Birds and Beaches: The Affective Geographies and Sense of Place of Participants in the Coasst Citizen Science Program

Participatory science research initiatives within the natural sciences like citizen science or crowd sourcing have enjoyed a recent explosion in popularity due to the efficient and expansive data collection processes they foster and the opportunities for general science outreach and education they provide. Now often the tool of choice among informal science outreach practitioners, Public Participation in Scientific Research (PPSR) programs are purported to expand knowledge and understanding of science and ecology, increase the relevancy of science for society, and cultivate more environmentally sustainable attitudes and behaviors. Despite such claims, the influence and impact of participatory science engagement is still not fully explored or understood. Questions remain regarding the range and extent of program outcomes and impacts on participants, social-cultural systems, and the scientific endeavors supported. In particular, the experiential aspect of volunteer engagement in PPSR programs is not fully theorized. Being inherently place-based, all in-situ participatory science involves relationships among participatory science participants and the places where they engage. Such people-place relationships provide the fabric through which beliefs, values, and attitudes about the environment form and evolve, with substantial influence on both perceptions of and adherence to environmental stewardship practices. As such, the geographic concept of sense of place is utilized in this research as an empirically underdeveloped, yet theoretically robust, entry point to explore how participatory science volunteers make connections between embodied experiences and behaviors and how such interactions may shape perceptions, values, and attitudes towards science and the environment. This study examines the relationships between people and places in an expansive participatory science program that extends along the west coast of the United States. The Coastal Observation and Seabird Survey Team (COASST) is a citizen science program now in it\u27s fifteenth year dedicated to the regular monitoring of coastal environments and seabird mortality and population health along four U.S. states (AK, WA, OR, CA). Using qualitative methodology to collect data via guided narrative tour interviews and focus groups, this inquiry concentrates on the ways through which place attachment, connection, and meaning influence the cognitive and affective outcomes of participatory science volunteers. Findings suggest that PPSR experiences can indeed support and facilitate the development and expansion of multi-dimensional place meaning and attachment. Participants noted a complex set of meanings that inform sense of place, including those associated with the symbolism of nature and the ocean, the significance of social and community interactions, and the importance of opportunities to contribute to science and the environment. Numerous aspects of the socio-political contexts, psycho-social processes, and biophysical settings that shape sense of place were also highlighted, underscoring the interactive nature of people-place relationships. Aspects like the species, substrates, and geographic features found at COASST survey sites, the policies and social norms that govern interaction with place, and the unique motivations and interests of participants were all examined in this analysis. Such material-semiotic interactions help emphasize relationships between place meaning, spatial dependency, and place attachment. Finally, programmatic variables that also mediate participant sense of place were uncovered, bringing attention to the many elements of PPSR program development and management that shape the cognitive and affective experiences of volunteers. In addition to the practical value of this research, a focus on the significance of people-place relationships in participatory science adds a dynamic layer of knowledge to our understanding of socio-ecological systems, including how individuals connect to and perceive the natural environment, cultivate relationships with other humans and non-humans, and negotiate human-environment interactions. Focusing on the place-based processes and actors involved in participatory science meaning-making helps make sense of complex interactions among people and the natural world. As more citizens engage with science and environmental research and decision-making via participatory efforts, integrated frameworks from which to understand these interactions and how they shape larger aspects of nature-society relationships will become increasingly necessary

The link between diabetes and atrial fibrillation: cause or correlation?

PubMed0110-1

Use and outcomes of targeted therapies in early and metastatic HER2-positive breast cancer in Australia: Protocol detailing observations in a whole of population cohort

Background: The management of human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)-positive breast cancer (BC) has changed dramatically with the introduction and widespread use of HER2-targeted therapies. However, there is relatively limited real-world information on patterns of use, effectiveness and safety in whole of population cohorts. The research programme detailed in this protocol will generate evidence on the prescribing patterns, safety monitoring and outcomes of patients with BC treated with HER2- targeted therapies in Australia. Methods/design: Our ongoing research programme will involve a series of retrospective cohort studies that include every patient accessing Commonwealth-funded HER2-targeted therapies for the treatment of early BC and advanced BC in Australia. At the time of writing, our cohorts consist of 11 406 patients with early BC and 5631 with advanced BC who accessed trastuzumab and lapatinib between 2001 and 2014. Pertuzumab and trastuzumab emtansine were publicly funded for metastatic BC in 2015, and future data updates will include patients accessing these medicines. We will use dispensing claims for cancer and other medicines, medical service claims and demographics data for each patient accessing HER2- targeted therapies to undertake this research. Ethics and dissemination: Ethics approval has been granted by the Population Health Service Research Ethics Committee and data access approval has been granted by the Australian Department of Human Services (DHS) External Review Evaluation Committee. Our findings will be reported in peer-reviewed publications, conference presentations and policy forums. By providing detailed information on the use and outcomes associated with HER2-targeted therapies in a national cohort treated in routine clinical care, our research programme will better inform clinicians and patients about the real-world use of these treatments and will assist third-party payers to better understand the use and economic costs of these treatments

Drought and Coastal Ecosystems: Identifying Impacts and Opportunities to Inform Management

2014 S.C. Water Resources Conference - Informing Strategic Water Planning to Address Natural Resource, Community and Economic Challenge

The incidence and risk factors for new onset atrial fibrillation in the PROSPER study

Aims Atrial fibrillation/flutter (AF) is the most common arrhythmia in older people. It associates with reduced exercise capacity, increased risk of stroke, and mortality. We aimed to determine retrospectively whether pravastatin reduces the incidence of AF and whether any electrocardiographic measures or clinical conditions might be risk factors for its development. Methods and results The PROspective Study of Pravastatin in the Elderly at Risk (PROSPER) was a randomized, double-blind controlled trial that recruited 5804 individuals aged 70-82 years with a history of, or risk factors for, vascular disease. A total of 2891 were allocated to pravastatin and 2913 to placebo; mean follow-up was 3.2 years. Electrocardiograms (ECGs), which were recorded at baseline, annually thereafter, and at run-out, were processed by computer and reviewed manually. In all, 264 of 2912 (9.1%) of the placebo group and 283 of 2888 (9.8%) of the pravastatin-treated group developed AF [hazard ratio 1.08 (0.92,1.28), P = 0.35)]. Multivariate analysis showed that PR and QTc intervals, age, left ventricular hypertrophy, and ST-T abnormalities were related to development of AF after adjustment for many variables including alcohol consumption, which itself was univariately predictive of developing AF. Previous myocardial infarction on the ECG was not a risk factor. A history of vascular disease was strongly linked with developing AF but not diabetes and hypertension. Conclusion Pravastatin does not reduce the incidence of AF in older people at risk of vascular disease, at least in the short-medium term. Risk factors for AF include older age, prolongation of PR or QTc intervals, left ventricular hypertrophy, and ST-T abnormalities on the EC

Community-based Data Validation Practices in Citizen Science

Technology-supported citizen science has created huge volumes of data with increasing potential to facilitate scientific progress, however, verifying data quality is still a substantial hurdle due to the limitations of existing data quality mechanisms. In this study, we adopted a mixed methods approach to investigate community-based data validation practices and the characteristics of records of wildlife species observations that affected the outcomes of collaborative data quality management in an online community where people record what they see in the nature. The findings describe the processes that both relied upon and added to information provenance through information stewardship behaviors, which led to improved reliability and informativity. The likelihood of community-based validation interactions were predicted by several factors, including the types of organisms observed and whether the data were submitted from a mobile device. We conclude with implications for technology design, citizen science practices, and research.NSF CCF 144266

Case Study of Resilient Baton Rouge: Applying Depression Collaborative Care and Community Planning to Disaster Recovery.

BackgroundAddressing behavioral health impacts of major disasters is a priority of increasing national attention, but there are limited examples of implementation strategies to guide new disaster responses. We provide a case study of an effort being applied in response to the 2016 Great Flood in Baton Rouge.MethodsResilient Baton Rouge was designed to support recovery after major flooding by building local capacity to implement an expanded model of depression collaborative care for adults, coupled with identifying and responding to local priorities and assets for recovery. For a descriptive, initial evaluation, we coupled analysis of documents and process notes with descriptive surveys of participants in initial training and orientation, including preliminary comparisons among licensed and non-licensed participants to identify training priorities.ResultsWe expanded local behavioral health service delivery capacity through subgrants to four agencies, provision of training tailored to licensed and non-licensed providers and development of advisory councils and partnerships with grassroots and government agencies. We also undertook initial efforts to enhance national collaboration around post-disaster resilience.ConclusionOur partnered processes and lessons learned may be applicable to other communities that aim to promote resilience, as well as planning for and responding to post-disaster behavioral health needs

Assessment of In vitro Sun Protection Factor of Calendula Officinalis L. (Asteraceae) Essential Oil Formulation

The present study was undertaken to study the sunscreen activity of herbal formulation. There is no evidence of the sun protection factor (SPF) studies on essential oil of Calendula flowers (Calendula officinalis L., Asteraceae). The study investigates the in vitro SPF by ultraviolet specrtophotometry method of Calendula flower oil in a cream formulation. Calendula oil was isolated by Clavenger's apparatus, compositions were identified by GC–MS and the cream of calendula flower oil was prepared by homogenization method followed by evaluation for physical parameters. The sun protection factor of cream was evaluated by in vitro method employing UV–visible spectrophotometer (Shimazdu-1600). The SPF of Calendula oil in cream formulation exhibited good activity (SPF = 14.84 ± 0.16). Finding of this study suggested that calendula oil cream can be used to protect the skin from UV radiations in form of sunscreen cream and to maintain the natural pigmentation of the skin