Enhancing Understanding of Effects of Riparian Buffers on Aquatic Ecosystems through Development of Environmental Outreach Tools

Proceedings of the 1999 Georgia Water Resources Conference, March 30 and 31, Athens, Georgia.Environmental outreach is an important element in the protection of riparian and aquatic environments. Scientists can play a key role in helping stakeholders understand the role of riparian zones in the ecology of both aquatic and terrestrial ecosystems. Toward this end we have developed several outreach and teaching tools which we discuss here. First, we developed a presentation on the function and value of riparian environments (80 slides and accompanying written materials) with emphasis on their importance to the health and biotic integrity of aquatic ecosystems. This 1-2 hour long presentation can be adapted for a wide variety of audiences (local communities, high school, and/or university-level). Distributed throllgh the North American Benthological Society, these materials are being used by a variety of local state and federal agencies, conservation organizations, and academic institutions. Second, we spearheaded the development of a Stream Visual Assessment Protocol (SV AP) through the Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS). SV AP was designed for use by NRCS field staff (who work with agricultural landowners in a nonregulatory capacity) to serve as an introductory screeninglevel assessment method. Third, we developed a 2-day training course for NRCS field staff and partners. The course covers three main topics: (1) basic stream ecology; (2) how to use SV AP; and (3) how to conduct a simple biological assessment using benthic organisms. It is designed in modules to allow for use in a variety of different contexts and includes an instructor's manual, a student workbook, -300 slides, a videotape, a macroinvertebrate training kit, and other materials. Finally, we are developing a field guide for NRCS on stream ecological assessment that is designed to help NRCS field staff with stream assessments and to help landowners understand the importance of healthy riparian zones.Sponsored and Organized by: U.S. Geological Survey, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, The University of Georgia, Georgia State University, Georgia Institute of TechnologyThis book was published by the Institute of Ecology, The University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 30602-2202 with partial funding provided by the U.S. Department of Interior, geological Survey, through the Georgia Water Research Insttitute as authorized by the Water Research Institutes Authorization Act of 1990 (P.L. 101-397). The views and statements advanced in this publication are solely those of the authors and do not represent official views or policies of the University of Georgia or the U.S. Geological Survey or the conference sponsors

ARMADA Middleware and Communication Services

Real-time embedded systems have evolved during the past several decades from small custom-designed digital hardware to large distributed processing systems. As these systems become more complex, their interoperability, evolvability and cost-effectiveness requirements motivate the use of commercial-off-the-shelf components. This raises the challenge of constructing dependable and predictable real-time services for application developers on top of the inexpensive hardware and software components which has minimal support for timeliness and dependability guarantees. We are addressing this challenge in the ARMADA project.Peer Reviewedhttp://deepblue.lib.umich.edu/bitstream/2027.42/48061/1/11241_2004_Article_204024.pd

Autoantibodies to muscarinic acetylcholine receptors found in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Autoantibodies to the human muscarinic acetylcholine receptor of the M3 type (hmAchR M3) have been suggested to play an etiopathogenic role in Sjögren's syndrome. Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) often is associated with this syndrome. Therefore, we studied the co-presence of hmAchR M3 autoantibodies in patients with PBC.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Frequency of hmAchR M3 autoantibodies was assessed by Western blotting analysis as well as by an ELISA using a 25-mer peptide of the 2^ndextracellular loop of hmAchR M3. Co-localization of hmAchR M3/PBC-specific autoantibodies was studied by confocal laser scanning microscopy. Finally, sera from patients with PBC as well as from healthy controls were tested.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Western blotting analysis as well as results from ELISA testing revealed a significantly enhanced IgG reactivity in PBC patients in contrast to healthy controls. Co-localization of autoantibodies with the hmAchR M3 receptor-specific autoantibodies was observed in 10 out of 12 PBC-patients but none of the 5 healthy controls. Antibodies of the IgM type were not found to be affected.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>For the first time, our data demonstrate the presence of autoantibodies to the hmAchR M3 in PBC patients. These findings might contribute to the understanding of the pathogenesis of this disease. Further studies have to focus on the functionality of hmAchR M3 autoantibodies in PBC patients.</p

2006. Eighteen years of saturation tagging data reveal a significant increase in nesting hawksbill sea turtles (Eretmochelys imbricata) on Long Island, Antigua. Animal Conservation

Abstract Hawksbill sea turtle Eretmochelys imbricata nesting on Long Island, Antigua, West Indies (also known as Jumby Bay) has been monitored since 1987. Although the numbers of nesting females remained relatively constant for the first 11 survey seasons (1987)(1988)(1989)(1990)(1991)(1992)(1993)(1994)(1995)(1996)(1997), inclusion of more recent data (1998)(1999)(2000)(2001)(2002)(2003)(2004) in the analysis reveals a statistically significant upward trend. In particular, neophytes have shown a significant upturn in numbers, whereas the remigrant subpopulation has remained stationary. This indicates that recruitment is driving the upward trend in the total number of nesters. Predictive models based on the Poisson distribution suggest that the neophyte subpopulation will continue to grow in size by an average of 10% per annum. Model-based predictions and their limitations are discussed. The Jumby Bay Hawksbill Project, which has monitored and protected nesting hawksbills and their eggs since the project&apos;s onset, is one among several factors that may contribute to the recent increase in nesting females

A regional analysis of coastal and domestic fishing effort in the wider Caribbean

Although regulated fishing effort is relatively well documented for fisheries in developed states, developing countries are dominated by artisanal fisheries that are characterized by large numbers of small boats, fishing in dispersed and remote locations. These factors make quantifying artisanal fishing effort difficult. In this study, we examined the distribution and density of fishing effort across a region dominated by coastal, artisanal fisheries: the wider Caribbean. We used generalized linear regression models to predict missing data needed to compute fishing effort metrics and to explain variance in average boat length of a fishery and the number of small-scale boats in a given country. Clear intra-regional differences between mainland and island fisheries, and between northern and southern Caribbean fisheries, are evident in the results. To map artisanal fisheries based on the minimal data available, we created a free, automated Fishing Effort Envelope Tool (FEET). Through the use of this tool, we mapped all fisheries in the Caribbean to the extent possible given current data. Further, this mapping process also allowed us to identify hotspots of high density coastal fishing and data gaps that may mask areas of even higher fishing pressure. The potential ecological consequences of the scale of artisanal fishing are profound, and have greater implications for developing regions worldwide

Social Welfare Orderings: A Life-Cycle Perspective

Life-cycle theories emphasize the fact that consumption is allocated intertemporally, on the basis of a long-term concept of resources that differs from household income. Because life-cycle income is unobserved, the distribution of this variable cannot be recovered. It is shown that, within a suitably defined class, a predictor of life-cycle income based on household income and expenditure entails a distribution dominated in a social welfare sense by the distribution of life-cycle incomes. A predictor constructed from socio-demographic variables induces a distribution that welfare-dominates the distribution of life-cycle incomes. Copyright (c) The London School of Economics and Political Science 2005.

Do fishing education programs effectively transfer ‘catch-and-release’ best practices to youth anglers yielding measurable improvements in fish condition and survival?

There is growing interest in educating anglers on catch-and-release (C&R) best practices, yet there is little information on whether angler education programs yield measurable improvements in fish condition and survival. As such, we conducted a study focused on mixed-gender youth groups (aged 8-10) and contrasted three levels of training intervention. Treatment 1 training had no mention of C&R best practices. Treatments 2 and 3 trainings involved visual aids to illustrate best practices, while Treatment 3 added a hands-on demonstration. When caught by the most highly trained participants, fish experienced the least amount of air exposure, but were handled for longer periods, as trained anglers were more careful. Higher levels of training led to a higher likelihood that anglers wet their hands and used a bucket filled with water while handling fish but all treatment groups yielded similar incidences of deep hooking and bleeding. Overall, mortality (initial and after ∼12 h) was low across all treatments. Our findings suggest that a short (∼20 min) fishing workshop can transfer information on C&R practices, at least in the short-term, that can lead to some improved conditions for angler-caught fish. It is unclear the extent to which this information is retained in the long-term or how different target populations or training strategies might influence knowledge transfer and adoption and thus biological outcomes. With growing interest in sharing C&R best practices with anglers, we suggest that there is need for additional research on outreach strategies to ensure that such efforts are effective and yield meaningful benefits to fish welfare and conservation