Tracking Bacterial Pollution Sources in Hampton Harbor

Fecal-borne microorganisms impact many shellfish-growing waters in coastal New Hampshire. Watersheds are often subject to fecal contamination by a variety of sources and efforts to improve water quality are often limited because of lack of information on which contaminant sources are most significant. Ribotyping and other microbial source tracking methods are useful new tools for providing information on the sources of fecal-borne bacterial contaminants in surface waters. New Hampshire has areas of abundant oyster (Crassostrea virginica) and clam (Mya arenaria) resources, the latter being most important in Hampton Harbor. In this study, Escherichia coli isolates (bacteria colonies) were obtained from water samples collected from ten sites in Hampton Harbor year-round during both dry and wet conditions. A library of known E. coli isolates was created from twenty different potential source species in the New Hampshire coastal watershed, including humans, livestock, pets, wildlife and avian species. The ribosomal RNA DNA of E. coli isolates was analyzed using ribotyping in which the patterns of ribosomal DNA were detected using chemiluminescence, then optimized and analyzed using GelCompar II software. A total of 249 isolates from the twenty known source species were used as a reference to identify sources for 390 unknown isolates from water samples taken from August 2000 through October 2001. Banding patterns for water samples and source species isolates were considered to be the same if there was 80% or greater similarity between patterns. Overall, sources for 62% of the isolates were identified

Are Real GDP Levels Trend, Difference, or Regime-Wise Trend Stationary? Evidence from Panel Data Tests Incorporating Structural Change

The unit root hypothesis for international real GDP and real GDP per capita has been the subject of extensive investigation. Using panel methods that incorporate structural change, we reject the unit root null in favor of the alternative of trend stationarity with one or two changes in the slope for two panels with postwar data and one or two changes in both the slope and the intercept for a panel with long-horizon data. We conclude that real GDP levels are better characterized as regime-wise trend stationary than as either trend stationary without structural change or difference stationary with unit roots.

Evaluating the Stormwater Treatment Performance of AbTech Industries Smart Sponge® Plus, Landry, N

The ability of AbTech’s Smart Sponge® Plus to remove fecal-borne bacteria from stormwater was evaluated in a storm drainage system located in Seabrook, New Hampshire. The Smart Sponge ® Plus was installed into a water quality inlet and samples were collected from influent (pre-treatment) and effluent (post-treatment) for analysis of bacterial concentrations and loadings during 15 storm events from September 3, 2003 to May 24, 2004, excluding winter months. The 15 storms included events with a range of rainfall intensities and amounts, as well as accompanying runoff volumes. Flow weighted composite samples were analyzed for fecal coliforms, Escherichia coli and enterococci to determine if concentrations were lowered as stormwater passed through the Smart Sponge® Plus material. In most cases, bacterial concentrations were reduced within the treatment system, but to varying degrees. The efficiency ratio based on reduction in event mean concentration for each bacterial indicator in the flow was calculated for each storm event. The values ranged most widely for fecal coliforms, whereas the range of ratios was narrower and the values were more consistent for enterococci. The overall load reductions for the bacterial indicators were 50.3% for fecal coliforms, 51.3% for Escherichia coli and 43.2% for enterococci. Relatively consistent pH values were observed in influent and effluent samples. The overall range of pH values was large, ranging from 5.21 units in influent from storm event #11 to 7.64 units in influent from storm event #1. Conductivity values were gr eater in the effluent in 14 of the 15 storm events, especially in storm events #12 and #13 when effluent conductivities were \u3e50% higher than influent values. Quality assurance/quality control procedures supported the methods and results of the study. Overall, the observed reductions in bacterial concentrations in post-treatment stormwater would still result in discharge of elevated bacterial levels that would continue to limit uses in receiving waters

Sedentary behaviors and adiposity in young people: causality and conceptual model

Research on sedentary behavior and adiposity in youth dates back to the 1980s. Sedentary behaviors, usually screen time, can be associated with adiposity. Although the association usually is small but significant, the field is complex, and results are dependent on what sedentary behaviors are assessed and may be mediated and moderated by other behaviors

Predation risk reduces a female preference for heterospecific males in the green swordtail

The presence of a predator can result in the alteration, loss or reversal of a mating preference. Under predation risk, females often change their initial preference for conspicuous males, favouring less flashy males to reduce the risk of being detected by predators. Previous studies on predator-induced plasticity in mate preferences have given females a choice between more and less conspicuous conspecific males. However, in species that naturally hybridize, it is also possible that females might choose an inconspicuous heterospecific male over a conspicuous conspecific male under predation risk. Our study addresses this question using the green swordtail (Xiphophorus helleri) and the southern platyfish (Xiphophorus maculatus), which are sympatric in the wild. We hypothesized that X. helleri females would prefer the sworded conspecific males in the absence of a predator but favour the less conspicuous, swordless, heterospecific males in the presence of a predator. Contrary to our expectation, females associated more with the heterospecific male than the conspecific male in the control (no predator) treatment, and they were non-choosy in the predator treatment. This might reflect that females were attracted to the novel male phenotype when there was no risk of predation but became more neophobic after predator exposure. Regardless of the underlying mechanism, our results suggest that predation pressure may affect female preferences for conspecific versus heterospecific males. We also found striking within-population, between-individual variation in behavioural plasticity: females differed in the strength and direction of their preferences, as well as in the extent to which they altered their preferences in response to changes in perceived predation risk. Such variation in female preferences for heterospecific males could potentially lead to temporal and spatial variation in hybridization rates in the wild

Optimal Management of the Hepatitis B Patient Who Desires Pregnancy or Is Pregnant

Women of childbearing age with recognized hepatitis B infection should have their liver disease assessed before pregnancy occurs since the management of hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection in this setting is complex. Initiation of treatment in a woman of child-bearing age will depend on when she intends on conceiving, as well as the severity of her liver disease. During pregnancy, all decisions about initiating, continuing or stopping HBV therapy must include an analysis of the risks and benefits for both mother and fetus. The trimester of the pregnancy and the stage of the mother’s liver disease are important factors. Treatment in the third trimester may be considered to aid in prevention of perinatal transmission, which appears to be most pronounced in mothers with high viral loads. Consideration of initiation of third trimester treatment should occur after a high viral load is documented in the latter part of the second trimester, to allow adequate time for initiation of antiviral therapy with significant viral suppression before delivery. This discussion should include the topic of breastfeeding, since it is generally not recommended while on antiviral therapy. Until recently lamivudine and tenofovir appeared to be the therapeutic options with the most reasonable safety data in pregnancy. There are emerging data that telbivudine may also be considered in this setting

You are a Weird Bird.

How a person is treated because of their gender is potentially very frustrating. I use bird plumage patterns to illustrate humans as animals and idioms in language to illustrate these ideas. The artworks by Natalie McLaurin mentioned in the paper are You didn’t see me, Untitled. Nancy Horne, Don’t be such a Nostradamus Wild Beast, Don’t be such a Nostradamus Man Beast, Don’t be such a Nostradamus Air Beast, Don’t be such a Nostradamus Domesticated Beast, Ballet Lessons, Throwing a Fit and Falling in it, Gravel Kick, Cocksure, Peckerhead, Mockery, Naked as a Jaybird, Naked as a Jaybird too, Naked as a Jaybird as well,Tennessee Trash, Tennessee Trash State Animal, the Raccoon, Beard Measuring Contest, Cockery Mockery, He needs me, Chaka Kahn thinks she is the mocking bird of babes, Territorial Peckerhead, Tennessee, Territorial Peckerhead, Bed-Stuy, and Territorial Peckerhead, 7th Ward

An analysis of reading workbooks for grades one, two, and three

Author has misnumbered thesis. Page iii is not really missing. Thesis (Ed.M.)--Boston Universit

Perceptions of self-help groups for child sexual abuse survivors : an exploratory study amongst mental health workers

Includes bibliographical references.This explorative, qualitative study examines the perceptions of mental health workers about self-help groups with adult survivors of child sexual abuse. Given limited formal mental health services in South Africa, self-help represents one informal alternative which could supplement mental health service provision. The study thus arises from a perspective which values self-help groups and is informed by the urgency of community needs in this area, and takes seriously the idea that it is possible and desirable for mental health care workers to facilitate and foster community support systems. Twenty-two indepth interviews were conducted with a sample of convenience which included eleven clinical psychologists, five psychiatrists, three social workers and three non-professionals and included interviewees from organizations currently engaged in issues relating to child sexual abuse. A semi-structured interview schedule was used and interviews were audio-taped. Interview responses were systematically analysed and common themes extracted around awareness of self-help, perceived benefits and problems of survivor self-help groups and the role of professionals. Main themes have been illustrated by verbatim transcriptions from audiotaped material. Most participants have had limited exposure to self-help groups. Whilst there was openness towards self-help with survivors, caution was expressed about dangers to clients in survivor groups which are not monitored by formally trained and accredited professionals. Selfhelp was considered useful mainly as an adjunct to formal services. Limited knowledge of self-help groups is a major determining factor informing professional perceptions. Recommendations for education of professionals are made in order to promote self-help groups and collaborative professional attitudes