Using Remote Sensing to Estimate Crop Water Use to Improve Irrigation Water Management

Irrigation water is scarce. Hence, accurate estimation of crop water use is necessary for proper irrigation managements and water conservation. Satellite-based remote sensing is a tool that can estimate crop water use efficiently. Several models have been developed to estimate crop water requirement or actual evapotranspiration (ETa) using remote sensing. One of them is the Mapping EvapoTranspiration at High Resolution using Internalized Calibration (METRIC) model. This model has been compared with other methods for ET estimations including weighing lysimeters, pan evaporation, Bowen Ratio Energy Balance System (BREBS), Eddy Covariance (EC), and sap flow. However, comparison of METRIC model outputs to an atmometer for ETa estimation has not yet been attempted in eastern South Dakota. The results showed a good relationship between ETa estimated by the METRIC model and estimated with atmometer (r2 = 0.87 and RMSE = 0.65 mm day-1). However, ETa values from atmometer were consistently lower than ETa values from METRIC. The verification of remotely sensed estimates of surface variables is essential for any remote-sensing study. The relationships between LAI, Ts, and ETa estimated using the remote sensing-based METRIC model and in-situ measurements were established. The results showed good agreement between the variables measured in situ and estimated by the METRIC model. LAI showed r2 = 0.76, and RMSE = 0.59 m2 m-2, Ts had r2 = 0.87 and RMSE 1.24 °C and ETa presented r2= 0.89 and RMSE = 0.71 mm day-1. Estimation of ETa using energy balance method can be challenging and time consuming. Thus, there is a need to develop a simple and fast method to estimate ETa using minimum input parameters. Two methods were used, namely 1) an energy balance method (EB method) that used input parameters of the Landsat image, weather data, a digital elevation map, and a land cover map and 2) a Kc-NDVI method that use two input parameters: the Landsat image and weather data. A strong relationship was found between the two methods with r2 of 0.97 and RMSE of 0.37 mm day-1. Hence, the Kc-NDVI method performed well for ETa estimations, indicating that Kc-NDVI method can be a robust and reliable method to estimate ETa in a short period of time. Estimation of crop evapotranspiration (ETc) using satellite remote sensing-based vegetation index such as the Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI). The NDVI was calculated using near-infrared and red wavebands. The relationship between NDVI and tabulated Kc’s was used to generate Kc maps. ETc maps were developed as an output of Kc maps multiplied by reference evapotranspiration (ETr). Daily ETc maps helped to explain the variability of crop water use during the growing season. Based on the results we can conclude that ETc maps developed from remotely sensed multispectral vegetation indices are a useful tool for quantifying crop water use at regional and field scales

Estimating the Effects of Length of Exposure to a Training Program: The Case of Job Corps

Most of the literature on the evaluation of training programs focuses on the effect of participation on a particular outcome (e.g. earnings). The “treatment” is generally represented by a binary variable equal to one if participation in the program occurs, and equal to zero if no participation occurs. While the use of a binary treatment indicator is attractive for ease of interpretation and estimation, it treats all exposure the same. The extent of exposure to the treatment, however, is potentially important in determining the outcome; particularly in training programs where a main feature is the varying length of the training spells of participating individuals. In this paper, we illustrate how recently developed methods for the estimation of causal effects from continuous treatments can be used to learn about the consequences of heterogeneous lengths of enrollment in the evaluation of training programs. We apply these methods to data on Job Corps (JC), America’s largest and most comprehensive job training program for disadvantaged youth. The length of exposure is a significant source of heterogeneity in these data: while the average participation spell in JC is 28 weeks, its standard deviation and interdecile range are 27 and 62 weeks, respectively. We estimate average causal effects of different lengths of exposure to JC using the “generalized propensity score” under the assumption that the length of the individual’s JC spell is randomly assigned, conditional on a rich set of covariates. Finally, using this approach, we document important differences across different spell lengths and across three racial and ethnic groups of participants (blacks, whites and Hispanics) that help understand why the benefits these groups receive from JC are so disparate from estimates derived using traditional methods.Training Programs, Continuous Treatments, Generalized Propensity Score, Dose- Response Function

An Educational Module on the Benefits of Telehealth Assisted Preanesthetic Evaluations

Title An Educational Module on the Benefits of Telehealth Assisted Preanesthetic Evaluations Impact Statement Healthcare systems are always seeking new ways to increase efficiency, save on costs, and provide quality care for their patients. The use of telehealth in the preanesthesia setting is a tool that can help to further improve a healthcare system’s ability to achieve these goals. This project will be a step towards determining the support for and viability of telehealth utilization in the preanesthesia setting. Background/Purpose/Question Surgery cancellations are a significant problem with the potential for far-reaching consequences. Unexpected day-of-surgery cancellations can be costly to both the patient and the health care team. Telemedicine and telehealth are readily available tools for overcoming obstacles to accessing health care. Their use can improve patient outcomes, primarily by reducing the transportation time and costs and increasing the access to physicians. However, there is relatively little data on provider attitudes on the use of telemedicine to reduce cancellations and surgical delays. This project aims to answer: Among anesthesia providers (P), is an educational module designed to improve knowledge of the effectiveness of telehealth-assisted PAE (I), when compared to face-to-face preoperative assessment (C), effective in increasing provider knowledge (O) that leads to an improvement in the quality of patient care, the experience of the patient, its effect on staff, productivity, and cost-savings potential? Methods/Evidence Search Using the keywords listed under “Eligibility Criteria,” a search was conducted on CINAHL. Non-English, non-peer-reviewed articles were eliminated from the search, as well as articles older than 10 years. The same steps were taken with PubMed and Google Scholar. A total of 152 articles were found as potential evidence sources. Sources meeting criteria based on title were 44. Sources meeting criteria based on abstract were 13. Finally, sources meeting criteria based on full text were 8: a systematic literature review, a prospective randomized trial, a case-controlled study, a quasi-experimental study, a retrospective study, 2 descriptive studies, and a mixed methods approach. A total of 7 of the studies were performed in the United Sates while 1 was done in Australia. Synthesis of Literature/Results/Discussion A systematic literature review was conducted by Schoen and Prater. The results of their systematic review found that PAE can be successfully performed using telehealth and that patients also reported satisfaction with utilization of telehealth when performing PAE. For this project, the pre-test and post-test assessed if the educational module enhanced the participants attitude and perception of the use of telehealth during the PAE. The results show that after an educational module was shown, perception of the technology improved. Future research should focus on creating experiments with larger sample sizes and implementing the technology to see what real-world benefits the technology can offer. Conclusions/Recommendations for Practice 4 Telehealth is an increasingly relevant topic in the healthcare industry. It can provide many benefits to both the provider and the consumer. The project shows that presenting the topic and educating providers about the topic can make them more open to using the technology in their practice. Information gained from this project can be used to determine the feasibility of implementing this technology at health care facility where anesthesia providers practice

Bulk Viscous Matter-dominated Universes: Asymptotic Properties

By means of a combined use of the type Ia supernovae and H(z) data tests, together with the study of the asymptotic properties in the equivalent phase space - through the use of the dynamical systems tools - we demonstrate that the bulk viscous matter-dominated scenario is not a good model to explain the accepted cosmological paradigm, at least, under the parametrization of bulk viscosity considered in this paper. The main objection against such scenarios is the absence of conventional radiation and matter-dominated critical points in the phase space of the model. This entails that radiation and matter dominance are not generic solutions of the cosmological equations, so that these stages can be implemented only by means of unique and very specific initial conditions, i. e., of very unstable particular solutions. Such a behavior is in marked contradiction with the accepted cosmological paradigm which requires of an earlier stage dominated by relativistic species, followed by a period of conventional non-relativistic matter domination, during which the cosmic structure we see was formed. Also, we found that the bulk viscosity is positive just until very late times in the cosmic evolution, around z < 1. For earlier epochs it is negative, been in tension with the local second law of thermodynamics.Comment: 26 pages, 13 figures. Replacement with the final (published) versio

Improving Anesthesia Provider Knowledge and Competence in Patient Blood Management

Background: In the United States, blood transfusions are the most common medical procedure performed in hospitals. When used appropriately, allogeneic blood transfusions are crucial life-saving interventions essential in perioperative management. The use of blood transfusions should be based on safety, efficacy, and quality of treatment. However, a significant volume of evidence has emerged correlating blood transfusions to adverse patient outcomes, increases in cost, increases in morbidity, and mortality in surgical patients. Noting this, current transfusion practices require further evaluation. Patient Blood Management is a novel multidisciplinary approach that mitigate these negative outcomes. Methods: A comprehensive literature search was conducted using CINAHL and MEDLINE databases to identify research studies from 2015 and forward that have evaluated the effectiveness of Patient Blood Management in reducing morbidity, mortality, and excess costs associated with inappropriate allogeneic blood transfusion administration. Results: A total of 8 research studies were identified for review. These studies analyzed various treatment modalities within Patient Blood Management. The articles affirm the reliability and validity of the initiative in reducing the overutilization allogeneic blood transfusions in the perioperative period and thus reducing the associated adverse outcomes and cost

A graph theoretical framework for the strong Gram classification of non-negative unit forms of Dynkin type A

In the context of signed line graphs, this article introduces a modified inflation technique to study strong Gram congruence of non-negative (integral quadratic) unit forms, and uses it to show that weak and strong Gram congruence coincide among positive unit forms of Dynkin type A. The concept of inverse of a quiver is also introduced, and is used to obtain and analyze the Coxeter matrix of non-negative unit forms of Dynkin type A. Connected principal unit forms of such type are also classified.Comment: Integral quadratic form, Gram congruence, quiver, Dynkin type, Coxeter matrix, edge-bipartite graph, signed line grap

Gravitational lensing by wave dark matter halos

Wave Dark Matter (WaveDM) has recently gained attention as a viable candidate to account for the dark matter content of the Universe. In this paper we explore the extent to which dark matter halos in this model, and under what conditions, are able to reproduce strong lensing systems. First, we analytically explore the lensing properties of the model -- finding that a pure WaveDM density profile, a soliton profile, produces a weaker lensing effect than other similar cored profiles. Then we analyze models with a soliton embedded in an NFW profile, as has been found in numerical simulations of structure formation. We use a benchmark model with a boson mass of $m_a=10^{-22}{\rm eV}$, for which we see that there is a bi-modality in the contribution of the external NFW part of the profile, and actually some of the free parameters associated with it are not well constrained. We find that for configurations with boson masses $10^{-23}$ -- $10^{-22}{\rm eV}$, a range of masses preferred by dwarf galaxy kinematics, the soliton profile alone can fit the data but its size is incompatible with the luminous extent of the lens galaxies. Likewise, boson masses of the order of $10^{-21}{\rm eV}$, which would be consistent with Lyman-$\alpha$ constraints and consist of more compact soliton configurations, necessarily require the NFW part in order to reproduce the observed Einstein radii. We then conclude that lens systems impose a conservative lower bound $m_a > 10^{-24}$ and that the NFW envelope around the soliton must be present to satisfy the observational requirements.Comment: 26 pages, 7 figures, Publishe