Trophic spatial ecology of invertivorous stream fishes.

In Chapter 1, I studied the relationship between Bigeye Shiner populations and variables of habitat patches within the stream, and the land adjacent to the stream (the riparian zone). This work was done in Brier Creek, a small stream in southern Oklahoma. Results showed that the number of Shiners in a pool was best predicted by habitat variables of the riffle just upstream from a pool. These riffle variables also determined the amount of insect larva drifting from riffles into downstream pools at night, which in turn predicted Shiner feeding success. Body condition of Shiners was best predicted by feeding success. These results illustrate the importance of upstream riffles to the pool-dwelling Bigeye Shiner, and provide an example of how feeding habits can lead to importance of patch context for a species. When animals consume resources originating in other habitats and "imported" into their occupied patch, connections among habitat patches are important to the species' survival.In Chapter 3, I asked if feeding habits of different fish species determined their dependence on insects entering the stream from the riparian zone (terrestrial insects). Using experimental streams, I excluded these insects from half of the experimental units for each fish species, and examined differences in fish diet and body fat. Under terrestrial insect exclusion, diet and body fat of the bottom-feeding Orangethroat Darter were unchanged. Bigeye Shiner switched their diet from terrestrial insects to aquatic resources, but body fat levels did not change. Blackstripe Topminnow also switched their diet away from terrestrial insects, but, unlike Bigeye Shiner, body fat levels decreased when terrestrial insects were unavailable. These results indicate that reducing movement of trophic resources from one habitat to another affects different species in different ways, and that the feeding habits of species may help predict this response. This result is important in light of human landscape modification, which often alters the amount of insects moving into streams from the surrounding landscape. (Abstract shortened by UMI.)In Chapter 2, I studied differences in feeding ecology among populations of Orangethroat Darters on riffles in Brier Creek. Results showed significant differences among riffles. The number of prey items consumed varied significantly among riffles, but was not affected by darter body size. Prey selection varied greatly among riffles, and for four of seven prey items was explained by habitat differences. Contrary to theoretical predictions, diet breadth of darters within riffles was not dependent on the abundance of energetically favorable prey, largely due to a lack of selection for these prey items. These results indicate that variation among riffles can have a strong effect on prey use by the Orangethroat Darter, and that this is an important spatial scale over which to study diet variation in this and similar species.In my dissertation research, I investigated the manner in which trophic ecology links organisms to different habitats within the landscape. I studied three species: the Orangethroat Darter (Etheostoma spectabile), a fish that lives on the stream bottom and feeds on insect larva and other invertebrates; the Bigeye Shiner (Notropis boops), a minnow that swims in the middle of the water column and feeds on insect larva drifting downstream and terrestrial insects falling into the stream, and the Blackstripe Topminnow (Fundulus notatus), which swims just below the water's surface and feeds on insects falling into the stream from streamside vegetation

Caring for a Person With Dementia on the Margins of Long-Term Care: A Perspective on Burden From 8 European Countries

© 2017 AMDA – The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine Objectives To explore associations between carer burden and characteristics of (1) the informal carer, (2) the person with dementia, and (3) the care support network in 8 European countries. Design Cross-sectional study. Setting People with dementia judged at risk of admission to long-term care (LTC) facilities in 8 European countries (Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, United Kingdom). Participants A total of 1223 people with dementia supported by community services at home or receiving day care or respite care and their informal carers. Measurements Variables regarding the informal carer included familial relationship and living situation. Variables relating to the person with dementia included cognitive functioning (S-MMSE), neuropsychiatric symptoms (NPI-Q), depressive symptoms (Cornell depression scale), comorbidity (Charlson Comorbidity Index), and physical functioning (Katz Activity of Daily Living [ADL] Index). The care support network was measured using hours of caregiving (ADLs, instrumental ADLs [IADLs], supervision), additional informal care support, and service receipt (home care, day care). Experience of carer burden was recorded using the Zarit Burden Interview. Logistic regression analysis was used to determine factors associated with high carer burden. Results Carer burden was highest in Estonia (mean 39.7/88) and lowest in the Netherlands (mean 26.5/88). High burden was significantly associated with characteristics of the informal carer (family relationship, specifically wives or daughters), of the person with dementia (physical dependency in ADLs; neuropsychiatric symptoms, in particular nighttime behaviors and irritability), the care support network (hours of caregiving supervision; receipt of other informal care support) and country of residence. Conclusion A range of factors are associated with burden in informal carers of people with dementia judged to be on the margins of LTC. Support for informal carers needs to take account of gender differences. The dual challenges of distressed behaviors and difficulties in ADLs by the person with dementia may be addressed by specific nonpharmacological interventions focusing on both elements. The potential protective effect of additional informal support to carers highlights the importance of peer support or better targeted home support services. The implementation of appropriate and tailored interventions to reduce burden by supporting informal carers may enable people with dementia to remain at home for longer

Atmospheric Iron Deposition: Global Distribution, Variability, and Human Perturbations

Atmospheric inputs of iron to the open ocean are hypothesized to modulate ocean biogeochemistry. This review presents an integration of available observations of atmospheric iron and iron deposition, and also covers bioavailable iron distributions. Methods for estimating temporal variability in ocean deposition over the recent past are reviewed. Desert dust iron is estimated to represent 95% of the global atmospheric iron cycle, and combustion sources of iron are responsible for the remaining 5%. Humans may be significantly perturbing desert dust (up to 50%). The sources of bioavailable iron are less well understood than those of iron, partly because we do not know what speciation of the iron is bioavailable. Bioavailable iron can derive from atmospheric processing of relatively insoluble desert dust iron or from direct emissions of soluble iron from combustion sources. These results imply that humans could be substantially impacting iron and bioavailable iron deposition to ocean regions, but there are large uncertainties in our understanding

Associated Factors With Antipsychotic Use in Long-Term Institutional Care in Eight European Countries: Results From the RightTimePlaceCare Study

© 2014 AMDA - The Society for Post-Acute and Long-Term Care Medicine. Objectives: To determine factors associated with the antipsychotic (AP) prescription for people with dementia (PwD) recently admitted to institutional long-term care facilities (LTCFs) and to ascertain differences in the use of this medication in 8 European countries. Design: An exploratory cross-sectional study. Setting: LTCFs from 8 European countries (Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, The Netherlands, Spain, Sweden, and England). Participants: A total of 791 PwD recently admitted to an LTCF and their caregivers. Measurements: Baseline data from RightTimePlaceCare survey was used. Patients' medical conditions, neuropsychiatric symptoms, physical and cognitive status, and medications were recorded. Multiple logistic regression models were used to assess associations with the AP use. Results: A group of 296 patients (37.4%) of 791 patients recently admitted received AP medication. The prevalence of the use of 1 or more APs varied between study countries, ranging from 12% in Sweden to 54% in Spain. Factors independently associated with the AP use were living in Sweden [odds ratio (OR) 0.12, 95% confidence interval (CI) 0.05-0.30], Finland (OR 0.26, 95% CI 0.14-0.48), Germany (OR 2.75, 95% CI 1.55-4.86) and Estonia (OR 6.79, 95% CI 3.84-12.0). The odds of AP use decreased with the presence of a dementia specific unit in the LTCF (OR 0.60, 95% CI 0.39-0.92), but was higher among residents with a hyperactivity behavior (OR 2.12, 95% CI 1.41-3.18). Conclusion: The current study shows that more than one-third of the residents recently admitted received APs and that prescription frequency across countries varied significantly. This study raises the possibility that the presence of a dementia-specific unit might play a role in the AP use. Further studies should investigate this association and seek better understanding of what will achieve optimal quality of AP use among newly admitted residents in LTCF

Predicting institutional long-term care admission in dementia: A mixed-methods study of informal caregivers' reports

© 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Aim: To investigate agreement between: (1) expected reasons and actual reasons for admission of people with dementia according to informal caregivers; (2) scores on measurement instruments prior to admission and the actual reasons for admission according to informal caregivers. Background: Timely admission of people with dementia is a crucial issue. Information is highly warranted on whether informal caregivers are capable of prior identification of causes of admission and, can thus be considered a reliable prospective source on causes of admission. Design: A cohort study among informal caregivers of people with dementia who made a transition to institutional long-term care. Methods: Qualitative data on the expected and actual reasons for admission were collected via open-ended questions at baseline and follow-up. Furthermore, at baseline, data were collected using measurement instruments to measure pre-admission characteristics. Interviews took place between November 2010-April 2012. After categorizing the answers, the agreement between the expected and actual reasons was calculated. Furthermore, bivariate associations were calculated between the actual reasons for admission and scores on corresponding measurement instruments. Results/Findings: For most informal caregivers, there was agreement between their statements on the expected reason and the actual reason for admission. A third of the caregivers showed no conformity. Bivariate associations showed that there is also agreement between the actual reasons for admission and scores on corresponding measurement instruments. Conclusion: Informal caregivers can be considered reliable sources of information regarding what causes the admission of a person with dementia. Professional care should anticipate informal caregivers' statements and collaborate with them to strive for timely and appropriate admission

Older persons with dementia at risk for institutionalization in eight European countries: a cross-sectional study on the perceptions of informal caregivers and healthcare professionals

© 2014 John Wiley & Sons Ltd. Aims: To explore the perceptions of informal caregivers and healthcare professionals regarding potential reasons for the institutionalization of older persons with dementia in eight European countries. Background: Healthcare professionals may have an important role in facilitating informal caregivers' decision-making regarding institutionalization. Little is known about the perceptions of informal caregivers and healthcare professionals prior to institutionalization. Design: Cross-sectional survey in eight European countries (November 2010-January 2012). Methods: Healthcare professionals reported why they clinically judged persons with dementia at risk for institutionalization. Informal caregivers reported potential reasons from their perspectives. Answers were openly coded and categorized. Variation between informal caregivers and healthcare professionals was investigated (agreement on at least one potential reason per case/proportion of maximum attainable kappa). Results: Judgements of healthcare professionals and informal caregivers on 1160 persons with dementia were included. A total of 22 categories emerged. Approximately 90% of informal caregivers reported potential reasons. In 41% of the cases, informal caregivers and healthcare professionals agreed on at least one reason. Discrepancy was high for potential reasons related to caregiver burden. For the most frequent categories (caregiver burden, caregiver unable to provide care, neuropsychiatric symptoms, overall deterioration, care dependency), 24-41% of the attainable kappa was achieved. Differences between countries emerged indicating more favourable agreement in Finland, Sweden and Estonia and lowest agreement in England and Spain. Conclusion: Agreement between healthcare professionals and informal caregivers on potential reasons for institutionalization was low-to-moderate. Healthcare professionals are challenged to develop a detailed understanding of the perspectives and perceived burden of informal caregivers