Chalk streams and grazing mute swans

The evidence shows that swan grazing can reduce plant abundance, prevent flowering, reduce water depth and reduce fishery value. However, these effects seem to be limited to a small number of sites on larger chalk streams. The results of attempted management have been disappointing, and we currently have no simple effective means of preventing grazing damage. However, our understanding of the effects of swans on the chalk stream ecosystem has been growing rapidly, which gives us hope for future solutions. In particular, combining strategies which improve river condition and move swans away from sensitive areas could offer a way of managing grazing effects

Letter from Francis A. Wood to John Muir, 1906 Mar 7.

March 7th 1906[letterhead]Mr. John Muir.Martinez, California.My dear Mr. Muir,I have great pride and pleasure in acknowledging gift of your autograph to our library collection, [illegible]l [illegible]gh the kindness of Miss Jessie Wheeler.With warmest thanks and appreciation, I am Cordially yours,Frances A. WoodLibrarian0370

Thomas Aquinas and Joseph Ratzinger's Theology of Divine Revelation's transmission: A comparative study

This thesis is a comparative study of Thomas Aquinas (1225-1274) and Joseph Ratzinger‟s (b.1927) theology of divine Revelation‟s transmission. The thesis is divided into four chapters: Firstly, the introductory chapter provides the thesis‟s purpose, and outlines its scope, goals and methodological approach. The second and third chapters consider their respective theology of how divine Revelation is transmitted. The fourth chapter initially provides a summary of the previous chapters‟ findings before offering a comparison of the two approaches, outlining their similarities and differences

The Monetary Approach to the Balance of Payments: Stock-Flow Dynamics, Sticky Wages and Speculative Attacks

The essence of the monetary approach to the balance of payments is identified with the stock-flow dynamics that arise from phases of private sector stock adjustment towards a desired long run relationship between assets and expenditures. This stock adjustment behaviour provides the link between monetary and expenditure based analyses of the open economy and demonstrates the consistency of the monetary approach with a model built around a Keynsian (aggregate demand-aggregate supply) structure. The model's dynamics follow from a wealth effect on expenditure and sticky wages, and drive the economy towards an equilibrium with a permanent balance of payments deficit following certain structural changes. A flexible wage version of the model is used to provide an analysis of balance of payments crises within a monetary approach framework. The ongoing reserve loss inevitably collapses the fixed rate regime, precipitated by a speculative attack on reserves. The attack must link the stock-flow dynamics of the fixed regime with the current account-portfolio balance dynamics of the post-collapse regime at a given level of wealth. These dynamics prohibit an analytical solution for the level of wealth that satisfies this condition, and therefore for the time at which the collapse occurs. Simulating both flexible and sticky wage versions of the model provides a solution for the critical level of wealth that links the regimes, and thus for the collapse time

Association between reduced stillbirth rates in England and regional uptake of accreditation training in customised fetal growth assessment

Objective: To assess the effect that accreditation training in fetal growth surveillance and evidence-based protocols had on stillbirth rates in England and Wales. Design: Analysis of mortality data from Office of National Statistics. Setting: England and Wales, including three National Health Service (NHS) regions (West Midlands, North East and Yorkshire and the Humber) which between 2008 and 2011 implemented training programmes in customised fetal growth assessment. Population: Live births and stillbirths in England and Wales between 2007 and 2012. Main: outcome measure Stillbirth. Results: There was a significant downward trend (p=0.03) in stillbirth rates between 2007 and 2012 in England to 4.81/1000, the lowest rate recorded since adoption of the current stillbirth definition in 1992. This drop was due to downward trends in each of the three English regions with high uptake of accreditation training, and led in turn to the lowest stillbirth rates on record in each of these regions. In contrast, there was no significant change in stillbirth rates in the remaining English regions and Wales, where uptake of training had been low. The three regions responsible for the record drop in national stillbirth rates made up less than a quarter (24.7%) of all births in England. The fall in stillbirth rate was most pronounced in the West Midlands, which had the most intensive training programme, from the preceding average baseline of 5.73/1000 in 2000–2007 to 4.47/1000 in 2012, a 22% drop which is equivalent to 92 fewer deaths a year. Extrapolated to the whole of the UK, this would amount to over 1000 fewer stillbirths each year. Conclusions: A training and accreditation programme in customised fetal growth assessment with evidence-based protocols was associated with a reduction in stillbirths in high-uptake areas and resulted in a national drop in stillbirth rates to their lowest level in 20 years

Extra-Territorial Effect of State Insolvency Laws

Submitted for the Degree of Bachelor of Laws

Parents' and clinicians' views of an interactive booklet about respiratory tract infections in children: a qualitative process evaluation of the EQUIP randomised controlled trial

Background: ‘When should I worry?’ is an interactive booklet for parents of children presenting with respiratory tract infections (RTIs) in primary care and associated training for clinicians. A randomised controlled trial (the EQUIP study) demonstrated that this intervention reduced antibiotic prescribing and future consulting intentions. The aims of this qualitative process evaluation were to understand how acceptable the intervention was to clinicians and parents, how it was implemented, the mechanisms for any observed effects, and contextual factors that could have influenced its effects.<p></p> Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 20 parents and 13 clinicians who participated in the trial. Interviews were audio-recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data were analysed using a framework approach, which involved five stages; familiarisation, development of a thematic framework, indexing, charting, and interpretation.<p></p> Results: Most parents and clinicians reported that the ‘When should I worry’ interactive booklet (and online training for clinicians) was easy to use and valuable. Information on recognising signs of serious illness and the usual duration of illness were most valued. The interactive use of the booklet during consultations was considered to be important, but this did not always happen. Clinicians reported lack of time, lack of familiarity with using the booklet, and difficulty in modifying their treatment plan/style of consultation as barriers to use. Increased knowledge and confidence amongst clinicians and patients were seen as key components that contributed to the reductions in antibiotic prescribing and intention to consult seen in the trial. This was particularly pertinent in a context where decisions about the safe and appropriate management of childhood RTIs were viewed as complex and parents reported frequently receiving inconsistent messages. Conclusions: The ‘When should I worry’ booklet, which is effective in reducing antibiotic prescribing, has high acceptability for clinicians and parents, helps address gaps in knowledge, increases confidence, and provides a consistent message. However, it is not always implemented as intended. Plans for wider implementation of the intervention in health care settings would need to address clinician-related barriers to implementation

A Creationist Perspective on the Origin of Pathogenic Vibrio Cholerae and Vibrio Cholerae Toxin (CT)

Many microbial pathogens and toxins exhibit elaborate mechanisms of engagement with mammalian cell structure and cell biochemistry. For instance, some toxins gain entrance into cells using exquisite secretory devices and, once inside cells, interact in very specific ways with intracellular membrane trafficking factors and cell signaling components. Because many microbial pathogens and their associated toxins appear to be created to interact with human cells, they are difficult to explain within the context of a “good creation.” In this paper, we examine the pathogenic role of V. cholerae, the cholera toxin (CT) and other associated virulence factors, and their origin in the context of the creation model. We examine the literature and use methods of genomic comparison to investigate the origin of CT and the corresponding origin of cholera. Our results are consistent with a model of nonpathogenic function for CT prior and even after the Fall. We suggest that the originally beneficial function of CT has been subsequently modified by the presence of phages and mobile genetic elements