Predicing Ecological Effects of Watershed-Wide Rain Garden Implementation Using a Low-Cost Methodology

Stormwater control measures (SCMs) have been employed to mitigate peak flows and pollutants ssociated with watershed urbanization. Downstream ecological effects caused by the implementation of SCMs are largely unknown, especially at the watershed scale. Knowledge of these effects could help with setting goals for and targeting locations of local restoration efforts. Unfortunately, studies such as these typically require a high level of time and effort for the investigating party, of which resources are often limited. This study proposes a low-cost investigation method for the prediction of ecological effects on the watershed scale with the implementation of rain garden systems by using publicly available data and software. For demonstration purposes, a typical urban watershed was modeled using Storm Water Management Model (SWMM) 5.0. Forty-five models were developed in which the percent impervious area was varied 3 to 80%, and the fraction of rain gardens implemented with respect to the number of structures was varied from to 100%. The river chub fish (Nocomis micropogon) and its congeners (Nocomis spp.) were chosen as ecological indicators, as they are considered to be keystone species through interspecific nesting association. Depth and velocity criteria for successful nest building locations of the river chub were determined; these criteria can then be applied to many other watersheds. In this study, both base flow conditions and a typical summer storm event (1.3 cm, 6 h duration) were evaluated. During the simulated storm, nest-building locations were not affected in the 3 and 5% impervious cover models. Nest destruction was found to occur in approximately 54% of the original nest building sites for the 9% and 10% impervious areas. Nearly all of the nest-building locations were uninhabitable for impervious areas 20% and greater. Rain garden implementation significantly improved river chub habitat in the simulation, with greatest marginal benefit at lower levels of implementation

Long Term Weed Management Effects in Alfalfa

Five herbicide treatment regimes were applied to spring and fall seeded alfalfa from 1991 to 1995 at two locations, Klamath Falls and Powell Butte, Oregon. Treatments were evaluated by measuring alfalfa crown and weed stand counts, yield, weed content and forage quality of all cuttings each year. Weed control treatment did not affect hay yield at Klamath Falls. Severe weed competition in 1991 caused lower yields in untreated plots in 1992 at Powell Butte. Weed growth was most pronounced in the first cutting at both sites. The presence of weeds did not adversely affect forage quality in any cutting except the first cutting following planting. In all years second cutting hay did not meet dairy quality standards at either location. There were no significant differences in gross returns less herbicide expense in fall planted plots at Klamath Falls. Weed management strategy 2, which included herbicide treatment at establishment and none thereafter resulted in the highest gross returns less herbicide costs in both spring and fall established plots at Powell Butte

Optimalisasi Layanan Inseminasi Buatan melalui Pembuatan Sistem Informasi Peternakan Berbasis Android pada Dinas Perkebunan dan Peternakan Kabupaten Kerinci

Inseminasi buatan (IB) merupakan teknologi penting dalam upaya peningkatan populasi dan mutu genetik ternak di Indonesia. Namun, implementasi program IB masih menghadapi tantangan serius di tingkat lapangan, terutama dalam pencatatan manual, keterlambatan pelaporan, dan rendahnya akurasi data. Untuk mengatasi persoalan tersebut, kegiatan pengabdian masyarakat ini bertujuan mengembangkan dan mengimplementasikan aplikasi monitoring IB berbasis Android yang mampu mendukung sistem pencatatan, pelaporan, dan pemantauan secara real-time, sekaligus meningkatkan kapasitas digital petugas dan peternak. Pengembangan sistem informasi peternakan berbasis Android untuk: (1) meningkatkan efisiensi pencatatan dan pelaporan IB, (2) mempermudah pemantauan real-time, dan (3) meningkatkan kapasitas petugas melalui pelatihan digital. Program ini sejalan dengan target SDGs poin 9 tentang inovasi infrastruktur. Metode pelaksanaan ada tiga tahap: (1) persiapan melalui FGD dan analisis dokumen, (2) pengembangan aplikasi berbasis Agile dengan fitur input data, laporan otomatis, serta (3) pelatihan pengguna aplikasi. Aplikasi dibangun dengan arsitektur tiga lapis (Kotlin, Firebase Realtime Database, dan web dashboard), diuji coba pada petugas IB di Kabupaten Kerinci. Temuan menunjukkan peningkatan signifikan: (1) efisiensi pelaporan naik 58% dengan waktu input berkurang dari 45 menit ke 7 menit per kasus, (2) akurasi data mencapai 98,5% (sebelumnya 68%), dan (3) adopsi teknologi oleh 80% petugas dalam 2 bulan dan waktu pelacakan riwayat IB dari 2 hari menjadi 2 menit. Integrasi teknologi digital melalui aplikasi IB berbasis Android secara signifikan meningkatkan kinerja layanan inseminasi buatan. Model ini direkomendasikan untuk direplikasi di wilayah lain dan dikembangkan lebih lanjut menuju integrasi sistem informasi peternakan nasional yang adaptif dan berbasis data real-time

Annual Legumes in Small Grain Production Systems

Oats were interseeded with a number of annual legumes and monitored for forage production in 1994 and 1995. Forage was harvested when oat plants reached the soft dough stage. Subsamples were collected and analyzed for forage quality, acid detergent fiber (ADF), neutral detergent fiber (NDF), crude protein (CP), and relative feed. Fall herbage production was also monitored. Interseeding an annual legume into oat hay did not increase forage yield. When averaged over two-years, only Austrian winter peas and Maple peas produced significantly higher CP levels than the non-interseeded control. Similarly, only Austrian winter peas produced significantly higher RFV and lower ADF values than the non-interseeded control over a two-year period. Only Multicut berseem clover produced significant fall regrowth

Not Just A Game: The Impact Of Penn State Football On Judicial Sentencing In Pennsylvania

This paper explores the impact of sports on judicial decision making. I measure the impact of positive and negative emotional shocks resulting from Pennsylvania State Football game outcomes on judicial disposition by measuring the lengths of criminal sentences issued by judges who graduated from Penn State Law School. Using Pennsylvania sentencing data from 2009 and 2013, I utilize a multilevel model to analyze how sentences are affected by a variety of football game outcomes. The results of this study suggest that judges who attended Penn State for law school are not significantly affected by Penn State football outcomes. However, Penn State football upset victories have a significant effect on the sentences of judges who are not fans of the school, suggesting the presence of an antagonist effect

The Influence of Jazz on the Solo Trumpet Compositions of Eugène Bozza

This paper investigates the influence of jazz on the nine solo trumpet compositions of the French composer Eugène Bozza (1905-1991). Bozza, like many other French composers in the first half of the 20th century, combines traditional elements of western European art music with innovations of American popular music. While Bozza holds a prominent role as a composer of solo trumpet literature in the mid-20th century, little has been written about the influence of jazz in his works. This paper traces the influences of American jazz upon French composers and analyzes the elements of jazz within Bozza's compositions for solo trumpet by comparing them to conventions employed by jazz composers

How HIV Clients Find Their Way Back to the ART Clinic: A Qualitative Study of Disengagement and Re-engagement with HIV Care in Malawi

Retention in antiretroviral therapy (ART) services is critical to achieving positive health outcomes for individuals living with HIV, but accumulating evidence indicates that individuals are likely to miss ART appointments over time. Thus, it is important to understand why individuals miss appointments and how they re-engage in HIV care. We used in-depth interviews with 44 ART clients in Malawi who recently missed an ART appointment (> 14 days) but eventually re-engaged in care (within 60 days) to explore reasons for missed appointments and barriers and facilitators to re-engagement. We found that most individuals missed ART appointments due to unexpected life events such as funerals, work, and illness for both clients and their treatment guardians who were also unable to attend facilities. Several reasons differed by gender-work-related travel was common for men, while caring for sick family members was common for women. Barriers to re-engagement included continued travel, illness, and restricted clinic schedules and/or staff shortages that led to repeat facility visits before being able to re-engage in care. Strong internal motivation combined with social support and reminders from community health workers facilitated re-engagement in HIV care

Brief Report: Stated Preferences for Long-Acting Injectable ART Among Mobile Men Living With HIV in Malawi: A Qualitative Study

BackgroundLong-acting injectable (LAI) antiretroviral medications are as effective as daily oral antiretroviral therapy (ART) and offer discreet, less frequent dosing. LAIs may be ideal treatment options for people who experience challenges with adherence to daily oral ART, including mobile men living with HIV (MLHIV).MethodsWe conducted a qualitative substudy within two parent trials in 24 health facilities in Malawi that enrolled MLHIV ≥15 years not on ART. We conducted in-depth interviews with a stratified random sample of participants who had taken oral ART and self-reported mobility (travel) during the 6-month study (≥1 trip of ≥3 nights). Interviews described cabotegravir/rilpivirine and asked about clients' stated preferences for LAI vs. oral ART and their reasoning. Interviews were translated, transcribed, coded in Atlas.ti, and analyzed using framework analysis.ResultsWe interviewed 29 mobile MLHIV from July 1, 2022, to August 30, 2022, median age 36 years (interquartile range: 31-41), mean 28 nights away in the past 6 months (SD: 40). Nearly all participants (26/29) expressed a preference for LAI over daily oral ART because LAI would reduce the risks of forgetting to take pills and unwanted disclosure. Three men preferred oral ART primarily because of fear of side effects from a new medication. A few men reported they would change their preference if injection site reactions prevented them from working.ConclusionsMobile MLHIV in Malawi with previous ART adherence challenges expressed strong stated preferences for LAI over daily oral ART. Further research is needed to understand implementation challenges and potential effectiveness of LAI among harder-to-reach populations