Heritability Estimates of Turf-type Characteristics in Buffalograss

Buffalograss [Buchloë dactyloides (Nutt.) Engelm] is a drought-resistant, dioecious species, native to the Central Great Plains, which shows excellent potential as a low maintenance turfgrass. Although buffalograss can be propagated vegetatively, there is a need for seeded turf-type cultivars. To assist in developing seeded cultivars, heritabilities of turf characteristics were estimated. Heritabilities from maternal half-sib analyses ranged from h2 = 0.04 ± 0.03 for the 1988 uniformity rating to h2 = 0.62 ± 0.26 for the 1989 spring color rating. Heritability estimates calculated from offspring-parent regression were also variable and generally lower than maternal half-sib analysis. The results suggest that some turf characteristics are highly heritable and that growing conditions markedly affect heritability estimates

General Practice from the perspective of a Learning Organisation

The focus of the study is situated in future directions for the health care of NSW residents. Across the world and in Australia it has been recognised that more emphasis needs to be placed on primary care with the goal of improving health outcomes and reducing health costs and health inequities. With the need to reposition the Australian healthcare workforce in response to federal health reforms and in order to meet the primary healthcare needs of future populations a key strategy of NSW 2021 is preventive health and effective management of chronic disease. The general practice microsystem is at the forefront of service provision. A narrative literature review technique was conducted to discuss and synthesise ideas concerning the application and enactment of learning organisation theory in Australia particularly regarding general practice microsystems. A narrative literature review offers the advantage of integrating qualitative and quantitative evidence and providing a broad coverage of issues on a topic. In order to overcome the perceived shortcomings of narrative reviews such as bias and lack of transparency, concepts investigated, search terminology used and inclusion and exclusion criteria for articles selected are carefully and succinctly explained. A mixed method approach was chosen for the study as it incorporates the use of qualitative and quantitative strategies and results in collection of data that represents differing lenses, perspectives and viewpoints. Quantitative data collection included data from staff (administrative, nurses and doctors), practice managers and patient questionnaires while qualitative data was derived from staff and practice manager interviews.The research reported in this paper is a project of the Australian Primary Health Care Research Institute which is supported by a grant from the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing under the Primary Health Care Research Evaluation and Development Strategy

Global shifts in mammalian population trends reveal key predictors of virus spillover risk.

Emerging infectious diseases in humans are frequently caused by pathogens originating from animal hosts, and zoonotic disease outbreaks present a major challenge to global health. To investigate drivers of virus spillover, we evaluated the number of viruses mammalian species have shared with humans. We discovered that the number of zoonotic viruses detected in mammalian species scales positively with global species abundance, suggesting that virus transmission risk has been highest from animal species that have increased in abundance and even expanded their range by adapting to human-dominated landscapes. Domesticated species, primates and bats were identified as having more zoonotic viruses than other species. Among threatened wildlife species, those with population reductions owing to exploitation and loss of habitat shared more viruses with humans. Exploitation of wildlife through hunting and trade facilitates close contact between wildlife and humans, and our findings provide further evidence that exploitation, as well as anthropogenic activities that have caused losses in wildlife habitat quality, have increased opportunities for animal-human interactions and facilitated zoonotic disease transmission. Our study provides new evidence for assessing spillover risk from mammalian species and highlights convergent processes whereby the causes of wildlife population declines have facilitated the transmission of animal viruses to humans

An Ongoing Shift in Mammalian Nest Predators of Yellow-billed Loons in Arctic Alaska

The Coastal Plain of northern Alaska is an important nesting area for a variety of avian species, where the productivity of ground-nesting species can be strongly influenced by nest predators. Recently, the density of red foxes (Vulpes vulpes) has increased in many areas of the Arctic, likely because of climate warming as well as the availability of anthropogenic food sources during winter. In areas where they occur sympatrically, red foxes can outcompete and kill the smaller Arctic fox (Vulpes lagopus). There is considerable dietary overlap between the fox species, but if the red fox is a more successful nest predator, this ongoing shift in canid species could have important implications for ground-nesting species like the Yellow-billed Loon (Gavia adamsii). We examined time-lapse photographs from 186 nests of Yellow-billed Loons in northern Alaska during the years 2008 – 15 and 2019 for the presence of foxes and other nest predators and quantified nest predation by species. Although both Arctic and red foxes were photographed near nests, we found that all successful predation of Yellow-billed Loon nests by foxes was attributable to red foxes, which were the second most frequent predator of Yellow-billed Loon nests after Glaucous Gulls (Larus hyperboreus). Arctic foxes photographed at Yellow-billed Loon nests were unsuccessful at displacing incubating loons. Several data sources suggest that the prevalence of red foxes has increased in Arctic Alaska over the last three decades, a change that is likely to have negative impacts on the nesting success of Yellow-billed Loons and possibly other large waterbirds. La plaine côtière du nord de l’Alaska est une aire de nidification importante pour une variété d’espèces aviaires, où la productivité des espèces nichant au sol peut être grandement influencée par les prédateurs de nids. Récemment, la densité de renards roux (Vulpes vulpes) a augmenté en maint endroit de l’Arctique, vraisemblablement en raison du réchauffement climatique et de la disponibilité de sources alimentaires anthropiques en hiver. Là où ils se retrouvent de manière sympatrique, les renards roux peuvent l’emporter sur les renards arctiques (Vulpes lagopus) plus petits et réussir à les tuer. Il existe un chevauchement alimentaire considérable entre les espèces de renards, mais si le renard roux est un prédateur de nids plus prolifique, le virage caractérisant les espèces de canidés pourrait avoir d’importantes incidences sur les espèces nichant au sol, comme le plongeon à bec blanc (Gavia adamsii). Nous avons examiné les photographies accélérées de 186 nids de plongeons à bec blanc du nord de l’Alaska prises entre les années 2008 et 2015 ainsi qu’en 2019 afin de repérer la présence de renards et d’autres prédateurs de nids, en plus de quantifier la prédation des nids en fonction des espèces. Même s’il y a des photographies de renards roux et de renards arctiques à proximité de nids, nous avons pu constater que toutes les prédations réussies de nids de plongeons à bec blanc étaient attribuables au renard roux, le deuxième plus grand prédateur de nids de plongeons à bec blanc après le goéland bourgmestre (Larus hyperboreus). Les renards arctiques photographiés aux nids de plongeons à bec blanc n’ont pas réussi à déplacer les plongeons en période d’incubation. Plusieurs sources de données suggèrent que la prédominance des renards roux a augmenté dans l’Arctique alaskien au cours des trois dernières décennies, un changement qui est susceptible d’avoir des incidences négatives sur le succès de la nidification des plongeons à bec blanc, voire d’autres oiseaux aquatiques plus volumineux.

Motor Learning Guided Treatment for Acquired Apraxia of Speech: Factors That Influence Treatment Outcomes

Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine factors that might influence the treatment effectiveness of motor learning guided (MLG) treatment approach for apraxia of speech (AOS). Specifically, this study examined the effects home practice and the stimuli selection on speech production. Method: This is a case study across two treatment cycles involving a 52 year-old male five months post left CVA (due to a carotid artery dissection). Each treatment cycle used three conditions of practice to investigate the influence of practice frequency on treatment outcomes. The personal relevance of stimuli within and across treatment conditions differed in the treatment cycles to investigate stimuli selection influence on treatment outcomes. Results: Changes in speech motor learning occurred in all conditions of practice only after therapy began. Phrases practiced in therapy and at home met criterion for mastery in fewer sessions than therapy only and untrained phrases. The content of the stimuli did not appear to have a direct influence on speech motor learning. Conclusion: This case study contributes to the growing evidence on the effectiveness of MLG treatment for acquired AOS. Future studies using an experimental design are needed to advance and strengthen the evidence for MLG

Patients’ and consumers’ perceptions of and involvement in safety and quality in Australian general practice

The importance of patient safety and quality research is renowned worldwide, but research outlining the interventions, intended outcomes, measurement and effectiveness are few and far between. Most of the research surrounding patient safety has focused on measurement and identifying what constitutes a risk, analysing, evaluating and managing risks effectively. Identifying practices and process of successful quality improvement can lead to effective results through greater understanding of the development, design and evaluation of complex interventions. Davidoff & Batalden (2005) point out that health care safety and quality research adds to scientific discovery and experiential learning, and that disseminating knowledge leads to better performance.However, there is still lack of relevant, timely, appropriate, accurate and transparent studies on this topic. Research on safety in primary care is just beginning to emerge as much of the literature has focussed on secondary care settings. Furthermore, research involving patients and carers is in its infancy and there has been a call to engage and partner with patients more effectively to improve the safety and quality of care they receive. Patients and carers have an important role to play when preventing errors and reducing harm. They have firsthand experience of their care, and are often able to provide detailed information about the processes, systems and structures that have led to the occurrence of an adverse event. Although there are many well-recognised benefits for involving patients to improve the safety of their care, there are still some unresolved contentions regarding the effectiveness of interventions, the roles and responsibilities for both patients and health professionals, and the kind of health care culture and organisational governance required for patient involvement in safety to occur successfully. A systematic review of the effectiveness of interventions designed to improve the delivery of patient centred care has shown that there are some promising approaches. This mainly includes improving patient education, health literacy, self-management skills, and capacity for making decisions, as well as developing partnerships with physicians, and contributing to safety and quality of care. There is also a growing evidence base centred on how health professionals can better support patient engagement in care. Patient involvement in health care has been proposed as a promising approach to achieving better quality of care, greater cost efficiency, and improved population health. Much of the literature on patient involvement in safety has focussed on partnering with patients to reduce harm in hospital settings. Hand hygiene interventions and speaking up campaigns dominate the evidence base in this area. However, research that has been conducted in general practice is scarce. A tool to measure patient involvement in decision making in general practice has been developed by Elwyn and collegues (2003), Sanders et al (2013) have found that interventions aiming to increase patient participation as a means to improve health outcomes in general practice are non-conclusive, and Flink et al (2012) have investigated patient activation during handover between primary and secondary care. Apart from these studies little else has been undertaken in this setting. To the authors knowledge only one study conducted in Australian general practice found that patient directed questioning improved information provision by physicians and patient involvement in safety. While there are some examples of partnering with patients to improve the safety of primary care, there is no evidence of how patients and carers view safety. Having an in depth understanding of patients and carers perceptions of safety is the starting point for designing and implementing effective and appropriate interventions that can help to reduce harm in the primary care setting.The research reported in this paper is a project of the Australian Primary Health Care Research Institute which is supported by a grant from the Australian Government Department of Health and Ageing under the Primary Health Care Research Evaluation and Development Strategy

See Me Smoke-Free: Protocol for a Research Study to Develop and Test the Feasibility of an mHealth App for Women to Address Smoking, Diet, and Physical Activity

Background: This paper presents the protocol for an ongoing research study to develop and test the feasibility of a multi-behavioral mHealth app. Approximately 27 million women smoke in the US, and more than 180,000 women die of illnesses linked to smoking annually. Women report greater difficulties quitting smoking. Concerns about weight gain, negative body image, and low self-efficacy may be key factors affecting smoking cessation among women. Recent studies suggest that a multi-behavioral approach, including diet and physical activity, may be more effective at helping women quit. Guided imagery has been successfully used to address body image concerns and self-efficacy in our 3 target behaviors—exercise, diet and smoking cessation. However, it has not been used simultaneously for smoking, diet, and exercise behavior in a single intervention. While imagery is an effective therapeutic tool for behavior change, the mode of delivery has generally been in person, which limits reach. mHealth apps delivered via smart phones offer a unique channel through which to distribute imagery-based interventions. Objective: The objective of our study is to evaluate the feasibility of an mHealth app for women designed to simultaneously address smoking, diet, and physical activity behaviors. The objectives are supported by three specific aims: (1) develop guided imagery content, user interface, and resources to reduce weight concern, and increase body image and self-efficacy for behavior change among women smokers, (2) program a prototype of the app that contains all the necessary elements of text, graphics, multimedia and interactive features, and (3) evaluate the feasibility, acceptability, and preliminary efficacy of the app with women smokers. Methods: We created the program content and designed the prototype application for use on the Android platform in collaboration with 9 participants in multiple focus groups and in-depth interviews. We programmed and tested the application’s usability with 6 participants in preparation for an open, pre- and posttest trial. Currently, we are testing the feasibility and acceptability of the application, evaluating the relationship of program use to tobacco cessation, dietary behaviors, and physical activity, and assessing consumer satisfaction with approximately 70 women smokers with Android-based smart phones. Results: The study was started January 1, 2014. The app was launched and feasibility testing began in April 1, 2015. Participants were enrolled from April 1-June 30, 2015. During that time, the app was downloaded over 350 times using no paid advertising. Participants were required to use the app “most days” for 30 days or they would be dropped from the study. We enrolled 151 participants. Of those, 78 were dropped or withdrew from the study, leaving 73 participants. We have completed the 30-day assessment, with a 92% response rate. The 90-day assessment is ongoing. During the final phase of the study, we will be conducting data analyses and disseminating study findings via presentations and publications. Feasibility will be demonstrated by successful participant retention and a high level of app use. We will examine individual metrics (eg, duration of use, number of screens viewed, change in usage patterns over time) and engagement with interactive activities (eg, activity tracking). Conclusions: We will aggregate these data into composite exposure scores that combine number of visits and overall duration to calculate correlations between outcome and measures of program exposure and engagement. Finally, we will compare app use between participants and non-participants using Google Analytics

Effect of COVID-19 on the implementation of a multifaceted intervention to improve teamwork and quality for hospitalized patients: A qualitative interview study

BACKGROUND: Healthcare organizations made major adjustments to deliver care during the COVID pandemic, yet little is known about how these adjustments shaped ongoing quality and safety improvement efforts. We aimed to understand how COVID affected four U.S. hospitals\u27 prospective implementation efforts in an ongoing quality improvement initiative, the REdesigning SystEms to Improve Teamwork and Quality for Hospitalized Patients (RESET) project, which implemented complementary interventions to redesign systems of care for medical patients. METHODS: We conducted individual semi-structured interviews with 40 healthcare professionals to determine how COVID influenced RESET implementation. We used conventional qualitative content analysis to inductively code transcripts and identify themes in MAXQDA 2020. RESULTS: We identified three overarching themes and nine sub-themes. The three themes were (1) COVID exacerbated existing problems and created new ones. (2) RESET and other quality improvement efforts were not the priority during the pandemic. (3) Fidelity of RESET implementation regressed. CONCLUSION: COVID had a profound impact on the implementation of a multifaceted intervention to improve quality and teamwork in four hospitals. Notably, COVID led to a diversion of attention and effort away from quality improvement efforts, like RESET, and sites varied in their ability to renew efforts over time. Our findings help explain how COVID adversely affected hospitals\u27 quality improvement efforts throughout the pandemic and support the need for research to identify elements important for fostering hospital resilience