Amicus Brief of the Defender Initiative and Washington Defender Association in Support vs. of Motion to Appoint Counsel

The Defender Initiative Amicus Brie

Limited impacts of experimental flow releases on water quality and macroinvertebrate community composition in an upland regulated river

River regulation following the construction of dams has affected the hydrology, water quality, and biology of watercourses across the globe. The term “environmental flows” has been used to describe measures that can be employed to return some lost elements of the natural flow regime. Their introduction has been suggested as a way to mitigate the impacts of river regulation throughout the world, but understanding of the effects of artificial high flows on water quality and biota is limited for many different river types. We report a field study that manipulated compensation flows from reservoirs in the Pennine uplands of northern England and measured changes in water quality and benthic macroinvertebrates using a before‐after‐control‐impact approach. These resulted in minor short‐term changes in water quality, but there was no evidence of immediate (within 48 hr) responses by the macroinvertebrate community to individual flow releases. However, a shift in macroinvertebrate community composition was found after multiple releases, characterized by reductions in Amphinemura sulcicollis (Plecoptera) and Baetis rhodani (Ephemeroptera) and changes in the density of all Diptera. The introduction of short‐term flow pulses in flashy regulated river systems is unlikely to yield significant changes in water quality and biota. Nevertheless, cumulative rather than single environmental flow events show promise for mitigating some of the impacts of river regulation. More widely, our findings indicate that environmental flow releases from reservoirs may have to go beyond occasional experimental high flow releases if these rivers are to more closely mimic unregulated river systems

The contribution of home-based technology to older people's quality of life in extra care housing

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>British government policy for older people focuses on a vision of active ageing and independent living. In the face of diminishing personal capacities, the use of appropriate home-based technology (HBT) devices could potentially meet a wide range of needs and consequently improve many aspects of older people's quality of life such as physical health, psychosocial well-being, social relationships, and their physical or living environment. This study aimed to examine the use of HBT devices and the correlation between use of such devices and quality of life among older people living in extra-care housing (ECH).</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A structured questionnaire was administered for this study. Using purposive sampling 160 older people living in extra-care housing schemes were selected from 23 schemes in England. A face-to-face interview was conducted in each participant's living unit. In order to measure quality of life, the SEIQoL-Adapted and CASP-19 were used.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Although most basic appliances and emergency call systems were used in the living units, communally provided facilities such as personal computers, washing machines, and assisted bathing equipment in the schemes were not well utilised. Multiple regression analysis adjusted for confounders including age, sex, marital status, living arrangement and mobility use indicated a coefficient of 1.17 with 95% CI (0.05, 2.29) and <it>p </it>= 0.04 [SEIQoL-Adapted] and 2.83 with 95% CI (1.17, 4.50) and <it>p </it>= 0.001 [CASP-19].</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>The findings of the present study will be value to those who are developing new form of specialised housing for older people with functional limitations and, in particular, guiding investments in technological aids. The results of the present study also indicate that the home is an essential site for developing residential technologies.</p

Putting prevention into practice: qualitative study of factors that inhibit and promote preventive care by general practitioners, with a focus on elderly patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>General practitioners (GPs) have a key role in providing preventive care, particularly for elderly patients. However, various factors can inhibit or promote the implementation of preventive care. In the present study, we identified and examined factors that inhibit and promote preventive care by German GPs, particularly for elderly patients, and assessed changes in physicians' attitudes toward preventive care throughout their careers.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>A qualitative, explorative design was used to identify inhibitors and promoters of preventive care in German general medical practice. A total of 32 GPs in Berlin and Hannover were surveyed. Questions about factors that promote or inhibit implementation of preventive care and changes in physicians' perceptions of promoting and inhibiting factors throughout their careers were identified. Episodic interviews, which encouraged the reporting of anecdotes regarding daily knowledge and experiences, were analyzed using ATLAS/ti. Socio-demographic data of GPs and structural information about their offices were collected using short questionnaires. The factors identified as inhibitory or promoting were classified as being related to patients, physicians, or the healthcare system. The changes in GP attitudes toward preventive care throughout their careers were classified as personal transitions or as social and health policy transitions.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>Most of the identified barriers to preventive care were related to patients, such as a lack of motivation for making lifestyle changes and a lack of willingness to pay for preventive interventions. In addition, the healthcare system seemed to inadequately promote preventive care, mainly due to poor reimbursement for preventive care and fragmentation of care. GPs own attitudes and health habits seemed to influence the implementation of preventive care. GPs recognized their own lack of awareness of effective preventive interventions, particularly for elderly patients. GPs were motivated by positive preventive experiences, but often lacked the necessary training to counsel and support their patients.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>German GPs had positive attitudes towards prevention, but the implementation of preventive care was neither systematic nor continuous. Identification and elimination of barriers to preventive care is crucial. Further research is needed to identify effective practice-based approaches to overcome these barriers.</p

Validating the model of predictors of academic self-handicapping behavior

The main aim of the present study is to validate the model of predictors of self-handicapping behavior (POASH) on the data derived from undergraduate students in an ongoing co-curriculum compulsory course. The study adapted and extended the original theory of reciprocal interaction of emotion, cognition and behavior by adding self-handicapping behavior component. In so doing, this study assessed the direct and indirect effects of emotion, cognition and behavior via student engagement on self-handicapping behavior. The second purpose of the study is to evaluate gender and nationality status invariants of the causal structure of POASH. This cross-validation procedure determined whether gender and nationality status moderated the causal structure of the model, and thus the generality of POASH. The data was collected from two self-reported questionnaires administered to 790 undergraduates of an International Islamic University in Malaysia. A confirmatory three-step approach theory testing and development using Maximum Likelihood method was applied. The results of structured equation modeling supported the adequacy of POASH and the causal structure of POASH proved to be applicable to both genders and nationality statuses