The development of self-injury as a multi-functional behaviour

In order to advance our understanding of self-injury this longitudinal study investigated the experiences of 25 adults who had used or were using self-injury. This was achieved by obtaining verbal narrative accounts of their experiences of using self-injury from its onset during childhood or early adolescence, throughout adolescence and into adulthood. These verbatim accounts formed a corpus of data which was analysed using a grounded theory method. This process established seven robust categories associated with the use of self-injury consisting of behavioural, cognitive, emotional, social, occupational, communication and physiological experiences. By thoroughly examining these categories the development of self-injury as a versatile multi-functional behaviour emerged which was governed by the individuals‟ needs. Evidence for these multiple uses stemmed from the similarities that developed in the individuals‟ use of self-injury over time. Highlighting these multiple functions it was established that improved social, communication and occupational conditions were crucial aspects in the participants‟ reduction in using self-injury. The contribution this research has made towards developing our understanding of self-injury was addressed, particularly in relation to its use by the non-clinically defined members of the general public who took part, and in the context of advancing relevant nursing research and practice. Several critical aspects of the methodology were identified, in particular the restrictive generalisation of the findings to others who self-injure, and the use of retrospective accounts were discussed and directives were outlined to improve these aspects in future research. Proposals were made for further research to clarify and investigate the multiple functions of self-injury and to increase our understanding of the continuing use of covert self-injury during adulthood. Additionally, the relevance of the findings to nursing practice, principally in relation to adequately assessing the use of self-injury was discussed

Formation and characterization of inorganic membranes from zeolite-silica microcomposites

Small crystals of zeolites (500-1000 nm) with two- and three-dimensional channel systems (faujasite and ZSM-5 structures) were embedded in amorphous thin films derived from TEOS hydrolyzed in alcoholic solution. Scanning electron microscopy studies show that the zeolites can be quite evenly dispersed in the membrane, resulting in single layers of zeolite crystals protruding out of the amorphous matrix. In situ FT-IR studies with a series of probe molecules revealed that in most membranes the zeolites were 100% accessible from the gas phase. The membranes excluded molecules which are larger than the pore openings of the zeolite embedded in the composite

Effect of plant-based feed ingredients on osmoregulation in the Atlantic salmon lens

Lenses of adult Atlantic salmon fed with a plant oil and plant protein-based diet (plant diet) were compared to lenses of fish fed a diet based on traditional marine ingredients (marine diet) with respect to biochemical composition and functionality ex vivo. After 12 months of feeding, plant diet-fed fish had smaller lenses with higher water contents and lower concentrations of histidine (His) and N-acetylhistidine (NAH) than fish fed with the marine diet. Cataract development in both dietary groups was minimal and no differences between the groups were observed. Lens fatty acid and lipid class composition differed minimally, although a significant increase in linoleic acid was observed. The lenses were examined for their ability to withstand osmotic disturbances ex vivo. Culture in hypoosmotic and hyperosmotic media led to increase and decrease of lens volume, respectively. Lenses from plant diet-fed fish were less resistant to swelling and shrinking, released less NAH into the culture medium, and accumulated His and NAH at higher rates than lenses from marine diet-fed fish. Culture in hypoosmotic medium resulted in higher cataract scores than in control and hyperosmotic medium. mRNA expression of selected genes, including glutathione peroxidase 4 and SPARC (secreted protein acidic and rich in cysteine), was affected by diet and osmotic treatment. It can be concluded that lenses of farmed Atlantic salmon are affected by the diet composition, both in biochemical composition and physiological functionality in relation to osmoregulation

Incentivizing Conservation in the Mid-Atlantic States and Beyond: An assessment of Conservation Strategies for Private Landowners

Fragmentation of open land has been a consistently increasing problem in the Mid-Atlantic States and many other parts of the country. The rapid spread of urban areas and the high price of maintaining large areas of open land are putting ever increasing pressure on private landowners to subdivide their properties for sale and subsequent development. Furthermore, the high costs of maintaining land compared with the relatively low economic yields of many farms and working forests compel the owners of those lands to utilize unsustainable management practices that may degrade the integrity of the property and the surrounding landscape as a whole. While these factors, combined with a depressed economy, make it increasingly difficult for owners and managers of large tracts of land to maintain their properties intact and in an ecologically sustainable manner, there are several opportunities that exist to encourage the maintenance of open space and the use of sound management practices by lessening the costs of land ownership or sharing in the costs of conservation. Funding for these programs comes from federal, state, and private sources. This paper will discuss federal conservation incentive programs, state preferential tax assessment programs in the Mid-Atlantic, conservation easements and land trust organizations, and the future potential of the carbon credit trade. Together, these can provide a strong economic incentive for land conservation and stewardship, and may help to slow the rapid spread of urbanization

Geographically specific life cycle assessment of electricity from tidal turbines in the United States

Life cycle assessment can be used to determine whether electricity from ocean energy sources has a lower climate change impact than electricity from fossil energy sources. A mathematical model was developed to calculate GHG emissions of electricity from a tidal turbine across its life cycle processes, scaled to a functional unit of 1 kWh. It was applied to 23 “hotspots” sites on U.S. coasts. Daily peak tidal velocities were used to determine electricity generated over the turbine’s lifetime. The life cycle climate change impacts of electricity from tidal turbines varied significantly across deployment sites. For example, the carbon footprint for a tidal turbine in the Sitkinak Strait (AK) is over 11,000 percent higher than that of the East River (NY). This shows electricity from tidal turbines can have life cycle climate change impacts comparable to other renewable energy sources, fossil energy sources, or impacts even worse than fossil energy sources