Irrigation Restriction and Biomass Market Interactions: The Case of the Alluvial Aquifer

The U.S. Geological Survey has determined that irrigation in Arkansas’ Delta is unsustainable. This study examines how irrigation restrictions would affect county net returns to crop production. It also considers the effect of planting less water-intensive bioenergy crops—switchgrass and forage sorghum—in the event biofuel markets become a reality. Results suggest that sustainable irrigation restrictions without bioenergy crops would decrease producer returns by 28% in the region. Introducing these alternative crops would both reduce groundwater use and may restore state producer returns, albeit with significant spatial income redistribution to crop production throughout the state.biomass crops, ground water irrigation, spatial income redistribution, sustainability, Agribusiness, Agricultural and Food Policy, Crop Production/Industries, Environmental Economics and Policy, Financial Economics, Land Economics/Use, Political Economy, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy, Risk and Uncertainty, Q24, Q25, Q32, Q42, O13,

Going, Going, Almost Gone: How the Depletion of the Alluvial Aquifer Will Affect Cropping Decisions in the Arkansas Delta

The U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) has determined that agricultural irrigation in Arkansas’ Delta is unsustainable with significant negative economic repercussions on producers net returns affected by the Alluvial aquifer. This study examines how irrigation restrictions in that region would affect county net returns to crop production. It also considers the effect of planting less water-intensive bioenergy crops in the event biofuel markets become a reality. A constrained optimization model determines acreage allocations and net returns under three irrigation scenarios: i) no irrigation restrictions, ii) irrigation restrictions that lead to a sustainable Alluvial aquifer, and iii) irrigation restrictions that would lengthen the life of the Alluvial aquifer. Hypothetical switchgrass and forage sorghum crops were then added to model the effect of a biofuel market. If crop production were conducting using irrigation levels that are sustainable, as defined by the USGS, producer net returns would decrease by 28% in the Alluvial region. Estimates show that the introduction of dedicated bioenergy crops could alleviate this downturn. If the price of switchgrass reached $46.40 per dry ton at the farmgate, it is possible to restore net returns to crop production across the state to pre-irrigation restriction levels, while Alluvial region producers now would suffer only a 9.5% reduction. Significant income redistribution to crop production thus exists with depleting ground water irrigation resources even with the introduction of an alternative markets.ground water irrigation, sustainability, biomass crops, Crop Production/Industries, Farm Management, Resource /Energy Economics and Policy,

Origin and physics of the highest energy cosmic rays: What can we learn from Radio Astronomy?

Here in this lecture we will touch on two aspects, one the new radio methods to observe the effects of high energy particles, and second the role that radio galaxies play in helping us understand high energy cosmic rays. We will focus here on the second topic, and just review the latest developments in the first. Radio measurements of the geosynchrotron radiation produced by high energy cosmic ray particles entering the atmosphere of the Earth as well as radio \v{C}erenkov radiation coming from interactions in the Moon are another path; radio observations of interactions in ice at the horizon in Antarctica is a related attempt. Radio galaxy hot spots are prime candidates to produce the highest energy cosmic rays, and the corresponding shock waves in relativistic jets emanating from nearly all black holes observed. We will review the arguments and the way to verify the ensuing predictions. This involves the definition of reliable samples of active sources, such as black holes, and galaxies active in star formation. The AUGER array will probably decide within the next few years, where the highest energy cosmic rays come from, and so frame the next quests, on very high energy neutrinos and perhaps other particles.Comment: 11 pages, To appear in Proceedings of International School of Astrophysics at Ultra-high Energies, 20-27 June, 2006, Erice, Sicily, Ital

Intraoperative Indocyanine Green Laser Angiography in Pediatric Autologous Ear Reconstruction.

Skin flap vascularity is a critical determinant of aesthetic results in autologous ear reconstruction. In this study, we investigate the use of intraoperative laser-assisted indocyanine green angiography (ICGA) as an adjunctive measure of skin flap vascularity in pediatric autologous ear reconstruction. Twenty-one consecutive pediatric patients undergoing first-stage autologous total ear reconstruction were retrospectively evaluated. The first 10 patients were treated traditionally (non-ICGA), and the latter 11 patients were evaluated with ICGA intraoperatively after implantation of the cartilage construct and administration of suction. Relative and absolute perfusion units in the form of contour maps were generated. Statistical analyses were performed using independent sample Student t test. Statistically significant differences in exposure and infection were not found between the 2 groups. However, decreased numbers of surgical revisions were required in cases with ICGA versus without ICGA (P = 0.03), suggesting that greater certainty in skin flap perfusion correlated with a reduction in revision surgeries. In cases of exposure, we found an average lowest absolute perfusion unit of 14.3, whereas cases without exposure had an average of 26.1 (P = 0.02), thereby defining objective parameters for utilizing ICGA data in tailoring surgical decision making for this special population of patients. Defined quantitative parameters for utilizing ICGA in evaluating skin flap vascularity may be a useful adjunctive technique in pediatric autologous ear reconstruction

Analisis Spasial Wabah Demam Berdarah Dengue (Dbd) terhadap Kondisi Kesehatan Lingkungan Permukiman dan Perilaku Masyarakat (Kasus Kecamatan Pakualaman Kota YOGYAKARTA dan Sekitarnya)

Penelitian ini bertujuan untuk mengetahui kemampuan citra Worldview 2 dalam mengidentifikasi parameter kualitas permukiman, memetakan kondisi kesehatan lingkungan permukiman, memetakan sebaran penyakit DBD, dan mengetahui hubungan antara kesehatan lingkungan permukiman dan perilaku masyarakat terhadap kejadian penyakit DBD. Citra Worldview 2 tahun 2014 digunakan untuk menyadap informasi kesehatan lingkungan permukiman yaitu kepadatan permukiman dan kondisi halaman serta kondisi saluran air hujan dan faktor perilaku berdasarkan hasil lapangan. Penentuan pola sebaran penyakit DBD berdasarkan metode analisis nearest neighbor. Sedangkan hubungan kondisi kesehatan lingkungan permukiman dan perilaku masyarakat dianalisis menggunakan metode spearman rank. Hasil penelitian menunjukkan bahwa Citra Worldview 2 menghasilkan ketelitian sebesar 88%. Pola sebaran penyakit DBD menghasilkan pola yang mengelompok serta terdapat hubungan antara kondisi kesehatan lingkungan permukiman dan perilaku masyarakat dengan keberadaan jentik dimana kondisi saluran air hujan memiliki pengaruh yang besar

Vascular Dysfunction and Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: Examining the Role of Oxidative Stress and Sympathetic Activity

Purpose: The physiological manifestations of posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) have been associated with an increase in risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD) independent of negative lifestyle factors. The goal of the study was to better elucidate the mechanisms behind the increased CVD risk by examining peripheral vascular function, a precursor to CVD. Moreover, this study sought to determine the role of oxidative stress and sympathetic nervous system (SNS) activity in PTSD-induced vascular dysfunction. Methods: Sixteen individuals with PTSD (10 women, 6 men; age 24 ± 4 years), and twenty-four healthy controls (CTRL; 15 women, 9 men, 24 ± 4 years), participated in the study. The PTSD group participated in two visits, consuming either a placebo or antioxidant cocktail (AO - vitamins C and E and alpha lipoic acid) prior to their visits, in a randomized order. Arm vascular function was assessed via the reactive hyperemia- induced flow mediated dilation of the brachial artery (BAFMD) technique and evaluated with Doppler ultrasonography. Brachial artery and arm microvascular function were determined by percent change of diameter from baseline normalized for BA shear rate (BAD/Shear), and blood flow area under the curve (BF AUC), respectively. Heart rate variability (HRV) was used to assess autonomic nervous system activity. Results: BF AUC was significantly lower (p = 0.02) and SNS activity was significantly higher (p = 0.02) in the PTSD group when compared to the CTRL group. BAD/Shear was not different between groups. Following the acute AO supplementation, BF AUC was augmented to which it was no longer significantly different (p = 0.16) when compared to the CTRL group. SNS activity within the PTSD group was significantly reduced (p=.007) following the AO supplementation when compared to the PL condition, and the difference between PTSD and CTRL was no longer significant (p=.41). Conclusion: Young individuals with PTSD demonstrated lower arm microvascular, but not brachial artery, function as well as higher sympathetic activity when compared to healthy controls matched for age, sex, and physical activity level. Furthermore, this microvascular dysfunction and SNS activity was attenuated by an acute AO supplementation to the level of the healthy controls. Taken together, this study revealed that the modulation of oxidative stress, via an acute AO supplementation, improved vascular dysfunction in individuals with PTSD, potentially by reducing the substantial SNS activity associated with this disorder.https://scholarscompass.vcu.edu/gradposters/1084/thumbnail.jp

Pengaruh CAMEL terhadap Financial Distress pada Sektor Perbankan Indonesia Periode 2009-2013

Penelitian ini dilatarbelakangi oleh kenaikan kemungkinan bank mengalami financialdistress yang terjadi pada Sektor Perbankan Indonesia periode 2009-2013. Penelitian inibertujuan untuk mengetahui 1) gambaran CAMEL yang terdiri dari unsur capital,management efficiency, earning dan liquidity, 2) gambaran financial distress, 3)Pengaruh capital, management efficiency, earning dan liquidity terhadap FinancialDistress. Metode penelitian yang digunakan dalam penelitian ini adalah deskriptif danverifikatif. Teknik analisis yang digunakan adalah analisis regresi multipel. Populasidalam penelitian ini adalah Sektor Perbankan Indonesia yang berjumlah 120 bank.Sampel yang digunakan sebanyak sembilan bank pada Sektor Perbankan Indonesiaperiode 2009- 2013 dengan menggunakan teknik pengambilan sampel purposivesampling. Hasil penelitian ini, variabel capital yang diukur Capital Adequacy Ratio(CAR) dan liquidity yang diukur Loan to Deposit Ratio (LDR) tidak berpengaruhterhadap Financial Distress sedangkan management efficiency yang diukur BiayaOperasional Pendapatan Operasional (BOPO) dan earning yang diukur Return OnAssets (ROA) berpengaruh terhadap financial distress

Challenging the Utility of a Racial Microaggressions Framework Through A Systematic Review of Racially Biased Incidents on Campus

Despite claims of being in a “postracial” era, racially biased incidents pervade college and university campuses across the U.S., as evidenced in the continual media coverage of such incidents. In recognizing the complexities of these incidents, we sought to offer a contemporary review of racially biased incidents on college and university campuses and to explore the extent to which they represent covert forms of racial microaggressions versus more overt forms of racism. We conducted a content analysis of all news-making racially biased incidents that occurred on college and university campuses between August 1, 2005 and May 1, 2010, identifying 205 incidents. We classified these incidents by mode of delivery, racial content/symbolism, and type of racial (micro)aggression. While a number of these incidents can be best understood through a microaggressions framework, many are blatantly racist and do not fit the theory. Higher education and student affairs researchers and practitioners must understand these incidents for their complexities, recognizing that both overt and covert forms of racism are prevalent on campus

The Winthrop College Farm: Nutrition, Nourishment, and Knowledge

The Farm was a part of Winthrop from 1895 to 1957. Designed to supply food for the College, it also provided an observational classroom for students, and interaction with the community through surplus sales. A brief history of the farm will be presented and a panel will discuss the farm\u27s impact on the Winthrop and Rock Hill communities