ASSESSING RURAL COMMUNITY VIABILITY AN EXPERIMENTAL MODEL

Community/Rural/Urban Development,

Associations of educational attainment, occupation and community poverty with knee osteoarthritis in the Johnston County (North Carolina) osteoarthritis project

Abstract: Introduction: The purpose of this study was to examine data from the Johnston County Osteoarthritis (OA) Project for independent associations of educational attainment, occupation and community poverty with tibiofemoral knee OA. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis was conducted on 3,591 individuals (66% Caucasian and 34% African American). Educational attainment ( 25%) were examined separately and together in logistic models adjusting for covariates of age, gender, race, body mass index (BMI), smoking, knee injury and occupational activity score. Outcomes were presence of radiographic knee OA (rOA), symptomatic knee OA (sxOA), bilateral rOA and bilateral sxOA. Results: When all three socioeconomic status (SES) variables were analyzed simultaneously, low educational attainment was significantly associated with rOA (odds ratio (OR) = 1.44, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.20, 1.73), bilateral rOA (OR = 1.43, 95% CI 1.13, 1.81), and sxOA (OR = 1.66, 95% CI 1.34, 2.06), after adjusting for covariates. Independently, living in a community of high household poverty rate was associated with rOA (OR = 1.83, 95% CI 1.43, 2.36), bilateral rOA (OR = 1.56, 95% CI 1.12, 2.16), and sxOA (OR = 1.36, 95% CI 1.00, 1.83). Occupation had no significant independent association beyond educational attainment and community poverty. Conclusions: Both educational attainment and community SES were independently associated with knee OA after adjusting for primary risk factors for knee OA

Assessing prioritization measures for a private land conservation program in the U.S. Prairie Pothole Region

Private land conservation has become an important tool for protecting biodiversity and habitat, but methods for prioritizing and scheduling conservation on private land are still being developed. While return on investment methods have been suggested as a potential path forward, the different processes linking private landscapes to the socioeconomic systems in which they are embedded create unique challenges for scheduling conservation with this approach. We investigated a range of scheduling approaches within a return on investment framework for breeding waterfowl and broods in the Prairie Pothole Region of North Dakota, South Dakota, and Montana. Current conservation targeting for waterfowl in the region focuses mostly on the distribution and abundance of breeding waterfowl. We tested whether MaxGain approaches for waterfowl conservation differed from MinLoss approaches in terms of return on investment and which approach performed best in avoiding loss of waterfowl and broods separately. We also examined variation in results based upon the temporal scale of the abundance layers used for input and compared the region's current scheduling approach with results from our simulations. Our results suggested that MinLoss was the most efficient scheduling approach for both breeding waterfowl and broods and that using just breeding waterfowl to target areas for conservation programs might cause organizations to overlook important areas for broods, particularly over shorter timespans. The higher efficiency of MinLoss approaches in our simulations also indicated that incorporating probability of wetland drainage into decision-making improved the overall return on investment. We recommend that future conservation scheduling for easements in the region and for private land conservation in general include some form of return on investment or cost-effective analysis to make conservation more transparent

Weed Seed Bank Emergence across the Corn Belt

Field experiments, conducted from 1991 to 1994, generated information on weed seedbank emergence for 22 site-years from Ohio to Colorado and Minnesota to Missouri. Early spring seedbank densities were estimated through direct extraction of viable seeds from soil cores. Emerged seedlings were recorded periodically, as were daily values for air and soil temperature, and precipitation. Percentages of weed seedbanks that emerged as seedlings were calculated from seedbank and seedling data for each species, and relationships between seedbank emergence and microclimatic variables were sought. Fifteen species were found in 3 or more site-years. Average emergence percentages (and coefficients of variation) of these species were as follows: giant foxtail, 31.2 (84%); velvetleaf, 28.2 (66); kochia, 25.7 (79); Pennsylvania smartweed, 25.1 (65); common purslane, 15.4 (135); common ragweed, 15.0 (110); green foxtail, 8.5 (72); wild proso millet, 6.6 (104); hairy nightshade, 5.2 (62); common sunflower, 5.0 (26); yellow foxtail, 3.4 (67); pigweed species, 3.3 (103); common lambsquarters, 2.7 (111); wild buckwheat, 2.5 (63), and prostrate knotweed, 0.6 (79). Variation among site-years, for some species, could be attributed to microclimate variables thought to induce secondary dormancy in spring. For example, total seasonal emergence percentage of giant foxtail was related positively to the 1st date at which average daily soil temperature at 5 to 10 cm soil depth reached 16 C. Thus, if soil warmed before mid April, secondary dormancy was induced and few seedlings emerged, whereas many seedlings emerged if soil remained cool until June

Weed Seed Bank Emergence across the Corn Belt

Field experiments, conducted from 1991 to 1994, generated information on weed seedbank emergence for 22 site-years from Ohio to Colorado and Minnesota to Missouri. Early spring seedbank densities were estimated through direct extraction of viable seeds from soil cores. Emerged seedlings were recorded periodically, as were daily values for air and soil temperature, and precipitation. Percentages of weed seedbanks that emerged as seedlings were calculated from seedbank and seedling data for each species, and relationships between seedbank emergence and microclimatic variables were sought. Fifteen species were found in 3 or more site-years. Average emergence percentages (and coefficients of variation) of these species were as follows: giant foxtail, 31.2 (84%); velvetleaf, 28.2 (66); kochia, 25.7 (79); Pennsylvania smartweed, 25.1 (65); common purslane, 15.4 (135); common ragweed, 15.0 (110); green foxtail, 8.5 (72); wild proso millet, 6.6 (104); hairy nightshade, 5.2 (62); common sunflower, 5.0 (26); yellow foxtail, 3.4 (67); pigweed species, 3.3 (103); common lambsquarters, 2.7 (111); wild buckwheat, 2.5 (63), and prostrate knotweed, 0.6 (79). Variation among site-years, for some species, could be attributed to microclimate variables thought to induce secondary dormancy in spring. For example, total seasonal emergence percentage of giant foxtail was related positively to the 1st date at which average daily soil temperature at 5 to 10 cm soil depth reached 16 C. Thus, if soil warmed before mid April, secondary dormancy was induced and few seedlings emerged, whereas many seedlings emerged if soil remained cool until June

NIRS for vicine and convicine content of faba bean seed allowed GWAS to prepare for marker-assisted adjustment of seed quality of German winter faba beans

Die antinutritiven Inhaltsstoffe Vicin und Convicin (V, C) in Samen von Winterackerbohnen wurden einer GWAS unterzogen. V-, C- und V + C-Werte von 189 Inzuchtlinien (fünf Umwelten) wurden mittels NIRS ermittelt. In diesen Linien kommt das starke „vc-“-Allel (VC1-Locus) nicht vor. Labor-Resultate von 646 Proben führten zu unserer NIRS-Kalibration, die gut für V und V + C tauglich war allerdings nicht tauglich für C. Die Erblichkeit war hoch für V und V + C (0,911; 0,868) und niedriger für C (0,737). Von den 2542 kartierten SNPs waren 47 signifikant mit V und einer mit V + C assoziiert. Vier SNPs, die nahe beim VC1-Lokus kartierten, waren für V signifikant. Anscheinend trugen nicht-„vc-“-Allele an diesem Locus zur V-Variation bei. Markergestützte Züchtung in diesem Genpool kann die V + C-Gehalt auf etwa 0,44 % reduzieren, im Vergleich zur aktuell niedrigsten Linie mit 0,55 %. Weitere Forschung wird zeigen, wie diese Ergebnisse der Agronomie und Züchtung dienlich sein werden.GWAS was applied to the antinutritive compounds vicine and convicine (V, C) in winter faba bean. V, C and V + C data for 189 inbred lines (five environments) were predicted by NIRS. These lines do not carry the strong “vc-“ allele (locus VC1). Lab data for 646 samples enabled our NIRS calibration, which performed well for V and V + C yet poor for C. Heritability was high (0.911; 0.868) for V and V + C and lower for C (0.737). From the 2542 mapped SNPs, 47 were significantly associated with V and one with V + C. Four SNPs mapped near to the VC1 locus and were significant for V. Seemingly, non-“vc-“ alleles at that locus contributed to V variation. Marker-assisted breeding with this germplasm can reduce the V + C content to about 0.44%, compared to the current lowest line with 0.55%. Further research will show inasmuch this can serve agronomy and breeding

Associations of Educational Attainment, Occupation and Community Poverty with Hip Osteoarthritis

To examine cross-sectional baseline data from the Johnston County Osteoarthritis Project for the association between individual and community socioeconomic status (SES) measures with hip osteoarthritis (OA) outcomes

Patterns of Variation in Clutch Sizes in a Guild of Temperate-Nesting Dabbling Ducks

We investigated patterns and causes of variation in clutch sizes in a guild of five species of temperate-nesting dabbling ducks (Mallard [Anas platyrhynchos], Northern Pintail [“pintail,” A. acuta], Gadwall [A. strepera], Blue-winged Teal [“teal,” A. discors], and Northern Shoveler [“shoveler,” A. clypeata]) during 1993–1995 in the Prairie Pothole Region of midcontinental North America. Clutch sizes (mean ± SE) were largest for teal (10.80 ± 0.03), followed in descending order by those of shoveler (10.31 ± 0.05), Gadwall (9.92 ± 0.04), Mallard (8.91 ± 0.04), and pintail (7.66 ± 0.06). In Mallard, pintail, and shoveler, predicted clutch sizes at onset of nesting exhibited minimal variation. Clutch sizes of Gadwall and teal displayed statistically significant variation among years at onset of nesting; pintail clutch sizes showed significant variation late in the nesting season. Clutch sizes declined seasonally in all species. Declines in clutch sizes of teal and shoveler were approximately linear; whereas clutch sizes of Mallard, pintail, and Gadwall usually declined at progressively decreasing rates. Linear declines in teal and shoveler clutches suggest that those species experienced greater difficulty securing lipids for egg production late in the nesting season than did Mallard, pintail, and Gadwall. That disparity may result because egg-laying female teal and shoveler feed almost exclusively on animal foods, which are primarily protein; whereas female Mallard, pintail, and Gadwall consume more carbohydrate-rich plant foods. Our findings, when examined in context with existing information, suggest that interspecific variation in clutch sizes results from innate differences in several traits—including body size, diet, timing of lipid acquisition, and nesting—all of which can affect the amount of lipid available for egg production. Temperate-nesting dabbling ducks have evolved traits that facilitate laying of large clutches early in the nesting season, because risk of mortality is lower among early-hatched young. Annual differences in clutch sizes of all five species were not significant when effects of annual variation in nest-initiation dates were accounted for, reflecting the key role of environmental influences on intraspecific variation in clutch sizes among years