Spatial Variation in Agricultural BMPs and Relationships with Nutrient Yields Across New York State Watersheds.

Agricultural nutrients nitrogen and phosphorus can subsequently be transported to waterways and are often managed through the adoption of best management practices (BMPs). However, we have a poor understanding of how the use of BMPs varies spatially and how BMP adoption might be related to nutrient yields in surface waters. To address this, we performed a survey of agricultural landowners across New York State and compared this with estimates of annual incremental nitrogen and phosphorus yields of agricultural origin from the Spatially Referenced Regressions On Watershed attributes (SPARROW) model.

Cross-Cultural Environmental Research: Lessons from the Field.

Environmental research with diverse stakeholders poses challenges for researchers, particularly when that research is also cross-cultural and/or cross-language. We argue that cross-cultural and/or cross-language environmental research requires translators and interpreters as active research partners, culture brokers and community partners to support research accountability and engagement, and that face-to-face surveys address challenges of other survey modes in cross-language and/or cross-cultural research. Drawing upon cross-cultural and cross-language environmental research with Vietnamese-American fishers on the U.

Citizen-Science and Participatory Research as a Means to Improve Stakeholder Engagement in Resource Management: A Case Study of Vietnamese American Fishers on the US Gulf Coast.

This study examines the engagement of Vietnamese American commercial fisheries stakeholders in the US Gulf Coast with state and federal agencies and the role that citizen science and participatory research may play in improving this engagement. Using a mixed methods study including surveys, interviews, and focus groups, findings highlight language, lack of trust, and outreach misfit as key barriers to engaging Vietnamese American stakeholders as demanded for collaborative resource management or co-management. However, findings also demonstrate the potential role for citizen science and participatory research that collaboratively engages stakeholders in research to overcome some of these barriers to engaging diverse fishing stakeholders.

Short communication: Herd-level variables associated with overmilking in Michigan dairy herds.

The objective of this study was to determine the herd-level variables that are associated with overmilking in 64 Michigan dairy herds with a mean herd size of 451 cows (range: 59-2,771 cows). Participating producers completed surveys to indicate their mastitis management practices and attitudes. Additionally, milking protocols were observed and milk flow dynamics for 3,824 cows were estimated using digital vacuum recorders.

Herd-level variables associated with premilking stimulation time in Michigan dairy herds.

The objective of this study was to determine the herd-level variables that were associated with total stimulation time during the premilking routine in 64 Michigan dairy herds. The mean herd size was 452 cows (range = 59 to 2,771 cows). For each herd, surveys were administered to producers to gather mastitis management practices and attitudes.

Herd-level variables associated with delayed milk ejection in Michigan dairy herds.

The objective of this study was to determine which herd-level variables were associated with delayed milk ejection (bimodal milk let-down) in 64 Michigan dairy herds. Median herd size was 294 cows (range 59 to 2,771 cows). For each herd, milking protocols were observed and milk flow dynamics were estimated by use of digital vacuum recorders.

Fourteen Day In Vivo Testing of a Compliant Thoracic Artificial Lung.

The compliant thoracic artificial lung (cTAL) has been studied in acute in vivo and in vitro experiments. The cTAL's long-term function and potential use as a bridge to lung transplantation are assessed presently. The cTAL without anticoagulant coatings was attached to sheep (n = 5) via the pulmonary artery and left atrium for 14 days.

Antimicrobial treatment of clinical mastitis in the eastern United States: The influence of dairy farmers' mastitis management and treatment behavior and attitudes.

To assess both the behaviors and social variables related to antimicrobial therapy for clinical mastitis, we sent a survey to 1,700 dairy farms in Michigan, Pennsylvania, and Florida in January and February 2013. The survey included questions related to 7 major areas: sociodemographic and farm characteristics, milking proficiency, milking systems, cow environment, infected cow monitoring and treatment, farm labor, and attitudes toward mastitis and related antimicrobial use. The overall response rate was 41% (21% in Florida, 39% in Michigan, and 45% in Pennsylvania).

Herd management and social variables associated with bulk tank somatic cell count in dairy herds in the eastern United States.

The ability to reduce somatic cell counts (SCC) and improve milk quality depends on the effective and consistent application of established mastitis control practices. The US dairy industry continues to rely more on nonfamily labor to perform critical tasks to maintain milk quality. Thus, it is important to understand dairy producer attitudes and beliefs relative to management practices, as well as employee performance, to advance milk quality within the changing structure of the dairy industry.

Use of a low-resistance compliant thoracic artificial lung in the pulmonary artery to pulmonary artery configuration.

Background: Thoracic artificial lungs have been proposed as a bridge to transplant in patients with end-stage lung disease. Systemic embolic complications can occur after thoracic artificial lung attachment in the pulmonary artery to left atrium configuration. Therefore, we evaluated the function of a compliant thoracic artificial lung attached via the proximal pulmonary artery to distal main pulmonary artery configuration.

Design and in vitro assessment of an improved, low-resistance compliant thoracic artificial lung.

Current thoracic artificial lungs (TALs) have blood flow impedances greater than the natural lungs, which can result in abnormal pulmonary hemodynamics. This study investigated the impedance and gas transfer performance of a compliant TAL (cTAL). Fluid-structure interaction analysis was performed using ADINA (ADINA R&D Inc.

In-parallel attachment of a low-resistance compliant thoracic artificial lung under rest and simulated exercise.

Background: Previous thoracic artificial lungs (TALs) had blood flow impedance greater than that of the natural lungs, which could cause abnormal pulmonary hemodynamics. New compliant TALs (cTALs), however, have an impedance lower than that of the natural lung.

Methods: In this study, a cTAL of new design was attached between the pulmonary artery (PA) and the left atrium (LA) in 5 sheep (60.

Thoracic artificial lung impedance studies using computational fluid dynamics and in vitro models.

Current thoracic artificial lungs (TALs) possess blood flow impedances greater than the natural lungs, resulting in abnormal pulmonary hemodynamics when implanted. This study sought to reduce TAL impedance using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). CFD was performed on TAL models with inlet and outlet expansion and contraction angles, θ, of 15°, 45°, and 90°.

Performance of a MedArray silicone hollow fiber oxygenator.

A silicone hollow fiber oxygenator was evaluated to characterize gas transfer and biocompatibility. The device's fiber bundle was composed of MedArray's silicone hollow fibers with a 320 microm outside diameter, a 50 microm wall thickness, a surface area of 0.45 m, and a 0.