Predation as a Vehicle to Aid Tunicate Invasion in the Biofouling Community

Competition for space can influence community dynamics in the sessile biofouling community. Within recent decades, community dynamics have shifted towards a community dominated by tunicates. This research proposed predation as a mechanism driving this shift. In the Gulf of Maine, the non-native species Botrylloides violaceous became abundant when predators (i.e. the benthic fish Tautogolabrus adspersus and the sea star Asterias rubens) removed the cryptogenic (i.e. native) tunicate Molgula citrina. Moreover, B. violaceus was present in higher amounts in habitats with low abundances of M. citrina than it was in areas in which the two tunicate species were both abundant. Furthermore, laboratory feeding trials showed that abundant local predators T. adspersus and A. rubens readily consumed large amounts of M. citrina.

Gender differences in Co-rumination Processes in the Friendships of Late Adolescents: Relations to Depression Vulnerability

The primary aim of this study was to investigate gender differences in problem content and dyadic problem talk duration as potential contributors to previously documented depressogenic effects of co-rumination in late adolescence. Participants (N = 176 undergraduate students) included pairs of same-gender female (n = 37), same-gender male (n = 15), and cross-gender (n = 36) friends who completed self-report measures assessing individual depressive symptom severity, as well as within-dyad co-rumination habits and friendship quality. Dyads also participated in an observational problem talk task, which asked each dyad member to identify a current personal problem and discuss it with their friend during a 16-minute videotaped session. Each participant’s identified problem was coded for inclusion of interpersonal and dependent content, and videotaped conversations were coded for the total time each dyad spent discussing problems and the total time each dyad member spent discussing their own problem (own-problem talk) and their friend’s problem (friend-problem talk). Consistent with existing depression literature, results indicated that females reported greater depressive symptom severity than males. Female dyads also reported the most co-rumination and engaged in the longest total problem talk, and both male and female participants reported engaging in more co-rumination when their dyad partner was female. However, own- and friend-problem talk did not vary by gender, and neither co-rumination nor total, own-, or friend-problem talk duration were predictive of depressive symptoms. Although female gender did not predict problem content, and problem content was not associated with depressive symptoms, interpersonal problem content predicted increased own-problem talk. These findings are in contrast to the overwhelming majority of research that has found co-rumination to be predictive of depressive symptoms, and provide no direct support suggesting that problem content and problem talk duration contribute to the depression gender gap. However, results do indicate that problem talk, a key component of co-rumination, is most likely to be prolonged when the problem being discussed has interpersonal content. The current results thus suggest that cumulative rather than interactive effects of gender and problem content may impact the co-rumination habits of late adolescents

Resilience, play space and adaptive behaviors among children in homeless shelters : a test of alternative models

In this study, two models of the relationship between resilience, play space, and adaptive behaviors among children in homeless shelters were tested. The analysis design involved a two factor ANOVA examining main and interaction effects of resilience (high vs. low, dichotomized at median of scale distribution) and play space (presence vs. absence). An interaction effect would have supported the hypothesis of the Dynamic Resilience Theory, which stated that in the presence of available play space, no difference between children with more or less resilience resilience was anticipated. In the absence of available play space, it was anticipated that more resilient children would be more at risk for behavior problems than those with less resilience. The Adaptive Resilience theory would have been supported by results showing a main effect of resilience. More resilient children would have been less at risk for behavior problems than less resilient children regardless of the Availability of play space. In both groups, it was anticipated that available play space would result in less risk of behavior problems. No interaction between resilience and play space was hypothesized for this model. Results indicate both a significant main effect of resilience for the externalizing behavior subscale and a significant interaction effect for internal and overall subscales. Mean profiles for external, internal, and overall subscales were similar, indicating no significant difference between more or less resilient children in shelters with inavailable play space. The mean profiles indicate a significant difference between more or less resilient children in shelters with available play space. The study concludes that both resilience and play space make a significant difference in the risk of child behavior problems. Implications for the nurturing of children with less resilience in social and cognitive development are discussed

The effect of different paddock rotation strategies for organic sows on behaviour, welfare and the environment

This report was presented at the UK Organic Research 2002 Conference. Two alternative paddock rotations for dry sows were established on an organic farm: Rotational (40 x 40m moved three times per year) and Set Stocked (120 x 40m in place for one year). Sows showed distinct preferences in the location of dunging and urination within the paddocks (p<0.001), but no differences between the paddocks. Vegetation cover under the sows was similar overall in the two paddock systems, but showed differences over the year. Work to model the potential for nutrient leaching in the two paddock systems is ongoing

Zooming in on CBT supervision: a comparison of two levels of effectiveness evaluation

Clinical supervision is of growing importance professionally, but instruments to measure its effectiveness are scarce. Based on the observational instrument Teachers' PETS, two complementary levels of outcome measurement were used to analyse supervisory effectiveness, namely momentary time sampling (i.e. a micro-analysis of frequencies) and the more molar “change episodes”. Ten audio-taped sessions of routine (baseline; N = 5) and CBT supervision (N = 5; i.e. the intervention phase) were coded with both measures, to assess their relative sensitivity to this manipulation. Improved supervisee learning was detected during the intervention phase by both measures. However, a retrospective comparison between the data within these change episodes and the accompanying non-episode data indicated that the micro level of analysis provided a more sensitive measure of supervisory effectiveness. Technical and conceptual issues arise

Learning technology in Scottish higher education ‐ a survey of the views of senior managers, academic staff and ‘experts’

As part of an evaluation of the Scottish Learning Technology Dissemination Initiative (LTDI), a survey was conducted of the views of academic staff, members of computer‐assisted learning and staff development units, and senior managers in all Scottish higher education institutions (HEIs). Most respondents across all subject areas and types of institutions (including those who rated themselves as less experienced with use of C&IT in teaching than their colleagues) believed that learning technology (LT) had moderate to very high potential for improving the way in which students learn. Awareness of the various agencies which have been established to promote its use in HEIs was very high, with few staff being unaware of any of them. Senior staff largely agreed that the value of these approaches lay in the improvement or maintenance of quality rather than in creating efficiency gains. Whilst there was a mostly positive view of the value of learning technology there are still significant barriers to its uptake by staff, the most important being lack of time, infrastructure, software and training, plus a failure (perceived or actual) of institutions to value teaching. The rather pessimistic view of ‘experts’ of the willingness of their less committed colleagues to make use of learning technology contrasted with the generally positive responses obtained from a broad group of 1,000 academic staff on their awareness of and attitudes to it. An analysis of the SHEFC's Teaching Quality Assessment reports during 1992–6 revealed substantial variability between and within subject assessments as to whether specific comments were made about IT provision and its use in learning and teaching

Utility of Sacks

In this circular, created by the Agriculture Extension Service at South Dakota State College, the information provided focuses on the purpose of sacks such as the flour, sugar, or salt sacks. This information is provided through the guidance of the Home Economics Department

Gift Suggestions

The time is drawing near when everyone wishes to remember friends and relatives by some token. There is no gift any more acceptable than some small hand-made article such as a handkerchief, toy for some child, bead necklace, etc. You will find in this circular a few suggestions for this type of gift. Current magazines also have a variety of suggestions at this time of year

Past-futures in experimental care: breast cancer and HIV medicine

Cambrosio et al. (2018. “Extending Experimentation: Oncology’s Fading Boundary Between Research and Care.” New Genetics and Society 37 (3): 207–226) argue that “experimental care” in contemporary oncology involves the rapid merging of patient research and care, and invite further study into developments across other health conditions. We present a 2018–2019 study of experimental breast cancer care in an urban clinical setting in the light of two other studies in the same hospital group: in the same cancer service (2013–14) and, prompted by these earlier findings, an interview study in HIV services (2014–15). We found that patients and staff anticipated better outcomes by treating sub-types of breast cancer but they also hoped for a better one-size-fits-all approach, akin to the antiretroviral treatments introduced for HIV and explored in our interview study. We conclude that the promise of targeted treatment for sub-types of disease – variously described as experimental care, personalised, precision, stratified and sub-group medicine – is accompanied by hopes for a single, standard, effective approach

Self-neglect: a case study and implications for clinical practice

Self-neglect is a worldwide and serious public health issue that can have serious adverse outcomes and is more common in older people. Cases can vary in presentation but typically present as poor self-care, poor care of the environment and service refusal. Community nurses frequently encounter self-neglect cases and health and social care professionals play a key role in the identification, management and prevention of self-neglect. Self-neglect cases can give rise to ethical, personal and professional challenges. The aim of this article is to create a greater understanding of the concept of self-neglect among community nurses