USCID fourth international conference

Presented at the Role of irrigation and drainage in a sustainable future: USCID fourth international conference on irrigation and drainage on October 3-6, 2007 in Sacramento, California.In response to a range of internal and external drivers and the need to protect the district's pre-1914 water rights, Oakdale Irrigation District (OID) developed a long-term Water Resources Plan (WRP). The 100-year-old irrigation district provides irrigation and domestic water service to over 55,000 acres in California's San Joaquin Valley. The study effort created a strategic roadmap for the implementation of a $170 million capital program focused on protecting OID's water rights while meeting the changing needs of its constituency and serving the region. The second phase included programmatic environmental documentation, which is being followed by design and construction of facility improvements. This multi-disciplined effort included detailed land use modeling, water balance modeling, on-farm surveys, a comprehensive infrastructure assessment, and the development of a phased infrastructure plan to rehabilitate and modernize an out-of-date system. The approach also integrated water right evaluations, groundwater studies, development and evaluation of program alternatives, financial analyses, environmental compliance, and public outreach. Key benefits resulting from WRP implementation include protecting the district's water rights, increasing reliability during droughts, and modernizing a century-old system to meet the needs of its current and future customer base. Implementation includes a balanced effort of water transfers and expansion of service into OID's sphere of influence while keeping water rates affordable. OID's infrastructure will be rebuilt, modernized, and expanded, and customer service and water use efficiency will be enhanced

Machine learning to predict sports-related concussion recovery using clinical data

ObjectivesSport-related concussions (SRCs) are a concern for high school athletes. Understanding factors contributing to SRC recovery time may improve clinical management. However, the complexity of the many clinical measures of concussion data precludes many traditional methods. This study aimed to answer the question, what is the utility of modeling clinical concussion data using machine-learning algorithms for predicting SRC recovery time and protracted recovery? MethodsThis was a retrospective case series of participants aged 8 to 18 years with a diagnosis of SRC. A 6-part measure was administered to assess pre-injury risk factors, initial injury severity, and post-concussion symptoms, including the Vestibular Ocular Motor Screening (VOMS) measure, King-Devick Test and C3 Logix Trails Test data. These measures were used to predict recovery time (days from injury to full medical clearance) and binary protracted recovery (recovery time \u3e 21 days) according to several sex-stratified machine-learning models. The ability of the models to discriminate protracted recovery was compared to a human-driven model according to the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC). ResultsFor 293 males (mean age 14.0 years) and 362 females (mean age 13.7 years), the median (interquartile range) time to recover from an SRC was 26 (18–39) and 21 (14–31) days, respectively. Among 9 machine-learning models trained, the gradient boosting on decision-tree algorithms achieved the best performance to predict recovery time and protracted recovery in males and females. The models’ performance improved when VOMS data were used in conjunction with the King-Devick Test and C3 Logix Trails Test data. For males and females, the AUC was 0.84 and 0.78 versus 0.74 and 0.73, respectively, for statistical models for predicting protracted recovery. ConclusionsMachine-learning models were able to manage the complexity of the vestibular-ocular motor system data. These results demonstrate the clinical utility of machine-learning models to inform prognostic evaluation for SRC recovery time and protracted recovery

Factors Related to Accelerometer-determined Patterns of Physical Activity in Adults: The Houston TRAIN Study

Meeting U.S. Physical Activity (PA) Guidelines has health benefits. Yet, little is known about the factors related to changes in PA over time, particularly among minority populations. PURPOSE: To examine sociodemographic, PA preferences, and health factors related to accelerometer-derived patterns of 1-year PA change in the Houston Travel Related Activity in Neighborhoods (TRAIN) Study, a majority-minority cohort. METHODS: Participants wore an ActiGraph wGT3X-BT monitor and completed self-report surveys at baseline and follow-up. Valid wear time was defined as ≥ 4 days, ≥ 10 hrs/day. PA was stratified by meeting Guidelines using total MVPA, defined by Freedson. Four PA patterns were defined: (i) ‘maintain high’ activity above Guidelines, (ii) ‘increased’ to meet Guidelines, (iii) ‘decreased’ from meet to not meet Guidelines, and (iv) ‘maintained low’ activity. Multinomial logistic regression was used to examine associations between studied factors and each PA pattern, with the ‘maintain high’ group as referent. RESULTS: Complete data were available for 153 adults (19% maintained high activity, 8.5% increased, 13% decreased, 59.5% maintained low activity). Controlling for all variables, males (OR = 0.3, 95% CI = 0.1, 0.9) had lower odds of being in the ‘maintain low’ group. Blacks (vs. whites, OR = 18.8, 95% CI = 2.6, 275.0), those liking biking (vs. strongly liking, OR = 4.6, 95% CI = 1.3, 15.6), and older participants (vs. younger, on continuous scale, OR = 1.1, 95% CI = 1.0, 1.1) had higher odds of being in the ‘maintain low’ group. Factors directly associated with being in the ‘increased’ group were being black (vs. white, OR = 17.9, 95% CI = 1.3, 120.9), strong dislike for biking (vs. strongly liking OR = 25.2, 95% CI = 1.6, 401.3), and having more chronic diseases (vs. less, on continuous scale, 95% CI = 1.5, 11.7). Having low educational attainment (vs. high, OR = 0.04, 95% CI = 0.0, 0.9) was inversely associated with being in the ‘increased’ group. No studied factors were significantly associated with being in the ‘decreased’ group. CONCLUSION: PA patterns are dynamic and suggest that sociodemographic, PA preferences, and health factors relate to change patterns over time. Future studies should examine the role of these factors over longer follow-up periods, and consider these factors when designing interventions

Reliability of an On-line System to Assess Physical Activity Behaviors in an Active Group of Kinesiology Undergraduate Students

Engaging in muscle strengthening activities (MSA) as part of a physical activity program offers health benefits. Although the merits of physical activity are well documented, many adults fail to meet appropriate levels as recommended in the 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans (PAGA). To get a more complete understanding on an individual's physical activity behaviors, the Tracking Resistance Exercise and Strength Training (TREST) internet based survey was developed. The purpose of the current study was to determine the test-retest reliability of TREST items. Additionally, the prevalence of participants meeting the 2008 PAGA was reported by gender. The survey was completed approximately two weeks apart by 224 (52% male) undergraduate kinesiology students. Analysis of the survey items presented TREST as a reliable instrument in assessing an individual's physical activity behavior with a focus on MSA. Among the convenience sample of 445 participants (56% male) that completed the survey in assessment #1, 73% met the 2008 PAGA minimum recommendations for MSA (>=2 days/week) and aerobic activity (>= 150 min MVPA). A more complete MSA and MVPA criteria was established (requiring MSA of all seven major muscle groups) and only 32% of participants met this guideline. In general, men engaged in aerobic exercise and MSA more than women. These results cannot be generalized due the age, activity level, and education of the study's participants. Future studies should investigate the validity of TREST items among a sample of varying fitness levels, races/ethnicities, ages, and educational levels

Examining the Associations and Cost-Effectiveness of Policy Level Changes to the Built and Transportation Environments Intended to Increase Physical Activity

Physical inactivity is a significant public health problem. Less than one-half of United States (US) adults report engaging in sufficient physical activity for health benefits and almost one-third report no leisure-time physical activity at all. Efforts to increase population levels of physical activity should focus on systematic interventions targeting the physical, social, and economic environments. Collectively, the three articles included in this dissertation aimed to assess relations in the physical (transportation and built), and economic environments related to physical activity. ^ The Houston Travel Related Activity in Neighborhoods (TRAIN) Study served as the parent study for this dissertation and data collected from 2013 to 2016 were used to address the specific aims. Briefly, the specific aims include: 1) to determine the association between baseline physical activity and transit use (Article 1), 2) to assess the changes in physical activity associated with living near improved sidewalks (Article 2), and 3) to determine if improving sidewalks sufficiently increases physical activity to be considered cost-effective (Article 3). The TRAIN Study is a natural experiment aimed at prospectively evaluating the impact of a light rail transit (LRT) system on transit use and physical activity over a four year period (2013–2017), in Houston, Texas. To be eligible, participants must, 1) be at least 18 years of age, 2) reside within a 3 mile Euclidean buffer around the LRT, and 3) be the only TRAIN participant in their household. A further eligibility criteria for this dissertation work included complete data on self-reported physical activity at baseline (Article 1) and first follow-up (Articles 2 \u26 3). ^ Article 1 utilized multiple logistic regressions to model the odds of transit users achieving sufficient physical activity for health benefits versus transit non-users. Articles 2 and 3 included a follow-up assessment a median 14.3 months post baseline assessment. Multivariable regressions (two-step probit \u26 OLS models in Article 2) were used to estimate the relation between living near sidewalk improvements and physical activity. Article 3 conducted a cost-effectiveness analysis of sidewalk improvements. Article 1 results indicated that transit users accumulated approximately 30 more weekly minutes of moderate intensity physical activity than transit non-users. Transit users had 2.46 (95% CI: 1.08–5.61) times the odds of health benefits from transit related physical activity than non-users. Article 2 found that reported leisure-time physical activity was 60% (expβ=0.46=1.58, p=0.009) higher among physically active participants living near two sidewalk improvements than not living near an improvement. Finally, Article 3 found that sidewalk improvements were cost-effective at a cost of $0.007–$0.07 per MET hour per year gained of self-reported physical activity. ^ These results highlight the importance of a multi-level or systems approach to increase physical activity. Future work should establish true baseline assessments of transit use and exposures to sidewalk improvements with longer follow-up periods to establish temporally sequenced and dose-response relations with physical activity.

Planning, transfers and modernization

Presented at Irrigated agriculture responds to water use challenges - strategies for success: USCID water management conference held on April 3-6, 2012 in Austin, Texas.Oakdale Irrigation District (OID) was formed in 1909 and provides pre-1914 water rights to over 55,000 acres of irrigated farmland located within the northern San Joaquin Valley of California. The district's situation is similar to many irrigation districts in the Central Valley; it has an aged and often failing infrastructure which has had little investment over the years; it has an intermixed customer base of both urbanizing ranchette lands, expanding dairies and a rapid conversion to high value permanent crops; it has a demand for more flexible water deliveries and services from its customers; and has limited financial resources to meet those demands. With that backdrop, initiated in November 2004 and completed in June 2007, OID developed a Water Resources Plan (WRP) as a strategic roadmap for addressing those issues. Today the district is moving forward with the implementation of a $170 million capital improvement program to meet the multifaceted needs of the district. Those needs as outlined in the WRP include the protection of the District's water rights; an increase in agricultural water supply reliability during droughts; protection for the local areas surface and groundwater supplies; along with a roadmap to modernize and rebuild a century old system to meet the needs of its changing customer base. Regional water transfers are being used as the basic funding mechanism to make it all happen. The paper will provide a background of the drivers that got the OID to begin the planning process; it will discuss how the planning process evolved; what the findings and recommendations were in the final Water Resources Plan (WRP); and finally, how those recommendations are being moved forward to implementation

Comparison of Prescribed Physical Therapy to a Home Exercise Program for Pediatric Sports-Related Concussion Patients

The purpose of this retrospective chart review was to compare sports-related concussion (SRC) recovery time in protracted recovery (≥28 days) patients who were prescribed physical therapy (PPT) with those who were only provided a home exercise program (HEP). We hypothesized PPT would be associated with shorter recovery times relative to HEP. Associations were evaluated with multivariable zero-truncated negative binomial regressions. Among the 48 (30.2%) PPT and 111 (69.8%) HEP patients, the majority were female (57.9%), the mean age was 15.3 ± 1.4 (PPT) and 14.2 ± 2.8 (HEP), and time to clinic was a median 6.0 (IQR = 3.0–27.0; PPT) and 7.0 (IQR = 3.0–23.0; HEP) days. After adjusting for demographic (age, sex) and clinical measures (concussion history, convergence, VOMS, PCSS score, and days to clinic), PPT unexpectedly was associated with 1.21 (95% CI: 1.05, 1.41) additional recovery days compared with HEP. One reason for this could be related to patients adhering to the number of a priori prescribed PT sessions which may or may not have aligned with the patient’s symptom resolution. Future research should explore this hypothesis while aiming to evaluate the effect of PPT versus HEP using a randomized design. If confirmed, these findings are encouraging for patients who could not otherwise access or afford specialty rehabilitation

Physical Activity, Sleep, and Sedentary Behavior among Successful Long-Term Weight Loss Maintainers: Findings from a U.S. National Study

Despite adults’ desire to reduce body mass (weight) for numerous health benefits, few are able to successfully lose at least 5% of their starting weight. There is evidence on the independent associations of physical activity, sedentary behaviors, and sleep with weight loss; however, this study provided insight on the combined effects of these behaviors on long-term body weight loss success. Hence, the purpose of this cross-sectional study was to evaluate the joint relations of sleep, physical activity, and sedentary behaviors with successful long-term weight loss. Data are from the 2005–2006 wave of the National Health and Examination Survey (NHANES). Physical activity and sedentary behavior were measured with an accelerometer, whereas sleep time was self-reported. Physical activity and sleep were dichotomized into meeting guidelines (active/not active, ideal sleep/short sleep), and sedentary time was categorized into prolonged sedentary time (4th quartile) compared to low sedentary time (1st–3rd quartiles). The dichotomized behaviors were combined to form 12 unique behavioral combinations. Two-step multivariable regression models were used to determine the associations between the behavioral combinations with (1) long-term weight loss success (≥5% body mass reduction for ≥12-months) and (2) the amount of body mass reduction among those who were successful. After adjustment for relevant factors, there were no significant associations between any of the independent body weight loss behaviors (physical activity, sedentary time, and sleep) and successful long-term weight loss. However, after combining the behaviors, those who were active (≥150 min MVPA weekly), regardless of their sedentary time, were significantly (p < 0.05) more likely to have long-term weight loss success compared to the inactive and sedentary referent group. These results should be confirmed in longitudinal analyses, including investigation of characteristics of waking (type, domain, and context) and sleep (quality metrics) behaviors for their association with long-term weight loss success

Bidirectional Day-to-Day Associations of Reported Sleep Duration With Accelerometer Measured Physical Activity and Sedentary Time Among Dutch Adolescents:an observational study

OBJECTIVES: To examine the bidirectional association of sleep duration with proportions of time spent in physical behaviors among Dutch adolescents. METHODS: Adolescents (n = 294, 11–15 years) completed sleep diaries and wore an accelerometer (ActiGraph) over 1 week. With linear mixed-effects models, the authors estimated the association of sleep categories (short, optimal, and long) with the following day’s proportion in physical behaviors. With generalized linear mixed models with binomial distribution, the authors estimated the association of physical behavior proportions on sleep categories. Physical behavior proportions were operationalized using percentages of wearing time and by applying a compositional approach. All analyses were stratified by gender accounting for differing developmental stages. RESULTS: For males (number of observed days: 345, n = 83), short as compared with optimal sleep was associated with the following day’s proportion spent in sedentary (−2.57%, p = .03, 95% confidence interval [CI] [−4.95, −0.19]) and light-intensity activities (1.96%, p = .02, 95% CI [0.27, 3.65]), which was not significant in the compositional approach models. Among females (number of observed days: 427, n = 104), long sleep was associated with the proportions spent in moderate- to vigorous-intensity physical activity (1.69%, p < .001, 95% CI [0.75, 2.64]) and in sedentary behavior (−3.02%, p < .01, 95% CI [−5.09, −0.96]), which was replicated by the compositional approach models. None of the associations between daytime activity and sleep were significant (number of obs.: 844, n = 204). CONCLUSIONS: Results indicate partial associations between sleep and the following day’s physical behaviors, and no associations between physical behaviors and the following night’s sleep