Survey of factors affecting the U.S. light plane market in 1950

Thesis (M.B.A.)--Boston Universit

How Can We Best Test The Effects Of Pollutants And Changes On The Animals And Plants Of Chesapeake Bay?

The animals and plants of the Bay, and the processes in which they are involved, are the basis for almost every use and desirable quality of the Bay. They provide both commercial and recreational fisheries, assimilate some quantities of wastes, contribute to esthetic quality, provide a favorable environment for many birds and mammals and feed all of the species which are used by man. However, the biota are directly or indirectly affected by many human activities - by maritime transport, recreational activities, agricultural production, waste discharges, domestic development, engineering activity, and other land-based activities. Therefore, the ultimate and most important question to be considered in evaluating any new pollutant or proposed environmental modification is - What effect will it have on the biota?https://scholarworks.wm.edu/vimsbooks/1175/thumbnail.jp

A novel route to product specificity in the Suv4-20 family of histone H4K20 methyltransferases

The delivery of site-specific post-translational modifications to histones generates an epigenetic regulatory network that directs fundamental DNA-mediated processes and governs key stages in development. Methylation of histone H4 lysine-20 has been implicated in DNA repair, transcriptional silencing, genomic stability and regulation of replication. We present the structure of the histone H4K20 methyltransferase Suv4-20h2 in complex with its histone H4 peptide substrate and S-adenosyl methionine cofactor. Analysis of the structure reveals that the Suv4-20h2 active site diverges from the canonical SET domain configuration and generates a high degree of both substrate and product specificity. Together with supporting biochemical data comparing Suv4-20h1 and Suv4-20h2, we demonstrate that the Suv4-20 family enzymes take a previously mono-methylated H4K20 substrate and generate an exclusively di-methylated product. We therefore predict that other enzymes are responsible for the tri-methylation of histone H4K20 that marks silenced heterochromatin

Nursing students' cultural beliefs and understanding of dementia: A phenomenological study across three continents

Background: Migrant nurses have reported difficulties adapting to their new culture and providing culturally sensitive care for people with dementia. However, to date no studies have explored the impact of student nurse's cultural heritage on their beliefs and understanding of dementia. Objectives: To explore the cultural beliefs of dementia of student nurses studying in England, Slovenia, Philippines and New Zealand. Design: An explorative hermeneutic phenomenology design. Settings: Higher Education Institutes delivering undergraduate nursing education in England (University of Greenwich and University of Essex), Slovenia (Angela Boškin Faculty of Health Care), New Zealand (University of Auckland), and the Philippines (University of Silliman). Participants: Student nurses studying nursing in England (n = 81), Slovenia (n = 41), Philippines (n = 53) and New Zealand (n = 6). Participants from England and New Zealand were from diverse cultural backgrounds. Student nurses at the beginning of their studies (n = 100) and towards the end of their studies (n = 81) participated. Methods: Completion of focus groups (n = 23), in England (n = 10), Slovenia (n = 6), Philippines (n = 6), and New Zealand (n = 1). All focus groups were audio recorded and transcribed verbatim. Data was analysed by applying an inductive theoretical approach of the Framework Method, which supports the generation of themes through open unhindered coding, pinpointing, examining, and recording patterns within the data. Results: Two major themes were identified in the data: familial piety and dementia discourse. Familial piety emerged from the importance of family and caring for family members with dementia, subthemes included: ‘my granddad’: familial experience, and ‘better to be with her’: familial home. Dementia discourse emerged from the terminology student nurses applied, such as: ‘preconceptions and misconceptions’ of aggression, and ‘considered crazy’ stigma of dementia due to a lack of awareness. Conclusions: The cultural heritage of student nurses impacted on their beliefs of dementia; however their understanding of the needs, care and support of a person with dementia changed and developed through clinical experience and education

Comparing groups of Brazilian cattle farmers with different levels of intention to use improved natural grassland

This study used the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) to analyze the intention of Brazilian farmers to use improved natural grassland. The TPB hypothesizes that the adoption of an innovation is driven by the intention to use it, which in turn is determined by three socio-psychological constructs: attitude, subjective norm, and perceived behavioral control. These constructs are derived from beliefs. The theoretical framework and model were applied to a sample of 214 Brazilian cattle farmers. Based on the socio-psychological constructs that influence intention, two groups of farmers were identified; farmers that were willing and farmers that were unwilling to use improved natural grassland. Results showed that compared to unwilling farmers, willing farmers evaluated the use of improved natural grassland on their farms more favorably (attitude), they felt a greater social pressure upon them to adopt this innovation (social norm), and they reported a higher capability (perceived behavioral control) to use improved natural grassland. Willing and unwilling farmers also differed in their behavioral beliefs concerning the outcomes of using improved natural grassland, their normative beliefs concerning important others, and their control beliefs concerning factors that could facilitate or inhibit the use of improved natural grassland. The two groups did not differ in most of their socioeconomic characteristics, but did differ in their goals and relative risk attitudes

REFERQUAL: A pilot study of a new service quality assessment instrument in the GP Exercise Referral scheme setting

Background The development of an instrument accurately assessing service quality in the GP Exercise Referral Scheme (ERS) industry could potentially inform scheme organisers of the factors that affect adherence rates leading to the implementation of strategic interventions aimed at reducing client drop-out. Methods A modified version of the SERVQUAL instrument was designed for use in the ERS setting and subsequently piloted amongst 27 ERS clients. Results Test re-test correlations were calculated via Pearson's 'r' or Spearman's 'rho', depending on whether the variables were Normally Distributed, to show a significant (mean r = 0.957, SD = 0.02, p < 0.05; mean rho = 0.934, SD = 0.03, p < 0.05) relationship between all items within the questionnaire. In addition, satisfactory internal consistency was demonstrated via Cronbach's 'α'. Furthermore, clients responded favourably towards the usability, wording and applicability of the instrument's items. Conclusion REFERQUAL is considered to represent promise as a suitable tool for future evaluation of service quality within the ERS community. Future research should further assess the validity and reliability of this instrument through the use of a confirmatory factor analysis to scrutinise the proposed dimensional structure

Sedimentation and subsidence history of the Lomonosov Ridge

During the first scientific ocean drilling expedition to the Arctic Ocean (Arctic Coring Expedition [ACEX]; Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 302), four sites were drilled and cored atop the central part of the Lomonosov Ridge in the Arctic Ocean at ~88°N, 140°E (see Fig. F18 in the "Sites M0001–M0004" chapter). The ridge was rifted from the Eurasian continental margin at ~57 Ma (Fig. F1) (Jokat et al., 1992, 1995). Since the rifting event and the concurrent tilting and erosion of this sliver of the outer continental margin, the Lomonosov Ridge subsided while hemipelagic and pelagic sediments were deposited above the angular rifting unconformity (see Fig. F7A in the "Sites M0001–M0004" chapter).The sections recovered from the four sites drilled during Expedition 302 can be correlated using their seismic signature, physical properties (porosity, magnetic susceptibility, resistivity, and P-wave velocity), chemostratigraphy (ammonia content of pore waters), lithostratigraphy, and biostratigraphy. The lithostratigraphy of the composite section combined with biostratigraphy provides an insight into the complex history of deposition, erosion, and preservation of the biogenic fraction. Eventually, the ridge subsided to its present water depth as it drifted from the Eurasian margin. In this chapter, we compare a simple model of subsidence history with the sedimentary record recovered from atop the ridge

Personal and Household Hygiene, Environmental Contamination, and Health in Undergraduate Residence Halls in New York City, 2011

Background: While several studies have documented the importance of hand washing in the university setting, the added role of environmental hygiene remains poorly understood. The purpose of this study was to characterize the personal and environmental hygiene habits of college students, define the determinants of hygiene in this population, and assess the relationship between reported hygiene behaviors, environmental contamination, and health status. Methods: 501 undergraduate students completed a previously validated survey assessing baseline demographics, hygiene habits, determinants of hygiene, and health status. Sixty survey respondents had microbiological samples taken from eight standardized surfaces in their dormitory environment. Bacterial contamination was assessed using standard quantitative bacterial culture techniques. Additional culturing for coagulase-positive Staphylococcus and coliforms was performed using selective agar. Results: While the vast majority of study participants (n = 461, 92%) believed that hand washing was important for infection prevention, there was a large amount of variation in reported personal hygiene practices. More women than men reported consistent hand washing before preparing food (p = .002) and after using the toilet (p = .001). Environmental hygiene showed similar variability although 73.3% (n = 367) of subjects reported dormitory cleaning at least once per month. Contamination of certain surfaces was common, with at least one third of all bookshelves, desks, refrigerator handles, toilet handles, and bathroom door handles positive for <10 CFU of bacteria per 4 cm2 area. Coagulase-positive Staphylococcus was detected in three participants' rooms (5%) and coliforms were present in six students' rooms (10%). Surface contamination with any bacteria did not vary by frequency of cleaning or frequency of illness (p<.05). Conclusions: Our results suggest that surface contamination, while prevalent, is unrelated to reported hygiene or health in the university setting. Further research into environmental reservoirs of infectious diseases may delineate whether surface decontamination is an effective target of hygiene interventions in this population

Expedition 302 geophysics: integrating past data with new results

In preparation for IODP Expedition 302, Arctic Coring Expedition (ACEX), a site survey database comprising geophysical and geological data from the Lomonosov Ridge was compiled. The accumulated database includes data collected from ice islands, icebreakers, and submarines from 1961 to 2001. In addition, seismic reflection profiles were collected during Expedition 302 that complement the existing seismic reflection data and facilitate integration between the acoustic stratigraphy and the Expedition 302 drill cores. An overview of these data is presented in this chapter.It is well recognized that collecting geophysical data in ice-covered seas, in particular the Arctic Ocean, is a challenging endeavor. This is because much of the Arctic Ocean is continuously covered with ice thicknesses that vary from 1 to 6 m. Over the continental shelves, sea ice can be absent during summer months, but it is present year-round in the central basins. This ice cover is the most dominant feature of the Arctic Ocean environment. It circulates in the ocean basin in two main circulation patterns: the Transpolar Drift and the Beaufort Gyre (see the "Expedition 302 summary" chapter; Rudels et al., 1996).Expedition 302 sites are located within the less severe of these two ice circulation systems, the Transpolar Drift, which primarily moves sea ice from the shelves where it is formed (the Laptev and East Siberian Seas) across the basin and exits through the Fram Strait. During late summer, concentrations of Arctic sea ice can be &lt;100% (10/10 ice cover), making it possible for icebreakers to operate. Average ice concentrations in the central Arctic Ocean during summer months can locally vary from partially open water (6/10) to completely ice covered (10/10). This sea-ice cover can move at speeds up to 0.5 kt.Early Arctic Ocean geophysical exploration was performed from ice-drift stations (Weber and Roots, 1990). However, the tracks from these drifting ice stations were controlled "by the whims of nature" (Jackson et al., 1990), preventing detailed, systematic surveys of predetermined target areas. These ice-drift stations were set up on stable icebergs that were trapped in sea ice and moved generally with the large drift patterns, but locally they were erratic, so preselected locations could not be surveyed. In the late 1980s, single icebreakers began to be used for oceanographic survey work in the Arctic Ocean. Between 1991 and 2001, four scientific icebreaker expeditions to the Lomonosov Ridge took place. These cruises all experienced local sea-ice conditions varying between 8/10 and 10/10. During these expeditions, towed geophysical equipment was occasionally damaged or lost, either because of a rapidly closing wake caused by local ice pressure or because ice had cut the air gun array.Conventionally powered icebreakers reached as far as the North Pole for the first time during the 1991 Expedition (Andersen and Carlsonn, 1992; Fütterer, 1992). Geophysical results from this expedition collected two important reflection profiles, AWI-91090 and AWI-91091, that crossed the Lomonosov Ridge between 87° and 88°N. These profiles imaged a ~450 m thick, well-stratified and apparently undisturbed drape of sediments overlying a prominent acoustic unconformity (Jokat et al., 1992) that spawned the idea to conduct a paleoceanographic drilling expedition to this Ridge.The use of US Navy nuclear submarines for geophysical mapping was implemented through the Science Ice Exercise program (SCICEX) (Newton, 2000). The development of the Seafloor Characterization and Mapping Pods (SCAMP), which hold a Chirp subbottom profiler, swath bathymetric profiler, and side scan sonar, was an essential part of the SCICEX program (Chayes et al., 1996). In 1999, the Lomonosov Ridge geophysical database was augmented with acoustic data acquired during the SCICEX program using the SCAMP system mounted on the US nuclear submarine USS Hawkbill (Edwards and Coakley, 2003)