Maturity and stability evaluation of composted yard debris

Compost maturity is an important determinant of end use for composted municipal yard debris, and generally refers to the effect the compost has on plants. The rate of microbial respiration is an indicator of compost stability. The objectives of this research were to: i) determine whether continuous aeration resulted in more rapid maturity of composted yard debris than windrow turning; ii) determine which maturity indicators distinguish between mature and immature compost; iii) measure rates of CO₂ evolution during active composting and curing; iv) adapt the CO₂ detection tube technique for compost; and v) evaluate rapid compost stability tests (Solvita test, self-heating test and CO₂ detection tubes) for potential use by commercial composters. Land Recovery, Inc. of Puyallup, WA, composted yard debris under careful process control. Two compost piles were studied for 113 d; one was subjected to continuous forced aeration and periodic turning. The other was managed as a turned windrow. We found that forced aeration resulted in mature compost about 20 days before windrowing. Compost pH, C content and respiration rate were all useful indicators of compost maturity. Carbon fell from 400 k kg⁻¹ to 250 g kg⁻¹ and pH rose from 5 to 7. The CO₂ evolution rate fell from 16 to 2 mg CO₂-C g C⁻¹ d⁻¹. Maturity correlated somewhat with compost odor. Neither percent germination nor an odor/color scale were reliable indicators of maturity for theses composts. All the rapid tests were correlated with alkaline trapping of microbially respired CO₂. The Solvita test took 4 h to administer; values (1 to 8 Solvita scale) were 2 to 4 during active composting, 3 to 6 during early curing and 6 to 7 during late curing. Self-heating test values decreased from 20°C above ambient at the start of composting to ambient (no heat production) at the end of composting. This test took two to six days to administer. We developed a method to measure CO₂ evolution rates of samples in sealed containers using CO₂ detection tubes. This method took 4 h to administer, correlated well with alkaline trapping, was quantitative and had excellent sensitivity at extreme compost maturity. The methods shows promise as a raid test for compost respiration and should be evaluated on a wider range of composts

Investigations into the effects of cyclical rhythm and hormonal contraception on serum fat-mobilizing activity, glycerol, cholesterol and blood glucose.

The effects were investigated of cyclical rhythm and hormonal contraception on serum fat-mobilizing activity, glycerol, cholesterol and whole blood glucose during 2 menstrual cycles in a group of normally menstruating young women and a second group of young women using hormonal contraception. A control group of normal young men was also investigated. There was no evidence of any change in mean level of any of the parameters measured, among the follicular, ovulatory and luteal phases. No cyclical pattern was discernable in the male subjects. The mean value for serum cholesterol concentration in women using hormonal contraception was higher than the value for the untreated human female group. The overall mean value for serum glycerol concentration in the women was significantly (0.01 > P > 0.001) higher than the mean value obtaining in the men

Tools for rapid market assessments

Most farmers’ markets lack information to make effective changes and improvements. We have designed three simple, low-cost methods to address the information gaps. The first two—attendance counts and dot surveys—are quantitative and can be used independently by markets. The third method is the more complete Rapid Market Assessment (RMA), which combines the two quantitative methods and a qualitative method called Constructive Comments and Observations (CCO). An RMA is a collaborative learning process in which a team of market managers and others study a host market in another area. The learning is twoway: both the host market and the visiting RMA team members gain knowledge and experience. The RMA team members— through new collaborative relationships with their peers—learn the data-gathering methods and how to examine their own markets more analytically. All three methods make efficient use of time and money, which are generally in short supply

Understanding the link between farmer's market size and management organization

"Farmers' markets are valuable market channels for small farmers and important venues for the economic, nutritional, and social lives of communities. Efforts to make farmers' markets sustainable should focus on two influences on markets: external (related to public policy) and internal (related to market management). Well-crafted public policy is needed to enhance the prosperity and longevity of farmers' markets. At the same time, improving the management of farmers' markets by identifying and resolving their internal issues is another way to improve market sustainability. This report addresses the latter. This report examines the relationship between the size of individual farmers' markets and the set of management tools used by farmers' markets. The analysis reveals farmers' markets will benefit from using the specific set of management tools and resources appropriate for the size of the market. A market must also recognize that it must plan ahead and put in place the appropriate management tools and resources that will allow it to handle the increasing management complexity that accompanies growth. Overall, understanding the link between management structures and market size will enhance the success of individual farmers' markets and save some from serious problems."--P. 1

When things don't work : some insights into why farmers' markets close

"The topic of market failure is rarely addressed in the literature. This report represents a starting point. It describes the dynamics of farmers' market startups, closures, and manager turnover. It focuses on two important resources--administrative revenue and labor--used by farmers' markets. Data for a sample of markets that failed are examined, along with factors associated with market failure. Finally, recommendations to enhance market success are offered."--P. 1

Agricultural composting and water quality

This publication addresses factors that farmers must consider when planning an on-farm composting enterprise: the composting process and its impact on water quality, site selection, facility layout and design, composting methods, and managing water and leachate. The content pertains to small and medium-size on-farm composting enterprises that handle about 100 to 5,000 tons of raw organic material per year.Published June 2013. Reviewed June 2017. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalogKeywords: runoff and leachate, agricultural composting, compost site selection, composting and water quality, compost cycle, composting methods, Oregon composting rule

Improving garden soils with organic matter

This publication will help you understand the importance of soil organic matter levels to good plant performance. It also contains suggestions for suitable soil amendments. Any soil, no matter how compacted, can be improved by the addition of organic matter. The result will be a better environment for almost any kind of plant.Published May 2003. Reviewed August 2013. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalo

Managing small-acreage horse farms in central and eastern Oregon

Some good goals for a well-managed, small-acreage horse farm are: • A productive pasture with plenty of grass and few weeds • Less dust during the dry season and less mud during the wet season • Healthy horses free of problems associated with dust, manure, mud, and toxic plants • Manure managed as an important resource on the farm or recycled off the farm • Good stewardship of your property and the water that flows through, across, and below it • Satisfied owners who are able to conveniently care for their animals without dreading the chorePublished November 2007. Reviewed December 2013. Please look for up-to-date information in the OSU Extension Catalog: http://extension.oregonstate.edu/catalo

“Being Guided”: What Oncofertility Patients’ Decisions Can Teach Us About the Efficacy of Autonomy, Agency, and Decision-Making Theory in the Contemporary Critical Encounter

Recent research on patient decision-making reveals a disconnect between theories of autonomy, agency, and decision-making and their practice in contemporary clinical encounters. This study examines these concepts in the context of female patients making oncofertility decisions in the United Kingdom in light of the phenomenon of “being guided.” Patients experience being guided as a way to cope with, understand, and defer difficult treatment decisions. Previous discussions condemn guided decision-making, but this research suggests that patients make an informed, autonomous decision to be guided by doctors. Thus, bioethicists must consider the multifaceted ways that patients enact their autonomy in medical encounters

Genetic assessment of age-associated Alzheimer disease risk: Development and validation of a polygenic hazard score

Background Identifying individuals at risk for developing Alzheimer disease (AD) is of utmost importance. Although genetic studies have identified AD-associated SNPs in APOE and other genes, genetic information has not been integrated into an epidemiological framework for risk prediction. Methods and findings Using genotype data from 17,008 AD cases and 37,154 controls from the International Genomics of Alzheimer’s Project (IGAP Stage 1), we identified AD-associated SNPs (at p < 10−5 ). We then integrated these AD-associated SNPs into a Cox proportional hazard model using genotype data from a subset of 6,409 AD patients and 9,386 older controls from Phase 1 of the Alzheimer’s Disease Genetics Consortium (ADGC), providing a polygenic hazard score (PHS) for each participant. By combining population-based incidence rates and the genotype-derived PHS for each individual, we derived estimates of instantaneous risk for developing AD, based on genotype and age, and tested replication in multiple independent cohorts (ADGC Phase 2, National Institute on Aging Alzheimer’s Disease Center [NIA ADC], and Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative [ADNI], total n = 20,680). Within the ADGC Phase 1 cohort, individuals in the highest PHS quartile developed AD at a considerably lower age and had the highest yearly AD incidence rate. Among APOE ε3/3 individuals, the PHS modified expected age of AD onset by more than 10 y between the lowest and highest deciles (hazard ratio 3.34, 95% CI 2.62–4.24, p = 1.0 × 10−22). In independent cohorts, the PHS strongly predicted empirical age of AD onset (ADGC Phase 2, r = 0.90, p = 1.1 × 10−26) and longitudinal progression from normal aging to AD (NIA ADC, Cochran–Armitage trend test, p = 1.5 × 10−10), and was associated with neuropathology (NIA ADC, Braak stage of neurofibrillary tangles, p = 3.9 × 10−6 , and Consortium to Establish a Registry for Alzheimer’s Disease score for neuritic plaques, p = 6.8 × 10−6 ) and in vivo markers of AD neurodegeneration (ADNI, volume loss within the entorhinal cortex, p = 6.3 × 10−6 , and hippocampus, p = 7.9 × 10−5 ). Additional prospective validation of these results in non-US, non-white, and prospective community-based cohorts is necessary before clinical use. Conclusions We have developed a PHS for quantifying individual differences in age-specific genetic risk for AD. Within the cohorts studied here, polygenic architecture plays an important role in modifying AD risk beyond APOE. With thorough validation, quantification of inherited genetic variation may prove useful for stratifying AD risk and as an enrichment strategy in therapeutic trials