influence of the pastoral chronotope of the "middle landscape" and its entanglement with colonialism and empire. Scholar Guest of Honor Address, Mythcon 53. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This research study presents a Critical Discourse Analysis of Jane Austen's 18th-century novel Emma by employing a qualitative methodological approach. Utilizing Van Dijk's (1995) Socio-cognitive model, the analysis is conducted at the Macrostructure level which allows for the interpretation of the novel's meanings and themes. The study specifically examines dialogues related to the theme of marriage by extracting the concerned excerpts from the text. Through this analysis, the research uncovers the underlying ideologies concerning marriage as presented by female authors of the period. The results indicate that Austen's portrayal of marriage reflects a societal context in which women are systematically underprivileged and subject to male dominance. This suggests that Emma not only offers a narrative about individual characters but also provides a broader commentary on the gender inequalities prevalent in the 18th century. The study thus contributes to the understanding of how literature can mirror and critique social realities particularly concerning women's roles within the institution of marriage. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In 2010, the Municipal Securities Rulemaking Board proposed a rule change requiring the display of current credit ratings on the EMMA website, a centralized repository of municipal bond information. Before the rule change, current credit ratings were freely available on individual rating agencies' websites or on EMMA if municipalities provided relevant continuing disclosures, making it unclear whether the rule change would benefit investors. A difference-in-differences analysis reveals the rule change is associated with a 6–8 basis-point decrease in investor transaction costs. This effect is concentrated among the intended beneficiaries (retail investors) when credit risk information demand is high (long-maturity bonds) and current credit rating information on EMMA is low (no continuing disclosure of rating changes was provided on EMMA). The rule change appears to have helped retail investors become aware of current credit ratings by filling a disclosure gap on EMMA for municipalities without continuing disclosures of rating changes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

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Mixing models are used throughout earth and environmental science to quantify the relative contributions of sources to mixtures, based on chemical or isotopic tracers. Often, however, some end‐members are missing or their tracer distributions overlap, precluding the use of conventional mixing models. Here I show how these constraints can be overcome by exploiting the information contained in tracer time‐series fluctuations. This approach, ensemble end‐member mixing analysis (EEMMA), can potentially quantify many sources using a single tracer, even if their mean concentrations are indistinguishable. EEMMA can also quantify source contributions when some sources are unknown, and even infer the tracer time series of a missing source. Benchmark tests with synthetic data verify the reliability of this approach, thus expanding the range of mixing models that can be quantified using tracer time series. An R script is provided for the necessary calculations, including error propagation. Plain Language Summary: Chemical and isotopic tracers are widely used to partition mixtures (such as air masses, stream flows, xylem water, or biogeochemical fluxes) among potential contributing sources. These "mixing models" are widely used to improve process understanding throughout Earth and environmental science. However, because conventional mixing models are based on comparing the mean tracer concentrations in the sources and mixture, they typically require that all sources have been identified and sampled, their average tracer concentrations are distinctly different, and the number of sources does not exceed the number of independent tracers, plus one. Temporal fluctuations in tracer concentrations can provide additional information that loosens these constraints, thus expanding the range of feasible mixing models. Here I outline this approach and test its reliability using synthetic benchmark data. With this approach, in contrast to conventional mixing models, a single tracer can be used to quantify contributions from many different sources, even if their means overlap. Even when some sources are unmeasured or even unknown, this approach can estimate the remaining sources' mixing fractions, and even, given sufficiently accurate data, can estimate the mixing fraction and tracer signature of an unknown source. Thus, this approach expands the range of applications for mixing models. Key Points: Tracer fluctuations contain information that can help constrain mixing models, including those with overlapping end‐member signaturesThis approach can also constrain mixing models with many sources but only one tracer, or those in which some sources may be missingThe concepts and math behind this approach are outlined, and validated using benchmark tests; a script for the method is provided [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasma content and distribution are key parameters in the dynamics of the inner magnetosphere. The plasmasphere contributes, for the most part, to the plasma mass density, and its properties are very dependent on the history of the magnetosphere and geomagnetic activity. In this work, we investigated plasmasphere dynamics and plasmasphere–ionosphere coupling, focusing on the refilling process that followed the geomagnetic storm that occurred on 1 June 2013. The equatorial plasma mass density used to evaluate the refilling rates was remotely sensed by observation of the field line resonance (FLR) frequencies of the geomagnetic field, driven by ultra-low-frequency magnetic waves. The FLR frequencies were retrieved by performing an analysis of signals detected by several station pairs of the European quasi-Meridional Magnetometer Array. We estimated the rate at which the refilling process occurred, concentrating on both the diurnal and the day-to-day refilling rates. The estimated contraction rate during the main phase of the storm was higher than ∼ 3.5   R E d − 1 , while the average expansion rate was ∼ 0.4   R E d − 1 . We investigated the radial dependence of the refilling rates, using a novel approach based on fit plasma mass density profiles, and we related their variation to the plasmasphere boundary layer and the zero-energy Alfvén boundary. We found evidence supporting the idea that flux tubes mapping in the region between these two boundaries experience an enhanced refilling process. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study is focused on the comparison of streamflow composition simulated with three well-known rainfall–runoff (RR) models (ECOMAG, HBV, SWAT) against hydrograph decomposition evaluated with End-Member Mixing Analysis (EMMA). In situ observations at two small mountain testbed catchments located in the south of Pacific Russia are used. All applied RR models and EMMA analysis demonstrate that two neighboring catchments disagree significantly on the mutual dynamics of the runoff sources. The RR models' benchmark test is based on proximity to EMMA hydrograph composition. Different aggregation intervals (season, month, and pentad) were applied to find a reasonable generalization period ensuring the clarity of results. ECOMAG is most conformable to EMMA outcome; HBV reflects flood events well enough; SWAT exhibits distinctive behavior compared to the other models. It is shown that, along with standard efficiency criteria of simulated and observed runoff proximity, EMMA analysis might provide useful auxiliary information for the validation of modelling results. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Mixing models are used throughout earth and environmental science to quantify the relative contributions of sources to mixtures, based on chemical or isotopic tracers. Often, however, some end‐members are missing or their tracer distributions overlap, precluding the use of conventional mixing models. Here I show how these constraints can be overcome by exploiting the information contained in tracer time‐series fluctuations. This approach, ensemble end‐member mixing analysis (EEMMA), can potentially quantify many sources using a single tracer, even if their mean concentrations are indistinguishable. EEMMA can also quantify source contributions when some sources are unknown, and even infer the tracer time series of a missing source. Benchmark tests with synthetic data verify the reliability of this approach, thus expanding the range of mixing models that can be quantified using tracer time series. An R script is provided for the necessary calculations, including error propagation.

Jane Austen is celebrated for her wit and wittiness. She famously defended novels in Northanger Abbey, for example, on the basis that they display 'the liveliest effusions of wit'. Critics have long been occupied with detailing the implications of Austen's wit, but without due attention to Austen's own explicit deployment of the word within her writing. Offering a re-evaluation of Austen's use of 'wit', this article provides a much-needed examination of how the term is implemented by Austen in her fiction (from her juvenilia, and through her six major novels), contextualises wit's meaning through its seventeenth-, eighteenth-, and nineteenth-century senses, and reveals that 'wit' did not necessarily have the positive connotations often presumed in modern suppositions. It transpires that, seemingly paradoxically, Austen routinely adopts the label 'wit' ironically to expose an absence of true wit, whilst concurrently avoiding the application of the word in moments displaying true wit. This article argues for the need to understand the crucial distinction between wit and true wit in Austen's fiction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

On 3 November 2021, an interplanetary coronal mass ejection impacted the Earth's magnetosphere leading to a relevant geomagnetic storm (Kp = 8-), the most intense event that occurred so far during the rising phase of solar cycle 25. This work presents the state of the solar wind before and during the geomagnetic storm, as well as the response of the plasmasphere–ionosphere–thermosphere system in the European sector. To investigate the longitudinal differences, the ionosphere–thermosphere response of the American sector was also analyzed. The plasmasphere dynamics was investigated through field line resonances detected at the European quasi-Meridional Magnetometer Array, while the ionosphere was investigated through the combined use of ionospheric parameters (mainly the critical frequency of the F2 layer, foF2) from ionosondes and Total Electron Content (TEC) obtained from Global Navigation Satellite System receivers at four locations in the European sector, and at three locations in the American one. An original method was used to retrieve aeronomic parameters from observed electron concentration in the ionospheric F region. During the analyzed interval, the plasmasphere, originally in a state of saturation, was eroded up to two Earth's radii, and only partially recovered after the main phase of the storm. The possible formation of a drainage plume is also observed. We observed variations in the ionospheric parameters with negative and positive phase and reported longitudinal and latitudinal dependence of storm features in the European sector. The relative behavior between foF2 and TEC data is also discussed in order to speculate about the possible role of the topside ionosphere and plasmasphere response at the investigated European site. The American sector analysis revealed negative storm signatures in electron concentration at the F2 region. Neutral composition and temperature changes are shown to be the main reason for the observed decrease of electron concentration in the American sector. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Increased precipitation in the 1970s led to base level shifts in the Rio Quinto basin, causing conflicts due to flooding. A regional study was conducted to analyze the water resource system, particularly the contributions of groundwater discharge and precipitation to surface water. Various techniques were employed, such as analyzing major ionic species and isotopes like δ18O and δ2H, along with methods like end-member mixing analysis (EMMA) and inverse geochemical modeling (PHREEQC). The analysis encompassed components explaining the geochemistry of groundwater across the entire basin. The results showed that surface and groundwater geochemistry results from mixing precipitation, local groundwater flows, and regional groundwater flows. EMMA and PHREEQC quantitatively showed that in the upper basin, surface waters receive 60% from precipitation and 40% from local groundwater flows on average. In the middle and lower basins, regional groundwater flows are minimal (<5%), with precipitation/local groundwater flows dominating (40% and 55%). Conversely, the upper basin exhibits variability, with precipitation contributing more to shallow wells (<20 m) and local groundwater flows to deeper wells (>20 m). In the middle and lower basins, regional groundwater flows increase (15%), local groundwater flows dominate (60%), and precipitation plays a lesser role (not exceeding 50%). Geochemical processes such as cation exchange, salt dissolution, and carbonate precipitation further explain the evolution of water chemistry in the system. These results help establish the origin, hydraulic connections, and contributions of various water sources, contributing to a comprehensive understanding of the water cycle in the study area. [Display omitted] • Using EMMA and PHREEQC to assess mixing proportions in surface and groundwater. • Three end-members are retained to explain the geochemical variability of basin. • Mixture of rainfall with local and regional groundwater flows. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Angela Merkel's review of Susan Faludi's Backlash from 1993 is an illuminating document as regards her relationship with feminism as well as with the media. She wrote it as Minister for Women and Youth, when a central task was bringing East and West Germany again closer together. Twelve years later, during the decisive election campaign of 2005, Alice Schwarzer's EMMA, a leading feminist magazine, reprinted the review in an effort to style Merkel into a feminist and so mobilise disappointed female voters. Nevertheless, almost to the last minute of her four terms as Germany's first female Chancellor, Merkel notoriously refused public identification with feminism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In its depictions of characters' processes of decision-making, Jane Austen's Emma incorporates a model of choice that later came to dominate neoclassical economics. This model is preferential choice, which asserts that individuals choose based on their subjective, idiosyncratic preferences rather than following socially sanctioned value systems. While Emma represents preferential choice and illustrates its connection to consumer capitalism, unlike neoclassical economists, the novel ultimately exhibits skepticism toward this modern model of decision-making. This skepticism is rooted in Emma's conservative economic and political vision. Its conservatism paradoxically gestures to a point that is important to some of today's progressive thought: that our valorization of preferential choice—of the idea that choices should be a matter of individual desire for one option among many—is not inevitable and comes with its own significant difficulties. This article shows that even as the novel distances itself from consumerism's mode of preferential choosing, Emma's representation of preferential choice acknowledges its aesthetic importance in the construction of interiorized characters and in open-ended narrative forms. Such an acknowledgment shows Austen's recognition that consumerist habits of mind are important to literary production, especially at a moment when novels vied for attention in a competitive literary marketplace. In such a marketplace, readers chose among many disparate titles; the late eighteenth- and early nineteenth-century literary field was, indeed, one of the first manifestations of modern consumerism wherein overflowing markets tried to convince shoppers to express their individuality through their preferences for some goods over others. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multiple screen adaptations of Jane Austen's novels, and in particular, those of Emma (1815–1816), willy-nilly direct audience attention to the problematic continuities between the original novel and Rajshri Ojha's twenty-first century Bollywood adaptation, Aisha (2010). This essay addresses the issue of the competing influence of Austen and the global cinematic adaptations that precede this Hindi adaptation, even as it assesses the film for its engagement with the adaptation of Austenian social concerns to the particularities of the contemporary upper-middle-class urban existence in India. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Urban composite non-point source (UCNPS) has an increasing degree of influence on the urban receiving waters. However, there remains a dearth of precise techniques to characterize and evaluate the contribution of UCNPS. Therefore, this study developed a source analytical methodology system based fluorescence excitation-emission matrices spectroscopy (EEMs) and Fourier-transform ion cyclotron resonance mass spectrometry (FT-ICR MS).Specifically, it utilized parallel factor analysis (PARAFAC), two-dimensional correlation spectroscopy (2D-COS), end-member mixing analysis (EMMA), and non-metric multidimensional scaling (NMDS) to analysis UCNPS pollution characteristics and quantify its contributions to river DOM. The results of its application in typical hilly and plain urban within the Yangtze River Basin, China revealed that road and roof runoff exhibited high aromaticity and humic-like content, and the characteristics of pipe sediment was similar with domestic sewage. The component of Rivers had sequences of changes under rainfall perturbations. But terrestrial humic-like represented the initial input in all cases, and it can provide some indication of UCNPS input. The results of EMMA showed that the contribution of road runoff, roof runoff, pipeline sediment and domestic sewage to river DOM was 9.0 %-36.0 %, 2.6 %-19.1 %, 2.3 %-28.8 % and 5.9 %-25.9 %, respectively, and the specific contribution was mainly affected by rainfall level, regional terrain and drainage system. The methodology system of this study can provide technical support for the traceability and precise control of UCNPS pollution., Competing Interests: Declaration of competing interest The authors declare that they have no known competing financial interests or personal relationships that could have appeared to influence the work reported in this paper., (Copyright © 2024 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.)

Jane Austen’s novel “Emma” still inspires and challenges readers in the twenty-first century. The article engages in a critical analysis of the several maps of meaning the eponymous character draws in her circles of intimacy and of social acquaintances, underpinned by questions of identity and representation. It analyses how Emma represents herself and relates with the Other(s) from a position of power, authority, and egotism—identity traits of the narrative text, which is a metaphor of her life, a Landscape of the Self. During a long and painful path, in the fictionality of a possible world, from equivoque to equivoque, these identity traits are progressively transformed into true feelings of friendship and self)awareness. On the one hand, one finds a powerful young lady mastering the family and the social circles, and, on the other, an emotionally fragile young woman in need of orientation. Tracing her path, Emma constructs possibilities for her life, closely followed by the dutiful and loving help of a masculine character, whose enlightened vision transforms her stubborn, immature, and proud nature and is a cornerstone of her growth into maturity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

• Metasilicic acid in mixed geothermal water mainly comes from geothermal source water. • Temperature is an important control factor in the metasilicic acid of hot springs and geothermal well waters. • The underestimation of circulation temperature and depth by silica geothermometers has been addressed by EMMA model. The content of metasilicic acid in geothermal water is usually high. In this paper, the hydrochemical composition of hot springs and geothermal wells from different lithologic aquifers was studied by End-member mixing analysis, and the source and influencing factors of the H 2 SiO 3 concentration in geothermal water were revealed. The results show that the H 2 SiO 3 concentration in geothermal water is almost independent of the lithology of the surrounding rock at surface of hot springs and geothermal wells. Temperature is an important control factor in the H 2 SiO 3 concentration of hot springs and geothermal well waters. The metasilicic acid in geothermal water mainly comes from the geothermal source water, and the mixing of a large proportion of cold water will dilute the metasilicic acid, resulting in a relatively large variation in hot springs and geothermal well waters. The mixing process evaluation gives a good overview of the fluid flow (reservoir temperature and circulation depth) within the region. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Plasma content and distribution are key parameters in the dynamics of the inner magnetosphere. The plasmasphere contributes, for the most part, to the plasma mass density, and its properties are very dependent on the history of the magnetosphere and geomagnetic activity. In this work, we investigated plasmasphere dynamics and plasmasphere–ionosphere coupling, focusing on the refilling process that followed the geomagnetic storm that occurred on 1 June 2013. The equatorial plasma mass density used to evaluate the refilling rates was remotely sensed by observation of the field line resonance (FLR) frequencies of the geomagnetic field, driven by ultra-low-frequency magnetic waves. The FLR frequencies were retrieved by performing an analysis of signals detected by several station pairs of the European quasi-Meridional Magnetometer Array. We estimated the rate at which the refilling process occurred, concentrating on both the diurnal and the day-to-day refilling rates. The estimated contraction rate during the main phase of the storm was higher than ∼3.5 REd−1, while the average expansion rate was ∼0.4 REd−1. We investigated the radial dependence of the refilling rates, using a novel approach based on fit plasma mass density profiles, and we related their variation to the plasmasphere boundary layer and the zero-energy Alfvén boundary. We found evidence supporting the idea that flux tubes mapping in the region between these two boundaries experience an enhanced refilling process.

This study is focused on the comparison of streamflow composition simulated with three well-known rainfall–runoff (RR) models (ECOMAG, HBV, SWAT) against hydrograph decomposition evaluated with End-Member Mixing Analysis (EMMA). In situ observations at two small mountain testbed catchments located in the south of Pacific Russia are used. All applied RR models and EMMA analysis demonstrate that two neighboring catchments disagree significantly on the mutual dynamics of the runoff sources. The RR models' benchmark test is based on proximity to EMMA hydrograph composition. Different aggregation intervals (season, month, and pentad) were applied to find a reasonable generalization period ensuring the clarity of results. ECOMAG is most conformable to EMMA outcome; HBV reflects flood events well enough; SWAT exhibits distinctive behavior compared to the other models. It is shown that, along with standard efficiency criteria of simulated and observed runoff proximity, EMMA analysis might provide useful auxiliary information for the validation of modelling results.

In recent years, institutions such as Cambridge University, and Cambridge societies such as Footlights, have been under scrutiny for their perceived elitism. This article nevertheless makes the case that such views overlook the place of gender within these contexts, and above all, the history of gender discrimination and the struggle for representation on the part of women within such institutions. Looking primarily at Footlights, and two of its most prominent early female members (Eleanor Bron and Emma Thompson), and focusing on some of their early work on screen, this article argues that we consider the exceptional nature of female performers emerging from the society. The article argues, in turn, that we take into account the distinctive, critical type of work on the part of these performers, in terms of its comedic and reflextive approach to female representation; arguing also that we link such work to the authorial opportunities, but also competitive contexts, of Cambridge University comedy during these times. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The multiple screen adaptations of Jane Austen’s novels, and in particular, those of Emma (1815–1816), willy-nilly direct audience attention to the problematic continuities between the original novel and Rajshri Ojha’s twenty-first century Bollywood adaptation, Aisha (2010). This essay addresses the issue of the competing influence of Austen and the global cinematic adaptations that precede this Hindi adaptation, even as it assesses the film for its engagement with the adaptation of Austenian social concerns to the particularities of the contemporary upper-middle-class urban existence in India.

The impacts of forest conversion on runoff generation in the tropics have received much interest, but scientific progress is still hampered by challenging fieldwork conditions and limited knowledge about runoff mechanisms. Here, we assessed the runoff generation, flow paths and water source dynamics of a pristine rainforest catchment in Costa Rica using end member mixing analysis (EMMA) and a Bayesian mixing model (MixSIAR). Geochemical tracer data collected over a 4‐week field campaign were combined with tritium data used to assess potential deeper groundwater flow pathways to the perennial stream. The streamflow composition was best captured using three end‐members, namely throughfall, shallow (5–15 cm) and deeper (15–50 cm) soil water. We estimated the end‐member contributions to the main stream and two tributaries using the two mixing approaches and found good agreement between results obtained from EMMA and MixSIAR. The system was overwhelmingly dominated by near‐surface sources, with little evidence for deeper and older groundwater as tritium‐derived baseflow mean transit time was between 2.0 and 4.4 years. The shallow soil flow pathway dominated streamflow contributions in the main stream (median 39% and 49% based on EMMA and MixSIAR, respectively), followed by the deeper soil (32% and 31%) and throughfall (25% and 19%). The two tributaries had even greater shallow soil water contributions relative to the main stream (83% and 74% for tributary A and 42% and 63% for tributary B). Tributary B had no detectable deep soil water contribution, reflecting the morphology of the hillslope (steeper slopes, shallower soils and lower vegetation density compared to hillslope A). Despite the short sampling campaign and associated uncertainties, this study allowed to thoroughly assess runoff generation mechanisms in a humid tropical catchment. Our results also provide a first comparison of two increasingly used mixing models and suggest that EMMA and MixSIAR yield comparable estimates of water source partitioning in this tropical, volcanic rainforest environment. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This essay aims to read Jane Austen's Emma (1815) not as a portrait of a pampered individual but as a story of collective or communal selfhood--that is, as the story of everybody. "Everybody"--the term is used approximately one hundred times in this novel--in Emma is both more and less than a village or a neighborhood. Spread and shared across people, discourses, bodies, and institutions, "everybodiness" is variously apprehended as public opinion, or a ubiquitous collective gaze, or a shared repertoire of constantly updated gossip-narratives, without ever being quite reducible to any one of these. With a mixture of disdain and disquiet, Emma equates everybodiness with banal group-think, senseless chatter, lackluster mediocrity, and oppressive sameness--but, even as it thinks these superciliously undemocratic thoughts, Austen's novel grants "everybody" narrative space in which to contest the terms of its own marginalization. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Fecal bacteria in surface water may indicate threats to human health. Our hypothesis is that village settlements in tropical rural areas are major hotspots of fecal contamination because of the number of domestic animals usually roaming in the alleys and the lack of fecal matter treatment before entering the river network. By jointly monitoring the dynamics of Escherichia coli and of seven stanol compounds during four flood events (July-August 2016) at the outlet of a ditch draining sewage and surface runoff out of a village of Northern Lao PDR, our objectives were (1) to assess the range of E. coli concentration in the surface runoff washing off from a village settlement and (2) to identify the major contributory sources of fecal contamination using stanol compounds during flood events. E. coli pulses ranged from 4.7 × 10 4 to 3.2 × 10 6 most probable number (MPN) 100 mL -1 , with particle-attached E. coli ranging from 83 to 100%. Major contributory feces sources were chickens and humans (about 66 and 29%, respectively), with the highest percentage switching from the human pole to the chicken pole during flood events. Concentrations indicate a severe fecal contamination of surface water during flood events and suggest that villages may be considered as major hotspots of fecal contamination pulses into the river network and thus as point sources in hydrological models.

Agnes Grey is a disregarded book by an overlooked author. Anne Brontë's first published novel has long been overshadowed by her sister Emily's Wuthering Heights, due to its joint publication in a three-decker. This essay examines various readings of Agnes Grey and proposes some alternatives. Dividing the novel into sections to show how each portion of Agnes' life suppresses different aspects of her sense of selfhood, it evaluates themes of erasure from a feminist perspective. Using Wolfgang Iser's reader-response theory, this reading is then measured against a small empirical research study to uncover a range of current-day reader responses demonstrating the subtleties and densities of a finely constructed novel. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract Background As of September 2014, Kenya implemented the WHO recommended Option B+ guidelines in which all newly diagnosed HIV-infected pregnant women are immediately eligible for triple antiretroviral therapy (ART) for life regardless of CD4 count. In addition, Kenya previously established the Kenya Mentor Mother Program (KMMP) in 2012 to improve peer education and psychosocial support services within the national prevention of mother-to-child transmission (PMTCT) program. The primary objectives of the study described in the current protocol are: (1) to evaluate implementation of these new guidelines (Option B+ with Mentor Mothers) as part of routine service delivery; and (2) to evaluate potential benefits of a package of services within the KMMP (called EMMA) to improve PMTCT service delivery. Methods We will conduct a cluster randomized controlled trial in western Kenya. We will allocate 12 clinics providing PMTCT services including ART to two study arms using pair matching: the standard of care (SOC) arm, which includes the KMMP as implemented by the clinics; and the intervention arm, which is the SOC (including KMMP) with the EMMA package of services (a targeted exit interview, visit reminders, and targeted follow-up). At the intervention clinics, the EMMA package of services is implemented as part of routine service delivery. A total of 360 (180 in each arm) pregnant women will be enrolled in the study at or near their first visit for antenatal care for prospective records review through 72 weeks post-partum. The primary and secondary outcomes are uninterrupted supplies of ART medications throughout the PMTCT cascade of care as well as infants completing HIV testing on schedule. Discussion The EMMA package of services provides specific structure to the use of Mentor Mothers within PMTCT programs. This strategy was developed in collaboration with local health facility and PMTCT program staff based on their experience providing PMTCT services within the integrated ART-MCH facilities. If successful, this approach has the potential to improve dramatically PMTCT service delivery with minor additional costs beyond the basic mother–mentor program and support global goals to eliminate mother-to-child transmission. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02848235. Registered on 19 July 2016.

Excessive nitrate threatens a wide range of water resources, aquatic habitats, and sensitive infrastructure. Despite this problem, tracing a nutrient from its eventual fate back to its origin remains an elusive challenge due to heterogeneity in how nutrient sources and hydrologic pathways are connected. Typically, this problem is underdetermined (i.e., too many unknowns, not enough equations) and cannot be solved with existing methodologies. The theory of optimal transport allows for the solution of underdetermined systems, and here we construct a novel formulation for its use in water quality modeling. Our objective was to develop an optimal transport modeling framework—coupled to Bayesian source unmixing, loadograph pathway separation, and geospatial connectivity analysis—to apportion nitrate loading from three sources (soil, fertilizer, and manure) across three pathways (quick, intermediate, and slow), resulting in nine possible source‐pathway couplings (soil‐quick, soil‐intermediate, ..., manure‐slow). We apply this model to a 30 month elemental (NO3−) and isotopic (δ15N and δ18O) nitrate data set from a karst watershed in Kentucky, USA. Modeling results indicate that—of the nine possible source‐pathway couplings—nearly 60% of nitrate export is facilitated by just three: fertilizer‐quick (16.4%), manure‐intermediate (15.4%), and soil‐slow (27.2%). Further, we reinforce the need to explicitly consider heterogeneity in source‐pathway connectivity as homogeneous assumptions lead to erroneous inferences. The applicability of the model, its input requirements, and transferability to other sites is discussed. Lastly, we simulated two land management scenarios (field buffers and septic repair) and demonstrate how optimal transport can be used to test nutrient reduction strategies. Key Points: Optimal transport modeling allows for the solution of underdetermined source‐pathway transport problemsSpatial heterogeneity in the connectivity of sources and pathways shifts the dominant couplings of nitrate transportWe provide a new tool for identifying source‐pathway couplings that lead to high nutrient loading to streams [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Alzheimer's disease and diabetes mellitus are contemporary diseases of great concern. Phenolic compounds are linked to several health benefits and could lead to novel strategies to combat these ailments. The objective of this study was to evaluate by electrophoretically-mediated microanalysis the potential inhibitory activity of the fruit juices from Plinia cauliflora ("jaboticaba") and Eugenia uniflora ("pitanga") toward acetylcholinesterase (AChE) and α-glucosidase, target enzymes in strategies for the treatment of these diseases. The phenolic profiles of the samples were also investigated. Jaboticaba and pitanga juices inhibited 85.90 ± 1.73 and 52.67 ± 1.24% of AChE activity at 5 mg mL−1, and 57.91 ± 2.60 and 69.47 ± 2.89% of α-glucosidase activity at 1 mg mL−1, respectively. Total phenolic content of the juices were 303.54 ± 28.28 and 367.00 ± 11.42 mgGA L−1, respectively. The observed inhibitory activity can be explained, at least in part, by the presence of the phenolic compounds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The intensification of Northern Hemisphere glaciation (iNHG) and uplift of the Tibetan Plateau have been argued to be among the main drivers of climate change in midlatitude Central Asia during the Pliocene/Pleistocene. While most proxy records that support this hypothesis are from regions outside the Tibetan Plateau (such as from the Chinese Loess Plateau), detailed paleoclimatic information for the plateau itself during that time has yet remained elusive. Here we present a temporally highly resolved (~500 years) sedimentological record from the Qaidam Basin situated on the northeastern Tibetan Plateau that shows pronounced glacial‐interglacial climate variability during the interval from 2.7 to 2.1 Ma. Glacial (interglacial) intervals are generally characterized by coarser (finer) grain size, minima (maxima) in organic matter content, and maxima (minima) in carbonate content. Comparison of our results with Earth's orbital parameters and proxy records from the Chinese Loess Plateau suggests that the observed climate fluctuations were mainly driven by changes in the Siberian High/East Asian winter monsoon system as a response to the iNHG. They are further proposed to be enhanced by the topography of the Tibetan Plateau and its impact on the position and intensity of the westerlies. Key Points: Pronounced glacial‐interglacial climate fluctuations on the NE Tibetan Plateau during the latest Pliocene and early PleistoceneChanges in East Asian Winter Monsoon and the position of the westerlies influenced sediment transport on the NE Tibetan PlateauIntensification of Northern Hemisphere glaciation amplified climate fluctuations on the NE Tibetan Plateau [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The paper offers a reassessment of the patrons involved in the construction of Saint-Hilaire-le-Grand in Poitiers during the 11th century. Three stages are identified. The first, to which Queen Emma of England may have contributed, fell perhaps in the 1020s. The second is that associated with Countess Agnes of Poitou-Aquitaine around 1049. The third followed on and saw the involvement around the 1070s and 1080s of the layman Gautier, a cordwainer by trade, as administrator of the work. The respective roles of the dukes of Aquitaine and the treasurers of Saint-Hilaire are also examined. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Literary criticism of the book "Emma" by Jane Austen and "The Romance of the Forest" by Ann Radcliffe are presented. It outlines the characters and explores their symbolic significance. It examines the antimonastic significance of plot development and escapes of heroine Adeline from an evil marquis and her fantasies. An overview of the story is also given.

Abstract The Des Moines Lobe (DML) of north-central Iowa has been artificially drained by subsurface drains and surface ditches to provide some of the most productive agricultural land in the world. Herein we report on the use of end-member mixing analysis (EMMA) models and the numerical model Soil and Water Assessment Tool (SWAT) to quantify the contribution of tile drainage to basin-scale water yields at various scales within the 2370 km2 Boone River watershed (BRW), a subbasin within the Des Moines River watershed. EMMA and SWAT methods suggested that tile drainage provided approximately 46 to 54% of annual discharge in the Boone River and during the March to June period, accounted for a majority of flow in the river. In the BRW subbasin of Lyons Creek, approximately 66% of the annual flow was sourced from tile drainage. Within the DML region, tile drainage contributes to basin-scale water yields at scales ranging from 40 to 16,000 km2, with downstream effects diminishing with increasing watershed size. Developing a better understanding of water sources contributing to river discharge is needed if mitigation and control strategies are going to be successfully targeted to reduce downstream nutrient export. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image Highlights • Discharge from subsurface drainage tiles comprises a substantial fraction of water yields in intensely-drained watersheds • Contributions from tile drainage to basin-scale water yields were detectable beyond 16,000 km2 • A better understanding of water sources contributing to river discharge is needed for mitigation and control strategies. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract We demonstrated the great value of spatially distributed and temporally high-resolution hydro-chemical data to enhance knowledge about the intra-catchment variability of flow processes and the runoff composition of individual storms in a tropical alpine (Páramo) ecosystem. In this study, water sources (rainfall, spring water, and water from soil layers of Histosols and Andosols) and nested streams were sampled bi-weekly (2013–2014), including three storm high-resolution events (5–240 min). Water samples were analyzed for 14 tracers including electrical conductivity (EC) and rare earth trace elements and used as input to perform End-Member Mixing Analysis (EMMA). End-members identified for the outlet could explain the hydrological behavior of four out of the five tributaries, indicating similar hydro-geochemical processes and geomorphic features within the catchments. The runoff source contributions of the individual sub-catchments varied among (e.g. Andosols ~40% in tributaries and ~25% at the outlet) and within storm events (e.g. Histosols 15% higher in small peak discharge event), indicating a time-variable composition of streamflows. The latter was also reflected by the interaction of different sources and the chronology of flow paths in EMMA-space, evidencing a faster connectivity with hillslopes in the upper sub-catchments compared to the lower sub-catchments. We found counter-clockwise hysteresis patterns of storms in the lower catchments and clockwise hysteresis loops in the upper catchments. The latter bi-directionality can be related to lower slopes, wider riparian areas and the higher proportion of Histosols in the lower catchments compared to the upper sites. Graphical abstract Unlabelled Image [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]