An evaluation of the Chesapeake Bay management strategy to improve water quality in small agricultural watersheds.

Chesapeake Bay water quality has been a concern since 1970. In rural areas, agriculture is the dominant N and P source, and the voluntary application of best management practices (BMPs) is the primary management tool. Here we test the hypothesis that the current management approach of primarily voluntary, untargeted BMP implementation is insufficient to create detectable, widespread reductions in N, P, and total suspended solid (TSS) concentrations in agricultural watersheds of the Choptank basin, a tributary of Chesapeake Bay. To test this hypothesis, we assessed BMP implementation and sampled water quality on participating farms, at intermediate streams within each watershed, and at watershed outlets of four watersheds from 2013 to 2014. We also present water quality data from 2003 to 2014 at the outlets of 12 additional agricultural and one forested watershed and survey-directed interviews of farmers. By the end of 2014, large numbers of BMPs, both structural and cultural, had been implemented. Of the 16 agricultural watersheds, 50% showed significant decreases in baseflow N, 37.5% showed no changes, and 12.5% showed increasing TN. Baseflow P significantly decreased at just one watershed, increased at one, and remained stable at 14. Stormflow N was similar to baseflow, but stormflow P was 5 times higher than baseflow. These data partially support our hypothesis. Surveys suggested farmers considered themselves responsible for the quality of water leaving their farms, but out-of-pocket cost was the major impediment to further BMP adoption. We suggest that greater outreach and more financial support for farmers to implement BMPs is required to increase the types and densities of BMPs needed to achieve regional water quality goals.

Micro-surgical fascicular nerve repair: a morphological study of the endoneurial bulge.

The phenomenon of 'endoneurial bulging' from the cut end of the divided nerve fasciculus in the rat sciatic nerve has been examined with light and scanning electron microscopy and the morphological changes compared when dividing the fasciculus with either micro-scissors or a sharp razor blade.

Collagen types present at human fracture sites--a preliminary report.

Collagen has been examined from normally and abnormally healing fractures. A higher proportion of type III collagen than was expected was found in abnormally healing fractures. Very little is known about collagen synthesis in healing fractures and how it is altered in abnormal healing states such as delayed and non-union.

Severe injuries of the radial nerve treated by sural nerve grafting.

We present six cases of severe injuries of the radial nerve in the arm. These were all treated by autogenous nerve grafting over distances of between 7 and 14 cm up to 26 months after the injury. We describe our results and discuss the place of nerve grafting in the management of these injuries.

Intrathoracic displacement of the humeral head with fracture of the surgical neck.

Intrathoracic displacement of the humeral head occurred in a man in association with fracture of the surgical neck of the humerus. This report describes the mechanism of the injury and a method of operative exposure.

Neurophysiological studies of autogenous sural nerve grafts.

Sixteen autogenous sural nerve grafts used for ulnar and median injuries in the forearm have been studied neurophysiologically up to two and a half years after operation. Motor and sensory nerve conduction studies revealed a slow but sustained improvement during the follow-up period. By two years, motor conduction velocity across the graft itself reached in most cases 40 to 85% of the conduction velocity in the contralateral normal limb. Some reduction of motor conduction velocity was observed in the uninjured nerve proximal to the graft but this was less marked. Sensory nerve action potentials were obtained in 44% of nerves after 18 months although in all cases the amplitude of the potentials and in most cases their velocity, was greatly reduced.

The effects of sural nerve excision in autogenous nerve grafting.

The effect of excising fifty sural nerves from the legs of forty-five patients undergoing nerve grafting are described. Forty-two per cent of patients complained of tenderness in the calf, likely to be due to neuroma formation. Ten per cent of patients had other minor complaints. One would haematoma and one deep vein thrombosis occurred. Overall patient satisfaction was high when the functional result of the nerve grafting was taken into account.