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Triangle watch
Michael Walden, agricultural and resource economics
Chatham
considers school bonds
Jeff Tsai, Insitute for Transportation Research and Education
Get the
house dried out safely
Sarah Kirby, family and sonsumer sciences
NCSU
professor gets $1.35M in grant award
Michael Purugganan, genetics
Outdoor
briefs
Richard A. (Dick) Lancia, forestry
DRC
marks anniversary of UDAT, tackling Main Street project
Peter Batchelor, architecture
Scientists
engineer mosquitoes that can't cause malaria infection
Fred Gould, entomology
Coming
Soon - Gene-Engineered Insects
Fred Gould, entomology
Water
management critical in North Carolina's Blacklands
Robert Evans, biological and agricultural engineering; Carl Cozier, soil
science
Research
shows how psychosocial factors can bring on rapid decline in health
Thomas Hess, psychology
Sept. 23, 2004
News & Observer
By AMY MARTINEZ
© Copyright 2004
Consumers helped lift the nation out of recession 2 1/2 years ago by taking advantage of low interest rates to keep opening their wallets. But increasingly, consumers are showing signs of being tapped out, especially with higher gas prices taking a bigger chunk out of their paychecks. Retail sales fell by 0.3 percent in August from the previous month, according to the U.S. Commerce Department.
State figures on spending in the Triangle lag by about six months, but economists don't expect a similar slowdown locally. "I think we'll do better here in the Triangle, simply because we're attracting more jobs and more families," said Michael L. Walden, an economist at N.C. State University.
Sales of new automobiles suggest Triangle consumers remain upbeat. New car and truck registrations increased 13 percent in August from the same month a year ago in the counties of Wake, Durham, Orange and Johnston. Nationally, automobile sales dropped by 1.8 percent in August from a year ago, according to the Commerce Department.
On the downside, bankruptcy filings also rose in the Triangle, though Walden said that is part of the fallout from the recession.
"Bankruptcy filings are a reflection not so much of the current economy, but of the past couple of years," he said. "If we continue to have reasonable job growth over the next six months, we'll see those numbers come down within a year."
Sept. 23, 2004
News & Observer
By JESSICA ROCHA
© Copyright 2004
Chatham County residents likely will be asked to vote on a multimillion dollar school bond issue next year to build three new schools in the next five years.
If approved, it would be the first county school bond issued in 10 years.
An Operations Research/Education Lab study from N.C. State University released last week concluded that Chatham County needs a new high school and two new elementary schools to accommodate more than 25 percent growth in anticipated student enrollment in the next five years.
Without the new schools and other suggested changes, two-thirds of the county's 15 schools will be overcrowded in five years, the report states.
"This should have probably been done five, six, seven years ago," said Deb McManus, school board chairwoman.
McManus said a cost estimate for the bond issue is to be figured during the next month, but the board likely will not vote on it until next year.
Of the three suggested new schools, one would be a Siler City elementary school. The high school should go in northeastern Chatham County close to U.S. 15-501, the study states, and the second elementary school should be close to North Chatham Elementary School, also in the northeastern part of the county.
The study also recommended shifting fifth-graders from the system's middle schools to its elementary schools in the Jordan-Matthews and Northwood districts. For example, K-8 schools Perry Harrison and North Chatham should be divided so that Perry Harrison becomes a K-5 elementary school and north Chatham becomes a middle school.
The Chatham County school district already owns land near the optimal Siler City and northeastern high school sites adjacent to existing schools. An elementary school could be built on school-owned land near Chatham Middle School in Siler City, and the high school could go on Jack Bennett Road near North Chatham Elementary.
Land may have to be bought, however, for the proposed second elementary school unless it too can fit on the Jack Bennett Road site.
Currently, 7,404 students are enrolled in the school district, Superintendent Larry Mabe said. By 2009-10, more than 9,000 students are expected to be enrolled. The projection includes subdivisions that are currently being reviewed, including the 2,400-home Briar Chapel development in northeastern Chatham County, said Jeffrey Tsai, program director at the NCSU lab that conducted the study.
By the time the recommended construction is completed, however, more schools could be needed, McManus said.
"This is a beginning step in probably several different bond issues," she said. "This [study recommendation] takes care of a few of the problems. But if the growth continues, it only takes care of them for a little while."
Chatham County's last bond issue was for $5 million in 1995, and it was to finish construction related to a previous $15 million bond in 1993, said Paul Joyce, assistant superintendent of vocational education and auxiliary services. In 1999, the school system received $7.4 million from the state. Previously, a $15 million bond was also issued in 1989.
Get the house dried out safely
Sept. 23, 2004
News & Observer
By JENNIFER BREVORKA
© Copyright 2004
Recovering a flooded home or vehicle -- like those that have been recent casualties of Hurricanes Frances and Ivan -- is both difficult and dangerous.
Electrical fires, unstable structures and health-damaging mold are just some of the hazards.
Before starting to clean, homeowners should don protective clothing to guard their skin from disease-causing organisms, said Peter Duncanson, director of restoration with ServiceMaster Clean.
"We recommend people wear chemically resistant gloves and boots," Duncanson said. "Head protection may be necessary if upper floors have flooded as wet tiles can fall."
Duncanson also suggested people thoroughly wash their hands after cleaning flooded areas.
When water accumulates in a basement, or in another part of the home, it should be pumped out in stages, with a third of the water being removed each day, experts said.
If an electrical system, or fuse box, has been submerged in water, the electricity should not be turned on until the water has been pumped out and a qualified electrician has assessed the damage.
Submersion of electric or gas heating and cooling equipment can cause system damage, and restarting the equipment without proper inspection could result in electrical shock, a fire hazard, carbon-monoxide poisoning or an explosion, according to the American Red Cross.
Mud and silt need to be removed before floors are cleaned with a disinfectant, said Dr. Sarah Kirby, a N.C. State University professor and spokeswoman on disaster preparedness for the N.C. Cooperative Extension.
Homeowners should take the time to examine the building structure and see whether the foundation has shifted and whether walls, floors, doors or windows were damaged, according to the N.C. Cooperative Extension's Web site, www.ces.ncsu.edu/.
Once standing water has been removed and dirty areas disinfected, homeowners should begin drying their homes. Duncanson, who works for a private disaster cleanup firm, recommended calling disaster restoration experts who often have specialized equipment that helps homes dry completely.
If a post-flooding budget can't accommodate restoration professionals, residents should dry rooms using box fans and dehumidifiers.
"Adding any type of air movement will be helpful," Duncanson said. "But we caution everyone, don't open a window to air out the house as there may be more moisture outside the house."
Drywall often acts as a sponge, drawing water above the flood level, and can take several days, if not weeks, to completely dry out. If mold begins to grow on walls, the drywall might have to be removed, Duncanson said.
"There is no miracle product to spray on mold," he said. "Not even bleach."
Inhaling mold spores or mold cells can lead to health problems including asthma, congestion and eye irritation. Toxic effects from mold include fatigue, nausea, headaches and throat irritation
When it comes to drying wood furniture, it is best to let the furniture dry slowly so it doesn't warp or crack, Kirby said. Wood furniture should not be placed in direct sunlight, and items such as dressers and desks should be taken apart and the backing removed so air can circulate through the wood.
NCSU professor gets $1.35M in grant award
Sept. 22, 2004
Triangle Business Journal
By staff report
© Copyright 2004
A North Carolina State University geneticist has won $1.35 million to study plant blooming.
Michael Purugganan, associate professor of genetics at NCSU, will team with researchers from Brown University, Kansas State University, the University of Wisconsin-Madison and the Max Plank Institute for Developmental Biology to learn more about the forces that trigger flowering. They'll focus on the model plant species Arabidopsis, or mustard weed.
NCSU's portion of the grant is part of a $5 million grant funded by the National Science Foundation's Frontiers for Integrated Biological Research program. The program was established to fund scientists asking key questions in biology.
Winterizing dahlias takes special care
Sept. 23, 2004
Munster Times, IN
By PATRICIA EARNEST
© Copyright 2004
Q: HELP!! I bought and planted dahlia bulbs in large pots. We have enjoyed beautiful pink dahlias all summer. Now what to do with them over the winter?
A: Here is what I found about preparing dahlias for winter -- the phrase used was "special care." After the first killing frost, cut the tops off the plants 2 to 4 inches above ground-pot level. Then dig up the tuberous roots, being careful not to break or harm them in handling. Because the roots will have spread, start digging far enough away from the center of the plant that you will not cause damage by slicing through them.
In a pot, you might try to slide the whole potted portion out -- just be careful. If you do this early on a clear and sunny day, you can dry the roots in the sun before storing them. Clumps of soil will want to adhere to the roots and while it won't hurt to leave some, it's probably better to carefully remove the soil so that clean and dry roots are ready for storage.
The roots can be cleaned off with a hose if care is taken to avoid damage. The additional step of drying out the roots prior to storage will be required. Too much exposure to drying sunlight should be avoided; air drying also works and usually takes one day. When they are dry, pack the roots in dry peat moss, vermiculite, sawdust or sand and store in a cool location, possibly a cellar or a garage where the winter temperature will range between 40 and 50 degrees.
Molds are the biggest threat when storing dahlias. There are several types of fungi that will attack the stored roots. Some cause a dry rot and others cause a moist decay. To avoid this, take special care when digging the roots. Most rots that occur in storage will settle into cuts and bruises, which are the result of digging and will infect these weakened areas. If you are careful in handling the plants, this threat will be minimized.
If you do damage any of the roots, discard them and only store the ones that are sound. If the bruised ones attract fungi, they will infect the others. Some experts like to store them upside down. Be sure they are not subjected to frost or excessive heat or humidity. If you do store them where the temperature exceeds 50 degrees or where there is high humidity, the development of storage decay is likely.
Ohio State recommends checking the tubers in a few weeks after storage and then again in January for signs of shriveling or fungal infection. If they appear shriveled, add a small amount of moisture. Accept the fact that they probably won't all survive, but the ones that do should do well for you next year.
Some good publications to read are the Ohio State Fact Sheet HYG-1245-92 at http://ohioline.osu.edu/hyg-fact/1000/1245.html and the North Carolina State University site www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/hort/hil/hil-8500.htm.
Opinions expressed solely are those of the writer. Send questions to Patricia Earnest in care of The Times, 601 W. 45th Ave., Munster, IN 46321, or e-mail them to blaszk@nwitimes.com.
Sept. 23, 2004
Roanoke Times
By Bill Cochran
© Copyright 2004
Gove. Mark R. Warner has signed a proclamation to declare Saturday, Sept. 25, 2004, as Hunting & Fishing Day throughout the commonwealth. In the proclamation, the governor cited the significant contributions hunters and anglers make to Virginia’s economy and to conservation of wildlife and natural resources.
Virgil Ward, a pioneer television angler and originator of Bass Buster Lure Co. died recently at this Amsterdam, Mo. Home. He was 93.
The 10 percent excise tax collected on fishing tackle sales continued a decline in 2003. The collected amount for 2003 was $102 million, down from $106 million in 2002 and $113.4 million in 2001. The figures reflect a soft fishing tackle market. Some of the loss of this conservation money was made up by an increase in the collection of tax on motorboat fuel and interest income.
Richard A. (Dick) Lancia, Director of the Fisheries and Wildlife Program at North Carolina State University in Raleigh, has been installed as President of The Wildlife Society.
DRC marks anniversary of UDAT, tackling Main Street project
Sept. 22, 2004
Dundalk Eagle, MD
By Marge Neal
© Copyright 2004
It hardly seems that nearly three years have passed since the much-heralded Urban Design Assistance Team visited Greater Dundalk in November 2001.
Sometimes it feels like it was just yesterday and sometimes it feels light years away, Dundalk Renaissance Corp. leaders feel.
The DRC was formed as a grassroots-level community organization to spearhead and oversee Dundalk's rebirth. When the group held its third annual meeting Sept. 15, president Stephanie Jameson congratulated members for accomplishments to date but reminded everyone of the long road ahead en route to Dundalk's revitalization.
Executive director Jane Willeboordse told the group that the DRC is "all in all, operating in the black financially" and recognized Baltimore County's partnership, which has provided much grant money to run the office as well as political and budget support for projects like the Dundalk Avenue streetscape, Heritage Trail and the Turner Station-Watersedge roundabout.
Willeboordse touted a $250,000 homeowner retention loan program as an example of the work being done to keep people in Dundalk by helping them to renovate existing houses.
She said the board has submitted a proposed operating budget of $162,000 for the coming year and the group is excited about kicking off its Main Street program, which will attempt to revitalize the downtown Dundalk commercial district.
New model
Semi-retired North Carolina State University professor Peter Batchelor came into town to show off the latest model created by his students.
The Dundalk town center model has buildings that can be picked up and moved to allow planners to visualize space should some buildings be taken down.
The problem posed to his students was, "What can be done to bring about economic growth and development to Dundalk?," Batchelor said.
DRC leaders asked the students to consider where additional housing could be incorporated in the existing shopping center, and Batchelor said housing would be most appropriate along the Trading Place side of the center, overlooking Heritage Park.
Asked why housing was being considered, Batchelor said that bringing more people into the area to live was one way of boosting business for the existing shops.
"We couldn't see proposing more retail space when the current retail space isn't fully utilized," Batchelor said. "It doesn't make sense."
He said he was looking at townhomes and the possibility of condos and loft apartments, but warned this new housing, if built, would not fit the definition of the "affordable housing" needed in the community: "This space is valuable urban space, and the houses would not be cheap."
Batchelor reminded the group that he is recommending "comprehensive ideas, not little bits of ideas."
With the Dundalk Village Shopping Center, he emphasized that he's "not looking at individual pieces of property but a bigger vision of what the center could be" if all parties were in agreement.
"As long as the community is involved and there is input, there shouldn't be any problem," he said. "It's when you isolate yourselves in the board room [that] you get in trouble."
Trustees election
Another task of the annual meeting is electing a new board of trustees. In the past, the general body has elected officers, but a change to the group's bylaws calls for the body to elect trustees and for the trustees then to elect leaders to run the board.
The trustees will select officers on Sept. 27.
To create a better mix of community members and revitalization, planning and development experts, the DRC is filling the open board slots with an eye toward bringing in more expertise, according to Wille-boordse.
New trustees include Bob Abate, safety manager of ISG; Brian P. Lopez, vice president of development for Osprey, a development company; Irving P. McPhail, chancellor of the Community College of Baltimore County; Mickey Miller, a project manager for Towson University; and Richard L. Sheckells Jr., director of planning and the environment for the Maryland Port Administration.
Returning board members include Jameson, Gayle Adams, Mike Barry, Bob Crandell, Janice Evans, Pat Hermann, Scott Holupka, Ed Parker, Stave Sharon, Courtney Speed, Josie Swagger and George Wischhusen.
Upcoming events
DRC will host a Sunrise Seminar for Small Businesses titled "Making Historic Dundalk a Shopping Destination" on Thursday from 8 to 10 a.m. at its office, 81 Shipping Place.
Sponsored by Stephanie Jameson's State Farm Insurance and Financial Services office, the workshop will be conducted by the Maryland Department of Housing and Community Development's DHCD Catalyst, a leadership and training academy.
All business owners and merchants in the Dundalk Main Street district are invited to participate.
A reconnaissance meeting - a fact-finding mission, according to Wille-
boordse - is set for Wednesday, Sept. 29, from 2:30 to 5 p.m. Members will brainstorm about a variety of topics relevant to the shopping center project and use those findings to help craft a work plan at another meeting in October.
To get involved in the DRC or its Main Street vision, call Willeboordse, 410-282-0261.
Scientists engineer mosquitoes that can't cause malaria infection
Sept. 23, 2004
The Scotsman, UK
By RHIANNON EDWARD
© Copyright 2004
SCIENTISTS are genetically engineering mosquitoes in an attempt to wipe out malaria, the disease responsible for more deaths worldwide than any other.
Anthony James, a professor of microbiology and molecular genetics at the University of California, whose lab is working on mosquitoes that cannot host the malaria parasite, said some strains are now ready to be tested outside the lab.
Speaking at the Biotech Bugs conference in Washington DC, sponsored by the Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology, Prof James said his team has been working on "introgressing" genes for malaria resistance into existing populations of mosquitoes. The theory of the work is that such genes introduced at high enough frequencies will decrease transmission and result in less disease and death from malaria, possibly even bringing an end to it.
The research is timely as the emerging insecticide resistance of mosquitoes is crippling some of the once-effective approaches used to control them, such as spraying.
Malaria is caused by any one of four species of one-celled parasites called plasmodium. The parasite is spread to people by the female anopheles mosquito. The World Health Organisation estimates that about 1.3 million people die from the disease annually.
Prof James said public concern about the release of genetically modified organisms into the wider environment needed to be addressed before his work could be taken into the field.
He said: "I think we have reached quite a critical point in the development and use of these organisms. We need to identify the next level in this whole adventure. What we need to do is develop a catalogue of what the concerns are. Scientists are going to have different lists from people who do legal work, people who are ministers of health, people who are looking for votes."
But scientists have a history of getting it wrong, even as they try to save the world from insect-borne scourges, said entomologist Fred Gould of North Carolina State University. "In the late 1940s entomologists had no reason to doubt that DDT would cure the world’s pest problems," he told the conference.
DDT, it turned out, affected a range of animals and drove some bird species to near-extinction by weakening their eggshells.
"In the 1960s, advocates of biological control did not consider that imported predators of insect pest species might cause extinction of rare species," Mr Gould added.
Coming Soon - Gene-Engineered Insects
Sept. 22, 2004
Calcutta Telegraph, India; checkbiotech.org, Switzerland; Daily Times, Pakistan; Hindustan Times, India; Planet Ark, NY; Yahoo News
By Maggie Fox
© Copyright 2004
WASHINGTON - Coming soon to a jungle near you - mosquitoes genetically engineered so they cannot give people malaria. But this time scientists want to do it right.
Mindful of labels like "Frankenfoods" given to genetically modified crops, and of attacks against test patches of gene-engineered plants by environmental militants, they hope to reassure the public about their newly created insects.
"I think we have reached quite a critical point in the development and use of these organisms," said Anthony James, a professor of microbiology and molecular genetics at the University of California, Irvine.
James, whose lab is working on mosquitoes that could not host the malaria parasite, said some strains are ready to be tested outside the lab.
"We need to identify the next level in this whole adventure," he told reporters in a telephone briefing.
James and other experts in entomology, genetic engineering, disease and regulation were meeting this week to talk about what they need to watch out for as they develop and test biotech bugs.
HISTORY OF GETTING IT WRONG
Scientists have a history of getting it wrong, even as they try to save the world from insect-borne scourges, said entomologist Fred Gould of North Carolina State University.
"In the late 1940s entomologists had no reason to doubt that DDT would cure the world's pest problems," he told a conference sponsored by the Pew Initiative on Food and Biotechnology.
DDT, it turned out, affected a range of animals and drove some bird species to near-extinction by weakening their eggshells.
"In the 1960s, advocates of biological control did not consider that imported predators of insect pest species might cause extinction of rare species," Gould added.
Researchers need to look for unexpected side-effects, said Dr. Ravi Durvasula, medical director of Yale University Health Services. "It's not just (a question of) efficacy here. It's an issue of perception, it is an issue of risks to the environment," he said.
"Once it is out there ... the perception tends to get set in stone," agreed Mark Mansour, a healthcare regulation expert at the law firm Morgan Lewis.
As many of the genetically altered creatures are meant for release in the developing world, it is important to set up global regulations in safety and licensing, Mansour told the meeting, available as a webcast on the Internet at http://www.pewagbiotech.org.
And local input is key.
"What we need to do is develop a catalog of what the concerns are," James said.
"Scientists are going to have different lists from people who do legal work, people who are ministers of health, people who are looking for votes."
Then, before any creature is field-tested, those concerns must be addressed, James said.
Durvasula's team is working to develop a kissing bug that cannot carry Chagas disease, which can lead to a range of problems from heart disease or digestive tract malfunctions and which kills 50,000 people a year in Latin America.
Instead of affecting the bug itself, Durvasula's approach is to alter a bacterium that allows the bug to carry the trypanosomiasis parasite.
But modifying bacteria is different from modifying an insect, given that bacteria can freely exchange genes with a range of other bacteria and even viruses, he said.
"This remains a very important hurdle," he said.
Water management critical in North Carolina's Blacklands
Sept. 22, 2004
Southeast Farm Press
By Cecil Yancy
© Copyright 2004
Ever so often Mother Nature reminds folks in the Blacklands of North Carolina exactly where they’re farming. Located along the coast of North Carolina, the area rich in high-organic soil is also right in the path of the majority of hurricanes that hit the East Coast.
“Even though we’ve been farming here for a long time, we’re just beginning to learn how to manage the water,” says Joe Landino, president of the Blacklands Farm Managers Association. “We’ve gone from getting rid of as much water as we could to learning to control it at a depth of 18 inches.
“Without water management in the Blacklands, we couldn’t do crop production,” Landino says.
Watching how long it took for fields and ditches to drain after Hurricane Isabel last year, Blacklands farm managers were reminded of the importance of drainage systems. Farm managers at the annual Backlands Summer Tour listened to experts about the importance of water management.
Robert Evans, North Carolina State University Extension ag engineer, says there are three components when considering drainage system requirements: Magnititude or how much excess water is present, duration and frequency.
In terms of crop production, the ideal scenario is to manage water at a depth of 18 to 20 inches below the surface. The problem is, the water table is not static. “The outflow from a site is what we’re dealing with after a hurricane or a storm,” Evans says. In a flooding situation, the water moves through the soil laterally. Field crops can tolerate “wet feet” for 24 to 48 hours; ponding for 12 to 24 hours. Truck crops can tolerate wet feet for 12 to 24 hours and ponding for less than 12 hours. Crops are more sensitive in the late vegetative stage.
On average, the conditions affecting crops happen every two to five years. Structural buildings face the watermark every five years while ag buildings are threatened every 10 years. Residential buildings, on average, face the watermark every 50 years.
Washington County, N.C., gets a 6-inch rainfall four times every 13 years; a four-inch event every four years; and a three-inch rainfall one time every year. A nine-inch rainfall occurs once every 100 years.
“The question is, what event do we want to design for,” Evans says.
Channels are designed to handle the excess water from a four-inch rainfall and remove it over a 48-hour period. Evans says a channel designed to reflect the way a natural canal would handle water is showing more promise than the standard trapezoidal channels that have been used for years.
While channels provide the means to carry the runoff after a storm or heavy rain, control structures provide the measure to even out the flow.
Carl Crozier, North Carolina State University soil scientist, says water control structures in canals can give growers yield benefits and help manage the amount of runoff. “Uniform field topography is needed to achieve a uniform water table,” he says. He’s conducting a precision agriculture study designed to help farmers pick the right practice to correct problems in the fields.
Problems occur in the field when the crown in the middle is too high, which causes over-drainage. When the crown in the field is too low, ponding occurs. Both of these situations can lead to yield problems. Crozier showed a cotton plant that was growing 15 inches off the ditch bank and one that was in the middle of the field. The cotton plant at the ditch bank was small, while the one in the middle of the field was the correct size. “Poor drainage leads to the development of a poor root system.” Precision land leveling might be a practice to correct the problem.
Evans says using a water-control measure in the canal in some cases can mean as much as a 50-percent difference.
“If we don’t have the right moisture levels, the nutrients will not work,” Evans says.
When the water is leaving the field at too fast a rate, it’s likely to be carrying sediment with it.
Control structures have been widely used during the past 15 years through cost-share programs. There’s a major push in the Midwest to have the measures implemented as part of the farm bill, Evans says.
Currently, a “two-board rule” is in place for control structures, meaning that the structure has to have two boards to be in compliance.
On sandy soils, the goal is to “hold the water up high during the non-growing periods,” Evans says. If there’s an area that’s open for improvement, he believes it’s the management of the water table during fallow periods of winter.
He recommends using some form of vegetation along ditch banks — not fescue.
“On a watershed scale, water can be held back and released at an even rate,” Evans says. “We have water being drained out that doesn’t need to be drained out. In some cases, we’re over-draining water from the soil.”
Because water management is such an important topic in the region, special-use water management districts have developed as a way to address drainage issues, says Dwane Hinson, of North Carolina’s Natural Resources Conservation Service.
“It’s very important to look at drainage on a watershed scale when planning,” Hinson says. Special-use districts provide money for grants while emergency money after the fact can come from FEMA and state agencies.
Currently, five counties in northeastern North Carolina have these special-use water districts. “No longer does a developer come in and build without looking upstream and downstream,” Hinson says.
“This is about focusing on improving drainage,” Hinson says. Most ditches are designed to remove two inches of water in a 24-hour period. Changing the fall and elevation of the channel has the effect of making it act more like a wetland.
In the town of Edenton, N.C., a special-use water management district designed a wetland, and “it’s working great,” Hinson says.
Programs such as CRP, CREP, EQIP and North Carolina Ag Cost-Share can help pay for stabilizing and land shaping, as well as buffers along ditches. A control structure in the channel is a relatively inexpensive way to reduce total drainage. The structure costs between $4,000 and $5,000.
A rock structure in the channel can also help slow down the drainage. In-stream wetlands are another way to even out the flow and glean nutrients as the water flows by. “We’re trying to restore the hydrology of the swamp.
“It requires water management on a watershed scale to stop seepage,” Hinson says. “Improve your drainage and improvement your environment.”
Traditional drainage districts in the area are operated through self-assessments and operated through county commissions.
“We were talking about water management at the first Backlands Farm Managers’ Tour 34 years ago and we’re still talking about it,” Landino says.
Research shows how psychosocial factors can bring on rapid decline in health
Sept. 22, 2004
News-Medical.net, World
By staff report
© Copyright 2004
Why do some older people experience a rapid decline in their physical and functional health while some of their peers remain healthy and active?
While your genes and overall physical health play a role, new research shows how psychosocial factors can also play an important role. Two studies report on this in the September issue of Psychology and Aging, a journal published by the American Psychological Association (APA).
In the first study, researchers at the University of Texas Medical Branch at Galveston found a link between positive emotions and the onset of frailty in 1,558 initially non-frail older Mexican Americans living in five southwestern states – Texas, California, Arizona, Colorado and New Mexico. This was the first study to examine frailty and the protective role of positive emotions in the largest minority population in the United States.
Study authors Glenn Ostir, Ph.D., Kenneth Ottenbacher, Ph.D., and Kyriakos Markides, Ph.D., followed the participants for seven years and assessed frailty by measuring the participants’ weight loss, exhaustion, walking speed and grip strength. Positive affect (positive emotions) was measured during the study period by asking the participants how often in the last week “I felt that I was just as good as other people,” “I felt hopeful about the future,” “I was happy,” and “I enjoyed life.”
The overall incidence of frailty increased almost eight percent during the seven-year follow-up period, but those who scored high on positive affect were significantly less likely to become frail. Each unit increase in baseline positive affect score was associated with a three percent decreased risk of frailty after adjusting for relevant risk factors.
The precise reason for this happening was beyond the scope of the current study, but the researchers speculate that positive emotions may directly affect health via chemical and neural responses involved in maintaining homeostatic balance. Or a more indirect process may be at work, according to the authors, with positive emotions affecting health by increasing a person’s intellectual, physical, psychological and social resources.
In the second study, researchers Thomas Hess, Ph.D., Joey Hinson, M.A., and Jill Statham, B.A., from North Carolina State University investigated how negative stereotypes about aging influences older adults’ memory. Their study involved 193 participants and two experiments, each with a younger (17 – 35 years old) and older (57 – 82 years old) group of adults. Participants were exposed to stereotype-related words in the context of another task (scrambled sentence, word judgment) in order to prime positive and negative stereotypes of aging. This involved either words reflecting negative stereotypes about aging (brittle, complaining, confused, cranky, feeble, forgot, senile, etc.) or words reflecting positive views of aging (accomplished, active, alert, dignified, distinguished, knowledgeable, successful, etc.)
Results show memory performance in older adults was lower when they were primed with negative stereotypes than when they were primed with positive stereotypes. In addition, age differences in memory between young and older adults were significantly reduced following a positive stereotype prime, with young and older adults performing at almost identical levels in some situations.
The study also provides evidence that older adults can control the effect of negative stereotype activation but only when the primes are relatively subtle. In contrast, when the stereotype primes are relatively blatant, memory performance tends to be negatively affected.
The results of this study add to a growing list of findings that implicate the importance of the social environment in how it affects older peoples’ memory performance, according to the authors. If older people are treated like they are competent, productive members of society, then they perform that way too.
Full text of both articles is available from the APA Public Affairs Office or at http://www.apa.org/journals/pag/press_releases/september_2004/pag193.html
http://www.apa.org