Regression Trend Line Research Articles

Trend Analysis of Rainfall and Detection of Change Point in Terai Zone of West Bengal

Analyzing rainfall trends is crucial for understanding climate patterns to managing water resources and planning agriculture. Trends in rainfall can reveal shifts in climate conditions, whether it is an increase, decrease, or fluctuate over time. The present study intends to examine the long-term trend in monthly, seasonal and annual rainfall in Cooch Behar district of West Bengal spanning from 1969 to 2022. Wallis and Moore test applied to determine the randomness of rainfall, whereas, linear regression trend line, Mann-Kendall (MK) test, Modified-Mann Kendall (MMK) test, and Innovative Trend Analysis (ITA) are used to understand the trend pattern in rainfall. MMK test reveals a significant decreasing trend in November month. In contrast, the remaining months, seasonal and annual rainfall revealed non-significant trend. According to the ITA approach, there was a significant increase in rainfall of January and a significant decrease in rainfall of November and December. The Pettitt’s test identified November 2006 as a trend changing year and there was no significant change point for the remaining months, seasonal and annual rainfall.

Evaluating Antimicrobial Resistance Trends in Commensal Escherichia coli Isolated from Cecal Samples of Swine at Slaughter in the United States, 2013-2019.

The emergence of antimicrobial resistance (AMR) in commensal and pathogenic enteric bacteria of swine is a public health threat. This study evaluated publicly available AMR surveillance data collected by the National Antimicrobial Resistance Monitoring System (NARMS) by assessing AMR patterns and temporal trends in commensal E. coli isolated from cecal samples of swine at slaughter across the United States. We applied the Mann-Kendall test (MKT) and a linear regression trend line to detect significant trends in the proportion of resistant isolates to individual antimicrobials over the study period. A Poisson regression model assessed differences among years in the number of antimicrobials to which an E. coli isolate was resistant. Among the 3237 E. coli isolates, a very high prevalence of resistance for tetracycline (67.62%), and high resistance for streptomycin (24.13%), and ampicillin (21.10%) were identified. The MKT and the linear trend line showed a significantly increasing temporal trend for amoxicillin-clavulanic acid, ampicillin, azithromycin, cefoxitin, ceftriaxone, and trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole. Compared to 2013 the number of antimicrobials to which an E. coli isolate was resistant was significantly higher in the years 2017, 2018, and 2019. The increasing temporal trend of resistance to important antimicrobials for human medicine (e.g., third-generation cephalosporins) and the increase in multidrug resistance in the later years of the study are concerning and should be followed up by studies to identify sources and risk factors for the selection of AMR.

Bio-efficacy of permethrin/tetramethrin and lambda-cyhalothrin treatments in habitats of hard ticks (Acari, Ixodidae) populations with confirmed Borrelia spp. infection.

The aim of the study was to evaluate the bio-efficacy of two different acaricides against mobile stages of hard ticks Ixodes ricinus, Dermacentor marginatus, and Haemaphysalis punctata in their natural habitats. The study was conducted during 2020 and 2021 at localities populated by I. ricinus as the predominant species, at which the presence of Borrelia afzelii, Borrelia garinii, and Borrelia lusitaniae was confirmed. During the first investigation year, a combination of two pyrethroids, permethrin, and tetramethrin, with an insecticide synergist piperonyl butoxide (trade name: Perme Plus®) was tested. At the first evaluation, 24h after the treatment with Perme Plus®, the efficacy expressed as a reduction rate of the population density was within the interval of satisfying performance (70-90%) at all localities, while the highest efficacy (97.8%) was recorded on the 14th post-treatment day. In the second investigation year, the formulation based on lambda-cyhalothrin (trade name: Icon® 10CS) was used. On the first post-treatment evaluation day, satisfying effects were also demonstrated. The highest recorded efficacy rate of lambda-cyhalothrin (94.7%) was recorded on the 14th post-treatment day. Both tested acaricides manifested satisfying initial acaricidal effects against mobile stages of ticks and provided long-term effects. Comparison of the regression trend lines of population reduction revealed that satisfying effects of treatment with Perme Plus® lasted until the 17th post-treatment day, while in the case of Icon® 10CS, the residual effects were significantly prolonged (30days).

Trend Analysis of Rainfall in Telangana State (India) Using Advanced Statistical Approaches

This study was carried out to analyse the trend analysis of the long-term annual and seasonal rainfall pattern in Telangana state, India. For this study monthly rainfall data of Telangana state from January 1982 to December 2021 was collected from the NASA power website (https://power.Iarc.nasa.gov). The linear regression trend line and the non-parametric tests, such as Mann-Kendall test, Modified-Mann Kendall test and Innovative trend analysis tests, were used to understand the trend present in the rainfall data of Telangana. Wallis and Moore test was used to test the randomness of the rainfall data under consideration. Both increasing and decreasing trend was seen in linear regression trend method for Telangana rainfall data. The significant result was found in the month of May which showed an increasing trend, whereas remaining months showed the non-significant trend in the Modified Mann Kendall test as well as in the Innovative trend analysis. The pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon periods showed a non-significant trend in the rainfall pattern of Telangana state. The annual rainfall of Telangana showed a non-significant trend pattern by Modified Mann-Kendall test. There was a significant increasing trend of rainfall in the month of May and remaining months showed a non-significant trend and no significant trend in the monsoon periods. These accurate identification of rainfall patterns over the area may help to create the appropriate policy measures in advance to plan the future climate uncertainties.

Prospective Clinical Integration of AI Based Treatment Planning Tool for Whole Breast Radiation Therapy (WBRT): A Single Institution's Three-Year Experience

<h3>Purpose/Objective(s)</h3> Artificial intelligence (AI) has shown promising results of treatment planning in well-controlled retrospective environment. However, its clinical acceptability and long-term robustness has not been widely investigated. We report the prospective clinical results of AI-based whole breast/chest wall radiation therapy (WBRT) planning tool. We evaluated the 3-year overall performance and the progression of AI tool's acceptance among human planners. <h3>Materials/Methods</h3> In-house AI based WBRT treatment planning tool using random forest was commissioned for clinic since 2019. A total of 1151 patients have been planned with AI tool by Dec 2021, and all were included in this study. The AI tool is seamlessly integrated with clinical planning workflow and treatment planning system (TPS) – AI automatically generates fluence maps, which are used for final dose calculation in TPS (AI plan). The planner evaluates the plan quality and attempts to improve by manually modifying fluence if deemed necessary before physician's approval (final plan). The manual modification value (MMV) of each beamlet is the difference between fluence maps in AI and final plans. The manually modified beamlets were located and correlated to the dosimetry quality enhancement of the final plan over AI plan. In the longitudinal dimension, MMV also tracks the adaptation of human planner towards AI tools over 3 years. A regression model captures planner's frequency of editing AI plans over time. If the planner becomes more acceptive of the AI over time, the regression trend line will be significantly different from zero. <h3>Results</h3> Table 1 shows the dosimetric endpoints, as well as mean MMV of the entire patient population. No statistical significance was observed between the AI and final plans in PTV coverage and OAR sparing (Mood's median test), except V105% (reduced in final plan by 18.4 cc, <i>p</i>< 0.001). Spatially, irradiated lung region received most frequent editing, while skin flash region received minimum editing. Among all 12 planners, the number of cases planned ranged from 13 to 150. The max mean absolute MMV of a single planner was 5.0% (planned 131 cases) and minimum was 0.8% (planned 38 cases). Ten out of 12 planners showed a significantly decreasing editing AI plans with yearly mean MMV of 4.0%, 2.3% and 0.8% for 2019, 2020 and 2021 respectively, indicating improving acceptability/trust over time (<i>p</i><0.001). <h3>Conclusion</h3> This 3-year study demonstrated robustness of AI planning and steady improvement in acceptability by planners over time. It also revealed key areas towards human planner's preference that can be adopted in future AI tools.

Introducing business analytics in context: An Excel project to analyze product and sales data for inventory purchase decisions

AbstractThis article presents a project that uses a business context to introduce students to a multiphase approach to analytics while relying primarily on an introductory Excel course for prerequisite knowledge. A range of analytics techniques—including Excel Pivot tables and charts, regression trend lines, and linear programming—are combined into an integrative project. Using a customer orders database, student groups took on the role of category management teams assigned to analyze product sales, pricing, and costs to create an optimized purchase plan to replenish inventory. The instructor‐guided project was employed in a sophomore‐level introductory business intelligence course positioned within an undergraduate business core curriculum. Based on the context and level, such a project could be used in a business core course such as fundamentals of business, marketing, operations/supply chain management, information systems, or business analytics.

Assessment of Cerebral Autoregulation Using Invasive and Noninvasive Methods of Intracranial Pressure Monitoring.

Pulse amplitude index (PAx), a descriptor of cerebrovascular reactivity, correlates the changes of the pulse amplitude of theintracranial pressure (ICP) waveform (AMP) with changes in mean arterial pressure (MAP). AMP relies on cerebrovascular compliance, which is modulated by the state of the cerebrovascular reactivity. PAx can aid in prognostication after acute brain injuries as a tool for the assessment of cerebral autoregulation and could potentially tailor individual management; however, invasive measurements are required for its calculation. Our aim was to evaluate the relationship between noninvasive PAx (nPAx) derived from a novel noninvasive device for ICP monitoring and PAx derived from gold standard invasive methods. We retrospectively analyzed invasiveICP (external ventricular drain) and non-invasiveICP (nICP), viamechanical extensometer (Brain4Care Corp.). Invasive and non-invasive ICP waveform morphology data wascollected in adult patients with brain injury with arterial blood pressure monitoring. The time series from all signals were first treated to remove movement artifacts. PAx and nPAx were calculated as the moving correlation coefficients of 10-s averages of AMP or non-invasiveAMP(nAMP) andMAP. AMP/nAMP was determined by calculating the fundamental frequency amplitude of the ICP/nICP signal over a 10-s window, updated every 10-s. We then evaluated the relationship between invasive PAx and noninvasive nPAx using the methods of repeated-measures analysis to generate an estimate of the correlation coefficient and its 95% confidence interval (CI). The agreement between the two methods was assessed using the Bland-Altman test. Twenty-four patients were identified. The median age was 53.5years (interquartile range 40-70), and intracranial hemorrhage (84%) was the most common etiology. Twenty-one (87.5%) patients underwent mechanical ventilation, and 60% were sedated with a median Glasgow Coma Scale score of 8 (7-15). Mean PAx was 0.0296 ± 0.331, and nPAx was 0.0171 ± 0.332. The correlation between PAx and nPAx was strong (R = 0.70, p < 0.0005, 95% CI 0.687-0.717). Bland-Altman analysis showed excellent agreement, with a bias of - 0.018 (95% CI - 0.026 to - 0.01) and a localized regression trend line that did not deviate from 0. PAx can be calculated by conventionaland noninvasive ICP monitoring in a statistically significant evaluation with strong agreement. Further study of the applications of this clinical tool is warranted, with the goal of early therapeutic intervention to improve neurologic outcomes following acute brain injuries.

Impact of Lockdown on Air Quality in India

The Covid-19 crisis has forced activity freezes, Lockdowns and calls to shelter-in-place have closed schools and non -essential businesses. Minimal activities from industrial sites, factories and construction sectors have minimized the risks for toxins to escape, in turn improving air quality. People are forced to stay at home practicing social distancing and working remotely. It is all aimed at controlling the spread of Covid-19 and hopefully reducing the death toll. But all this change has also led to some unexpected consequences. One among them is pollution levels and the natural environment. Before the start of the Covid-19 pandemic, the air around us had been deemed very toxic to breathe in due to the number of greenhouse gases that had been emitted over the centuries. But after the coronavirus lockdown commenced, there were slight changes in the environment. In the above context, a study should be undertaken to analyze the air quality indicators during non-lockdown period and the lockdown period is inevitable and essential. In this regard, the researcher wants to analyze the air quality of Chennai City by comparing the air quality indicators values like P.M.2.5, NO2, SO2, CO for the year 2019 with 2020 (same period). Accordingly, the researcher has collected data information and analysed it with the help of regression analysis and trend lines. The results revealed that during the lockdown period, everything was shut down and it would decrease the values of the above said air quality indicators, especially the concentration of P.M.2.5 because it is the major factor contributing to air pollution. It was proved by many earlier studies and this study also proved the same. The data set revealed that nearly 80 percent of the air pollution was due to the concentration of P.M.2.5 and its concentration was lowered during the lockdown period. Hence, to avoid air pollution, authorities should be taken steps to reduce P.M.2.5 concentration. It is good for the environment, the health of the living organism and the sustainable development of the economy.

A Novel Method for Fracture Pressure Prediction in Shallow Formation During Deep-Water Drilling

Abstract Large numbers of deep-water drilling practices have shown that more than 60% of deep-water wells have complex leak-off during the drilling process, which poses great difficulties and challenges for the safety and operation time of deep-water drilling. The purpose of this article is to establish a method for predicting the fracture pressure in shallow formations. In this study, the deep-water shallow formation was divided into the upper unconsolidated soil layer, and the lower diagenetic rock layer according to the geotechnical distribution characteristics of the deep-water shallow formation. The location of the transition soil/rock layer zone was determined using the upper soil layer density trend line, and the lower rock layer density log data regression trend line. The deep-water shallow fracture pressure prediction model was established based on the soil/rock transition zone. The shear failure criterion was used above the transition zone, and the tensile failure criterion is used below the transition zone. The shallow fracture pressure of six drilled exploratory wells in the X block from the South China Sea was calculated using this new method and the calculation errors were all less than 3.18%. Moreover, the shallow fracture pressure body in this block was established using the Kriging interpolation method based on six drilled exploratory wells data. This shallow fracture pressure body established here was used to predict nine development wells shallow fracture pressure with a predictive error of less than 1.7% and there were no drilling accidents. The case study demonstrates that the new model can significantly improve the prediction accuracy has good prospects for popularization and application.

Modelling of environmental emission in Kenyan, Rwandan, and Tanzanian electrical power systems

There is limited information on environmental emissions in African grid electricity generation and transmission systems, especially from the sub-Saharan African countries. The developed parameters are useful for evaluating the extent to which grid electricity generation and transmission system drivers are designed and operated in the context of environmental governance (EG) factors. The environmental pressure caused by the studied power systems was evaluated in terms of carbon emission levels. To simplify the study, variable parameters were sampled from the national power grids of three sub-Saharan countries, namely: Kenya, Rwanda, and Tanzania. The developed inventory workbooks accounted for the residual carbon emissions related to the grid generation and transmission capacity survival lifetime, retired system capacity, and recycling rate, aiming to reduce the uncertainty in grid emissions in the study area. The obtained area of the curve for the business as usual and EG models reveals that Rwanda has the potential to contribute more emissions per unit power, followed by Tanzania and Kenya. The higher carbon emission uncertainty levels (65%–75%) obtained from the EG simuland and life cycle carbon emissions revealed that only limited EG factors were considered during the design and operation of the studied grid electricity generation and transmission systems. However, the possibility of significant lifetime decarbonisation performances from generation and transmission systems was also shown in the EG-modelled output, owing to its lower carbon emission uncertainty levels (15%–25%). The logarithmic regression trend lines presented by this research show a higher R2 value for the EG modelled life cycle carbon emission (LCCE) output (R2 = 0.8689) and EG simuland LCCE output (R2 = 0.9209), compared to EG modelled LCCE output (R2 = 0.7526) and EG simuland LCCE output (R2 = 0.8223) obtained from the linear regression trend lines, implying a very good relationship between the structural assumptions and simplifications constituting the model itself for case studied by the year 2049. The study suggests monitoring of a wide range of environmental parameters (apart from carbon) and associated energy storage technologies, considering both cumulative data and expanded systems.

Changing Patterns of Temperature in Yobe State, North-Eastern Nigeria: An Evidence of Climate Change

Air temperature is one of the fundamental indicators of Climate Change in any place on earth. Understanding the changing patterns of air temperature in Yobe State is instrumental in establishing the manifestation of Climate Change in the area and to enables the policy makers to design the best mechanisms to cope with the vagaries of increasing temperature. This study examined the changing patterns of temperature in Yobe State as an evidence of Climate Change. The study used mean monthly minimum and maximum air temperature data collected from the archives of the Nigerian Meteorological Agency (NIMET) with respect to Nguru and Potiskum weather stations in the State for a period of 1956-2015. The data was analyzed using descriptive statistics, linear regression trend lines and coefficient of variation (C.V). The result showed that April is the hottest month with the highest mean maximum temperatures of 39.6°C and 38.6°C in Nguru and Potiskum respectively while January is the coldest month with mean temperatures of 30.5°C and 30.8°C for Nguru and Potiskum respectively. Further finding revealed that temperatures are highly variable in February in both Nguru and Potiskum with C.V of 8.7% and 5.7% and less variable in October with C.V of 2.0%. Finding showed that in general term, there were upward trends in monthly and annual positive temperature anomalies ranging from 0.2°C to as high as 4.0°C in some months and years in the state. The study concludes that temperatures in Yobe State have witnessed series of changes within the 60 years period. Therefore, it is suggested that stakeholders in the Yobe State Environmental Protection Agency should intensify efforts in reducing deforestation while encouraging people on afforestation with a view to reducing the impact of Greenhouse gases that are contributing to more warming than normal. There should be adequate electricity and water supply for immediate relieve from excessive heat emanating from high temperature.

PENENTUAN UMUR ABSOLUT BATUAN KUBAH LAVA ANDESIT DAERAH PANAS BUMI LEJJA-KABUPATEN SOPPENG, PROVINSI SULAWESI SELATAN MENGGUNAKAN METODE THERMOLUMINESCENCE (TL)

Saat ini metode Thermoluminescence (TL) sudah diaplikasikan sebagai salah satu metode pentarikhan (dating) umur batuan. Dalam eksplorasi panas bumi informasi tentang umur batuan/material vulkanik sangat penting untuk merekonstruksi sejarah geologi yang berkaitan dengan aktivitas termal. Penentuan umur batuan yang diperkirakan sebagai sumber panas di prospek Panas Bumi Lejja Kabupaten Soppeng, Provinsi Sulawesi Selatan dilakukan menggunakan metode TL. Prosedur pengukuran dilakukan dengan dosis aditif pada butiran kristal kuarsa, Pengukuran dosis dengan irradiasi dilakukan dua kali yaitu pada dosis 10 Gray (Gy) dan 30 Gy sedangkan untuk annual dose ditentukan dengan menganalisis konsentrasi uranium, thorium, dan kalium menggunakan metode X-ray Fluorescence (XRF). Garis trendline dibuat untuk menentukan persamaan linear hubungan antara intensitas TL alami dengan dosis yang diberikan pada prosses irradiasi, dan menunjukkan bahwa bahwa intensitas TL alami setara dengan 304,05-315,96 Gy, sedangkan hasil perhitungan annual dose menunjukkan 0,5408 Gy/ka. Dengan kalkulasi menggunakan formula dalam metode ini diketahui bahwa usia absolut tubuh batuan yang diperkirakan sebagai sumber panas di prospek panas bumi Lejja, Kabupaten Soppeng adalah 573 ± 11 kilo tahun.

Improved Survival of Advanced Lung Cancer in Singapore Over the Past Decade

We reviewed changes in clinical characteristics, treatment and survival of lung cancer patients in Singapore over the past decade. We reviewed all primary lung cancer cases from January 2004 to December 2013. Basic demographic, clinical and treatment data were extracted from the database. Overall survival (OS) was calculated using Kaplan-Meier method; survival curves were compared using log-rank test. Linear regression trend lines were estimated using least squares approach, and Cox regression analyses were performed to identify prognostic factors. Among 6006 lung cancer patients, the median age was 68 years old, 65% were males, 88% were Chinese, 92% had non-small-cell lung cancer and 76% had advanced stage IIIB/IV. There were proportionally more adenocarcinomas diagnosed over the years, while that of squamous cell carcinoma (SCC) and small-cell-lung cancer (SCLC) have remained stable. The median OS of all patients increased from 9.2 months in 2004 to 11.5 months in 2013. This survival improvement was statistically significant among patients with stage IIIB/IV (6.7 to 8.7 months; P = 0.005) and adenocarcinoma (12.7 to 15.4 months; P = 0.041). There was no improvement in median OS for SCC or SCLC. The use of epidermal growth factor receptor tyrosine kinase inhibitors (EGFR TKI) (hazard ratio [HR] 0.68; 95% CI, 0.63 to 0.73) and pemetrexed (HR, 0.69; 95% CI, 0.63 to 0.76) were significantly associated with improved OS. Survival of patients with advanced stage IIIB/IV lung adenocarcinoma has improved over the past decade, and is potentially associated with the use of EGFR TKI and pemetrexed.

Hurst Persistence in UAH Zonal Mean Lower Troposphere Temperatures

Zonal monthly means of UAH satellite based measurements of lower troposphere temperature anomalies 12/1978 to 4/2017 are examined for violations of the independence assumption of OLS linear regression. The Hurst Exponent (H), computed at a monthly time scale, is used as the measure of dependence. It is found that the independence assumption of OLS linear regression is violated in the UAH temperature anomaly time series. The apparent multi-decadal non-linearity found in a prior work may be related to non-linear dynamics implied by the Hurst phenomenon. The interpretation of OLS linear regression trend lines for these time series in terms of anthropogenic global warming should be made with caution, particularly so in view of the short time span of the data, because the data do not comply with OLS assumptions.

The prediction of neck extensor force using surface electromyography.

The relationship between muscular force and electromyography (EMG) has been investigated by numerous researchers. EMG has not previously been used as a means of estimating force in the cervical erector spinae (CES). Use EMG of the CES musculature to indirectly predict neck extension force. Isometric contractions of the CES muscles were studied at increasing levels of contractile force across all participants (n= 12) to produce an individualised force-EMG relationship. The method of least squares was used to determine the linear regression trend line for the force-EMG relationship. The validity of these individual `correlation curves' was demonstrated through further, blinded, investigation. A linear relationship was identified for the individualised correlation curves that gained in strength for < 50% maximum voluntary contraction (MVC; R2> 0.8 for 80% of trials). The prediction of muscle force from the correlation curves was found to be statistically similar to the equivalent experimental data (p> 0.05). Given the tendency of EMG to slightly overestimate force in most cases, an adjustment coefficient was calculated to reduce the error in the predicted force data. This study reports a validated method using EMG to indirectly acquire CES muscular force, which has application for clinicians and research scientists working in fields including sport and rehabilitation.

Wnt directs the endosomal flux of LDL ‐derived cholesterol and lipid droplet homeostasis

The Wnt pathway, which controls crucial steps of the development and differentiation programs, has been proposed to influence lipid storage and homeostasis. In this paper, using an unbiased strategy based on high-content genome-wide RNAi screens that monitored lipid distribution and amounts, we find that Wnt3a regulates cellular cholesterol. We show that Wnt3a stimulates the production of lipid droplets and that this stimulation strictly depends on endocytosed, LDL-derived cholesterol and on functional early and late endosomes. We also show that Wnt signaling itself controls cholesterol endocytosis and flux along the endosomal pathway, which in turn modulates cellular lipid homeostasis. These results underscore the importance of endosome functions for LD formation and reveal a previously unknown regulatory mechanism of the cellular programs controlling lipid storage and endosome transport under the control of Wnt signaling.

Strategy for the management of diabetic macular edema: the European vitreo-retinal society macular edema study.

Objective. To compare the efficacy of different therapies in the treatment of diabetic macular edema (DME). Design. Nonrandomized, multicenter clinical study. Participants. 86 retina specialists from 29 countries provided clinical information on 2,603 patients with macular edema including 870 patients with DME. Methods. Reported data included the type and number of treatment(s) performed, the pre- and posttreatment visual acuities, and other clinical findings. The results were analyzed by the French INSEE (National Institute of Statistics and Economic Studies). Main Outcome Measures. Mean change of visual acuity and mean number of treatments performed. Results. The change in visual acuity over time in response to each treatment was plotted in second order polynomial regression trend lines. Intravitreal triamcinolone monotherapy resulted in some improvement in vision. Treatment with threshold or subthreshold grid laser also resulted in minimal vision gain. Anti-VEGF therapy resulted in more significant visual improvement. Treatment with pars plana vitrectomy and internal limiting membrane (ILM) peeling alone resulted in an improvement in vision greater than that observed with anti-VEGF injection alone. In our DME study, treatment with vitrectomy and ILM peeling alone resulted in the better visual improvement compared to other therapies.

Rates of Pedogenesis in Reclaimed Lands as Compared to Rates of Natural Pedogenesis

Reclamation is performed on disturbed lands to return the land to productivity as rapidly as possible. From the perspective of the pedologist, the ultimate in reclamation would be to return the soil resource to its previous condition as rapidly as possible, but do reclamation methods increase rates of pedogenesis? To investigate this question, studies that report rates of soil formation in both reclaimed and natural sites were gathered from the literature, and depth of soil formation was plotted against years of pedogenesis. The slopes and y-intercept elevations of logarithmic regression trend lines were statistically compared to determine if rates of pedogenesis were the same in reclaimed and naturally forming soils. Results of the analysis indicate that rates of pedogenesis in reclaimed soils are not higher than in natural soils; however, soil amendments used during the reclamation process likely create parent material conditions that are ideal to support vegetative growth and start reclamation pedogenesis at an advanced stage.

Hourly and Daily Single and Basal Evapotranspiration Crop Coefficients as a Function of Growing Degree Days, Days After Emergence, Leaf Area Index, Fractional Green Canopy Cover, and Plant Phenology for Soybean

<abstract><title><italic>Abstract.</italic></title> Hourly evapotranspiration (ET) crop coefficients (K_c) are needed to optimize the effectiveness and efficiency of high-frequency micro- and sprinkler irrigation practices involving the application of water multiple times a day. However, not much is known about the daily and seasonal patterns and magnitudes in hourly K_c values for soybean. In addition, locally developed K_c values are necessary for more robust within-season irrigation management, crop ET estimation, and water balance analyses. Hourly and daily K_c functions were developed for soybean in south-central Nebraska through extensive field research. Actual crop evapotranspiration (ET_a) was measured using a Bowen ratio energy balance system. Daily crop coefficients were calculated as K_c = ET_a/ET_ref, wherein reference (potential) evapotranspiration (ET_ref) was calculated using the Penman-Monteith equation with a fixed canopy resistance for both alfalfa-reference (ET_r) and grass-reference (ET_o) surfaces. The K_c values were derived in two forms: (1) a single (normal or average K_c) K_cr based on ET_r, and K_co based on ET_o; and (2) a basal coefficient (K_cbr) based on ET_r, and K_cbo based on ET_o. The seasonal patterns of variation of K_cr, K_co, K_cbr, and K_cbo were examined on five different temporal base scales: days after emergence (DAE), cumulative growing degree days (GDD), leaf area index (LAI), fractional green canopy groundcover (CC), and plant phenology (V and R stages). The 2007 and 2008 growing season ET_a totals were 535 and 514 mm, respectively. Extreme hourly K_c values were frequently observed in the early morning and late afternoon hours when ET_a was very low relative to ET_r and ET_o. Daily means of the 10 to 13 hourly values computed for K_cr ranged from 0.25 to 1.06 in 2007 and from 0.15 to 1.02 in 2008, whereas those computed for K_co ranged from 0.39 to 1.37 in 2007 and from 0.22 to 1.29 in 2008. Daily K_cr and K_co values calculated based on daily data ranged from 0.20 to 1.12 and from 0.27 to 1.47, respectively. Comparison of all daily means of hourly coefficients with the corresponding daily coefficients in one-to-one graphs and zero-origin based regression of the former on the latter revealed linear regression coefficients of 0.92 (2007 K_cr), 0.95 (2008 K_cr), 0.96 (2007 K_co), and 0.97 (2008 K_co), with R² values of 0.78 or better. On average, hourly K_c values were about 4% to 8% lower that the corresponding daily values. Substantial diurnal variability was observed in K_co and K_cr measured during daylight hours (ranging from 0.1-0.2 to 1.5-1.6) from early morning to late afternoon (8:00 to 18:00), and the range of variability was substantially dependent on the coincident V and R stages. The relationship between K_c and LAI was best represented by two regression trend lines: one representing crop development from its beginning up to the start of senescence, and the other representing crop development thereafter. A similar break in the regression trend line was observed in the relationship between basal K_c and GDD. In contrast, the relationship between K_c and fractional CC was not biphasic and could be modeled with one regression trend line. The FAO-56 tabulated K_co values and those measured in this research were significantly different (p < 0.05). Thus, the FAO-56 values, if used for south-central Nebraska soil, climate, and management practices or similar conditions, would not be able to provide accurate ET_a and crop water requirement estimates. Because this research proved that K_co and K_cr values are not constant during the day from dawn to dusk, using daily average K_co or K_cr values would not be able to provide robust and precise determination of crop irrigation requirements for irrigation practices delivered more than once per day. The crop coefficients developed in this research as a function of several base scales should provide crop consultants, extension service personnel, agronomists, irrigation practitioners, and other irrigation and water management professionals with robust and accurate methods for choosing and applying crop coefficients to be used for more precise determination of ET_a and water requirements, thus leading to more efficient and effective seasonal soybean irrigation management.

Abstract 241: Design and Clinical Outcomes of INSTOR (Interventional Stroke Therapy Outcomes Registry)

Background: In the United States there has been no national stroke registry that tracks emergency intra-hospital processes of care and 90-day clinical outcomes for both IV tPA and/or emergency endovascular (IA) stroke treatment. The Joint Commission and other regulatory agencies now mandate use of a national stroke registry based upon concurring recommendations from the Brain Attack Coalition, the American Stroke Association, and the international Multisociety Quality Improvement Guidelines. (online JVIR, Jan 29, 2013) Methods and Results: A custom software development company was employed to create a dedicated on-line national registry for tracking hospital processes and performance trends, and that could perform instant complex multifactorial analyses of clinical outcomes (90-day modified Rankin Score (mRS) based upon numerous patient-specific characteristics. Extensive physician interaction with the software company over a period of years allowed construction of a complex analytical machine with a built-in logic chain for numerous clinical process steps resulting in automatic error detection of out-of-range or impossible answers. The simple self-prompting point and click data entry system typically requires 10 minutes for each stroke alert, 20 minutes for each IV tPA case, and 45 minutes for all aspects of an IA stroke case. INSTOR is a HIPAA compliant, point-and-click national registry that tracks processes-of-care as well as clinical outcomes for both IV tPA and endovascular therapies. All major data points are presented as “site” vs. “All”, with “All” being an anonymous aggregate of data from all participating sites. Conclusions: INSTOR presents instant online graphical and numerical results including “door to CT”, “door to IV tPA”, “time for return of laboratory results” and “time to angiography”, etc. Process trends are presented with graphed monthly median data points overlain by a logistic regression trend line. The computerized multisite database also has the capability of automatically sending text massage or email reminders to designated recipients for follow-up events such as discharge information or 90-day mRS. INSTOR instantly performs complex multifactorial analyses of numerous measures of clinical outcomes for both IV tPA and endovascular stroke interventions and presents this data in standard stacked bar chart form. Outcomes data results include: all ASA Metrics for ischemic stroke, 90-day mRS for IV tPA, IV + IA, and IA treatment alone, and all data points mandated by the international Multisociety Quality Improvement Guidelines. 90-day clinical Outcomes are also analyzed based upon baseline clinical factors such as original NIHSS, vascular occlusion site, and comorbidities such as atrial fibrillation, diabetes, hypertension, and age.