Agricultural Environmental Programming in Pennsylvania: Increasing Visibility and Relevancy of Extension

Penn State Cooperative Extension Dairy and Livestock Nutrient and Environmental Education Days (NEEDs) is a multi-disciplinary collaborative educational program for government conservation professionals working with producers. The objective of this program is to provide participants with an understanding of the links among community concerns, agricultural air and water quality impacts, changing policy, and farm-level environmental management tools. This article describes the development of the NEEDs program, evaluation results, and future program plans. As Extension\u27s role evolves to address the educational needs of conservation professionals, evaluation results indicate the use of a multi-disciplinary approach can serve as an effective educational method

UAS Literary & Arts Journal

Proof copy provided by Tidal Echoes.Tidal Echoes is an annual showcase of writers and artists with one thing in common: a life surrounded by the rainforests and waterways of Southeast Alaska.Davy Josh’s Note -- A Note from Chalise -- A Note from Emily Wall -- Brain Bucket -- Cephalic index -- A Gift of Fat for the Fire -- Our heroes have always been... -- Colorful Clouds -- Role Model -- Anchors -- Out My Window -- Adaptation -- Bookshelves -- In the Flow -- It’s a Small World Parade Float -- Sexy -- Death by Algebra -- Friend -- mirabile visu -- Exchange II -- F A D E -- Borne Alone -- Continuum -- The Week Before St. Valentine’s -- Bottled Up -- Untitled -- Early Morning Conspiracy Theory -- Westport -- Boulder Creek -- Jumping Off Rooftops -- Staying in the Room With Ernestine Hayes -- Blueberry -- After Neruda By Way of Bly (Tenure) -- Magic of Water -- Old Tom Steals the Light -- Old Tom Finds a Whale -- Research Project -- Guppy (boat) -- Arizona Spyder -- From Anthropomorphism to Zoomorphism -- Bus Stop -- December 1, 1955 -- Between Tides at Twilight -- Dementia -- Winter Ferry -- Coming into Auke Bay -- The Search for Jane Rogers -- Inlaid Tea Cups -- The Big Melt -- Kingsmill Reef -- Despite Man’s Best Efforts to Ruin It -- Roberts from Flume -- India Scarf -- Painted and Petrified -- Medicine Bag -- Merrill Field -- Deadly Kites -- Brazilian Ghetto -- Seattle Riff -- The Gospel Truth of My Gay Bird -- Signing the Divorce Papers -- Red Shades -- Holey Cow -- Untitled -- Series of Cedar Baskets -- A Conversation With Ranunculus -- Deconstruction -- Sandy Beach -- Threshold -- Oil and Honesty: An Interview with Artist and Professor David Woodie -- Mitkof #3 -- Still Life -- First Day of Fall -- Falling in the Garden -- After Finishing an Activities Report for the Dean -- Homage to Po Chü-I -- Nunc Dimittis -- Do Wise Men Have Bad Days? -- To the Plain Land -- Flood of ‘69 -- How a woman makes her own wine -- Untitled (translation from Russian) -- Existential Sestina -- It’s the knowing -- Blood and Guts -- Sometime Walking on the Beach -- Untitled -- Connecting the Pieces -- Hemlock -- Klawock Island -- Driven By the Tides -- Lunch -- The People -- Howling Dog -- Winter Cabin Lullaby -- Chain Gang -- A Review of Social Groups in Female Homo Sapiens as Exemplified by Mammary Restraint -- Apparatuses -- Douglas Island Bridge -- Going Home -- Author and Artist Biographie

Age- and Sex-Specific Social Contact Patterns and Incidence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection: Interview Questionnaire

Questionnaire used in a study of Mycobacterium tuberculosis infection incidences among adults in the Western Cape, South Africa. The questionnaire was piloted in Zambia in early 2011, before being used in face-to-face interviews with random selected adults who were enrolled in the Zambia-South Africa TB and AIDS Reduction (ZAMSTAR) Study

Age- and Sex-Specific Social Contact Patterns and Incidence of Mycobacterium tuberculosis Infection.

We aimed to model the incidence of infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis among adults using data on infection incidence in children, disease prevalence in adults, and social contact patterns. We conducted a cross-sectional face-to-face survey of adults in 2011, enumerating "close" (shared conversation) and "casual" (shared indoor space) social contacts in 16 Zambian communities and 8 South African communities. We modeled the incidence of M. tuberculosis infection in all age groups using these contact patterns, as well as the observed incidence of M. tuberculosis infection in children and the prevalence of tuberculosis disease in adults. A total of 3,528 adults participated in the study. The reported rates of close and casual contact were 4.9 per adult per day (95% confidence interval: 4.6, 5.2) and 10.4 per adult per day (95% confidence interval: 9.3, 11.6), respectively. Rates of close contact were higher for adults in larger households and rural areas. There was preferential mixing of close contacts within age groups and within sexes. The estimated incidence of M. tuberculosis infection in adults was 1.5-6 times higher (2.5%-10% per year) than that in children. More than 50% of infections in men, women, and children were estimated to be due to contact with adult men. We conclude that estimates of infection incidence based on surveys in children might underestimate incidence in adults. Most infections may be due to contact with adult men. Treatment and control of tuberculosis in men is critical to protecting men, women, and children from tuberculosis

eHealth Literacy and Web 2.0 Health Information Seeking Behaviors Among Baby Boomers and Older Adults

Background: Baby boomers and older adults, a subset of the population at high risk for chronic disease, social isolation, and poor health outcomes, are increasingly utilizing the Internet and social media (Web 2.0) to locate and evaluate health information. However, among these older populations, little is known about what factors influence their eHealth literacy and use of Web 2.0 for health information. Objective: The intent of the study was to explore the extent to which sociodemographic, social determinants, and electronic device use influences eHealth literacy and use of Web 2.0 for health information among baby boomers and older adults. Methods: A random sample of baby boomers and older adults (n=283, mean 67.46 years, SD 9.98) participated in a cross-sectional, telephone survey that included the eHealth literacy scale (eHEALS) and items from the Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS) assessing electronic device use and use of Web 2.0 for health information. An independent samples t test compared eHealth literacy among users and non-users of Web 2.0 for health information. Multiple linear and logistic regression analyses were conducted to determine associations between sociodemographic, social determinants, and electronic device use on self-reported eHealth literacy and use of Web 2.0 for seeking and sharing health information. Results: Almost 90% of older Web 2.0 users (90/101, 89.1%) reported using popular Web 2.0 websites, such as Facebook and Twitter, to find and share health information. Respondents reporting use of Web 2.0 reported greater eHealth literacy (mean 30.38, SD 5.45, n=101) than those who did not use Web 2.0 (mean 28.31, SD 5.79, n=182), t217.60=−2.98, P=.003. Younger age (b=−0.10), more education (b=0.48), and use of more electronic devices (b=1.26) were significantly associated with greater eHealth literacy (R2 =.17, R2adj =.14, F9,229=5.277, P<.001). Women were nearly three times more likely than men to use Web 2.0 for health information (OR 2.63, Wald= 8.09, df=1, P=.004). Finally, more education predicted greater use of Web 2.0 for health information, with college graduates (OR 2.57, Wald= 3.86, df =1, P=.049) and post graduates (OR 7.105, Wald= 4.278, df=1, P=.04) nearly 2 to 7 times more likely than non-high school graduates to use Web 2.0 for health information. Conclusions: Being younger and possessing more education was associated with greater eHealth literacy among baby boomers and older adults. Females and those highly educated, particularly at the post graduate level, reported greater use of Web 2.0 for health information. More in-depth surveys and interviews among more diverse groups of baby boomers and older adult populations will likely yield a better understanding regarding how current Web-based health information seeking and sharing behaviors influence health-related decision making

A review of the stable isotope bio-geochemistry of the global silicon cycle and its associated trace elements

Silicon (Si) is the second most abundant element in the Earth's crust and is an important nutrient in the ocean. The global Si cycle plays a critical role in regulating primary productivity and carbon cycling on the continents and in the oceans. Development of the analytical tools used to study the sources, sinks, and fluxes of the global Si cycle (e.g., elemental and stable isotope ratio data for Ge, Si, Zn, etc.) have recently led to major advances in our understanding of the mechanisms and processes that constrain the cycling of Si in the modern environment and in the past. Here, we provide background on the geochemical tools that are available for studying the Si cycle and highlight our current understanding of the marine, freshwater and terrestrial systems. We place emphasis on the geochemistry (e.g., Al/Si, Ge/Si, Zn/Si, δ13C, δ15N, δ18O, δ30Si) of dissolved and biogenic Si, present case studies, such as the Silicic Acid Leakage Hypothesis, and discuss challenges associated with the development of these environmental proxies for the global Si cycle. We also discuss how each system within the global Si cycle might change over time (i.e., sources, sinks, and processes) and the potential technical and conceptual limitations that need to be considered for future studies.The work by JS was supported by the “Laboratoire d’Excellence” LabexMER (ANR-10-LABX-19) and co-funded by a grant from the French government under the program “Investissements d’Avenir,” and by a grant from the Regional Council of Brittany (SAD programme). DJC was partially supported by the Knut and Alice Wallenberg Foundation (KAW Wallenberg Scholar) and the Swedish Research Council. This review article has benefited from funding by the European Union Seventh Framework Programme under grant agreement n◦294146 (project MuSiCC, Marie Curie CIG to DC). GdS is supported by a Marie Skłodowska-Curie Research Fellowship under EU Horizon2020 (GA #708407). JuD was supported by the American Chemical Society Petroleum Research Fund (Grant # 53798-DNI2). CE acknowledges financial support by the Institute for Chemistry and Biology of the Marine Environment (Oldenburg, Germany) and the Max Planck Institute for Marine Microbiology (Bremen, Germany). KH is funded by The Royal Society (UF120084) and the European Research Council (ERC-2015-StG - 678371_ICY-LAB). PG acknowledges funding by the Collaborative Research Centre 754 “ClimateBiogeochemistry interactions in the Tropical Ocean” (www. sfb754.de), supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG)

Focus on Function – a randomized controlled trial comparing two rehabilitation interventions for young children with cerebral palsy

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Children with cerebral palsy receive a variety of long-term physical and occupational therapy interventions to facilitate development and to enhance functional independence in movement, self-care, play, school activities and leisure. Considerable human and financial resources are directed at the "intervention" of the problems of cerebral palsy, although the available evidence supporting current interventions is inconclusive. A considerable degree of uncertainty remains about the appropriate therapeutic approaches to manage the habilitation of children with cerebral palsy. The primary objective of this project is to conduct a multi-site randomized clinical trial to evaluate the efficacy of a task/context-focused approach compared to a child-focused remediation approach in improving performance of functional tasks and mobility, increasing participation in everyday activities, and improving quality of life in children 12 months to 5 years of age who have cerebral palsy.</p> <p>Method/Design</p> <p>A multi-centred randomized controlled trial research design will be used. Children will be recruited from a representative sample of children attending publicly-funded regional children's rehabilitation centers serving children with disabilities in Ontario and Alberta in Canada. Target sample size is 220 children with cerebral palsy aged 12 months to 5 years at recruitment date. Therapists are randomly assigned to deliver either a context-focused approach or a child-focused approach. Children follow their therapist into their treatment arm. Outcomes will be evaluated at baseline, after 6 months of treatment and at a 3-month follow-up period. Outcomes represent the components of the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health, including body function and structure (range of motion), activities (performance of functional tasks, motor function), participation (involvement in formal and informal activities), and environment (parent perceptions of care, parental empowerment).</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>This paper presents the background information, design and protocol for a randomized controlled trial comparing a task/context-focused approach to a child-focused remediation approach in improving functional outcomes for young children with cerebral palsy.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>[clinical trial registration #: NCT00469872]</p

Impacts of the Tropical Pacific/Indian Oceans on the Seasonal Cycle of the West African Monsoon

The current consensus is that drought has developed in the Sahel during the second half of the twentieth century as a result of remote effects of oceanic anomalies amplified by local land–atmosphere interactions. This paper focuses on the impacts of oceanic anomalies upon West African climate and specifically aims to identify those from SST anomalies in the Pacific/Indian Oceans during spring and summer seasons, when they were significant. Idealized sensitivity experiments are performed with four atmospheric general circulation models (AGCMs). The prescribed SST patterns used in the AGCMs are based on the leading mode of covariability between SST anomalies over the Pacific/Indian Oceans and summer rainfall over West Africa. The results show that such oceanic anomalies in the Pacific/Indian Ocean lead to a northward shift of an anomalous dry belt from the Gulf of Guinea to the Sahel as the season advances. In the Sahel, the magnitude of rainfall anomalies is comparable to that obtained by other authors using SST anomalies confined to the proximity of the Atlantic Ocean. The mechanism connecting the Pacific/Indian SST anomalies with West African rainfall has a strong seasonal cycle. In spring (May and June), anomalous subsidence develops over both the Maritime Continent and the equatorial Atlantic in response to the enhanced equatorial heating. Precipitation increases over continental West Africa in association with stronger zonal convergence of moisture. In addition, precipitation decreases over the Gulf of Guinea. During the monsoon peak (July and August), the SST anomalies move westward over the equatorial Pacific and the two regions where subsidence occurred earlier in the seasons merge over West Africa. The monsoon weakens and rainfall decreases over the Sahel, especially in August.Peer reviewe