Habitat Monitoring for Salmonid Health at Headwaters Forest Reserve in Humboldt County, California

The influx of fine sediment causes degraded habitat for salmonid species that are under federal monitoring protocols. Within Headwaters Forest Reserve, restoration efforts for salmonids such as road decommissioning have been conducted to reduce the influx of fine sediment into streams. Post-project monitoring of salmonid habitat in impacted streams is necessary to assess restoration effectiveness. Monitoring methods include assessing pool volume, large woody debris, and sediment particle size distribution in riffles. A one-kilometer study reach was examined to give indication of this progress. Thirty-one pools were counted along this study reach. A total of 149 large woody debris pieces were found. Of that, 86 were aggregate pieces and 63 were single pieces. Pieces of wood in aggregates decreased slightly from 2005-2020. Smaller length classes of LWD weren’t observed until 2016 and longer length classes were no longer observed after 2013. Sediment size analysis showed that 98% of particles counted in this reach were considered gravels ranging from 2-90mm. The sediment size analysis also showed that there was no significant difference in the sediment size distribution from 2005-2020, indicating that the stream should be a suitable habitat for salmonid spawning. With the exception of a few outlier years, the dimension of streambed pools has been relatively consistent over the study period

Regional Security, Early Warning and Intelligence Cooperation in Africa

Magister Artium - MAThis dissertation explores the potential contributions of the mechanisms for early warning and intelligence sharing to regional security in Africa. The Continental Early Warning System (CEWS) and the Committee on Intelligence and Security Services of Africa (CISSA) are centrally concerned with the dissemination of information to enable decision-making on continental security. The main focus of the dissertation is on the manner in which the information generated by the CEWS and CISSA can contribute to regional security. In order to analyse the potential contribution of the CEWS and CISSA to regional security, a sound theoretical framework is proposed so as to explore how and why states choose to cooperate, as well as addressing multifaceted cooperation and integration at inter-state, government department and nonstate levels. Constructivist interpretations of international cooperation are utilised to explore the role of ideas, meanings and understandings in shaping behaviour. The focus is placed on the manner in which interaction as provided for by the CEWS and CISSA can shape understandings of reality and potentially impact on the definition of actors' interests. This is based on the assumption drawn from security community and epistemic community theory that, enabling the creation of shared meanings and shared knowledge there is the potential for both the CEWS and CISSA to have a positive influence on the choices that stakeholders take in favour of peaceful change.South Afric

MOASES: A New Measure for Measuring Undergraduate Academic Self-Efficacy

The current study seeks to develop and validate a measure of undergraduate academic self-efficacy in students’ overall and major-specific courses. In the context of this study, academic self-efficacy is defined as college students’ belief in their capacity to attain specified performance goals related to scholastics in their collegiate education. This definition combines Bandura’s (1977, 1986, 1997) ideas while incorporating our own to fill a need in the literature surrounding academic self-efficacy. Several measures exist to assess general and overall academic self-efficacy, but none go so far as to question students’ belief in their ability within a specific area of study. To develop our measure, we used existing measures and peer-review procedures to formulate items related to overall and major-specific self-efficacy. To validate our new measure, adult undergraduate students completed a survey on Qualtrics that measured demographics, undergraduate GPA, general self-efficacy (Schwarzer and Jerusalem, 1995), general self-esteem (Rosenberg, 1979), general academic self-efficacy (Ifdil et al., 2019), and the constructs of our measure: overall and major-specific academic self-efficacy. Results and discussion are forthcoming

How do nurses keep children safe from abuse and neglect, and does it make a difference? A scoping review

Copyright © 2018 Elsevier Ltd. This manuscript version is made available under the CC-BY-NC-ND 4.0 license:http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nc-nd/4.0/Objectives: To explore the extent of child protection work performed by nurses and identify which interventions hold the strongest evidence for future practice. Design: This scoping review was guided by Arksey and O'Malley's framework for scoping reviews. Data Sources: Electronic databases (CINAHL, Medline, Scopus, Web of Science) and grey literature were searched in August 2017. Further studies were identified through manual literature searching. Results: Forty-one studies from seven countries met the inclusion criteria. The studies showed nurses keep children safe primarily through the prevention of abuse (n = 32), but also through detection of abuse (n = 1) and interventions to mitigate the effects of abuse (n = 8). Nurses' specific interventions most frequently involved post-natal home visiting (n = 20), parent education (n = 10) and assessment and care of children or adolescents following sexual abuse (n = 4). The main findings showed that although nurses did have positive impacts upon some measures of abuse and neglect, results were not consistent across studies. In addition, some studies used indirect measures of abuse and neglect, which may not impact children's experiences of abuse. It is difficult to extrapolate these findings to the broader nursing profession as literature did not accurately represent the range of ways that nurses keep children safe from abuse and neglect. Conclusions: This review demonstrated nurses prevent, detect and respond to abuse and neglect in many ways. However, given mixed evidence and absence of some nurse interventions in the literature, further research is needed to represent the range of ways that nurses keep children safe and determine their effectiveness

Integrative review: Nurses' roles and experiences in keeping children safe

This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Lines, L.E., Hutton, A.E. and Grant, J.M. (2017). Integrative review: Nurses' roles and experiences in keeping children safe. Journal of Advanced Nursing, 73(2) pp. 302-322, which has been published in final form at: https://doi.org/10.1111/jan.13101. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Use of Self-Archived Versions.Aim To identify nurses' role and experiences of keeping children safe. Background Approaches to preventing, identifying and responding to child abuse and neglect have moved towards a multidisciplinary approach where all professionals are expected to contribute to the goal of keeping children safe. Frequently in contact with children and families, nurses well positioned to contribute to keeping children safe from abuse and neglect. Much has been published around nurses' experiences of their role in keeping children safe, but this literature has not yet been synthesized to determine the challenges and potential scope of this role. Design Integrative review following an Integrative Review framework. Data sources Studies were identified through a search of the electronic databases CINAHL, Medline, Web of Science, Scopus and Informit to identify literature published between 2005‐2015. Review methods All the studies were critically appraised for methodological quality using the Critical Skills Appraisal Programme. Data from each study were extracted and categorized according to the review aims and the study's major findings. Results Inclusion criteria were met in 60 studies. Three main findings were identified including nurses' insufficient knowledge, need for validation and improved communication and balancing surveillance and support for vulnerable families. Conclusions Nurses have many roles and experiences in keeping children safe but often felt they did not have the knowledge, skills and support to take action in this area. Further research is needed to understand why nurses feel inadequate and disempowered to advocate and intervene on the behalf of children at risk of abuse or neglect

Conference: ESTRO 2023, Vienna. Oral Presentation: Design and evaluation of a virtual tour of a Radiotherapy department to improve patient experience

Oral presentation at ESTRO 2023, Vienna. Presented by Nicola Hutton. The abstract for this work was nominated for the "Elsevier Young Researcher Award"

What’s Hiding in the Spine? A Study of Adhesives in Medieval Books Using Mass Spectrometry

Glues, and in particular glued spines, are notable features of late medieval European books, yet little research has been done into how they were sourced, produced, and used. In this article we present preliminary results from using the paleoproteomic methods of Electromagnetic Zooarchaeology through Mass Spectrometry (eZooMS) and Peptide Mass Fingerprinting (PMF) to identify the source species for animal glues used in late medieval books. We first introduce readers to the principal kinds of glue used in medieval craftsmanship and what is known about their use in bookbinding, principally from the discipline of book conservation. We describe the micro-sampling methods of eZooMS, in which a PVC eraser is rubbed gently on the surface of the book. We then describe the process through which we tested and fine-tuned our sampling methods on eight medieval books held in Canadian repositories, addressing some of the challenges we faced, potential further uses or expansions upon the technique, and the benefits of our collaborative approach to such “manuscientific” studies

A newly designed virtual tour of a Radiotherapy Department for improving patient experience initial staff qualitative evaluation

Abstract: Introduction More informed patients are likely to be more relaxed and less anxious on their cancer journey; evidence suggests knowing practical aspects of attending for radiotherapy and what to expect are very important(1-4). Departmental open evenings providing greater information support, help reduce anxiety and distress levels(5-6). More recently, virtual methods have been used – which is our approach here; by developing a digital virtual tour by local level 3 computer science students, as part of the Innovation Project for Clatterbridge Cancer Centre Liverpool (CCCL). Initial design and evaluation with patients have been undertaken(7). Knowing that Therapeutic Radiographers (TRs) are the natural eyes and ears for capturing the patient voice, we here report the initial evaluation from TR focus groups conducted at CCCL. Method Evaluation by patients used a mixed-methods survey(7). Control (n=9) and intervention (n=14) groups were established – the latter completing the survey after watching the virtual tour. Simultaneously, TR focus groups were conducted (n=17) using open-ended questions for evaluation. Results Qualitative results from TRs covered a wide range of evaluative comments and suggestions for improvement and development. All (100%) felt the virtual tour was a positive addition to the patient’s journey. Some commented it provided a good alternative to in-person open evenings, with enough information delivered at a good pace. The radiographer avatar was in uniform and spoke with a regional accent – both aspects were commented as being usefully informative, with a style and approach considered highly personable. Highlighting available facilities (like the beverage bar) and the inside of the treatment room were particularly noted in allowing patients to know exactly what to expect and help remove fear of the unknown. Improvements were suggested, to further expand the ‘reach’ of the virtual tour – e.g. to highlight transport, phlebotomy and pharmacy services; or link to Macmillan and Chemotherapy suites; and extend into further aspects such as pre-treatment and even how radiotherapy works. Conclusion The responses from this initial evaluation with TRs, who are at the frontline of providing care for radiotherapy patients, has been highly positive – complementing patient responses which, for example, showed reductions in anxiety and improvements in confidence and knowledge in practical matters (such as queue and changing room systems), together with knowing better what to expect through to the treatment room. Its introduction can now be the foundation for providing further key information prior to treatment start, alleviating anxiety and improving the patient experience still further

Patient reported outcome measures (PROMs) in Radiotherapy: Qualitative results of a survey of healthcare professionals

Background: Radiotherapy provides an effective treatment modality in the management of various malignancies. However, many patients develop acute and long-term toxicities that present a significant burden to their quality of life1,2. Such toxicities are often underreported by clinicians, and therefore patient-reported outcome measures(PROMs) present a more robust assessment3. Despite the clear advantages of PROMs including stratified follow-up and evaluation of clinical effectiveness, safety and cost, barriers exist at patient, healthcare professional(HCP) and service levels3,4. Most commonly, perceived lack of time/PROMs training for HCPS, poor IT infrastructure and lack of PROMs integration into existing systems create barriers3. The NHS England Radiotherapy Service Specification calls for routine use of PROMS, which requires effective implementation within radiotherapy5. Several ‘enablers’ to PROMs implementation have been identified, including use of electronic PROMs, automatic data interpretation and HCP training3,4,6. This study aimed to identify current PROMs use within radiotherapy nationally, to evaluate current attitudes, barriers and enablers to PROMs use, and to develop practical recommendations to implement PROMs within UK radiotherapy services. The qualitative findings are presented here. Methods: An e-questionnaire consisting of 12 open and multiple-choice questions was developed. The questionnaire was piloted by radiotherapy professionals, and disseminated via email across all radiotherapy operational delivery network(ODN) managers, covering the entirety of England. 182 participants were recruited across a range of professions including therapeutic radiographers, nurses and researchers. A mixed-methods approach was utilised; thematic analysis of free-text responses provided qualitative data, whilst statistical analysis was performed on quantitative results. Results: Inductive thematic analysis of questionnaire responses resulted in identification of key themes related to the barriers and enablers of PROMs use within radiotherapy. Interestingly, identical themes emerged associated with participants’ perceptions of both barriers/enablers, with an additional theme identified pertaining to potential enablers of PROMs: Barriers - Themes: 1. I.T. Infrastructure 2. Time 3. Resources(Human/Financial) 4. Training/Education Enablers - Themes: 1. I.T. Infrastructure 2. Time 3. Resources(Human/Financial) 4. Training/Education 5. Standardisation Conclusion: Our findings further demonstrate the paucity of routine PROMs use within radiotherapy. Here, we provide recommendations to mitigate barriers and implement PROMs; such steps include HCP training on PROMs and development/integration of electronic systems. Standardisation of PROMs tools and centralised data storage is essential to assessing radiotherapy toxicity data nationally and informing practice. Referral pathways to existing specialist services are fundamental to ensuring PROMs data are used meaningfully. This study provides an important first step in driving PROMs implementation within UK radiotherapy services. References 1. Miller, K., Nogueira, L., Mariotto, A., Rowland, J., Yabroff, R., Alfano, C., et al. (2019). Cancer treatment and survivorship statistics 2019. CA: A Cancer Journal For Clincians. https://doi.org/10.3322/caac.21565 2. Macmillan Cancer Support. Cured – but at what cost? Long-term consequences of cancer and its treatment. [ Internet] (2013). Available at: https://www.macmillan.org.uk/documents/aboutus/newsroom/consequences_of_treatment_june2013.pdf [Accessed online 28th March 2021]. 3. Nguyen, H., Butow, P., Dhillon, H. & Sundaresan, P. (2020a). A review of the barriers to using Patient-Reported Outcomes (PROs) and Patient-Reported Outcome Measures (PROMs) in routine cancer care. Journal of Medical Radiation Sciences. 00, 1-10. Doi: 10.1002/jmrs.421 4. Kingsley, C. & Patel, S. (2017). Patient-reported outcome measures and patient-reported experience measures. British Journal of Anaesthesia. 17, 137-144. doi: 10.1093/bjaed/mkw060 5. National Health Service (NHS) England (2019). Service Specification 170091S: Adult External Beam Radiotherapy Services Delivered as Part of a Radiotherapy Network. Available at: https://www.england.nhs.uk/wp-content/uploads/2019/01/External-Beam-Radiotherapy-Services-Delivered-as-Part-of-a-Radiotherapy-Network-Adults.pdf [Accessed online 10th April 2021]. 6. Howell, D., Molloy, S., Wilkinson, K., Green, E., Orchard, K., Wang, K. & Liberty, J. (2015). Patient-reported outcomes in routine cancer clinical practice: a scoping review of use, impact on health outcomes, and implementation factors. Annals of Oncology. 26, 1846-1858. doi: 10.1093/annonc/mdv18