FARM ADVISORY SERVICES AND PESTICIDE TOXICITY ON COTTON AND PEANUTS IN THE ALBEMARLE-PAMLICO WATERSHED

According to a Virginia-North Carolina watershed survey, farmers view advisory services as having the effect of decreasing pesticide use. However, analysis of pesticide use shows that hired staff, scouting personnel, and extension agents are associated with higher pesticide toxicity applied to cotton while chemical dealers and scouting personnel are associated with higher toxicity applied to peanuts.Crop Production/Industries, Environmental Economics and Policy,

The Reliability of Electromyographic Normalization Methods for Cycling Analyses

Electromyography (EMG) is normalized in relation to a reference maximum voluntary contraction (MVC) value. Different normalization techniques are available but the most reliable method for cycling movements is unknown. This study investigated the reliability of different normalization techniques for cycling analyses. Twenty‐five male cyclists (age 24.13 ± 2.79 years, body height 176.22 ± 4.87 cm and body mass 67.23 ± 4.19 kg, BMI = 21.70 ± 2.60 kg∙m‐1) performed different normalization procedures on two occasions, within the same testing session. The rectus femoris, biceps femoris, gastrocnemius and tibialis anterior muscles were examined. Participants performed isometric normalizations (IMVC) using an isokinetic dynamometer. Five minutes of submaximal cycling (180 W) were also undertaken, allowing the mean (DMA) and peak (PDA) activation from each muscle to serve as reference values. Finally, a 10 s cycling sprint (MxDA) trial was undertaken and the highest activation from each muscle was used as the reference value. Differences between reference EMG amplitude, as a function of normalization technique and time, were examined using repeated measures ANOVAs. The test‐retest reliability of each technique was also examined using linear regression, intraclass correlations and Cronbach’s alpha. The results showed that EMG amplitude differed significantly between normalization techniques for all muscles, with the IMVC and MxDA methods demonstrating the highest amplitudes. The highest levels of reliability were observed for the PDA technique for all muscles; therefore, our results support the utilization of this method for cycling analyses

ECOREGIONAL DIFFERENCES IN LATE-20TH-CENTURY LAND-USE AND LAND-COVER CHANGE IN THE U.S. NORTHERN GREAT PLAINS

Land-cover and land-use change usually results from a combination of anthropogenic drivers and biophysical conditions found across multiple scales, ranging from parcel to regional levels. A group of four Level III ecoregions located in the u.s. northern Great Plains is used to demonstrate the similarities and differences in land change during nearly a 30-year period (1973-2000) using results from the U.S. Geological Survey\u27s Land Cover Trends project. There were changes to major suites of land-cover; the transitions between agriculture and grassland/shrubland and the transitions among wetland, water, agriculture, and grassland/shrubland were affected by different factors. Anthropogenic drivers affected the land-use tension (or land-use competition) between agriculture and grassland/shrubland land-covers, whereas changes between wetland and water land-covers, and their relationship to agriculture and grassland/shrubland land-covers, were mostly affected by regional weather cycles. More land-use tension between agriculture and grassland/shrubland landcovers occurred in ecoregions with greater amounts of economically marginal cropland. Land-cover change associated with weather variability occurred in ecoregions that had large concentrations of wetlands and water impoundments, such as the Missouri River reservoirs. The Northwestern Glaciated Plains ecoregion had the highest overall estimated percentage of change because it had both land-use tension between agriculture and grassland/shrubland land-covers and wetland-water changes

3-D kinematic comparison of treadmill and overground running.

Studies investigating the mechanics of human movement are often conducted using the treadmill. The treadmill is an attractive device for the analysis of human locomotion. Studies comparing overground and treadmill running have analyzed discrete variables, however differences in excursion from footstrike to peak angle and range of motion during stance have yet to be examined. This study aimed to examine the 3-D kinematics of the lower extremities during overground and treadmill locomotion to determine the extent to which the two modalities differ. Twelve participants ran at 4.0m/s in both treadmill and overground conditions. 3-D angular kinematic parameters during the stance phase were collected using an eight camera motion analysis system. Hip, knee and ankle joint kinematics were quantified in the sagittal, coronal and transverse planes, then compared using paired t-tests. Of the parameters analyzed hip flexion at footstrike 12° hip range of motion 17°, peak hip flexion 12.7°, hip transverse plane range of motion 8° peak knee flexion 5° and peak ankle excursion range 6.6°, coronal plane ankle angle at toe-off 6.5° and peak ankle eversion 6.3° were found to be significantly different. These results lead to the conclusion that the mechanics of treadmill locomotion cannot be generalized to overground

Eighteenth Year of the Gulf of Maine Environmental Monitoring Program

This report summarizes the metals and organic contaminant data associated with the collection and analyses of blue mussel (Mytilus edulis) tissue from selected sites along the Gulf of Maine coast during the 2008 sampling season. Contaminant monitoring is conducted by the Gulfwatch Program for the Gulf of Maine Council on the Marine Environment (GOMC). A subset of these data is compared with analytical results from earlier Gulfwatch monitoring (2001-2007). Statistical analyses are limited to descriptive measures of replicates from selected sampling sites and include: arithmetic means, and appropriate measures of variance. The primary purpose of this report is to present the current annual results, present graphical representation of spatial and temporal trends and identify potential outliers in order to provide investigators and other interested persons with contemporary information concerning water quality in the Gulf of Maine, as reflected by uptake into resident shellfish (mussels and clams)

Effects of a patellar strap on knee joint kinetics and kinematics during jump landings: an exploration using a statistical parametric mapping and Bayesian approach

Purpose The aim of the current research was to investigate the effects of a patellar tendon strap on knee joint kinetics and kinematics during a vertical jump task using a statistical parametric mapping (SPM) and Bayesian approach. Methods Twenty-eight (14 male and 14 female) participants performed a vertical jump task under two conditions (patellar tendon strap/no-patellar tendon strap). Biomechanical data were captured using an eight-camera 3D motion capture system and force platform. Participants also subjectively rated the comfort/stability properties of the patellar tendon strap and their knee joint proprioception was examined with and without the strap using a weight bearing joint position sense test. Differences between patellar tendon strap/no-patellar tendon strap conditions were examined using SPM and Bayesian analyses and subjective ratings using Chi-squared tests. Results The results showed that neither knee joint kinetics or kinematics were affected as a function of wearing the patellar tendon strap. The findings did show that the knee brace helped to significantly increase participants perceived knee stability, but there were no improvements in weight bearing knee proprioception. Conclusions The current investigation indicates that the utilization of a patellar tendon strap akin to the device used in the current study does not appear to reduce the biomechanical parameters linked to the aetiology of knee pathologies, during vertical jump movements

Effects of running in minimal, maximal and traditional running shoes: a musculoskeletal simulation exploration using statistical parametric mapping and Bayesian analyses

The current study aimed to use a musculoskeletal simulation approach to examine running biomechanics in minimal, maximal and traditional running shoes using a concurrent SPM and Bayesian approach. Thirteen male participants ran over a force platform at 4.0m/s in minimal maximal and traditional running shoes. Lower extremity joint loading and muscle forces were explored using a musculoskeletal simulation approach. Differences between conditions were examined using statistical parametric mapping (SPM) and Bayesian one-way repeated measures ANOVA. Bayesian analyses showed that traditional running shoes increased vastus intermedius (208.8BW·ms), vastus lateralis (320.2BW·ms) vastus medialis (188.7BW·ms), lateral tibiofemoral (495.9BW·ms) and patellofemoral joint stress (1683.4KPa/BW·s) integrals compared to minimal running shoes (185.0BW·ms, 281.9BW·ms, 167.2BW·ms, 456.5BW·ms & 1524.9KPa/BW·s). Furthermore, SPM showed that minimal footwear increased gluteal, medial tibiofemoral and hip forces during the first 10% of the stance phase and Achilles tendon forces from 20-40% stance compared to traditional running shoes, whereas Bayesian analysis showed that minimal footwear increased loading rates (366.9BW/s) compared to maximal and traditional running shoes. (186.5BW/s) and traditional running shoes (161.5BW/s). Finally, SPM also showed that maximal footwear enhanced ankle eversion from 10-30% of stance compared to both minimal and traditional running shoes. This study therefore shows that minimal footwear may place runners at increased risk from impact related chronic injuries yet attenuate risk from patellofemoral and lateral tibiofemoral pathologies compared to traditional running shoes. In addition, owing to increases in ankle eversion, maximal running shoes may enhance risk to the aetiology of medial tibial stress syndrome compared to minimal and traditional running shoes

Effects of toe-in/ out toe-in gait and lateral wedge orthoses on lower extremity joint kinetics; an exploration using musculoskeletal simulation and Bayesian contrasts.

INTRODUCTION: The aim of the current investigation was to examine the effects of both lateral orthoses and toe-in/ toe-out foot progression angles on lower extremity joint loading during walking using a musculoskeletal simulation approach. METHODS: The current investigation examined 15 healthy males, walking in six different conditions (neutral, lateral orthoses, toe-in, lateral toe-in, toe-out and lateral toe-out). Walking kinematics were collected using an eight-camera motion capture system, and kinetics via an embedded piezoelectric force plate. Lower extremity joint loading was explored using a musculoskeletal simulation approach. RESULTS: This investigation showed that peak patellofemoral joint stress was greater in the neutral (3.96 KPa/BW) and lateral orthoses (4.20 KPa/BW) conditions compared to toe-in (3.33 KPa/BW), lateral toe-in (3.43 KPa/BW), toe-out (3.35 KPa/BW) and lateral toe-out (3.53 KPa/BW) and ankle joint impulse larger in the toe-in (1.65BW·s) and toe-out (1.62BW·s) foot progression angle modalities compared to neutral (1.51BW·s) and lateral orthoses (1.53BW·s). Furthermore, it was also shown that medial tibiofemoral impulse was statistically greater in the toe-in (1.20BW·s) and lateral toe-in (1.15BW·s) conditions compared to neutral (1.07BW·s), lateral orthoses (1.07BW·s), toe-out (1.09BW·s) and lateral toe-out (1.05BW·s). CONCLUSIONS: Therefore, the current investigation provides evidence that altering the foot progression angle may attenuate the risk from patellofemoral disorders whilst simultaneously enhancing the risk from degenerative ankle pathologies. Similarly, adopting a toe-in foot progression angle may also increase the risk from medial tibiofemoral degeneration

System for detecting and estimating concentrations of gas or liquid analytes

A sensor system for detecting and estimating concentrations of various gas or liquid analytes. In an embodiment, the resistances of a set of sensors are measured to provide a set of responses over time where the resistances are indicative of gas or liquid sorption, depending upon the sensors. A concentration vector for the analytes is estimated by satisfying a criterion of goodness using the set of responses. Other embodiments are described and claimed