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Transactions of the Leicestershire Archaeological and Historical Society, 11, 115-134, A catalogue of known 17th Century Tokens of Leicestershire

Introduction: Factor XI (FXI) deficiency is a hematologic condition that is rarely encountered by the arthroplasty surgeon. Effective risk assessment and perioperative management are paramount in minimizing the risk of intra- and post-operative bleeding in this patient population. An interdisciplinary approach is crucial in minimizing complications and achieving successful outcomes. We present the case of a patient that successfully underwent conversion total hip arthroplasty (THA) following failed internal fixation of a proximal femur fracture. Case Report: A 71-year-old man with a history of FXI deficiency presented with significant right-sided hip pain secondary to post-traumatic arthritis from a previously treated right proximal femur fracture. The patient underwent removal of the cephalomedullary nail and conversion to a THA. Before the procedure, a comprehensive perioperative plan was enacted to manage the patient’s FXI deficiency. The patient underwent several infusions of aminocaproic acid and tranexamic acid (TXA) in an effort to prevent intra- and post-operative bleeding. The surgery was completed with excellent hemostasis and no post-operative complications. Conclusion: Patients with FXI deficiency can successfully undergo conversion THA surgery; however, an individualized hematologic plan must be enacted to minimize complications and maximize surgical outcomes and patient satisfaction. This case demonstrates that the antifibrinolytic agents, aminocaproic acid and TXA, can be successfully used for hematologic prophylaxis in the perioperative period for this population of patients.

The bony and ligamentous structure of the foot is a complex kinematic interaction, designed to transmit force and motion in an energy-efficient and stable manner. Visible deformity of the foot or atypical patterns of swelling should raise significant concern for foot trauma. In some instances, disruption of either bony structure or supporting ligaments is identified years after injury due to chronic pain in the hindfoot or midfoot. This article will focus on injuries relating to the peritalar complex, the bony articulation between the tibia, talus, calcaneus, and navicular bones, supplemented with multiple ligamentous structures. Attention will be given to the five most common peritalar injuries to illustrate the nature of each and briefly describe methods for achieving the correct diagnosis in the context of acute trauma. This includes subtalar dislocations, chopart joint injuries, talar fractures, navicular fractures, and occult calcaneal fractures.

Uncertainty information in natural hazard forecasts is increasingly being explicitly\ud communicated. This study was designed to determine whether different ways of\ud communicating uncertainty graphically affects decisions and interpretations of forecasts and whether expertise was a factor in decisions and interpretations from forecasts explicitly showing uncertainty. In a hypothetical decision-making task regarding ice thickness and shipping, 138 experts and non-experts received ice-thickness forecasts in four different presentations expressing uncertainty: worded probability, spaghetti plot, fan plot, and box plot. These forecasts contained no measures of central tendency. There was no consistent difference in decision or best-guess forecast (deterministic ice thickness forecast based on the forecast representation) between the different forecast representations. However, participants interpreted different amounts of uncertainty across the different forecast representations. Experts made significantly more economically rational decisions than non-experts, interpreted lower best-guess forecasts, and inferred significantly more uncertainty than nonexperts. These results suggest that care be taken in choosing how uncertainty is represented in forecasts, especially between expert and non-expert audiences.

Caring for an injured, pregnant patient can be a management challenge. We report the case of an 18-year-old female who sustained a left acetabulum fracture with a concurrent hip dislocation at 35 weeks’ gestation following a motor vehicle accident. Through an interdisciplinary, team-based approach, the patient was guided through obstetric delivery and orthopedic surgical fracture fixation without complication. By being familiar with the unique challenges in management posed by pregnant patients, orthopedic surgeons can be better equipped to minimize morbidity and mortality in this patient population while maximizing clinical outcomes.

Joseph R Young, Sarah Sternbach, Max Willinger, Ian D Hutchinson, Andrew J Rosenbaum Albany Medical College Division of Orthopaedic Surgery, Albany, NY, USA Abstract: Plantar fibromatosis (Ledderhose disease) is a rare, benign, hyperproliferative fibrous tissue disorder resulting in the formation of nodules along the plantar fascia. This condition can be locally aggressive, and often results in pain, functional disability, and decreased quality of life. Diagnosis is primarily clinical, but MRI and ultrasound are useful confirmatory adjuncts. Given the benign nature of this condition, treatment has historically involved symptomatic management. A multitude of conservative treatment strategies supported by varying levels of evidence have been described mostly in small-scale trials. These therapies include steroid injections, verapamil, radiation therapy, extracorporeal shock wave therapy, tamoxifen, and collagenase. When conservative measures fail, surgical removal of fibromas and adjacent plantar fascia is often done, although recurrence is common. This review aims to provide a broad overview of the clinical features of this disease as well as the current treatment strategies being employed in the management of this condition. Keywords: plantar fibromatosis, plantar fascia, Ledderhose disease

Supplemental Material, insurgent_terrorism_appendix_august_2018 for Carrots, Sticks, and Insurgent Targeting of Civilians by Victor Asal, Brian J. Phillips, R. Karl Rethemeyer, Corina Simonelli, and Joseph K. Young in Journal of Conflict Resolution

Supplemental material, CMP_789356_replication-log_manuscript for The local geography of transnational terrorism by Josiah Marineau, Henry Pascoe, Alex Braithwaite, Michael Findley and Joseph Young in Conflict Management and Peace Science

Supplemental material, CMP_789356_appendix_local-transnational-terror_appendix_14June2018 for The local geography of transnational terrorism by Josiah Marineau, Henry Pascoe, Alex Braithwaite, Michael Findley and Joseph Young in Conflict Management and Peace Science

Supplemental material, CMP_789356_replication-log_appendix for The local geography of transnational terrorism by Josiah Marineau, Henry Pascoe, Alex Braithwaite, Michael Findley and Joseph Young in Conflict Management and Peace Science

Supplementary Data. A document containing four supplementary figures and one supplementary table. UV-vis absorbance readings; zeta potential measurements of bare and PEGylated AuNPs; and additional cellular TEM images. (PDF 4592Â kb)

This poster presents key features of how QUT’s integrated research data storage and management services work with researchers through their own individual or team research life cycle. By understanding the characteristics of research data, and the long-term need to store this data, QUT has provided resources and tools that support QUT’s goal of being a research intensive institute. Key to successful delivery and operation has been the focus upon researchers’ individual needs and the collaboration between providers, in particular, Information Technology Services, High Performance Computing and Research Support, and QUT Library. QUT’s Research Data Storage service provides all QUT researchers (staff and Higher Degree Research students (HDRs)) with a secure data repository throughout the research data lifecycle. Three distinct storage areas provide for raw research data to be acquired, project data to be worked on, and published data to be archived. Since the service was launched in late 2014, it has provided research project teams from all QUT faculties with acquisition, working or archival data space. Feedback indicates that the storage suits the unique needs of researchers and their data. As part of the workflow to establish storage space for researchers, Research Support Specialists and Research Data Librarians consult with researchers and HDRs to identify data storage requirements for projects and individual researchers, and to select and implement the most suitable data storage services and facilities. While research can be a journey into the unknown[1], a plan can help navigate through the uncertainty. Intertwined in the storage provision is QUT’s Research Data Management Planning tool. Launched in March 2015, it has already attracted 273 QUT staff and 352 HDR student registrations, and over 620 plans have been created (2/10/2015). Developed in collaboration with Office of Research Ethics and Integrity (OREI), uptake of the plan has exceeded expectations.

This thesis investigates the utility of lidar ceilometers, a type of aerosol lidar, in improving the understanding of meteorology and air quality in persistent wintertime stable boundary layers, or cold-air pools, that form in urbanized valley and basin topography. This thesis reviews the scientific literature to survey the present knowledge of persistent cold-air pools, the operating principles of lidar ceilometers, and their demonstrated utility in meteorological investigations. Lidar ceilometer data from the Persistent Cold-Air Pool Study (PCAPS) are then used with meteorological and air quality data from other in situ and remote sensing equipment to investigate cold-air pools that formed in Utah's Salt Lake Valley during the winter of 2010-2011. The lidar ceilometer is shown to accurately measure aerosol layer depth and aerosol loading, when compared to visual observations. A linear relationship is found between low-level lidar backscatter and surface particulate measurements. Convective boundary layer lidar analysis techniques applied to cold-air pool ceilometer profiles can detect useful layer haracteristics. Fine-scale waves are observed and analyzed within the aerosol layer, with emphasis on Kelvin-Helmholz waves. Ceilometer aerosol backscatter profiles are analyzed to quantify and describe mixing processes in persistent cold-air pools. Overlays of other remote and in-situ observations are combined with ceilometer particle backscatter to describe specific events during PCAPS. This analysis describes the relationship between the aerosol layer and the valley inversion as well as interactions with large-scale meteorology. The ceilometer observations of hydrometers are used to quantify cloudiness and precipitation during the project, observing that 50% of hours when a PCAP was present had clouds or precipitation below 5 km above ground level (AGL). Then, combining an objective technique for determining hourly aerosol layer depths and correcting this subjectively during periods with low clouds or precipitation, a time series of aerosol depths was obtained. The mean depth of the surface-based aerosol layer during PCAP events was 1861 m MSL with a standard deviation of 135 m. The aerosol layer depth, given the approximate 1300 m altitude of the valley floor, is thus about 550 m, about 46% of the basin depth. The aerosol layer is present during much of the winter and is removed only during strong or prolonged precipitation periods or when surface winds are strong. Nocturnal fogs that formed near the end of high-stability PCAP episodes had a limited effect on aerosol layer depth. Aerosol layer depth was relatively invariant during the winter and during the persistent cold-air pools, while PMio concentrations at the valley floor varied with bulk atmospheric stability associated primarily with passage of large-scale high- and low-pressure weather systems. PM10 concentrations also increased with cold-air pool duration. Mean aerosol loading in the surface-based aerosol layer, as determined from ceilometer backscatter coefficients, showed weaker variations than those of surface PM10 concentrations, suggesting that ineffective vertical mixing and aerosol layering are present in the cold-air pools. This is supported by higher time-resolution backscatter data, and it distinguishes the persistent cold-air pools from well-mixed convective boundary layers where ground-based air pollution concentrations are closely related to time-dependent convective boundary layer/aerosol depths. These results are discussed along with recommendations for future explorations of the ceilometer and cold-air pool topics.

The Earth Observing One (EO-1) satellite was launched in November 2000 as a technology demonstration mission with an estimated 1-year lifespan. It has now successfully completed 12 years of high spatial resolution imaging operations from low Earth orbit. EO-1's two main instruments, Hyperion and the Advanced Land Imager (ALI), have both served as prototypes for new generation satellite missions. ALI, an innovative multispectral instrument, is the forerunner of the Operational Land Imager (OLI) onboard the Landsat Data Continuity Mission's (LDCM) Landsat-8 satellite, recently launched in Feb. 2013. Hyperion, a hyperspectral instrument, serves as the heritage orbital spectrometer for future global platforms, including the proposed NASA Hyperspectral Infrared Imager (HyspIRI) and the forthcoming (in 2017) German satellite, EnMAP.

Projects funded by the Australian National Data Service(ANDS). The specific projects that were funded included: a) Greenhouse Gas Emissions Project (N2O) with Prof. Peter Grace from QUT’s Institute of Sustainable Resources. b) Q150 Project for the management of multimedia data collected at Festival events with Prof. Phil Graham from QUT’s Institute of Creative Industries. c) Bio-diversity environmental sensing with Prof. Paul Roe from the QUT Microsoft eResearch Centre. For the purposes of these projects the Eclipse Rich Client Platform (Eclipse RCP) was chosen as an appropriate software development framework within which to develop the respective software. This poster will present a brief overview of the requirements of the projects, an overview of the experiences of the project team in using Eclipse RCP, report on the advantages and disadvantages of using Eclipse and it’s perspective on Eclipse as an integrated tool for supporting future data management requirements.

We have developed novel gold-silver alloy nanoshells as magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) dual T 1 (positive) and T 2 (negative) contrast agents as an alternative to typical gadolinium (Gd)-based contrast agents. Specifically, we have doped iron oxide nanoparticles with Gd ions and sequestered the ions within the core by coating the nanoparticles with an alloy of gold and silver. Thus, these nanoparticles are very innovative and have the potential to overcome toxicities related to renal clearance of contrast agents such as nephrogenic systemic fibrosis. The morphology of the attained nanoparticles was characterized by XRD which demonstrated the successful incorporation of Gd(III) ions into the structure of the magnetite, with no major alterations of the spinel structure, as well as the growth of the gold-silver alloy shells. This was supported by TEM, ICP-AES, and SEM/EDS data. The nanoshells showed a saturation magnetization of 38 emu/g because of the presence of Gd ions within the crystalline structure with r 1 and r 2 values of 0.0119 and 0.9229 mL mg-1 s-1, respectively (Au:Ag alloy = 1:1). T 1- and T 2-weighted images of the nanoshells showed that these agents can both increase the surrounding water proton signals in the T 1-weighted image and reduce the signal in T 2-weighted images. The as-synthesized nanoparticles exhibited strong absorption in the range of 600-800 nm, their optical properties being strongly dependent upon the thickness of the gold-silver alloy shell. Thus, these nanoshells have the potential to be utilized for tumor cell ablation because of their absorption as well as an imaging agent.

Gold nanoparticle-mediated photothermal therapy (PTT) has shown great potential for the treatment of cancer in mouse studies and is now being evaluated in clinical trials. For this therapy, gold nanoparticles (AuNPs) are injected intravenously and are allowed to accumulate within the tumor via the enhanced permeability and retention (EPR) effect. The tumor is then irradiated with a near infrared laser, whose energy is absorbed by the AuNPs and translated into heat. While reliance on the EPR effect for tumor targeting has proven adequate for vascularized tumors in small animal models, the efficiency and specificity of tumor delivery in vivo, particularly in tumors with poor blood supply, has proven challenging. In this study, we examine whether human T cells can be used as cellular delivery vehicles for AuNP transport into tumors. We first demonstrate that T cells can be efficiently loaded with 45 nm gold colloid nanoparticles without affecting viability or function (e.g. migration and cytokine production). Using a human tumor xenograft mouse model, we next demonstrate that AuNP-loaded T cells retain their capacity to migrate to tumor sites in vivo. In addition, the efficiency of AuNP delivery to tumors in vivo is increased by more than four-fold compared to injection of free PEGylated AuNPs and the use of the T cell delivery system also dramatically alters the overall nanoparticle biodistribution. Thus, the use of T cell chaperones for AuNP delivery could enhance the efficacy of nanoparticle-based therapies and imaging applications by increasing AuNP tumor accumulation.

An in depth analysis of gold nanoparticle (AuNP) synthesis and size tuning, utilizing carbon monoxide (CO) gas as a reducing agent, is presented for the first time. The sizes of the AuNPs are tunable from ~4 to 100 nm by altering the concentration of HAuCl4 and inlet CO gas-injection flow rate. It is also found that speciation of aqueous HAuCl4, prior to reduction, influences the size, morphology, and properties of AuNPs when reduced with CO gas. Ensemble extinction spectra and TEM images provide clear evidence that CO reduction offers a high level of monodispersity with standard deviations as low as 3%. Upon synthesis, no excess reducing agent remains in solution eliminating the need for purification. The time necessary to synthesize AuNPs, using CO, is less than 2 min.

The development of research data management infrastructure and services and making research data more discoverable and accessible to the research community is a key priority at the national, state and individual university level. This paper will discuss and reflect upon a collaborative project between Griffith University and the Queensland University of Technology to commission a Metadata Hub or Metadata Aggregation service based upon open source software components. It will describe the role that metadata aggregation services play in modern research infrastructure and argue that this role is a critical one.

The upper Condamine River in southern Queensland has formed extensive alluvial deposits which have been used for irrigation of cotton crops for over 40 years. Due to excessive use and long term drought conditions these groundwater resources are under substantial threat. This condition is now recognised by all stakeholders, and Qld Department of Environment and Resource Management (DERM) are currently undertaking a water planning process for the Central Condamine Alluvium with water users and other stakeholders. DERM aims to effectively demonstrate the character of the groundwater system and its current status, and notably the continued long-term drawdown of the watertable. It was agreed that 3D visualisation was an ideal tool to achieve this. The Groundwater Visualisation System (GVS) developed at QUT was utilised and the visualisation model developed in conjunction with DERM to achieve a planning-management tool for this particular application

In this paper we discuss an advanced, 3D groundwater visualisation and animation system that allows scientists, government agencies and community groups to better understand the groundwater processes that effect community planning and decision-making. The system is unique in that it has been designed to optimise community engagement. Although it incorporates a powerful visualisation engine, this open-source system can be freely distributed and boasts a simple user interface allowing individuals to run and investigate the models on their own PCs and gain intimate knowledge of the groundwater systems. The initial version of the Groundwater Visualisation System (GVS v1.0), was developed from a coastal delta setting (Bundaberg, QLD), and then applied to a basalt catchment area (Obi Obi Creek, Maleny, QLD). Several major enhancements have been developed to produce higher quality visualisations, including display of more types of data, support for larger models and improved user interaction. The graphics and animation capabilities have also been enhanced, notably the display of boreholes, depth logs and time-series water level surfaces. The GVS software remains under continual development and improvement

Visualisation provides a method to efficiently convey and understand the complex nature and processes of groundwater systems. This technique has been applied to the Lockyer Valley to aid in comprehending the current condition of the system. The Lockyer Valley in southeast Queensland hosts intensive irrigated agriculture sourcing groundwater from alluvial aquifers. The valley is around 3000 km2 in area and the alluvial deposits are typically 1-3 km wide and to 20-35 m deep in the main channels, reducing in size in subcatchments. The configuration of the alluvium is of a series of elongate “fingers”. In this roughly circular valley recharge to the alluvial aquifers is largely from seasonal storm events, on the surrounding ranges. The ranges are overlain by basaltic aquifers of Tertiary age, which overall are quite transmissive. Both runoff from these ranges and infiltration into the basalts provided ephemeral flow to the streams of the valley. Throughout the valley there are over 5,000 bores extracting alluvial groundwater, plus lesser numbers extracting from underlying sandstone bedrock. Although there are approximately 2500 monitoring bores, the only regularly monitored area is the formally declared management zone in the lower one third. This zone has a calibrated Modflow model (Durick and Bleakly, 2000); a broader valley Modflow model was developed in 2002 (KBR), but did not have extensive extraction data for detailed calibration. Another Modflow model focused on a central area river confluence (Wilson, 2005) with some local production data and pumping test results. A recent subcatchment simulation model incorporates a network of bores with short-period automated hydrographic measurements (Dvoracek and Cox, 2008). The above simulation models were all based on conceptual hydrogeological models of differing scale and detail.

Queensland University of Technology (QUT) is a large multidisciplinary university located in Brisbane, Queensland, Australia. QUT is increasing its research focus and is developing its research support services. It has adopted a model of collaboration between the Library, High Performance Computing and Research Support (HPC) and more broadly with Information Technology Services (ITS). Research support services provided by the Library include the provision of information resources and discovery services, bibliographic management software, assistance with publishing (publishing strategies, identifying high impact journals, dealing with publishers and the peer review process), citation analysis and calculating authors’ H Index. Research data management services are being developed by the Library and HPC working in collaboration. The HPC group within ITS supports research computing infrastructure, research development and engagement activities, researcher consultation, high speed computation and data storage systems , 2D/ 3D (immersive) visualisation tools, parallelisation and optimization of research codes, statistics/ data modeling training and support (both qualitative and quantitative) and support for the university’s central Access Grid collaboration facility. Development and engagement activities include participation in research grants and papers, student supervision and internships and the sponsorship, incubation and adoption of new computing technologies for research. ITS also provides other services that support research including ICT training, research infrastructure (networking, data storage, federated access and authorization, virtualization) and corporate systems for research administration. Seminars and workshops are offered to increase awareness and uptake of new and existing services. A series of online surveys on eResearch practices and skills and a number of focus groups was conducted to better inform the development of research support services. Progress towards the provision of research support is described within the context organizational frameworks; resourcing; infrastructure; integration; collaboration; change management; engagement; awareness and skills; new services; and leadership. Challenges to be addressed include the need to redeploy existing operational resources toward new research support services, supporting a rapidly growing research profile across the university, the growing need for the use and support of IT in research programs, finding capacity to address the diverse research support needs across the disciplines, operationalising new research support services following their implementation in project mode, embedding new specialist staff roles, cross-skilling Liaison Librarians, and ensuring continued collaboration between stakeholders.

After the recent prolonged drought conditions in many parts of Australia it is increasingly recognised that many groundwater systems are under stress. Although this is obvious for systems that are utilised for intensive irrigation many other groundwater systems are also impacted.Management strategies are highly variable to non-existent. Policy and regulation are also often inadequate, and are reactive or politically driven. In addition, there is a wide range of opinion by water users and other stakeholders as to what is “reasonable”management practice. These differences are often related to the “value”that is put on the groundwater resource. Opinions vary from “our right to free water”to an awareness that without effective management the resource will be degraded. There is also often misunderstanding of surface water-groundwater linkages, recharge processes, and baseflow to drainage systems.

Effective management of groundwater requires stakeholders to have a realistic conceptual understanding of the groundwater systems and hydrological processes.However, groundwater data can be complex, confusing and often difficult for people to comprehend..A powerful way to communicate understanding of groundwater processes, complex subsurface geology and their relationships is through the use of visualisation techniques to create 3D conceptual groundwater models. In addition, the ability to animate, interrogate and interact with 3D models can encourage a higher level of understanding than static images alone. While there are increasing numbers of software tools available for developing and visualising groundwater conceptual models, these packages are often very expensive and are not readily accessible to majority people due to complexity. .The Groundwater Visualisation System (GVS) is a software framework that can be used to develop groundwater visualisation tools aimed specifically at non-technical computer users and those who are not groundwater domain experts. A primary aim of GVS is to provide management support for agencies, and enhancecommunity understanding.

The Howard East rural area has experienced a rapid growth of small block subdivisions and horticulture over the last 40 years, which has been based on groundwater supply. Early bores in the area provide part of the water supply for Darwin City and are maintained and monitored by NT Power & Water Corporation. The Territory government (NRETAS) has established a monitoring network, and now 48 bores are monitored. However, in the area there are over 2700 private bores that are unregulated.Although NRETAS has both FDM and FEM simulations for the region, community support for potential regulation is sought. To improve stakeholder understanding of the resource QUT was retained by the TRaCKconsortium to develop a 3D visualisation of the groundwater system.

There is an ever-expanding need to provide economical space launch opportunities for relatively small science payloads. To address this need, a team at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center has designed the Pucks at. The Pucksat is a highly versatile payload carrier structure compatible for launching on a Delta II two-stage vehicle as a system co-manifested with a primary payload. It is also compatible for launch on the Air Force Medium Class EELV. Pucksat's basic structural architecture consists of six honeycomb panels attached to six longerons in a hexagonal manner and closed off at the top and bottom with circular rings. Users may configure a co-manifested Pucksat in a number of ways. As examples, co-manifested configurations can be designed to accommodate dedicated missions, multiple experiments, multiple small deployable satellites, or a hybrid of the preceding examples. The Pucksat has fixed lateral dimensions and a downward scaleable height. The dimension across the panel hexagonal flats is 62 in. and the maximum height configuration dimension is 38.5 in. Pucks at has been designed to support a 5000 Ibm primary payload, with the center of gravity located no greater than 60 in. from its separation plane, and to accommodate a total co-manifested payload mass of 1275 Ibm.

Supplementary Data. A document containing four supplementary figures and one supplementary table. UV-vis absorbance readings; zeta potential measurements of bare and PEGylated AuNPs; and additional cellular TEM images. (PDF 4592Â kb)

Interseeding alfalfa (Medicago sativa L.) can improve grazed grasslands by adding a high-protein forage species and increasing the system productivity, but runs the risk of soil water depletion owing to its relatively high consumptive use of water. A 3.5 yr (2015 – 2018) experiment was conducted at the Texas Tech Forage Laboratory, near New Deal, TX, to understand the impacts of alfalfa growth type and stand density on a trade-off between pasture quality improvement and water consumption. In October 2015, two upright-type alfalfas, ‘WL440HQ’ (WL), ‘NuMex Bill Melton’ (NM), or prostrate-type ‘Falcata-Rhizoma’ blend (FR) were interseeded into mixtures of blue grama (Bouteloua gracilis Willd.), sideoats grama (Bouteloua curtipendula Michx.), and green sprangletop (Leptochloa dubia Kunth.) at 36 or 71-cm row spacing (high or low density, respectively). Although seedling emergence was initially greater for WL than NM and FR, seedling and crown density declined exponentially at the greatest rate of –1.58 seedlings d–1 and –0.087 crown d–1, respectively. The lower plant density decay rate of NM (–1.26 seedlings d–1 during emergence and –0.047 crown d–1 after establishment) suggested better persistence potential than WL and FR (P < 0.01). The greater decline rate of alfalfa crowns at high density (–0.122 crown d–1) than at low density (–0.051 crown d–1) (P < 0.0001) during summer, resulting in convergence toward a common crown density of 6.5 m–2 at the end of the trial. Soil water content was monitored for 2 yr with a multi-depth capacitance probe (PR2/6 Profile Probe) whose data were corrected via in situ calibration to account for errors associated with high clay content. Cultivars did not differ in soil water use, but row spacings significantly differed. Narrow spacing resulted in greater soil water depletion in years 2 and 3 (256 and 267 mm) than that of wide spacing (206 and 233 mm) and the grass-only control (172 and 193 mm) (P < 0.01). Also, grass leaf and stem water potentials were depressed as alfalfa density increased from control to wide rows to narrow rows. Averaged across 3 years, the inclusion of alfalfa into native grass mixture increased total forage yield by 35% over grass-only control (P < 0.0001), forage yield was 3360 and 2480 kg ha–1 for alfalfa-grass mixture and grass-only control, respectively. Narrow row spacing consistently yielded more alfalfa and more total biomass than wide spacing in 2016 and 2017 (P < 0.01), but yield did not differ between row spacings in 2018. Water use efficiency was greater for NM and WL (0.74 and 0.70 kg DM m–3 ET, respectively) than for FR and control (0.57 and 0.52 kg DM m–3 ET, respectively) when averaged over 2017 and 2018. Interseeding alfalfa into native grass pasture reduced weed infestation over the grass-only control (P < 0.0001). Inclusion of alfalfa increased yields of crude protein (CP) and digestible organic matter (DOM) by 122 and 52%, respectively, over grass-only control, which in turn reduced the water footprint (m3 ET kg–1 CP or DOM) by 56 and 30%, respectively, over grass-only control. Key findings are:  The upright-type cultivars, NM and WL, established better than the prostrate grazing-type FR. Therefore, improved hay-type cultivars targeted for the Southern High Plains would be a viable choice for interseeding into native grassland.  Wide and narrow row spacing treatments converged to a common alfalfa crown density by the third year after interseeding, which suggests that the lower seeding rate of the wide row treatment can save costs while achieving a desirable degree of stand development.  A site-specific calibration of the capacitance probe was necessary to attain research-quality accuracy in measurement of soil water with this clay soil.  High-density planting of alfalfa depleted more soil water than low density by exacerbating alfalfa competition with grass for soil water.  Average total forage yield of alfalfa-grass mixtures was greater with NM and WL than with FR. Interseeding alfalfa at both row spacings increased water use efficiency of forage production when compared to the control. This indicates that alfalfa enhances pasture productivity even under limited water supply.  Interseeding alfalfa at low density into native grasses on the Texas High Plains can enrich the crude protein and digestible energy concentrations and forage yield of the pastures with minimal exacerbation of soil water depletion.

Suppression of creeping bentgrass (Agrostis stolonifera L.) putting greens from plant growth regulators (PGRs) appears to have declined in recent years. Golf course superintendents on the Southern High Plains of Texas struggle with excessive shoot growth of creeping bentgrass during summer months that can result in reduced turf quality (non-uniform growth or scalping) and performance (slow putting green speeds). Creeping bentgrass in semi-arid regions seems to accelerate in growth as the ambient air temperature increases through the summer. Making sequential applications of PGRs to the putting greens during mid to late summer has little to no suppression of the turf. The objectives of this study were to develop growing degree day (GDD) models of commercially available PGRs and analyze visual turf quality and PGR suppression capacity with sequential applications of PGRs on creeping bentgrass putting greens. This research was conducted on two golf courses in Lubbock, TX in the summer of 2014 and 2015. Modeling PGR applications were allowed 1000 GDDs between applications and sequential applications were made every two weeks. Plant growth regulators commercially available for bentgrass putting greens at this time were trinexapac-ethyl (TE), paclobutrazol, flurprimidol, Legacy (TE and flurprimidol) and Musketeer (TE, paclobutrazol, and flurprimidol). Clippings were collected twice per week from the PGR plots and evaluated against the control plots. Turf quality was evaluated visually and using digital image analysis to calculate percent green cover and dark green color with the plots every two weeks between sequential PGR applications. Peak suppression of the turf on the modeling applications ranged from 24% with flurprimidol to 39% with Musketeer. The variation between these products resulted in an additional 83 GDD of accumulation with Musketeer compared to flurprimidol, which could represent an additional 3 to 7 days before additional applications would be required. Legacy and Musketeer suppressed the turf for a longer period than other PGRs. Turf quality was reduced with initial applications of products containing paclobutrazol due to high phytotoxicity from over suppression of the creeping bentgrass. However, those plots treated with products containing paclobutrazol or flurprimidol provided darker green color compared to the untreated control or TE alone on most dates. Sequential applications of PGRs made later in the summer had limited suppression relative to the control plots. Products containing paclobutrazol suppressed the turf more than other sequential applications of PGRs. Ultimately, this research proves that all commercially available products reduce foliar growth of creeping bengrass following application; however, the level of suppression provided or the length of time between applications differs with external factors. The temperature and growth rate of creeping bentgrass should be considered when selecting a product use rate because moderate rates of some products can result in over suppression if applied during sub-optimal growth periods. Over-suppressing the turf can lead to limited traffic tolerance and recovery or increased disease pressure in some regions. Sequential applications of PGRs made based on GDD are would likely be more consistent at suppressing the turfgrass than applications that based on a Julian calendar. Consistently applying PGRs to creeping bentgrass will likely result in phytotoxicity that significantly reduces percent green cover, but ultimately expresses a much darker green color.

Bermudagrass is a warm season turf species that is widely used on golf course fairways in the Southwestern US because of its adaptions. In semiarid and arid regions, turfgrasses rely on irrigation water to maintain performance. The high evapotranspiration caused by high temperature and wind conditions results in a higher water demand for turfgrass growing in these regions. However, the salts accumulated in soil due to the poor quality of irrigation water from the Ogallala aquifer may have potentially negative effects on soil and turf. Cleaner water may not always is available for leaching. The objective of this research was to determine if application of products and cultivation practices can provide benefits for salts remediation and turf quality improvement with normal levels of irrigation water. Rawls Golf Course and Meadowbrook Golf Club with different soil and turf characteristics in Lubbock, TX were selected to conduct this research. Cultivation practices, core aerification, slicing, and non-cultivated control were applied in middle June 2015 and 2016. The rate and timing of 10 product (surfactants and gypsum based products) applications were based on the product label. Soil samples of each experimental plot were collected three times each year and analyzed for electrical conductivity and pH measurement. Large molecular weight chemical elements were measured with the portable x-ray fluorescence instrument. Data including visual turf quality, digital image analysis, normalized difference vegetation index, ratio vegetation index, and volumetric water content were measured at the frequency of every other week from June to October in 2015 and 2016. Precipitation was the main factor to regulate soil EC. The high amounts of rainfall received prior to this research in 2015 likely reduced the accumulated salts in the soil from extended drought. Gypsum and Verde-Cal G significantly reduced soil pH after two years of applications. Granular products generally increased soil EC compared to control, especially at Meadowbrook, with normal irrigation levels. Cultivation practices were the main factor that caused significant differences on above ground turf parameters. Core aerified treatments were slower to heal at the Rawls Golf Course, which resulted in poorer cover and color throughout the summers in 2015 and 2016. The ratio vegetation index and turf quality were significantly improved by cultivation practices on the common bermudagrass fairway at Meadowbrook Golf Club. The lower volumetric water content by core aerification compared to non-cultivated or sliced treatments at Meadowbrook may demonstrate a higher infiltration rate associated with core aerified practice. Few consistent significant differences on turf parameters were observed based on product applications. Soil with 5% more clay content at Rawls may have higher buffering capacity to limit soil EC changes in this short study period. The high clay content 19.7% and potential poor soil structure at Rawls may have limited turf recovery from core aerified treatments. Overall, the salt remediation ability was limited by applications of products and cultivation practices without leaching fraction. The soil salinity never reached a level that significantly impacted the relatively salt tolerant bermudagrass, which may have limited the potential benefits that could have been provided by products.