The effects of traumatic brain injury on complex figure test performance : a thesis presented in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Arts in Psychology at Massey University

Patients with Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI) have performed below norms on the Complex Figure Test (CFT) and this has been attributed to lack of organization (Binder, 1982). The present study compared 105 TBI subjects with 59 Controls in terms of accuracy and organization to examine whether lower TBI subject organization was associated with subsequent lower accuracy. Results showed that TBI subjects scored lower accuracy than controls on copy, recall and delay trials but did not score lower for organization (as measured by Hamby, Wilkins & Barry, 1993). Both groups were consistent in organizational approach across the three CFT trials, and copy organization scores of both groups were positively correlated with accuracy scores on recall and delay trials. This suggests that TBI subjects do have a problem with the CFT, but it cannot be linked to copy organization on the basis of evidence from the present study. The unexpected results were attributed to methodological problems involving the population samples and the organization measure

Establishing a baseline: Ecological monitoring for Panama Rock and Stones remnant, Le Bons Bay, Banks Peninsula

The eastern side of Banks Peninsula was created by eruptions and subsequent erosion of the Akaroa volcano which was active between 9 and 8 million years ago. Banks Peninsula was completely forested but due to human settlement approximately one percent of the forested area was left by the early 1900s. This large-scale removal of forest and the introduction of exotic mammals created a mass extinction of New Zealand’s native biota. The present day landscape is a mixture of bush occupying gullies which either escaped clearance or have regenerated due to more ideal moisture conditions and less disturbance from farming stock. The forested areas consist of either kanuka canopy or a mixed canopy of Fuchsia, mahoe, fivefinger, lemonwood, lacebark, ribbonwood, pigeonwood, kowhai and kaikomako. Within the eastern side of Banks Peninsula, inland from Le Bons Bay, is an area called Panama Rock, also known as Keller’s Peak. This peak is a trachyte dome with a feeder dike trending away south westwards. An invertebrate study on 19 covenant and reserves on eastern Banks Peninsula found that the Panama Rock remnant had high diversity compared to the others. The Panama Rock remnant was bought by the Joseph Langer Trust to conserve the native flora and fauna of the area and to make it available for the public to enjoy. This research aims to identify the native and pest fauna of the area. Monitoring will assist with management decisions by identifying: which native species are present, species in need of conservation, and exotic pests that need to be eradicated. Baseline surveys will allow the Trust to compare with future years and be able to gauge if their management actions are working. If the Trust is planning to trap introduced mammals at Panama Rock and/or the Stones remnant, monitoring will help to determine whether trapping is helping the native biodiversity

The eradication of mammalian predators from Quail Island, Banks Peninsula, Canterbury, New Zealand

In the period from January 2000 to January 2003 an attempt was made to eradicate mammalian pests (rodents, mustelids and hedgehogs) from Quail Island (Otamahua) to allow re-introductions of native species that were once present. Eradication techniques involved live trapping, kill trapping using Fenn traps and night searches that removed a total of 353 individuals. A ground-based poison operation was also undertaken. During 2 - 9 August 2002, 555 bait stations (yellow and black) were placed at 40m intervals covering Quail Island. Stations were baited with Pestoff 20R rodent bait pellets (0.002% brodifacoum) and, at later stages of the operation, Talon 50 WB briquette (0.005% brodifacoum). An analysis of predominant vegetation surrounding stations was also undertaken. Exotic grassland was the dominant habitat where hedgehogs were trapped and found during night searches. Hedgehogs were caught more readily on or near tracks, which they presumably use to feed and travel around the island. Male rats made up 70% of the rat catch. Bait-take by rodents was highest from black bait stations and from scrubland habitats surrounding bait stations on Quail Island. Eradication could not be confirmed, as a few bait stations were still active but most, if not all damage, appears to be by ground (Hemiandrus sp.) and cave weta (Pleioplectron simplex Hutton). Furthermore, a few hedgehog scats have been found since the poison operation began and no hedgehogs have been observed or trapped for 18 months indicating they have become vary scarce or have been eradicated. This information will be important for future management of Quail Island due to the proximity of the mainland, via mudflats, will need ongoing vigilance to protect against pest reinvasion

Assessing the invertebrate fauna trajectories in remediation sites of Winstone Aggregates Hunua quarry in Auckland

This study monitored the invertebrates in restoration plantings in the Winstone Aggregates Hunua Quarry. This was to assess the re-establishment of invertebrates in the restoration planting sites and compare them with unplanted control and mature sites. This study follows on from a baseline study carried out in 2014-2015 measuring the restoration trajectory of invertebrates in the Winstone Aggregate Hunua quarry site. A range of entomological monitoring techniques were used and found that dung beetles, millipedes, foliage moths, leaf litter moths and some mite species increased in numbers from the control sites through to the mature sites, while ants, rove beetles, grass moths, some carabid beetles, and worms showed a downwards trend from the mature sites to the control sites. Further monitoring of invertebrates in the restoration area should be carried out

Applying the trigger review method after a brief educational intervention: potential for teaching and improving safety in GP specialty training?

<p>Background: The Trigger Review Method (TRM) is a structured approach to screening clinical records for undetected patient safety incidents (PSIs) and identifying learning and improvement opportunities. In Scotland, TRM participation can inform GP appraisal and has been included as a core component of the national primary care patient safety programme that was launched in March 2013. However, the clinical workforce needs up-skilled and the potential of TRM in GP training has yet to be tested. Current TRM training utilizes a workplace face-to-face session by a GP expert, which is not feasible. A less costly, more sustainable educational intervention is necessary to build capability at scale. We aimed to determine the feasibility and impact of TRM and a related training intervention in GP training.</p> Methods We recruited 25 west of Scotland GP trainees to attend a 2-hour TRM workshop. Trainees then applied TRM to 25 clinical records and returned findings within 4-weeks. A follow-up feedback workshop was held. <p>Results: 21/25 trainees (84%) completed the task. 520 records yielded 80 undetected PSIs (15.4%). 36/80 were judged potentially preventable (45%) with 35/80 classified as causing moderate to severe harm (44%). Trainees described a range of potential learning and improvement plans. Training was positively received and appeared to be successful given these findings. TRM was valued as a safety improvement tool by most participants.</p> <p>Conclusion: This small study provides further evidence of TRM utility and how to teach it pragmatically. TRM is of potential value in GP patient safety curriculum delivery and preparing trainees for future safety improvement expectations.</p&gt

Lack of self-averaging in neutral evolution of proteins

We simulate neutral evolution of proteins imposing conservation of the thermodynamic stability of the native state in the framework of an effective model of folding thermodynamics. This procedure generates evolutionary trajectories in sequence space which share two universal features for all of the examined proteins. First, the number of neutral mutations fluctuates broadly from one sequence to another, leading to a non-Poissonian substitution process. Second, the number of neutral mutations displays strong correlations along the trajectory, thus causing the breakdown of self-averaging of the resulting evolutionary substitution process.Comment: 4 pages, 2 figure

Cognitive Information Processing

Contains reports on seven research projects.National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 P01 GM14940-03)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 P01 GM15006-02)Joint Services Electronics Programs (U. S. Army, U.S. Navy, and U.S. Air Force) under Contract DA 28-043-AMC-02536(E)National Institutes of Health (Grant 5 TOl GM-01555-02

Protein design in a lattice model of hydrophobic and polar amino acids

A general strategy is described for finding which amino acid sequences have native states in a desired conformation (inverse design). The approach is used to design sequences of 48 hydrophobic and polar aminoacids on three-dimensional lattice structures. Previous studies employing a sequence-space Monte-Carlo technique resulted in the successful design of one sequence in ten attempts. The present work also entails the exploration of conformations that compete significantly with the target structure for being its ground state. The design procedure is successful in all the ten cases.Comment: RevTeX, 12 pages, 1 figur

Evaluation of a new type of direct digital radiography machine

Objective. To evaluate a recently developed low-dose, largefield, direct digital X-ray scanning system for medical use.Method. Radiation dose, image quality, diagnostic capability and clinical utility of the unit were compared with those of conventional radiography.Results. Radiation doses ranged from 3% to 5% of conventional radiographic values, and a mean of 1 line-pair per millimetre could be detected. Ease of use, anatomical coverage and tolerance to patient motion were advantages. However, image quality was inferior to that of conventional radiographs, with limited fine detail visibility and penetration. Only 67 of 156 (42.9%) pathological features seen on conventional radiographs were detected, including 13 of 41 fractures (31.7%) and 11 of 18 pneumothoraces (61.1%).Conclusion. Although image quality and diagnostic performance were not ideal, potential roles in triage, foreign body detection and possibly screening were promising. Radiographic factors may have affected sensitivity. This machine demonstrated useful attributes that may, with improvement, be beneficial in the imaging of trauma and other patients

Efficacy of Online Training for Improving Camp Staff Competency

Preparing competent staff is a critical issue within the camp community. This quasi-experimental study examined the effectiveness of an online course for improving staff competency in camp healthcare practices among college-aged camp staff and a comparison group (N = 55). We hypothesized that working in camp would increase competency test scores due to opportunities for staff to experientially apply knowledge learned online. Hierarchical linear modeling was used to analyse the cross-level effects of a between-individuals factor (assignment to experimental or comparison group) and within-individual effects of time (pre-test, post-test #1, and post-test #2) on online course test scores. At post-test #2, the difference in average test scores between groups was ~30 points, with the treatment group scoring lower on average than the comparison group. Factors that may have influenced these findings are explored, including fatigue and the limited durability of online learning. Recommendations for research and practice are discussed