Constructed Ponds as Mitigated Habitat for the Wood Frog (Rana sylvatica LeConte) and the Spotted Salamander (Ambystoma maculatum Shaw) in West Virginia

Many forest dwelling amphibians depend upon aquatic breeding habitats, making them susceptible to habitat changes. To determine if amphibian use of temporary pools occurred, 9 ponds were constructed in 3 forested areas on the MeadWestvaco Wildlife and Ecosystem Research Forest. Studies were conducted in 6 ponds during 2004, and all 9 in 2005 using drift fences. Trapped amphibians were measured and given a pond specific mark with visible implant elastomers. A significant difference was found between low and high elevation sites for juvenile R. sylvatica snout-to-vent length. No significant differences were found for soil, air or water temperatures between sites at differing elevations. Low elevation R. sylvatica juveniles egressed and developed 2-3 weeks before those at high elevation sites. Tadpoles did not successfully metamorphose from 3 ponds in 2005. Clear-cut treatments surrounding the ponds will be applied in 2006 and results will be compared to baseline data

Policy and Practice: Acquired Brain Injury in Canadian Educational Systems

Within Canada, the needs of students with exceptionalities are addressed through a variety of policies and procedures that allow those students to receive effective and meaningful education. However, in most provinces and territories these policies are serving more as barriers than supports in addressing the needs of students with acquired brain injuries (ABI). Within Canada, only two provinces acknowledge ABI as an exceptionality in any significant way. For the most part, ABI is under-recognized and often poorly responded to in Canada’s educational systems. The issues associated with the problematic delivery of services to students with ABI include: the lack of federal guidelines as to the definition of “exceptionality”, the lack of awareness of ABI as an exceptionality requiring accommodation, the connection between the categorization of exceptionalities and funding, and the lack of training and support for educators. The ramifications of these issues and the changes in educational policy needed to adequately address these issues are discussed with reference to children’s right to education.

The streamwater microbiome encodes hydrologic data across scales

Many fundamental questions in hydrology remain unanswered due to the limited information that can be extracted from existing data sources. Microbial communities constitute a novel type of environmental data, as they are comprised of many thousands of taxonomically and functionally diverse groups known to respond to both biotic and abiotic environmental factors. As such, these microscale communities reflect a range of macroscale conditions and characteristics, some of which also drive hydrologic regimes. Here, we assess the extent to which streamwater microbial communities (as characterized by 16S gene amplicon sequence abundance) encode information about catchment hydrology across scales. We analyzed 64 summer streamwater DNA samples collected from subcatchments within the Willamette, Deschutes, and John Day river basins in Oregon, USA, which range 0.03–29,000 km2 in area and 343–2334 mm/year of precipitation. We applied information theory to quantify the breadth and depth of information about common hydrologic metrics encoded within microbial taxa. Of the 256 microbial taxa that spanned all three watersheds, we found 9.6 % (24.5/256) of taxa, on average, shared information with a given hydrologic metric, with a median 15.6 % (range = 12.4–49.2 %) reduction in uncertainty of that metric based on knowledge of the microbial biogeography. All of the hydrologic metrics we assessed, including daily discharge at different time lags, mean monthly discharge, and seasonal high and low flow durations were encoded within the microbial community. Summer microbial taxa shared the most information with winter mean flows. Our study demonstrates quantifiable relationships between streamwater microbial taxa and hydrologic metrics at different scales, likely resulting from the integration of multiple overlapping drivers of each. Streamwater microbial communities are rich sources of information that may contribute fresh insight to unresolved hydrologic questions

Replacement of dietary fish oil with vegetable oils : effects on fish health

The work presented in this thesis examined the effects of dietary fish oil replacement on fish innate and adaptive immune function, disease resistance tissue histopathology and fatty acid composition of lipids in peripheral blood leukocytes. Dietary trials with Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar), Sea bass (Dicentrarchus labrax), Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) and Arctic char (Salvelinus alpinus) were conducted in which fish oil was replaced by rapeseed oil, linseed oil, olive oil, palm oil, echium oil or a mixture of these oils. A significant reduction in respiratory burst activity was most pronounced in salmon and sea bass fed high levels of rapeseed oil-containing diets. In addition, rapeseed and olive oil inclusion in the diets of salmon and sea bass significantly reduced the head kidney macrophage phagocytic capacity to engulf yeast particles. A reduction in prostaglandin E2 levels was found to be related to a reduction in macrophage respiratory burst activity in salmon fed linseed oil diets and sea bass fed a dietary blend of linseed, palm and rapeseed oils. Changes in macrophage function may be a contributing factor causing a reduction in serum lysozyme activity observed in some trials. No significant differences were detected in cumulative mortality of Atlantic salmon fed an equal blend of linseed and rapeseed oils challenged with Aeromonas salmonicida. However, resistance to Vibrio anguillarium was significantly impaired in Atlantic salmon fed a blended oil diet containing linseed, rapeseed and palm oil. The major histological difference of fish fed vegetable oil diets was the accumulation of lipid droplets in their livers. Dietary fatty acid composition significantly affected the fatty acid composition of peripheral blood leukocytes. Generally, fish fed vegetable oil diets had increased levels of oleic acid, linoleic acid and a-linolenic acid and decreased levels of eicosapentaenoic acid, docosahexaenoic acid and a lower n-3/n-6 ratio than fish fed a FO diet. In conclusion, the results from these studies suggest that farmed fish species can be cultured on diets containing vegetable oils as the added oil source. However, feeding high levels of some vegetable oils may significantly alter some immune responses in the fish, especially head kidney macrophage function, disease resistance and, in addition, may cause an increase in tissue histopathology.EThOS - Electronic Theses Online ServiceGBUnited Kingdo

River Microbiome Composition Reflects Macroscale Climatic and Geomorphic Differences in Headwater Streams

Maintaining the quality and quantity of water resources in light of complex changes in climate, human land use, and ecosystem composition requires detailed understanding of ecohydrologic function within catchments, yet monitoring relevant upstream characteristics can be challenging. In this study, we investigate how variability in riverine microbial communities can be used to monitor the climate, geomorphology, land-cover, and human development of watersheds. We collected streamwater DNA fragments and used 16S rRNA sequencing to profile microbiomes from headwaters to outlets of the Willamette and Deschutes basins, two large watersheds prototypical of the U.S. Pacific Northwest region. In the temperate, north-south oriented Willamette basin, microbial community composition correlated most strongly with geomorphic characteristics (mean Mantel test statistic r = 0.19). Percentage of forest and shrublands (r = 0.34) and latitude (r = 0.41) were among the strongest correlates with microbial community composition. In the arid Deschutes basin, however, climatic characteristics were the most strongly correlated to microbial community composition (e.g., r = 0.11). In headwater sub-catchments of both watersheds, microbial community assemblages correlated with catchment-scale climate, geomorphology, and land-cover (r = 0.46, 0.38, and 0.28, respectively), but these relationships were weaker downstream. Development-related characteristics were not correlated with microbial community composition in either watershed or in small or large sub-catchments. Our results build on previous work relating streamwater microbiomes to hydrologic regime and demonstrate that microbial DNA in headwater streams additionally reflects the structural configuration of landscapes as well as other natural and anthropogenic processes upstream. Our results offer an encouraging indication that streamwater microbiomes not only carry information about microbial ecology, but also can be useful tools for monitoring multiple upstream watershed characteristics

Is there an elephant in the room? A Response to Batavia et al

Non peer reviewe

Magnetic resonance imaging protocols for paediatric neuroradiology

Increasingly, radiologists are encouraged to have protocols for all imaging studies and to include imaging guidelines in care pathways set up by the referring clinicians. This is particularly advantageous in MRI where magnet time is limited and a radiologist’s review of each patient’s images often results in additional sequences and longer scanning times without the advantage of improvement in diagnostic ability. The difficulties of imaging small children and the challenges presented to the radiologist as the brain develops are discussed. We present our protocols for imaging the brain and spine of children based on 20 years experience of paediatric neurological MRI. The protocols are adapted to suit children under the age of 2 years, small body parts and paediatric clinical scenarios

Is looped nasogastric tube feeding more effective than conventional nasogastric tube feeding for dysphagia in acute stroke?

Background: Dysphagia occurs in up to 50% of patients admitted to hospital with acute strokes with up to 27% remaining by seven days. Up to 8% continue to have swallowing problems six months after their stroke with 1.7% still requiring enteral feeding. Nasogastric tubes (NGT) are the most commonly used method for providing enteral nutrition in early stroke, however they are easily and frequently removed leading to inadequate nutrition, early PEG (Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy) insertion or abandoning of feeding attempts. Looped nasogastric tube feeding may improve the delivery of nutrition to such patients. Methods: Three centre, two arm randomised controlled trial, with 50 participants in each arm comparing loop (the intervention) versus conventional nasogastric tube feeding. The primary outcome measure is proportion of intended feed delivered in the first 2 weeks. The study is designed to show a mean increase of feed delivery of 16% in the intervention group as compared with the control group, with 90% power at a 5% significance level. Secondary outcomes are treatment failures, mean volume of feed received, adverse events, cost-effectiveness, number of chest x-rays, number of nasogastric tubes and tolerability

The relationship between concussion and alcohol consumption among university athletes

Introduction: This study investigated concussion as a potential risk factor for increased alcohol consumption in university athletes. Methods: Using a cross-sectional design, 41 university students (37% with a history of concussion) completed self-report measures, while electrodermal activation (EDA) was recorded for each participant to capture baseline physiological arousal. Results: As expected, concussion status significantly predicted alcohol consumption over and above athletic status, b = 0.34, p = 0.034, 95% CI [0.195, 4.832], such that those with a prior concussion history engaged in greater alcohol consumption. Importantly, concussion status also significantly predicted baseline physiological arousal, b = −0.39, p = 0.014, 95% CI [−0.979, −0.120], such that those with a history of concussion exhibited lower EDA. Conclusions: Elevated alcohol consumption among athletes is a pronounced associate of concussion in sports and may be a behavioral reflection of disruption to the orbitofrontal cortex – an area implicated in inhibition. Keywords: Concussion, Arousal, Risk taking, Alcohol consumption, Athlete

Erratum: Caroline Good; et al.; A Cultural Conscience for Conservation. Animals 2017, 7, 52

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