645 research outputs found

    Modeling macroroughness contribution to fish habitat-suitability curves

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    Improved water management strategies necessitate a solid understanding of environmental impacts associated with various flow release policies. Habitat suitability models use hydrodynamic simulations to generate weighted usable area curves, which are useful in characterizing the ecological suitability of flow release rules. However, these models are not conveniently run to resolve the hydrodynamics at the smaller scales associated with macroroughness elements (e.g., individual stones), which produce wakes that contribute significantly to habitat suitability by serving as shelter zones where fishes can rest and feed. In this study, we propose a robust environmental indicator that considers the habitat generated by the wakes downstream of stones and can thus be used to assess the environmental efficiency of flow release rules for impounded streams. We develop an analytical solution to approximate the wake areas behind macroroughness elements, and the statistical distribution of wake areas is then found using the derived distribution approach. To illustrate the concept, we apply our theory to four exemplary river streams with dispersed stones having different statistical diameter size distributions, some of which allow for an analytical expression of the weighted usable area. We additionally investigate the impact of spatiotemporal changes in stone size distributions on the usable area and the consequent threshold flows. Finally, we include the proposed environmental indicator to solve a multiobjective reservoir optimization problem. This exemplifies its practical use and allows stakeholders to find the most favorable operational rules depending on the macroroughness characteristics of the impounded stream

    Sound::Gender::Feminism::Activism (SGFA)

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    Publication and online zine or catalogue This SGFA zine celebrates a growing network of people working within, through and beyond the fields of sound, feminism and gender who have contributed to the SGFA events of 2012 and 2014. Sound::Gender::Feminism::Activism was initially established as a research event focusing on the role of gender in sound-based arts and experimental musics, following on from the Her Noise: Feminisms and the Sonic symposium at London’s Tate Modern in May 2012. The aim was, and still is, to develop and expand upon dialogues and discourses related to feminism and sound as well as to form an international network of researchers, artists and practitioners working in these areas. Contributions by; Alison Ballance, Amy Cunningham, Anat Ben-David, Andra McCartney & Sandra Gabriele, Ann Antidote, Annie Goh, Bonnie Jones, Christopher DeLaurenti, Claudia Firth & Lucia Farinati, Claudia Wegener, Freya Johnson Ross, Gayathri Khemadasa, INVASORIX, Iris Garrelfs, Jane Dickson, Johnny Pavlatos, Kersten Schroedinger, Laura Seddon, Marie Thompson, Mark Harris, Melanie Chilianis, Mindy Abovitz, Norah Lorway, Philip Cornett, Sarah Hardie, Sharon Gal, Siri Landgren, Tara Rodgers, Tripta Chandola, Victoria Gray and Virginia Kennard & Emi Pogoni

    Development and Preliminary Technical Adequacy of Schoolwide Integrated Framework for Transformation Fidelity of Implementation Tool

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    U.S. public education systems are required to provide free appropriate public education to students with disabilities in least restrictive environments that are appropriate to meet their individual needs. The practice of educating students with disabilities in neighborhood schools in age-appropriate general education classrooms and other school settings to meet this requirement has come to be known as “inclusive education.” The longstanding interest in keeping students with disabilities in the same classrooms with their neighbors and peers has created a need for reform to establish equity in America’s schools. Schoolwide Integrated Framework for Transformation (SWIFT) is a whole-system school reform model provided through a national technical assistance center that addresses core features of inclusive education support for elementary and middle schools, particularly those that are chronically low performing and those serving students with the most extensive needs. We describe the development and preliminary technical adequacy of Schoolwide Integrated Framework for Transformation Fidelity of Implementation Tool (SWIFT-FIT) as a means to document the extent to which schools are implementing inclusive education. Findings provide preliminary support for trained assessors using SWIFT-FIT as a valid and reliable instrument to produce evidence that describes the extent to which schools install, implement, and sustain these evidence-based practices. Researchers and other school personnel can use these data to evaluate the impact of implementation on progress as well as important student and other outcomes

    Student-Athletes with Learning Disabilities: Unique Problems, Unique Solutions

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    This paper explored the issues/acing student-athletes with learning disabilities and their academic counselors. Understanding the nature of learning disabilities and their effects can enhance the counselor's ability to address the complex needs of the student-athlete with a learning disability. The increasing numbers of college student-athletes who have diagnosed learning disabilities demands notice. This paper provided an explanation of the problems of diagnosis and treatment. Suggestions for academic counselors were provided, as well

    Parents’ experiences and perceptions of the acceptability of a whole-hospital, pro-active electronic pediatric early warning system (the DETECT study): A qualitative interview study

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    BackgroundFailure to recognize and respond to clinical deterioration in a timely and effective manner is an urgent safety concern, driving the need for early identification systems to be embedded in the care of children in hospital. Pediatric early warning systems (PEWS) or PEW scores alert health professionals (HPs) to signs of deterioration, trigger a review and escalate care as needed. PEW scoring allows HPs to record a child's vital signs and other key data including parent concern.AimThis study aimed to explore the experiences and perceptions of parents about the acceptability of a newly implemented electronic surveillance system (the DETECT surveillance system), and factors that influenced acceptability and their awareness around signs of clinical deterioration and raising concern.MethodsDescriptive, qualitative semi-structured telephone interviews were undertaken with parents of children who had experienced a critical deterioration event (CDE) (n = 19) and parents of those who had not experienced a CDE (non-CDE parents) (n = 17). Data were collected between February 2020 and February 2021.ResultsQualitative data were analyzed using generic thematic analysis. Analysis revealed an overarching theme of trust as a key factor that underpinned all aspects of children's vital signs being recorded and monitored. The main themes reflect three domains of parents' trust: trust in themselves, trust in the HPs, and trust in the technology.ConclusionParents' experiences and perceptions of the acceptability of a whole-hospital, pro-active electronic pediatric early warning system (The DETECT system) were positive; they found it acceptable and welcomed the use of new technology to support the care of their child

    Extrapyramidal side effects of antipsychotics are linked to their association kinetics at dopamine D2 receptors

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    Atypical antipsychotic drugs (APDs) have been hypothesized to show reduced extrapyramidal side effects (EPS) due to their rapid dissociation from the dopamine D2 receptor. However, support for this hypothesis is limited to a relatively small number of observations made across several decades and under different experimental conditions. Here we show that association rates, but not dissociation rates, correlate with EPS. We measured the kinetic binding properties of a series of typical and atypical APDs in a novel time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer assay, and correlated these properties with their EPS and prolactin-elevating liabilities at therapeutic doses. EPS are robustly predicted by a rebinding model that considers the microenvironment of postsynaptic D2 receptors and integrates association and dissociation rates to calculate the net rate of reversal of receptor blockade. Thus, optimizing binding kinetics at the D2 receptor may result in APDs with improved therapeutic profile

    Clinical utility and acceptability of a whole-hospital, pro-active electronic paediatric early warning system (the DETECT study): a prospective e-survey of parents and health professionals.

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    BackgroundPaediatric early warning systems (PEWS) are a means of tracking physiological state and alerting healthcare professionals about signs of deterioration, triggering a clinical review and/or escalation of care of children. A proactive end-to-end deterioration solution (the DETECT surveillance system) with an embedded e-PEWS that included sepsis screening was introduced across a tertiary children's hospital. One component of the implementation programme was a sub-study to determine an understanding of the DETECT e-PEWS in terms of its clinical utility and its acceptability.AimThis study aimed to examine how parents and health professionals view and engage with the DETECT e-PEWS apps, with a particular focus on its clinical utility and its acceptability.MethodA prospective, closed (tick box or sliding scale) and open (text based) question, e-survey of parents (n = 137) and health professionals (n = 151) with experience of DETECT e-PEWS. Data were collected between February 2020 and February 2021.ResultsQuantitative data were analysed using descriptive and inferential statistics and qualitative data with generic thematic analysis. Overall, both clinical utility and acceptability (across seven constructs) were high across both stakeholder groups although some challenges to utility (e.g., sensitivity of triggers within specific patient populations) and acceptability (e.g., burden related to having to carry extra technology) were identified.ConclusionDespite the multifaceted nature of the intervention and the complexity of implementation across a hospital, the system demonstrated clinical utility and acceptability across two key groups of stakeholders: parents and health professionals
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