Shortnose Sturgeon (Acipenser brevirostrum) Spawning Potential in the Penobscot River, Maine: Considering Dam Removals and Emerging Threats

Dam removals from the Penobscot River in Maine restored access to freshwater habitat critical for the life cycle of endangered shortnose sturgeon. Prior to the dam removals, shortnose sturgeon spawning activity had not been documented. Instead, evidence suggested that individuals emigrated from the Penobscot River to spawn in the Kennebec complex, 140 km away. A central question of this thesis was whether spawning activity would commence in the first two years following dam removal. Consistent with pre-dam removal movement patterns determined using acoustic telemetry, the majority (78%) of tagged individuals emigrated from the Penobscot River at some point over the study period and, of these, 71% were found on spawning grounds in the Kennebec complex. The high degree of connectivity with other coastal Maine rivers, along with the lack of documented spawning activity, suggests that shortnose sturgeon remain dependent on spawning in the Kennebec complex. For all individuals occupying the Penobscot River, seasonal distributions within the river were consistent among years and similar to those observed pre-dam removal, with upstream/freshwater river use predominating in fall and winter and estuarine/downriver use dominating in spring and summer. In the fall of 2015, individuals were detected in the first 5 km made available by the Veazie Dam removal, offering evidence that shortnose sturgeon could return upstream during future springs to spawn. Shortnose sturgeon require a suite of habitat characteristics to be present to spawn. Habitat suitability modeling was performed to assess the quality of the newly available habitat in the Penobscot River. Using a two-dimensional hydrodynamic model and ArcGIS, the first 5 km reach made available by the Veazie Dam removal was examined based on velocity, depth, and bottom substrate. Results indicate that at any discharge likely to occur during the spring spawning season, at least 40% of the area is usable for spawning. Velocity is the most limiting habitat characteristic at any simulated discharge. The habitat suitability maps generated could be useful for planning spawning sampling in future years. Lessons learned from the first two studies were used to suggest future steps for research concerning shortnose sturgeon in the Penobscot River. To more fully describe how this endangered species responds to the recent dam removals, more acoustic tags should be deployed and further examination of habitat suitability should occur. In addition to continued telemetry and habitat assessments, researchers should consider how the emerging threat of climate change could impact shortnose sturgeon recovery. For example, how increased saltwater intrusion affects available habitat for spawning and juvenile rearing. Tracking the behavior and use of newly available habitat will help researchers and managers address threats to the species in the Penobscot River and to the wider population in the Gulf of Maine

Retrospective Evaluation of a Dietitian-led Corporate Wellness Program

BACKGROUND: Despite national health and wellness standards, many adults are not compliant with a healthy lifestyle, especially in the southeastern region of the United States. Effective corporate wellness programs are a mutually beneficial method of promoting health among this population. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to evaluate effectiveness of a Registered Dietitian (RD) developed 12-week corporate wellness program for improved health parameters, nutrition knowledge scores and comparable retention rates

The experiences of women with polycystic ovary syndrome on a very low-calorie diet

The research was funded by an educational grant from LighterLife. Broom was the Medical Director for LighterLife at the time of the research. Johnson is the Head of Nutrition and Research at LighterLife. The authors report no other conflicts of interest in this work.Peer reviewedPublisher PD

Allied Health Student Clinical Placements in Residential Aged Care Facilities: Staff Opinions, Attitudes, and Support Needs

Purpose: As the population ages, the incidence and prevalence of chronic health issues requiring allied health management is increasing. Currently, there is an undersupply of appropriately skilled allied health professionals working in aged care. This has also been identified as a setting in which many beginning health practitioners are reluctant to seek employment. In order to address this workforce shortage, it is imperative that students are prepared for a possible future career within aged care facilities. Early clinical experience within this setting may increase student confidence, raise awareness of the need for services, and encourage students to consider working in aged care. At present, student clinical placements within aged care facilities are limited, potentially contributing to difficulties addressing workforce needs. The reasons for the lack of clinical placements and the relative contribution of the opinions, attitudes, training, and support needs of staff are unknown. The purpose of this study was to investigate the opinions, attitudes, support, and training needs of physiotherapists, dieticians, and managers working in residential aged care regarding allied health professional student clinical placements. Method: A written survey of allied health professionals (dieticians and physiotherapists, n=26) and managers (n=40) working in residential aged care was conducted. Responses were analysed using qualitative and quantitative methods. Results: Participants had generally positive attitudes towards student placements in residential aged care. Managers were significantly more positive regarding the scope for student clinical placements within their facilities than allied health professionals (p\u3c 0.05). The biggest barrier to student placements identified by both managers and allied health professionals was the nature of employment of allied health professionals in the sector. Participating allied health professionals also indicated that they required specific training in student supervision and the provision of clinical education. Conclusion: The attitudes and opinions of allied health professionals and managers did not appear to contribute to a lack of allied health professional student placements in aged care facilities. The main barriers to placement were the nature of allied health professional employment and a lack of staff experience in supervising students on clinical placement. Specific training and mentoring of allied health professionals may facilitate increased student placement capacity in the aged care setting

Mustard catch crop enhances denitrification in shallow groundwater beneath a spring barley field

The study was funded by Department of Agriculture and Food through the Research Stimulus Fund Programme (Grant RSF 06383) in collaboration with the Department of Civil, Structural & Environmental Engineering, Trinity College Dublin, Ireland.peer-reviewedOver-winter green cover crops have been reported to increase dissolved organic carbon (DOC) concentrations in groundwater, which can be used as an energy source for denitrifiers. This study investigates the impact of a mustard catch crop on in situ denitrification and nitrous oxide (N2O) emissions from an aquifer overlain by arable land. Denitrification rates and N2O-N/(N2O-N + N2-N) mole fractions were measured in situ with a push–pull method in shallow groundwater under a spring barley system in experimental plots with and without a mustard cover crop. The results suggest that a mustard cover crop could substantially enhance reduction of groundwater nitrate NO3--N via denitrification without significantly increasing N2O emissions. Mean total denitrification (TDN) rates below mustard cover crop and no cover crop were 7.61 and 0.002 μg kg−1 d−1, respectively. Estimated N2O-N/(N2O-N + N2-N) ratios, being 0.001 and 1.0 below mustard cover crop and no cover crop respectively, indicate that denitrification below mustard cover crop reduces N2O to N2, unlike the plot with no cover crop. The observed enhanced denitrification under the mustard cover crop may result from the higher groundwater DOC under mustard cover crop (1.53 mg L−1) than no cover crop (0.90 mg L−1) being added by the root exudates and root masses of mustard. This study gives insights into the missing piece in agricultural nitrogen (N) balance and groundwater derived N2O emissions under arable land and thus helps minimise the uncertainty in agricultural N and N2O-N balances

DISGUST AS A CONCEPTUAL FOUNDATION FOR ART APPRECIATION IN THE COMMUNITY COLLEGE: A THOUGHT EXPERIMENT IN PRACTICE

Reflecting on the history of art appreciation and viewing its current context within a community college, as a general education course that largely perpetuates cultural miseducation (Martin 2011) through preservation of the Western canon, this dissertation is a theoretical inquiry into the re-visioning of the art appreciation curriculum. In community college (and perhaps elsewhere), conceptually grounding art appreciation curriculum in “aesthetic disgust, ”(Korsmeyer 2011) or “difficult beauty, ” (Bosanquet 1923) with pedagogical creativity can yield deeper, livelier critical student engagement and (transformative) learning than a traditional conceptual grounding in beauty. A core construct the study identifies is the centrality of beauty within art appreciation (Plato 380 B.C.E.; Burke 1757; Kant 1790). The context and setting for this study is a community college art appreciation course. It identifies student populations, the culture and the forces acting upon community colleges that affect who does (and does not) succeed there; the role of art appreciation as general education courses in community colleges. This inquiry showed that art appreciation serves often as a cultural foundation for ideas of beauty (Plato 380 B.C.E.; Burke 1757; Kant 1790) and as seen through the male gaze (Berger 1972; Benjamin 2007; Mulvey 1975). This curriculum re-visioning provided a practical framework for incorporating critical aesthetic pedagogy (Medina), cooperative learning, (Johnson and Johnson 2009), encounters of aesthetic disgust and difficult beauty (Bosanquet, 1923; Korsmeyer, 2011; Martin, 2011, Haraway, 2008) and the centrality of these concepts to art appreciation with studio experience. In this qualitative study, student selected course content led art appreciation topical classroom conversations and multiple measures were used to determine student engagement/learning. Carolyn Korsmeyer, Savoring Disgust: The Foul and the Fair in Aesthetics (New York: Oxford University Press, 2011). Bernard Bosanquet, Three Lectures on Aesthetic (London: McMillan and Co., Limited, 1923). Yolanda Medina, Critical Aesthetic Pedagogy: Towards a Theory of Self and Social Empowerment (New York: Peter Lang, 2012)

The Barriers to Interprofessional Collaborative Practice: Perspectives from Australian Physiotherapy Private Practitioners

Background: Despite the growing presence of physiotherapy private practitioners within Australia’s healthcare workforce, little is known about their perspectives of interprofessional collaborative practice (IPCP). This study aims to explore the barriers to IPCP from the perspective of Australian physiotherapy private practitioners. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 28 physiotherapists and 64 hours of observation was completed in 10 private practice sites in Queensland, Australia. Interview and observation data were pooled and analyzed using reflexive thematic analysis. Findings: Data analysis produced five themes that characterized physiotherapists’ perspectives of IPCP: a) competition for clientele, b) personal attitudes and beliefs, c) time constraints and work schedules, d) geographic location, and e) rules of funding schemes. Conclusion: The findings from this study suggest that implementing IPCP in the Australian physiotherapy private practice setting presents several challenges. Financial concerns, such as physiotherapy private practitioners’ perceived need to compete for clientele, were significant barriers to IPCP. The introduction of financial incentives and adoption of alternative payment models may be necessary to provide physiotherapy private practitioners with a clear motivation to engage in IPCP. The need for more formal opportunities to bring health practitioners from diverse professional backgrounds together to gain new insights and knowledge of other professions’ expertise and challenge their own assumptions was also highlighted

Australian critical care nursing professionals' attitudes towards the use of traditional “chest physiotherapy” techniques

Background: Chest physiotherapy techniques, such as percussion, postural drainage, and expiratory vibrations, may be employed in a critical care setting. Physiotherapists are primarily responsible for their provision; however, nurses have also traditionally implemented these treatments. It is unclear whether nurses consider chest physiotherapy to be a part of their role, or how they perceive their knowledge and confidence pertaining to these techniques. Objective: To investigate the attitudes of nurses towards traditional chest physiotherapy techniques. Method: A total of 1222 members of the Australian College of Critical Care Nurses were invited to participate in an anonymous online survey. Results: There were 142 respondents (12%) with the majority (n = 132, 93%) having performed chest physiotherapy techniques in clinical practice. Most of them considered that the provision of chest physiotherapy was a part of nurse's role. Commonly cited factors influencing nurses' use of chest physiotherapy techniques were the availability of physiotherapy services, adequacy of nursing staff training and skill, and perceptions of professional roles. Conclusions: Nurses working in critical care commonly utilised traditional chest physiotherapy techniques. Further research is required to investigate the reasons why nursing professionals might assume responsibility for the provision of chest physiotherapy techniques, and if their application of these techniques is consistent with evidence-based recommendations

Peer Learning in Virtual Schools

This is the published version. Copyright 2014 Canadian Network for Innovation in EducationThis article is about peer-to-peer learning amongst students within K–12 virtual schools. This issue is examined through a case study of experiences of three students with disabilities enrolled in one virtual school and that of their parents, teachers, and school administrators. The article is framed around variability in learners’ aptitudes for peer-to-peer learning, in the design of the learning environment and what it affords for interpersonal interactions, and in the context where that learning design is implemented (and whether or not it promotes peer-to-peer learning). Each of these areas of variability impacted whether or not peer-to-peer learning occurred

An investigation of body wave magnitude using the new digital seismic research observatories plus conventional catalogue data

Thesis (M.S.)--Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Earth and Planetary Science, 1979.Bibliography: leaves 42-48.by Janet Catherine Johnston Pruszenski.M.S