Post-settlement land uses and their effects on the Cedarburg Bog

During a study of the plant species of a lowland hardwood stand at the western edge of the Cedarburg Bog (Farley, 1973), it was noted that significant environmental changes had occurred here and throughout the bog which resulted in the present-day vegatation patterns. Many of these changes can be attributed to the various post-settlement land-use practices which were employed in the Town of Saukville (TllN, R21E), Ozaukee County, Wisconsin, where this bog is located. To document this information a literature survey was made of the various studies which ha ve been carried out in this area (Cutler, 1936; Grittinger, 1969; Krauskopf, 1972; Farley, 1973; Meyer, 1973), land records were checked and several long-time residents of the area were interviewed to corroborate these land practices and their effects on the bog. It is hoped the data compiled in this report may be of value in future studies of the biota of this area

The role of military leadership in servicemembers\u27 perceptions of mental health treatment

The purpose of this mixed methods study was to examine how combat veterans of Operation Iraqi Freedom, Operation New Dawn, and Operation Enduring Freedom believe unit leadership in the military addresses the topic of mental health wellness, and how this may influence their individual perceptions on the issue. The specific research question of the study was, How do veterans perceive mental health wellness is addressed by unit leadership, and how does this affect their attitudes towards psychological treatment in the military? A total of 107 servicemembers completed an online survey consisting of 13 Likert scale and four open-ended questions that were used to capture their experiences on the topic. Results found that while servicemembers\u27 perceptions vary greatly as to how mental health is handled by unit leadership, up to 40-50% hold a negative view on the matter. This indicates that many servicemembers are receiving mixed messages about mental health, since the military, at an institutional level, has heightened its efforts in addressing issues related to mental health since the beginning of the Iraq and Afghanistan wars. Results of this study may help explain why, despite these efforts, many servicemembers do not seek mental health treatment and suicide rates in the military remain at an all-time high. These findings have serious implications on future research, social work practice, and military policy

During patients' treatment at a chronic pain clinic, what influence does the educational role of a specialist pharmacist have on their analgesia and perceptions about their pain medicines?

Aims This research aimed to determine whether education and advice from a specialist pharmacist in a chronic pain team (CPT) improved patient’s analgesia. Methods 55 patients referred to a chronic pain service in Staffordshire, UK were reviewed, educated and advised by a specialist pharmacist, four months apart. Medication and pain scores were recorded using validated tools (BPI and S-LANSS). Data were compared and analysed for significant changes. Ethical approval was obtained. Results Significant changes between visits were identified in some areas of medicine taking behaviour (BPI). Patients’ mean ‘worst pain’ score improved (8.4 to 7.9, p=0.023), perceived percentage of ‘relief from treatment’ increased (41% to 51%, p<0.001), fewer patients reported analgesia as ‘ineffective’ (43% to 13%, p=0.003), perceived duration of effective analgesia increased (p=0.004) finally more patients reported their mild/moderate opioids ‘effective’(p=0.006). Between visits, patient attitudes to medication taking changed. Overall fewer patients required: stronger analgesia (57% to 37%, P=0.002); more analgesia than prescribed (33% to 21%, p=0.004) more analgesic information (76% to 45%, p=0.004). Fewer considered they were taking ‘too much’ analgesia (46% to 31%, p=0.004) Conclusion Results suggest that education about analgesia by a specialist pharmacist working in a CPT can positively impact on patient’s pain scores

Clinical Legal Education and the Public Interest in Intellectual Property Law

Clinical legal education provides a powerful methodology for students to learn about the relationships among intellectual property law theories, policies and practices; to encounter the experiences of persons who seek protection or who feel the legal regimes of intellectual property impinging on their ability to engage in educational, creative, innovative and culturally significant work; and to develop as lawyers. We describe in this article our motivations for forming an intellectual property law clinic at the American University Washington College of Law, the goals that we seek to achieve, and the tripartite pedagogical structure that we adopted - (1) a seminar built around a year-long simulation that addresses multiple lawyering skills and legal practice settings, (2) a wide variety of live-client student representations performed under close faculty supervision, and (3) weekly case rounds discussions focusing on public interest issues experienced directly by the students in their representations. We provide an example of a particular student representation that illustrates some of the benefits of our clinical model for teaching students about the public interest and intellectual property law doctrines within the framework of teaching about lawyering. We conclude with our reflections on student experiences and the ability of our clinical program to teach intellectual property law and lawyering in concrete factual and policy contexts, helping students better understand the interaction of theory, doctrine and practice in shaping the meaning and consequences of intellectual property regimes. Students came to understand law and lawyering and to see ways to shape their lives as lawyers, through analyzing and evaluating their responses to the interests of their clients, their actions in meeting the demands of a case, their understanding of the relationships among doctrinal areas, and the connection of their activities to the public interest