OPTIMUM SOIL QUALITY ATTRIBUTE LEVELS AND VALUES

We develop a dynamic optimal cropping systems model for the northern Great Plains, taking into account the impact of the system on soil quality attributes organic and inorganic carbon. Continuous wheat and direct planting is the most profitable system under most economic conditions. This system has low soil erosion and results in high soil quality.Land Economics/Use,

SOIL QUALITY ATTRIBUTE TIME PATHS: OPTIMAL LEVELS AND VALUES

We develop a dynamic soil quality model to evaluate optimal cropping systems in the northern Great Plains. Modeling soil quality attributes is feasible, and attribute model results apply to a wide range of soils. A crop production system with continuous spring wheat and direct planting is the most profitable system. This system has low soil erosion and high quality attributes, indicating the benefits of increased soil quality exceed the higher maintenance costs. On-site value of additional soil organic carbon (OC) ranges from $1 to$4/ton OC/hectare/year. These values for soil OC impact the optimum tillage practice, but not the crop rotation.Crop Production/Industries,

Experimental investigation of small watershed floods

CER68-69VY-GLS-MEH17.OWRR project no. B-005-COLO, period of research: July 1, 1966 - June 30, 1968.Supported in part by funds provided by the United States Department of the Interior, Office of Water Resources Research.An experimental facility for generating artificial storms over a one-acre catchment is under construction. The catchment has been shaped into an approximation of a typical small watershed by combining a conic section upstream of two intersecting planes. The conic section and each plane have areas of one-third acre. The flow from the conic section can be measured separately and eit1er diverted under the plane sections or allowed to join the channel flow between the planes. The rainfall system is based on a system of towers with large nozzles spraying into the air more than 30 feet above the catchment. The final design of the system is not complete. Runoff can be measured at two points by H-flumes equipped with chart recorders. The rainfall gaging system is designed to automatically record rainfall at 27 locations on the basin. The gages utilize a capacitance system indicating accumulated depth of rainfall. The catchment surface is to be covered by a butyl material to provide an impermeable, erosion-resistant surface. Current activity is focused on bringing the conic section into operation to test the full-scale system before the lower areas are finished.Under agreement 14-01-0001-1007

Factors affecting knee abduction during weight-bearing activities in individuals with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction

Objective To investigate if muscle strength and muscle activation patterns are associated with increased knee abduction during two functional tasks, commonly used in rehabilitation for individuals with anterior cruciate ligament reconstruction (ACLR). Design Cross-sectional study. Setting Laboratory. Participants 24 women and 29 men approximately 7 months after ACLR. Main outcome measures Isometric peak torque of the trunk and lower extremity muscles were determined during maximal voluntary contractions. Trunk and lower extremity average muscle activation amplitude and peak knee abduction were evaluated during the single-leg squat (SLS) and the single-leg hop for distance (SLHD) for the injured side. Separate backward regressions were performed for men and women. Results In women, lower knee flexion and extension strength were associated with greater peak knee abduction during the SLS (B = 4.63–18.26, p ≤ 0.036); lower knee flexion strength and iliocostalis activation on the non-injured side were associated with greater peak knee abduction during the SLHD (B = 0.60–20.48, p ≤ 0.043). No associations between muscle function and peak knee abduction were found in men. Conclusions Muscle function may contribute differently to knee abduction in men and women after ACLR. This should be considered when designing rehabilitation programs to reduce knee abduction in these patients

Childhood conscientiousness predicts the social gradient of smoking in adulthood: a life course analysis.

The social gradient in smoking is well known, with higher rates among those in less advantaged socioeconomic position. Some recent research has reported that personality characteristics partly explain this gradient. However, the majority of existing work is limited by cross-sectional designs unsuitable to determine whether differences in conscientiousness are a predictor or a product of social inequalities. Adopting a life course perspective, we investigated in the current paper the influence of conscientiousness in early and mid-life on the social gradient in smoking and the role of potential confounding factors in a large longitudinal cohort study

Training competent and effective Primary Health Care Workers to fill a void in the outer islands health service delivery of the Marshall Islands of Micronesia

BACKGROUND: Human resources for health are non-existent in many parts of the world and the outer islands of Marshall Islands in Micronesia are prime examples. While the more populated islands with hospital facilities are often successful in recruiting qualified health professionals from overseas, the outer islands generally have very limited health resources, and are thus less successful. In an attempt to provide reasonable health services to these islands, indigenous people were trained as Health Assistants (HA) to service their local communities. In an effort to remedy the effectiveness of health care delivery to these islands, a program to train mid-level health care workers (Hospital Assistants) was developed and implemented by the Ministry of Health in conjunction with the hospital in Majuro, the capital city of the Marshall Islands. METHODS: A physician instructor with experience and expertise in primary health care in these regions conducted the program. The curriculum included training in basic health science, essentials of endemic disorders and their clinical management appropriate to the outer islands. Emphasis was given to prevention and health promotion as well as to the curative aspects. For clinical observation, the candidates were assigned to clinical departments of the Majuro hospital for 1 year during their training, as assistants to the nursing staff. This paper discusses the details of the training, the modalities used to groom the candidates, and an assessment of the ultimate effectiveness of the program. RESULTS: Out of 16 boys who began training, 14 candidates were successful in completing the program. In 1998 a similar program was conducted exclusively for women under the auspices of Asian Development Bank funding, hence women were not part of this program. CONCLUSION: For developing countries of the Pacific, appropriately trained human resources are an essential component of economic progress, and the health workforce is an important part of human resources for sustainable progress and development