Interspecific interactions between Penstemon palmeri and shrubs in the arid shrublands of the Spring Mountains, Nevada

A project involving shrub removal was undertaken by the United States Forest Service in the Spring Mountains National Recreation Area (SMNRA) to reduce accumulated woody fuels, which can pose risks to human communities. This research focuses on the interactions between shrubs and the perennial forb Palmer\u27s penstemon (Penstemon palmeri), one of many nectar sources for the endemic Spring Mountains Acastus Checkerspot Butterfly (Chlosyne acastus ssp robusta). Initial observations revealed that P. palmeri (`penstemon\u27) seemed to grow almost exclusively under shrubs. Such spatial associations are often indicative of a history of positive interactions between plants, and led to the research presented here. These studies investigate and discuss the interactions between this penstemon and shrubs in the arid shrublands of the SMNRA. Spatial patterns between populations of penstemon and shrubs were measured during November 2008-May 2011, and the consequences of shrub-association for individual penstemon emergence, survival, growth, and reproduction were documented (Chapter 2). The results suggest that although shrubs reduced penstemon emergence, they increased seedling survival (a seed-seedling conflict) resulting in a strong shift toward association between shrubs and penstemon over time. Further, while no differences in growth were detected between microhabitats, the results suggest that shrubs inhibited P. palmeri flowering but improved the successful maturation of fruits when flowering occurred. The mechanisms driving these patterns were elusive, but seed-sowing and seedling transplant experiments suggested that shrub soils, rather than their canopies, alter the nature of seed-seedling conflicts in a way that may promote seed-bank persistence in penstemon populations (Chapter 3). To provide a detailed description of the reproductive response of penstemon to shrubs, structural equation modeling was used to describe the importance of shrubs for penstemon seed production (Chapter 4). The results suggest that competition with shrubs reduced penstemon seed production, but that shrubs simultaneously facilitated penstemon water balance and altered the foraging behavior of its pollinators, indirectly increasing seed production. I conclude by discussing the importance of these studies, and studies of plant interactions in general, for helping land managers balance the objectives of fuel load reduction with protecting desirable species (Chapter 5)

A Sky Island Fire Ecology Primer, with a Focus on Chiricahua National Monument: A Reference Document for the National Park Service

Fire is a keystone ecological process in the vegetation of the Sky Islands of Arizona and beyond, affecting every aspect of these ecosystems, including soils, forest structure, species composition, carbon storage, wildlife populations, and much more. For thousands of years, wildfires have been, not a disruptive external force, but an intrinsic part of these natural communities, as integral as water, sunlight, soil, and air. Times have changed. Human-induced fire suppression and climate change have dramatically altered fire regimes across the region, and the fires of the 21st century are a serious problem. Not only are uncharacteristically large and intense fires disrupting ecosystems that historically experienced more frequent, low-intensity wildfire, they are also threatening human communities in the rapidly-growing wildland-urban interface. A key recommendation of the 2007 Statewide Strategy for Restoring Arizona’s Forests was that “The Arizona State Legislature, county and local governments, tribal governments, and state agencies should develop land use policies and practices that support forest restoration, community protection, and fire management efforts.” (Recommendation 2.2, p.9). The goal of this essay is to discuss the landscape role of fire in the Sky Islands of southern Arizona, and in particular Chiricahua National Monument. We will describe fire and vegetation conditions before Euro-American settlement, changes in fire regime and ecosystems wrought over the past 150 years, the accompanying shifts in plant communities, and projections for the future. We will marshal our recent field research, tying our results to specific places in the park, but we will also summarize general principles developed from many decades of ecological research across the Southwest. Our mission is to provide essential fire ecology background for park staff, who enlighten park visitors about the ecologically-rich and regionally-important environments of Chiricahua National Monument (CHIR)

Seismic Analysis of Pile Group Using Pseudostatic Approach

This paper evaluates a simple approximate pseudostatic method for estimating the maximum internal forces and horizontal displacements of pile group subjected to lateral seismic excitation. The method involves two main steps. At first the free-field soil movements caused by the earthquake are computed. Then the response of the pile group based on the maximum free-field soil movements which considered as static movements as well as a static loading at the pile head, which depends on the computed spectral acceleration of the structure being supported is analyzed. The methodology takes into account the effects of group interaction and soil yielding at pile-soil interface. The applicability has been verified by both experimental centrifuge models of pile-supported structures and field measurements of Ohba-Ohashi Bridge in Japan. It is demonstrated that the proposed method yields reasonable estimates of the pile maximum moment, shear, and horizontal displacement for many practical cases despite of its simplicity. Limitations and reliability of the method are discussed and some practical conclusions on the performance of the proposed approach are presented

Honorable John D. Clifford, Jr. A Memoir by His Three Law Clerks

The domain over which United States District Judge John D. Clifford, Jr. presided from 1947 until his death in 1956 was very different from what it is today. Anyone could walk into the federal courthouse in Portland. Security guards were unknown, and lawyers, litigants, and passers-by were free to come and go. A leisurely air pervaded all the court offices. There was no hurry. This was an era when there were only two lawyers in the United States Attorney\u27s office: the United States Attorney and his one assistant

Australian residential aged care home staff experiences of implementing an intervention to improve palliative and end-of-life care for residents: A qualitative study

Access to high-quality and safe evidence-based palliative care (PC) is important to ensure good end-of-life care for older people in residential aged care homes (RACHs). However, many barriers to providing PC in RACHs are frequently cited. The Quality End-of-Life Care (QEoLC) Project was a multicomponent intervention that included training, evidence-based tools and tele-mentoring, aiming to equip healthcare professionals and careworkers in RACHs with knowledge, skills and confidence in providing PC to residents. This study aims to understand: (1) the experiences of healthcare professionals, careworkers, care managers, planners/implementers who participated in the implementation of the QEoLC Project; and (2) the barriers and facilitators to the implementation. Staff from two RACHs in New South Wales, Australia were recruited between September to November 2021. Semi-structured interviews and thematic data analysis were used. Fifteen participants (seven health professionals [includes one nurse, two clinical educators, three workplace trainers, one clinical manager/nurse], three careworkers and five managers) were interviewed. Most RACH participants agreed that the QEoLC Project increased their awareness of PC and provided them with the skills/confidence to openly discuss death and dying. Participants perceived that the components of the QEoLC Project had the following benefits for residents: more appropriate use of medications, initiation of timely pain management and discussions with families regarding end-of-life care preferences. Key facilitators for implementation were the role of champions, the role of the steering committee, regular clinical meetings to discuss at-risk residents and mentoring. Implementation barriers included: high staff turnover, COVID-19 pandemic, time constraints, perceived absence of executive sponsorship, lack of practical support and systems-related barriers. The findings underline the need for strong leadership, supportive organisational culture and commitment to the implementation of processes for improving the quality of end-of-life care. Furthermore, the results highlight the need for codesigning the intervention with RACHs, provision of dedicated staff/resources to support implementation, and integration of project tools with existing systems for achieving effective implementation outcomes

Geotechnical assessment strategy for bridge maintenance – case study.

This paper presents a practical strategy used to conduct a geotechnical assessment, drawing principally on a maintenance work carried out recently for Rashwood Interchange which carries the M5 Motorway over the A38. The bridge, which was constructed in the early 1960s, had experienced long-term settlement attributed to historical brine pumping activities in the proximity of the bridge area. In planning for its maintenance work several issues challenged the geotechnical assessment, including the review of settlement history and mining instability in the area, the exploitation of as-built data records and the determination of foundation response to additional loading during the bridge repair. The paper presents how these complex challenges were approached, yet using simple procedures and common design tools. The procedures are also applicable to other infrastructure maintenance projects, particularly in transportation geotechnics.N/

The Economic Contribution of Instream Flows to the Lower Connecticut River Watershed, New England, USA

River recreation is a rapidly expanding source of economic productivity. Angler spending has been used as the basis for estimating the regional economic estimates of local income and jobs in several water-limited systems of the western United States and Mexico. However, the contribution of outdoor recreation to the economies of regions that do not experience water scarcity continues to be underappreciated. This paper estimates the economic contribution of angling to the lower Connecticut River Watershed (CRW) economy. The authors draw upon existing angler expenditure, river flow and geographic information system (GIS) data to relate anger use of the lower CRW and expenditures to river flows. The authors then translate angler expenditures into state income and employment using a regional economic multiplier. The results show that fishing expenditures of $62.8 million per year equate to$74.2 million annually in supply chain revenues which supports 1660 jobs. The authors identified a significant positive relationship between fishing intensity and river flow rates, which suggests that decreasing current water diversions on the lower CRW by just 25% would add an additional $37 million and 638 jobs to Connecticut’s economy. The findings demonstrate that investments in managing the health the CRW through flow restoration can have large economic and ecological pay-offs

Factors Associated with SARS-CoV-2 Attack Rates in Aged Care-A Meta-Analysis

Background: The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic has resulted in significant morbidity and mortality in aged-care facilities worldwide. The attention of infection control in aged care needs to shift towards the built environment, especially in relation to using the existing space to allow social distancing and isolation. Physical infrastructure of aged care facilities has been shown to present challenges to the implementation of isolation procedures. To explore the relationship of the physical layout of aged care facilities with severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) attack rates among residents, a meta-Analysis was conducted. Methods: Using the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis Protocol (PRISMA-P), studies were identified from 5 databases using a registered search strategy with PROSPERO. Meta-Analysis for pooled attack rates of SARS-CoV-2 in residents and staff was conducted, with subgroup analysis for physical layout variables such as total number of beds, single rooms, number of floors, number of buildings in the facility, and staff per 100 beds. Results: We included 41 articles across 11 countries, reporting on 90 657 residents and 6521 staff in 757 facilities. The overall pooled attack rate was 42.0% among residents (95% CI, 38.0%-47.0%) and 21.7% in staff (95% CI, 15.0%-28.4%). Attack rates in residents were significantly higher in single-site facilities with standalone buildings than facilities with smaller, detached buildings. Staff-To-bed ratio significantly explains some of the heterogeneity of the attack rate between studies. Conclusions: The design of aged care facilities should be smaller in size, with adequate space for social distancing

Identification and Development of User Requirements to Support Robust Corridor Investment Models

The purpose of the project was to develop useable techniques to integrate a broader range of potential impacts of transportation investments into transportation planning and decision-making. The research project described in this report developed a multi-attribute framework that can be used to assist in organizing and synthesizing information to measure costs and benefits, both monetary and non-monetary, of highway corridor investments. A modular approach was taken to developing individual techniques to quantify the potential impacts that could be utilized within the framework. The framework is flexible enough to accommodate the incorporation of additional techniques over time. To determine the range of potential impacts to consider, the values and needs of various stakeholders in highway corridors were taken into account and incorporated into variables, or indicators, to be used in a comprehensive system for evaluating impacts, costs, and benefits. Example techniques include a consideration and demonstration of the utility of geographic information systems (GIS) to organize data for use with the hedonic land valuation method. A prediction map was generated from this process, indicating the price consumers are willing to pay for a house in relation to its location with respect to highway corridors. This information is useful in analyzing the impact of competing corridor alternatives. In order to measure other indicators, the project also assessed the utility of high-resolution satellite remote sensing (RS) image data to provide highly accurate inputs necessary for economic models and as a means of measuring success after investments have been made. A methodology was developed to identify commercial and industrial origins and destinations from impervious surfaces. This, in turn, was translated into a calculation of average travel distances that could be used to quantify accessibility impacts associated with corridor alternatives. Remote sensing and GIS were assessed because of the spatial nature of transportation investments and their potential as a measuring tool for the transportation indicators. This multi-attribute framework is consistent with the Missouri Department of Transportation\u27s (MoDOT\u27s) overall planning direction of including the perspectives of more individuals/groups and potential impacts in decision making. This overall planning direction is seen in the Planning Framework and the Long-Range Transportation Plan (LRTP)