A review of echinoderms from Pleistocene marine deposits near Saint John, New Brunswick

Two species of echinoderm, the brittlestar Ophiura sarsii Lütken and the common green sea urchin Strongylo-centrotus droebachiensis Müller, are found in Pleistocene marine clays near Saint John. Today, both of these echinoderms are considered boreal species and both range from the Arctic to somewhat south of Cape Cod. The species have been known to occur as fossils in the Saint John area since before 1865; however, few specimens actually exist. A summary of specimens in the New Brunswick Museum collections is presented, including brittlestars that probably belong to collections referred to by Sir J.W. Dawson. Two sea urchin specimens, not previously documented, are the only fossil specimens known to exist from this area. RÉSUMÉ Deux espèces d'échinoderme se rencontrent au sein des argiles marines pléistocenes aux environs de Saint-Jean: l'ophiure Ophiura sarsii Lütken et l'oursin vert commun Strongylocenlrotus droebachiensis Müller. De nos jours, ces échinodermes sont tous deux considers comme des espèces boréales et leur aire d'occupation s'étend depuis l'Arctique jusqu'à dépasser quelque peu le sud de Cape Cod. La connaissance à l'état fossile de ces espèces dans la région de Saint-Jean date d'avant 1865; cependant, l'inventaire se réduit à quelques spécimens. On donne un apercu des spécimens dans les collections du Musée du Nouveau-Brunswick, y compris d'ophiures appartenant probablement aux collections auxquelles Sir J.W. Dawson faisait référence. Deux spécimens d'oursin, qui n'ont fait l'objet d'aucune publication jusqu'à ce jour, constituent les seuls exemplaires fossiles connus pour provenir de cette région. [Traduit par le journal

Northern Long-eared Bat, Myotis septentrionalis (Chiroptera: Vespertilionidae), on Prince Edward Island: First Records of Occurrence and Over-Wintering

First occurrence of the Northern Long-eared Bat, Myotis septentrionalis, on Prince Edward Island is reported. A mixed-species hibernaculum of M. septentrionalis and the Little Brown Bat, M. lucifugus, is also described from southeastern Prince Edward Island. This is the first record of bats over-wintering in the province and the first time either species has been reported making use of a building as a hibernaculum

Records of Melanistic American Red Squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus) from Nova Scotia

Though melanism has been observed in several species of North American sciurids, the occurrence of this phenotype is relatively rare in American Red Squirrels (Tamiasciurus hudsonicus). We provide the first detailed accounts of melanistic Red Squirrels observed in Nova Scotia, Canada

Visual speech alters the discrimination and identification of non-intact auditory speech in children with hearing loss

OBJECTIVES: Understanding spoken language is an audiovisual event that depends critically on the ability to discriminate and identify phonemes yet we have little evidence about the role of early auditory experience and visual speech on the development of these fundamental perceptual skills. Objectives of this research were to determine 1) how visual speech influences phoneme discrimination and identification; 2) whether visual speech influences these two processes in a like manner, such that discrimination predicts identification; and 3) how the degree of hearing loss affects this relationship. Such evidence is crucial for developing effective intervention strategies to mitigate the effects of hearing loss on language development. METHODS: Participants were 58 children with early-onset sensorineural hearing loss (CHL, 53% girls, M = 9;4 yrs) and 58 children with normal hearing (CNH, 53% girls, M = 9;4 yrs). Test items were consonant-vowel (CV) syllables and nonwords with intact visual speech coupled to non-intact auditory speech (excised onsets) as, for example, an intact consonant/rhyme in the visual track (Baa or Baz) coupled to non-intact onset/rhyme in the auditory track (/–B/aa or /–B/az). The items started with an easy-to-speechread /B/ or difficult-to-speechread /G/ onset and were presented in the auditory (static face) vs. audiovisual (dynamic face) modes. We assessed discrimination for intact vs. non-intact different pairs (e.g., Baa:/–B/aa). We predicted that visual speech would cause the non-intact onset to be perceived as intact and would therefore generate more same—as opposed to different—responses in the audiovisual than auditory mode. We assessed identification by repetition of nonwords with non-intact onsets (e.g., /–B/az). We predicted that visual speech would cause the non-intact onset to be perceived as intact and would therefore generate more Baz—as opposed to az— responses in the audiovisual than auditory mode. RESULTS: Performance in the audiovisual mode showed more same responses for the intact vs. non-intact different pairs (e.g., Baa:/–B/aa) and more intact onset responses for nonword repetition (Baz for/–B/az). Thus visual speech altered both discrimination and identification in the CHL—to a large extent for the /B/ onsets but only minimally for the /G/ onsets. The CHL identified the stimuli similarly to the CNH but did not discriminate the stimuli similarly. A bias-free measure of the children’s discrimination skills (i.e., d’ analysis) revealed that the CHL had greater difficulty discriminating intact from non-intact speech in both modes. As the degree of HL worsened, the ability to discriminate the intact vs. non-intact onsets in the auditory mode worsened. Discrimination ability in CHL significantly predicted their identification of the onsets—even after variation due to the other variables was controlled. CONCLUSIONS: These results clearly established that visual speech can fill in non-intact auditory speech, and this effect, in turn, made the non-intact onsets more difficult to discriminate from intact speech and more likely to be perceived as intact. Such results 1) demonstrate the value of visual speech at multiple levels of linguistic processing and 2) support intervention programs that view visual speech as a powerful asset for developing spoken language in CHL

Enhancing respiratory comfort with fan respirators: computational analysis of carbon dioxide reduction, temperature regulation, and humidity control

Respirators provide protection from inhalation exposure to dangerous substances, such as chemicals and infectious particles, including SARS-Covid-laden droplets and aerosols. However, they are prone to exposure to stale air as the masks creat a microclimate influenced by the exhaled air. As a result, exhaled air from the lungs accumulating in the mask produce a warm and humid environment that has a high concentration of carbon dioxide (CO2), unsuitable for re-inhalation. Fans are a favourable option for respirators to ventilate the mask and remove the stale air. This study utilized computational fluid dynamics simulation consisting of a hybrid Reynolds-averaged Navier-Stokes (RANS)-large eddy simulation (LES) turbulence method to compare the inhalation flow properties for different fan locations (bottom, top, and side) with regular respirator breathing. Three mask positions, top, side, and bottom, were evaluated under two breathing cycles (approximately 9.65s of breathing time). The results demonstrated that adding a fan respirator significantly decreased internal mask temperature, humidity, and CO2 concentration. The average CO2 concentration decreased by 87%, 67% and 73% for locations bottom, top and side respectively. Whilst the top and side fan locations enhanced the removal of the exhaled gas mixture, the bottom-fan respirator was more efficient in removing the nostril jet gas mixture and therefore provided the least barrier to respiratory function. The results provide valuable insights into the benefits of fan respirators for long-term use for reducing CO2 concentration, mask temperature, and humidity, improving wearer safety and comfort in hazardous environments, especially during the COVID-19 pandemic.Comment: 23 Pages, 7 Figure

Cetacean Strandings in the Canadian Maritime Provinces, 1990-2008

Organized cetacean stranding networks function to respond quickly and efficiently to strandings, to coordinate live releases, to gather and analyze data, and to educate the public. Stranding networks in the three Canadian Maritime provinces (New Brunswick, Nova Scotia, and Prince Edward Island) recently cooperated to form the Marine Animal Response Network. The resulting collaborative database provides an opportunity to assess patterns of cetacean strandings encompassing 19 years (1990-2008 inclusive) from across the region. During this period, a total of 640 stranding events involving 19 species and 881 individuals of both sexes and varying age groups were reported. Stranding events primarily involved single animals, although several mass strandings were recorded, the largest involving 60 Long-finned Pilot Whales (Globicephala melas). The number of strandings was found to vary substantially over time and among the three provinces. In part, this is likely a reflection of differences in local network effort among regions. Most animals were found dead ashore. Entanglement in fishing gear occurred in over 10% of the incidents. Relatively more mysticetes were found dead ashore or at sea and entangled in fishing gear than expected by chance, while more odontocetes were found stranded alive than expected. Harbour Porpoises (Phocoena phocoena) appear to be especially vulnerable to entanglement in fishing gear. Necropsies, performed on a subsample of the stranded animals, suggest that Harbour Porpoises die significantly more often from disease than mishap, while Long-finned Pilot Whales and Atlantic White-sided Dolphins (Lagenorhynchus acutus) suffer equally from mishap and disease. Refloating was attempted for 23% of animals, with an apparent success rate of 83%, although there are no data on long-term survival. Neither sex nor age of the refloated animals was found to be an indicator of subsequent short-term survival

Apparent Continuing Expansion in the Range of the Gray Treefrog, Hyla versicolor, in New Brunswick

Recent observations of the Gray Treefrog, Hyla versicolor, in the Maritimes suggest that this species may be expanding its range and abundance, perhaps partly in response to human activities. However, during the breeding season the species characteristically calls in very small choruses in the region and may be present but not call, or call for very short periods. This has made it difficult to determine distribution and to make an assessment of unconfirmed historic records that suggest presence beyond the current range more than 50 years ago. The inadvertent introduction of frogs may also be playing a role in the apparent recent range expansion of this species

Status of Marine Turtles in British Columbia Waters: A Reassessment

Marine turtles in British Columbia have previously been considered off course stragglers. Here we document 20 new reports for Green Turtles, Chelonia mydas, and Leatherback Turtles, Dermochelys coriacea, for the province. Until recently there had been no concerted effort to acquire data on marine turtle abundance or frequency off British Columbia. Observations presented here allow a reassessment of marine turtle status in British Columbia waters. We suggest Green Turtles and Leatherbacks should be considered rare vagrants and uncommon seasonal residents, respectively, off British Columbia and that they are a natural part of the British Columbia marine environment

Consumption of Bats (Myotis spp.) by Raccoons (Procyon lotor) During an Outbreak of White-Nose Syndrome in New Brunswick, Canada: Implications for Estimates of Bat Mortality

Across their range, Raccoons (Procyon lotor) will opportunistically exploit bats (Chiroptera) roosting in caves as a source of food. During a significant mortality event associated with white-nose syndrome (WNS) at a cave in eastern Canada, we estimate that Raccoons consumed 3169–3827 dead and dying Little Brown Bats (Myotis lucifugus) and Northern Long-eared Bats (M. septentrionalis) infected with white-nose syndrome, equivalent to 62.0–74.9% of the total bat mortality at this site. However, the generally small dispersal distances of Raccoons and their reduced activity during the period when bats are hibernating suggest that Raccoons are likely not a significant vector for moving the fungus associated with white-nose syndrome, Geomyces destructans, between most caves at this latitude. Nevertheless, since we show that significant numbers of bats can be consumed in hibernacula through opportunistic feeding by Raccoons, estimates of in-cave mortality due to white-nose syndrome should incorporate any evidence of consumption of bats by Raccoons and other predators

Climate change and rising energy costs will change everything: A new mindset and action plan for 21st Century public health

Western governments currently prioritize economic growth and the pursuit of profit above alternative goals of sustainability, health and equality. Climate change and rising energy costs are challenging this consensus. The realization of the transformation required to meet these challenges has provoked denial and conflict, but could lead to a more positive response which leads to a health dividend; enhanced well-being, less overconsumption and greater equality. This paper argues that public health can make its best contribution by adopting a new mindset, discourse, methodology and set of tasks