Environmental Performance Index for the Forest

Comparative environmental performance indices for energy use, global warming potential (GWP), air, water, and solid waste emissions covering the stages of processing from the harvesting of wood and the extraction of non-renewable materials to the construction of a house using different materials are developed in other articles. Developing performance indices that compare renewable resources and their environmental impacts on the land base to the depletion of non-renewable resources is problematic. Materials that involve mining are inherently not renewable compared to forest resources, which are renewable over some rotation age of the forest. The environmental impacts on the forest are dynamic and are impacted by landscape changes with some related to the production of wood for markets. Forest ecology metrics are developed to show the impact of management alternatives based on changing stand structures. Forest diversity, measured by structure classes, is impacted by longer rotation and thinning alternatives as well as preservation and protection policies.Management alternatives can contribute to some restoration of pre-settlement conditions of forests and provides a benchmark from which to evaluate reduced stand structure diversity and loss of habitat. While a century of commercial management has reduced the diversity in the forest and in particular has increased the share of acres in both the stand initiation stage and the closed canopy or stem exclusion stage, the trend has already turned in response to demands for more forest acres under increased protection and preservation status. Increased thinning from more intensive management and policies to protect threatened species are both contributing to increased understory reinitiation and ultimately more complex old forest structures. Longer rotation management could add to this effect but at a substantial cost since the economics of long rotation management falls below acceptable levels for economic investments

Patients' Post-/Long-COVID Symptoms, Vaccination and Functional Status-Findings from a State-Wide Online Screening Study.

(1) Background: Better understanding of post-/long-COVID and limitations in daily life due to the symptoms as well as the preventive potential of vaccinations is required. It is unclear whether the number of doses and timepoint interrelate with the trajectory of post-/long-COVID. Accordingly, we examined how many patients positively screened with post-/long-COVID were vaccinated and whether the vaccination status and the timepoint of vaccination in relation to the acute infection were related to post-/long-COVID symptom severity and patients' functional status (i.e., perceived symptom severity, social participation, workability, and life satisfaction) over time. (2) Methods: 235 patients suffering from post-/long-COVID were recruited into an online survey in Bavaria, Germany, and assessed at baseline (T1), after approximately three weeks (T2), and approximately four weeks (T3). (3) Results: 3.5% were not vaccinated, 2.3% were vaccinated once, 20% twice, and 53.3% three times. Overall, 20.9% did not indicate their vaccination status. The timepoint of vaccination was related to symptom severity at T1, and symptoms decreased significantly over time. Being vaccinated more often was associated with lower life satisfaction and workability at T2. (4) Conclusions: This study provides evidence to get vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2, as it has shown that symptom severity was lower in those patients who were vaccinated prior to the infection compared to those getting infected prior to or at the same time of the vaccination. However, the finding that being vaccinated against SARS-CoV-2 more often correlated with lower life satisfaction and workability requires more attention. There is still an urgent necessity for appropriate treatment for overcoming long-/post-COVID symptoms efficiently. Vaccination can be part of prevention measures, and there is still a need for a communication strategy providing objective information about the usefulness and risks of vaccinations

Life-Cycle Impacts of Forest Resource Activities in the Pacific Northwest and Southeast United States

A more intensive management alternative was created for each region by reallocating acres to higher management intensity classes. Harvesting activities were segmented into five stages to allow development of all inputs and outputs: (1) felling, (2) processing (bucking, limbing, cutting to length), (3) secondary transportation (skidding and yarding), (4) loading, and (5) hauling to a process point. The costs and consumption rates of energy and materials for these activities drove the log outputs, emissions, and carbon pools. Logs are allocated to wood product facilities, the primary product of the analysis, or pulp and paper mills as a co-product from the forest. Non-merchantable slash is generally left on site and is disposed of through site preparation activities. Transportation-related activities and the required diesel fuel produce by far the largest contribution to emission outputs. However, fertilizer use contributes to much of the change in emissions as acreage shifts to higher intensity management alternatives

Distinct physical activity and sedentary behavior trajectories in older adults during participation in a physical activity intervention: a latent class growth analysis

Background: This study aimed to identify latent moderate-to-vigorous intensity physical activity (MVPA) and sedentary behavior (SB) trajectories in older adults participating in a randomized intervention trial and to explore associations with baseline social-cognitive predictors. Methods: Data were assessed at baseline (T0, participants were inactive or had recently become active), after a ten-week physical activity intervention (T1), and a second 24-week intervention phase (T2). Latent class growth analysis was used on accelerometer-assessed weekly MVPA and daily SB, respectively (n = 215 eligible participants). Activity changes within trajectory classes and baseline social-cognitive predictor differences between trajectory classes were analyzed. Results: A "stable insufficient MVPA" (n = 197, p for difference in MVPA level at T0 and T2 (pT0-T2) = .789, effect size (Cohen’s d) = .03) and a "stable high MVPA" trajectory (n = 18, pT0-T2 = .137, d = .39), as well as a "slightly decreasing high SB" (n = 63, p for difference in SB (pT0-T2) = .022, d = .36) and a "slightly increasing moderate SB" trajectory (n = 152, pT0-T2 = .019, d = .27) emerged. Belonging to the "stable high MVPA" trajectory was associated with higher action planning levels compared to the "stable insufficient MVPA" trajectory (M = 5.46 versus 4.40, d = .50). Belonging to the "decreasing high SB" trajectory was associated with higher action self-efficacy levels compared to the "increasing moderate SB" trajectory (M = 5.27 versus 4.72, d = .33). Conclusions: Change occurred heterogeneously in latent (not directly observed) subgroups, with significant positive trajectories only observed in the highly sedentary. Trial registration: German Registry of Clinical Trials, DRKS00016073, Registered 10 January 2019

Utilizing Forages to Program Steer Growth Patterns to Achieve Consistent Quality Beef

Many options are available for programming stocker cattle growth patterns through forage selection. In semi-arid south Texas rapid growth rates can be achieved by grazing irrigated small grains (oats, wheat and ryegrass) and slow growth rates are possible grazing native range pastures. Ryegrass (RG) nutrient quality indicates potential gains greater than 1.0 kg/d for steers, while typical winter native range (NR) pasture indicates gains of 0.45 kg/d or less. The purpose of this experiment was to quantify the impact of different programmed growth patterns on beef retail product especially size, marbling and tenderness

Economic Impacts of Farm Program Payment Limits

The high levels of government payments to farmers resulting from the 1985 farm bill have once again led the Congress to examine the payment limit issue. Payment limits were initially established in 1970 and have since been revised several times. In this report, policy and farm management economists analyze the consequences of alternative payment limits on economic efficiency, economic viability of family-size farms, international competitiveness, and consumer food costs. Effective payment limits encourage reduced farm size and in the presence of economies of size, tend to increase production costs for program crops. The Agricultural and Food Policy Center is charged with evaluating economic impacts of policy alternatives -- not recommending, advocating, or opposing particular policies. The Center's orientation is toward Texas agriculture -- evaluating policy impacts on its producers and consumers. Farm prices and income, however, are determined in world markets that are influenced by national economic policy and farm programs. Texas impacts, therefore, must be evaluated in a much broader national and international market and policy context.Agricultural and Food Policy,

Screening and assessment for post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS), guidance by personal pilots and support with individual digital trainings within intersectoral care: a study protocol of a randomized controlled trial.

BACKGROUND: Because the clinical patterns and symptoms that persist after a COVID-19 infection are diverse, a diagnosis of post-acute COVID-19 syndrome (PACS) is difficult to implement. The current research project therefore aims to evaluate the feasibility and the practicability of a comprehensive, interdisciplinary, and cross-sectoral treatment program consisting of a low-threshold online screening and holistic assessment for PACS. Furthermore, it aims to evaluate digital interventions and the use of so-called personal guides that may help to facilitate the recovery of PACS. METHODS: This German study consists of a low-threshold online screening for PACS where positively screened participants will be supported throughout by personal pilots. The personal pilots are aimed at empowering patients and helping them to navigate through the study and different treatment options. Patients will then be randomly assigned either to an intervention group (IG) or an active control group (ACG). The IG will receive a comprehensive assessment of physiological and psychological functioning to inform future treatment. The ACG does not receive the assessment but both groups will receive a treatment consisting of an individual digital treatment program (digital intervention platform and an intervention via a chatbot). This digital intervention is based on the needs identified during the assessment for participants in the IG. Compared to that, the ACG will receive a more common digital treatment program aiming to reduce PACS symptoms. Importantly, a third comparison group (CompG) will be recruited that does not receive any treatment. A propensity score matching will take place, ensuring comparability between the participants. Primary endpoints of the study are symptom reduction and return to work. Secondary outcomes comprise, for example, social participation and activities in daily life. Furthermore, the feasibility and applicability of the online screening tool, the holistic assessment, digital trainings, and personal pilots will be evaluated. DISCUSSION: This is one of the first large-scale studies to improve the diagnosis and the care of patients with PACS by means of empowerment. It is to be evaluated whether the methods utilized can be used for the German and international population. Trial registration ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT05238415; date of registration: February 14, 2022

Intake, digestibility, and growth by steers compared under continuous and frontal grazing

Last updated: 10/22/201

Effect of Previous Stocking Rate of Rye-Ryegrass Pasture and Four Breed Types of Calves on Feedlot Performance

Last updated: 6/12/200