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At least 199 records · Page 11Linked to original sources

New regulations to minimize water impairment from animals rely on management practices.

Water pollution from concentrated animal feeding operations (CAFOs) led to revised federal regulations in the United States. The regulations provide for the greater management of potential sources of agricultural contamination and impose additional financial costs on producers. Along with a duty to secure a permit, significant changes address coverage of pollutants, separation of production and land application areas, effluent limitation guidelines, and differentiating agricultural storm water discharges from other discharges. The revised provisions require more producers to secure National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System permits and mandate that large CAFOs develop technology-based effluent discharge limitations involving best management practices. Medium- and small-sized CAFOs need to adopt technology-based effluent discharge requirements employing best professional judgment. For farms raising animals that are not CAFOs, voluntary management practices may be employed to intercept pollutants before they enter waterbodies. Additional educational efforts promoting the implementation of further management practices that address the agricultural impairment of water resources may be needed.

Agriculture↗

Assessment of best management practices for improvement of dissolved oxygen in Chesapeake Bay estuary.

Two management scenarios, the base case and the full voluntary program implementation scenarios, are simulated with the three-dimensional Chesapeake Bay estuary model package to study the improvement of dissolved oxygen (DO) over the bay in response to the reduction of nutrient loads. The base case scenario is based on the 1985 nutrient management practices and the associated loads from the watershed and airshed to the bay. The full voluntary program implementation scenario is based on an expanded non-point source and point source program applying current technologies in nutrient and sediment management. The implementation of best management practices is assumed to be by voluntary participation, encouraged by a maximum 75% cost share by the states. The ten-year average (1985-1994) total nitrogen and total phosphorus loads to the bay are reduced 40% and 47%, respectively, from the base case to the full voluntary program implementation scenario. The average annual anoxia and hypoxia volume day is reduced 62% and 42%, respectively, in the whole bay. Daily development of bottom DO in the estuary is observed from an MPEG movie. Graphics of daily DO concentration and depth profile show a significant improvement in DO under improved nutrient control.

Benchmarking↗

Influence of the Milk and Dairy Beef Quality Assurance Program on dairy farm drug management practices.

OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that dairy farms certified in the Milk and Dairy Beef Quality Assurance Program (QAP) were more likely to use prudent drug management practices than farms that were not certified. DESIGN: Cross-sectional study. SAMPLE POPULATION: 141 Michigan dairy farms of which 74 were not certified in the QAP, 30 were involuntarily certified, and 37 were voluntarily certified. PROCEDURE: Dairy producers completed a self-administered questionnaire that focused on herd health management, drug use, record keeping, personnel management, and descriptive characteristics of their farm during 1993. Separate multivariable logistic regression models were developed to determine the association of QAP certification with each of the management practices. RESULTS: Results suggested that farms adopted specific management practices irrespective of certification. Many farms used visible identification and non-emergency veterinary services and discussed residue prevention with employees. Involuntary certification was associated with maintenance of good written treatment records and performance of on-farm drug residue testing. Voluntary certification was weakly associated with use of refrigerated drug storage. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: QAP certification appeared to have been associated with the adoption of only a few prudent drug use practices, although QAP materials and framework were developed to assist veterinarians in the promotion of disease prevention, client communication, and residue prevention practices on farms. Veterinary care would benefit from the development and encouragement of better record keeping on farms.

Animals↗

Multivariate analysis of paired watershed data to evaluate agricultural best management practice effects on stream water phosphorus.

Quantification of the effects of management programs on water quality is critical to agencies responsible for water resource protection. This research documents reductions in stream water phosphorus (P) loads resulting from agricultural best management practices (BMPs) implemented as part of an effort to control eutrophication of Cannonsville Reservoir, a drinking water supply for New York City. Dairy farms in the upstate New York reservoir basin were the target of BMPs designed to reduce P losses. A paired watershed study was established on one of these farms in 1993 to evaluate changes in P loading attributable to implementation of BMPs that included manure management, rotational grazing, and improved infrastructure. Intensive stream water monitoring provided data to calculate P loads from the 160-ha farm watershed for all runoff events during a two-year pre-treatment period and a four-year post-treatment period. Statistical control for inter-annual climatic variability was provided by matched P loads from a nearby 86-ha forested watershed, and by several event flow variables measured at the farm. A sophisticated multivariate analysis of covariance (ANCOVA) provided estimates of both seasonal and overall load reductions. Statistical power and the minimum detectable treatment effect (MDTE) were also calculated. The results demonstrated overall event load reductions of 43% for total dissolved phosphorus (TDP) and 29% for particulate phosphorus (PP). Changes in farm management practices and physical infrastructure clearly produced decreases in event P losses measurable at the small watershed scale.

Agriculture↗

The use of CDA best management practices and amalgam separators to improve the management of dental wastewater.

Concerns over the persistence and effects of mercury in the environment, particularly in wastewater, have increased significantly over the past decade. Because mercury is a component of dental amalgam, comprising about 50 percent of amalgam among other metals, in recent years the concern has affected dental practices and even educational curricula in the dental schools. While numbers vary widely from area to area, on average, it is estimated dentistry contributes less than 1 percent of the mercury generated from human activity to the environment. Despite dentistry's low contribution to the environmental mercury load, organized dentistry's position is that dentistry's role as a public health profession includes environmental stewardship, as well as patient safety, and that dental professionals must act responsibly by taking steps to prevent amalgam waste or any potentially harmful materials from entering the environment, no matter how small the amount. In support of this belief, both the California Dental Association and the American Dental Association have developed recommendations for best practice that dental offices should follow when handling dental amalgam waste. Many dental schools and auxiliary programs have shown their commitment to minimizing detrimental effects to the environment, evidenced by the fact that most, if not all, have incorporated safe work practices including mercury hygiene procedures as part of clinical coursework. Some local jurisdictions hardest hit by the effects of mercury in wastewater have gone even further to recommend, or even require, the installation of amalgam separators in dental offices. This article will describe the history of BMPs and amalgam separators usage in California, and examine the practical aspects of their usage in reducing the discharge of dental amalgam into waste streams.

California↗

Sustaining nurse-managed practice.

Community-based nurse-managed practice (CBNMP) brings primary health care to local, typically vulnerable, populations. Despite cost-effective, high quality care, a 21% decline in academic CBNMPs was documented in the 1990s. A multiple case study addressed factors that hindered or facilitated diffusion and sustainability of CBNMPs in prevalent practice settings. To promote sustainable practice, CBNMPs should articulate a practice mission, identify the practice as nursing, create a team approach, balance mission with margin, and promote attractive sites. Other recommendations include planning for growth and evolution of health care and applying for awards to increase the visibility and political clout of CBNMPs.

Community Health Centers↗

Management practice effects on phosphorus losses in runoff in corn production systems.

Phosphorus losses in runoff from cropland can contribute to nonpoint-source pollution of surface waters. Management practices in corn (Zea mays L.) production systems may influence P losses. Field experiments with treatments including differing soil test P levels, tillage and manure application combinations, and manure and biosolids application histories were used to assess these management practice effects on P losses. Runoff from simulated rainfall (76 mm h(-1)) was collected from 0.83-m2 areas for 1 h after rainfall initiation and analyzed for dissolved reactive P (DRP), bioavailable P, total P (TP), and sediment. In no-till corn, both DRP concentration and load increased as Bray P1 soil test (STP) increased from 8 to 62 mg kg(-1). A 5-yr history of manure or biosolids application greatly increased STP and DRP concentrations in runoff. The 5-yr manure treatment had higher DRP concentration but lower DRP load than the 5-yr biosolids treatment, probably due to residue accumulation and lower runoff in the manure treatment. Studies of tillage and manure application effects on P losses showed that tillage to incorporate manure generally lowered runoff DRP concentration but increased TP concentration and loads due to increased sediment loss. Management practices have a major influence on P losses in runoff in corn production systems that may overshadow the effects of STP alone. Results from this work, showing that some practices may have opposite effects on DRP vs. TP losses, emphasize the need to design management recommendations to minimize losses of those P forms with the greatest pollution potential.

Agriculture↗

Generalist model of case management practice.

There has been a renewed interest during the past few decades in formalizing the use of case management in the fields of education, health, mental health, and human services. This article presents a generalist model of case management practice including 11 functions that are performed by case managers in many settings where case management is practiced. Several factors suggest that in the future the role played by case managers will become increasingly significant in assuring that clients receive quality services. The forces of program accountability, resource limitations, and client demands for services will intensify the need for developing case management practice models.

Forecasting↗

Using knowledge management practices to develop a state-of-the-art digital library.

Diffusing knowledge management practices within an organization encourages and facilitates reuse of the institution's knowledge commodity. Following knowledge management practices, the Eskind Biomedical Library (EBL) has created a Digital Library that uses a holistic approach for integration of information and skills to best represent both explicit and tacit knowledge inherent in libraries. EBL's Digital Library exemplifies a clear attempt to organize institutional knowledge in the field of librarianship, in an effort to positively impact clinical, research, and educational processes in the medical center.

Academic Medical Centers↗

A demonstration project of interdisciplinary dairy herd extension advising funded by industry and users. 3. Impact on management practices.

The objectives of this 24-herd, demonstration project of integrated problem solving and extension advising were 1) to evaluate dairy production management practices, 2) to formulate recommendations for guiding producers to correct management deficiencies, and 3) to measure the rate of practice adoption. Management evaluations focused on herd nutrition and forage crops, mastitis control and milking equipment, reproduction, and herd health. Sixty-eight management practices or milking equipment components were evaluated on each farm. A total of 216 recommendations were made in nutrition and forage crops as follows: calf and heifer management, 89; forage crops, 73; dry cows, 26; lactating cows, 19; and general, 9. The least adopted suggestions for nutrition and crops were for forage crop management. A total of 283 recommendations were made in mastitis management or milking equipment as follows: milking practices, 90; milking equipment, 90; general mastitis control, 61; environment, 32; calf management, 9; and stray voltage, 1. Producers most resisted updating and maintaining milking equipment within the milking management area. Detection of estrus was the focus of reproductive management advising. A total of 80 practices were recommended as follows: one person responsible, 24; specific location, 24; specific time, 24; and regular veterinary visits, 10. Designation of a specific site was the least adopted of these recommendations. Overall, 419 of 581, or 72%, of all recommendations were adopted.

Animal Feed↗

Use of a hospital practice management system to provide initial data for a pediatric immunization registry.

An ongoing challenge in the creation of clinical information systems is the capture of structured clinical information from health care providers while avoiding duplicate data recording. Because immunizations are reimbursable medical procedures, practice management systems that already capture such procedures may be used as a source of clinical data for information systems. We instituted a method for capturing such data on one campus of a multi-institution pediatric immunization registry. We measured the effectiveness of this capture by comparing it to manual audits of selected paper charts over 26 months. Of the immunizations documented by chart audit, 39.69% were captured by the practice management system. Of those not captured, we estimate that a substantial portion were immunizations administered elsewhere and as a result not submitted as a claim through the practice management system. In turn, this was affected by a rate of patient disengagement from primary care of 49%. We discuss the issues associated with using claims data to capture clinical information in the setting of an immunization registry and review possible explanations for this data capture rate.

Child↗

Herd characteristics and management practices associated with bulk-tank somatic cell counts in herds in official Dairy Herd Improvement Association programs in Ohio.

OBJECTIVE: To identify herd characteristics and management practices associated with bulk-tank somatic cell counts (BTSCC) in dairy herds in Ohio enrolled in official Dairy Herd Improvement Association (DHIA) programs. SAMPLE POPULATION: 186 dairies in Ohio. PROCEDURE: All herds in official DHIA programs in 9 counties were asked to participate. Extensive information regarding herd characteristics and management practices was obtained, using a standardized questionnaire. Bulk-tank milk samples were requested from all participating herds for bacterial culture. Official DHIA test-day records for January 1997 were obtained from all herds enrolled in official DHIA programs in the 9 counties. Potential associations were identified, using multivariable ANOVA. RESULTS: Participation was 186 of 479 (39%) herds. Streptococcus agalactiae and Mycoplasma spp were not isolated from bulk-tank milk samples. Staphylococcus aureus was isolated from 64 of 172 (37%) of the herds. The BTSCC were inversely associated with peak daily milk production, postmilking teat disinfection, percentage of eligible cows in the herd detected in estrus, and directly related to the extent to which BTSCC was perceived as a herd problem during the preceding 2 years. Type of housing for nonlactating cows and product used for treatment of nonlactating cows also were significantly associated with BTSCC. CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL RELEVANCE: Consideration of herd characteristics and implementation of management practices associated with BTSCC could result in increased milk yield and production of milk with lower BTSCC.

Animals↗

Current issues in dental practice management. Part 2. Pricing policy in dental practice.

This is the second in a series of articles exploring some of the issues facing dentists coming to terms with working in the 'brave new world'. It examines the complex issues of understanding how pricing works, determining the price of a product or service, communicating this to customers, and understanding how people perceive prices and price changes.

Dentist-Patient Relations↗

Herd management practices associated with paratuberculosis seroprevalence in Dutch dairy herds.

We describe the paratuberculosis management practices applied in dairy herds in the Netherlands. The findings from paratuberculosis seronegative and seropositive herds were compared to discover possible risk factors. In total, 370 randomly selected herds with > or =20 dairy cows were surveyed. A questionnaire was used to collect data on current and previous paratuberculosis management practices. All cattle aged > or =3 years were serologically tested for paratuberculosis using an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Herds with >33 tested cattle, of which only one was seropositive, were excluded to reduce the risk of including false-positive herds in the analysis. A comparison of the management data of the seronegative herds (n = 166) and the seropositive herds (n = 143) showed that in both groups important management measures for the prevention of paratuberculosis, such as calving in a cleaned calving area, removing the calf immediately after birth, and feeding paratuberculosis non-suspect roughage to calves, were used only rarely. However, such measures should be regarded as the critical first step to control the disease and/or reduce its prevalence. Using univariable analysis, four factors were statistically different between seronegative and seropositive herds: herd size, cows with clinical signs of paratuberculosis, prompt selling of clinically diseased cattle and feeding milk replacer. Using a multivariable logistic regression model, only herd size was a significantly different factor. These results indicate that most of the paratuberculosis preventive management measures were executed on these Dutch dairy farms only to a limited extent.

Animal Husbandry↗

Agricultural chemical management practices to reduce losses due to drainage.

Chemical losses with water and sediment are a product of the mass of carrier and chemical concentration in that carrier. One approach to controlling losses is to utilize chemical management practices that reduce the chemical concentrations in the water and sediment that leave a treated field; another is to control the masses of the carriers. In this paper, emphasis will be placed on the former, with a discussion of rate, timing, placement, and choice-of-chemical options available for the application of fertilizers and pesticides and their effect on offsite losses with surface and subsurface drainage. Particular emphasis will be on the known effects of application variables on nitrate-nitrogen (NO3-N) leaching and on herbicide losses in both surface runoff water and sediment and with percolation water. Current understanding of chemical transport processes will be used to extrapolate to situations in which actual data are not available. Areas of research to fill these data gaps and to improve our understanding of the effects of current management practices on losses and also to develop new chemical management practices to increase further the efficiency of use and reduce losses will be addressed. The usefulness of standards, or some form of health advisory levels, as goals for levels of control necessary will also be noted.

Agriculture↗

Soil management practices shape the abundance, diversity, and spread of antimicrobial resistance.

Agricultural soils are critical hotspots of antimicrobial resistance genes (ARGs). Yet, the environmental factors shaping these reservoirs and the hazards they pose to humans and livestock remain poorly understood. Because management practices introduce antibiotics, heavy metals, and nonantibiotic biocides, they can rapidly select for resistance. Most studies have examined components of management practices in isolation, overlooking the multiple stressors of modern industrial agriculture. Here, we used a large-scale field experiment to examine how multiple stressors from soil and crop management interact to shape antimicrobial resistance. We combined shotgun metagenomics, phylogenomics, and risk-score analyses to quantify the diversity of ARGs, mobile genetic elements (MGEs), and the transmission potential of drug-resistant pathogens. Relative to other management systems, intensive, chemically reliant monoculture systems, typical of the US Corn Belt, create strong selective pressures promoting more abundant and diverse ARGs and MGEs. These systems therefore carry greater potential to transmit ARGs, including those with relevance to both livestock and public health such as tetA and blaPAM, likely mediated by integration and excision. In contrast, less-intensive, lower-input systems with diverse crop rotations maintained resistomes with lower abundance, diversity, and transmission potential. Our results suggest that these patterns could arise due to the divergent effects of management practices on overall soil microbial diversity, an ecological barrier that can suppress ARGs. This study highlights the need to understand the combined stressors of agricultural practices, beyond antimicrobial use, to design effective strategies to mitigate antimicrobial resistance.

Soil Microbiology↗

Asthma management practices and education needs of head start directors and staff.

Limited information exists regarding asthma management practices and education needs of Head Start directors and staff. This paper describes asthma management practices and education needs of Head Start directors and staff in 15 Baltimore, Md., Head Start programs. From February to December 2000, all Head Start staff and directors were asked to complete a survey. Data from 268 Head Start staff and 12 Head Start directors were analyzed. Results revealed discrepancies between Head Start staff and directors regarding location of asthma medications and presence of asthma action plans in programs. Both Head Start staff and directors stated they had no curriculum to teach Head Start children how to manage asthma. This finding provides evidence that asthma education is needed in Head Start programs. Findings also indicate a need for improved communication between Head Start directors and staff.

Administrative Personnel↗