New data on the distribution and natural history of the lesser grison (Galictis cuja), hog-nosed skunk (Conepatus chinga) and culpeo (Pseudalopex culpaeus) in northwestern Argentina

We present a total of 190 new distribution records of three little-known mammalian carnivores (Conepatus chinga; Galictis cuja,and Lycalopex culpaeus) obtained using camera trap techniques and direct observation in the highlands of Jujuy province, northwestern Argentina. These new records extend the present known distributions of these three species to the west of the province and to higher altitudes, and provide additional information on habitat association and activity patterns.Fil: Tellaeche, Cintia Gisele. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Cátedra de Fisiología Animal; Argentina. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; ArgentinaFil: Reppucci, Juan Ignacio. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Cátedra de Fisiología Animal; ArgentinaFil: Luengos Vidal, Estela Maris. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Cátedra de Fisiología Animal; ArgentinaFil: Lucherini, Mauro. Consejo Nacional de Investigaciones Científicas y Técnicas; Argentina. Universidad Nacional del Sur. Departamento de Biología, Bioquímica y Farmacia. Cátedra de Fisiología Animal; Argentin

Evaluation of US Federal Guidelines (Primary Response Incident Scene Management [PRISM]) for Mass Decontamination of Casualties During the Initial Operational Response to a Chemical Incident

Study objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical and operational effectiveness of US federal government guidance (Primary Response Incident Scene Management [PRISM]) for the initial response phase to chemical incidents. Methods The study was performed as a large-scale exercise (Operation DOWNPOUR). Volunteers were dosed with a chemical warfare agent simulant to quantify the efficacy of different iterations of dry, ladder pipe system, or technical decontamination. Results The most effective process was a triple combination of dry, ladder pipe system, and technical decontamination, which attained an average decontamination efficiency of approximately 100% on exposed hair and skin sites. Both wet decontamination processes (ladder pipe system and technical decontamination, alone or in combination with dry decontamination) were also effective (decontamination efficiency >96%). In compliant individuals, dry decontamination was effective (decontamination efficiency approximately 99%), but noncompliance (tentatively attributed to suboptimal communication) resulted in significantly reduced efficacy (decontamination efficiency approximately 70%). At-risk volunteers (because of chronic illness, disability, or language barrier) were 3 to 8 times slower than ambulatory casualties in undergoing dry and ladder pipe system decontamination, a consequence of which may be a reduction in the overall rate at which casualties can be processed. Conclusion The PRISM incident response protocols are fit for purpose for ambulatory casualties. However, a more effective communication strategy is required for first responders (particularly when guiding dry decontamination). There is a clear need to develop more appropriate decontamination procedures for at-risk casualties.Peer reviewedFinal Published versio

Practices of externalization of migration management: the EU-Turkey statement and its implications on the Greek asylum system

openAfter providing a historical overview of the migration dynamics that occurred in Europe from the Second World War until the so-called 2015 refugee crisis and the consequent European Union response, this work focuses on the 2016 EU-Turkey statement, arguing that it is one of the core components of the EU response to the crisis, as well as the major expression of the increasingly consolidated tendency of the European Union to “externalize” migration management. The EU-Turkey statement is analysed from a legal and political point of view, examining its core components (e.g. the concept of “safe third country”, and “readmission”) and investigating its legal legitimacy according to the international law, and whether Turkey can be considered a safe third country. Lastly, it provides an assessment of the direct and less impact of the EU-Turkey statement on the Greek asylum system and on the applicants of international protection’s human rights in Greece. It concludes with an assessment of the Statement from a human rights perspective, and a reflection on possible future scenarios of the EU approach towards migration.After providing a historical overview of the migration dynamics that occurred in Europe from the Second World War until the so-called 2015 refugee crisis and the consequent European Union response, this work focuses on the 2016 EU-Turkey statement, arguing that it is one of the core components of the EU response to the crisis, as well as the major expression of the increasingly consolidated tendency of the European Union to “externalize” migration management. The EU-Turkey statement is analysed from a legal and political point of view, examining its core components (e.g. the concept of “safe third country”, and “readmission”) and investigating its legal legitimacy according to the international law, and whether Turkey can be considered a safe third country. Lastly, it provides an assessment of the direct and less impact of the EU-Turkey statement on the Greek asylum system and on the applicants of international protection’s human rights in Greece. It concludes with an assessment of the Statement from a human rights perspective, and a reflection on possible future scenarios of the EU approach towards migration

2014 Valedictory Address: Jeffrey Reppucci \u2714

Speech given by valedictorian Jeffrey Reppucci at the 168th Commencement Exercises of the College of the Holy Cross, May 23, 2014.https://crossworks.holycross.edu/valedictory/1000/thumbnail.jp

Exploring the effectiveness of the output-based aid voucher program to increase uptake of gender-based violence recovery services in Kenya: a qualitative evaluation

This is an Open Access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.Background: Few studies in Africa have explored in detail the ability of output-based aid (OBA) voucher programs to increase access to gender-based violence recovery (GBVR) services. Methods: A qualitative study was conducted in 2010 and involved: (i) in-depth interviews (IDIs) with health managers, service providers, voucher management agency (VMA) managers and (ii) focus group discussions (FGDs) with voucher users, voucher non-users, voucher distributors and opinion leaders drawn from five program sites in Kenya. Results: The findings showed promising prospects for the uptake of OBA GBVR services among target population. However, a number of factors affect the uptake of the services. These include lack of general awareness of the GBVR services vouchers, lack of understanding of the benefit package, immediate financial needs of survivors, as well as stigma and cultural beliefs that undermine reporting of cases or seeking essential medical services. Moreover, accreditation of only hospitals to offer GBVR services undermines access to the services in rural areas. Poor responsiveness from law enforcement agencies and fear of reprisal from perpetrators also undermine treatment options and access to medical services. Low provider knowledge on GBVR services and lack of supplies also affect effective provision and management of GBVR services. Conclusions: The above findings suggest that there is a need to build the capacity of health care providers and police officers, strengthen the community strategy component of the OBA program to promote the GBVR services voucher, and conduct widespread community education programs aimed at prevention, ensuring survivors know how and where to access services and addressing stigma and cultural barriers.The Bill and Melinda Gates Foundatio

A survey of the status of music education in selected high schools in New England.

Abstract bound in front of volume. Thesis (M.S.)--Boston University Bibliography: p. 121-124

College Students’ Responses to Antismoking Messages: Denial, Defiance, and Other Boomerang Effects

Despite the success of antismoking campaigns that aim to prevent young teens from smoking, this qualitative study provides strong evidence that different initiatives are needed for college students, particularly those who already smoke. When asked for responses to current antismoking messages, nonsmokers generally championed the cause; however, smokers often responded with anger, defiance, denial, and other negative responses. Consumers who respond in this manner are not well served by existing strategies, and money used for such campaigns could be better spent. New strategies are offered in hopes that antismoking campaigns can communicate more effectively with one high-risk group—college student smokers

The functional forebrain circuitry of fear-cue inhibited feeding in food-deprived rats: Evidence from complementary pathway tracing and Fos induction maps studies

Thesis advisor: Gorica D. PetrovichThe drive to eat, like most motivated behaviors, is controlled by both intrinsic signals from the body as well as extrinsic signals from the environment. Although these factors often act in concert, in some instances environmental cues can override the body’s homeostatic signals. Prior work investigating the ability of learned cues to promote overeating in the absence of hunger identified a critical forebrain network composed of the amygdala, medial prefrontal cortex (mPFC), and lateral hypothalamus (LHA). We hypothesized that a similar forebrain network may also be critical when learned fear-cues inhibit eating despite hunger. The amygdala, mPFC and LHA are each anatomically and functionally positioned to influence feeding, and evidence suggests they could work together to support the fear-cue’s ability to inhibit feeding by overriding homeostatic hunger signals triggered by food-deprivation. Prior anatomical work identified direct pathways between these three large, heterogeneous regions; however, less is known about the organization of the underlying circuitries, especially between distinct nuclei and/or subdivisions that comprise these structures. Study 1 used a dual retrograde tract tracing design to map the topographical organization of the connections between the amygdala, mPFC, and LHA in detail, and to determine whether amygdalar pathways to the mPFC and to LHA originated from the same or different neurons. We found evidence for multiple, topographically organized, direct pathways from the amygdala to the LHA, and separate pathways from the amygdala to areas of the mPFC that send direct projections to the LHA. Importantly, nearly all amygdalar projections to the mPFC and to the LHA originated from different neurons, suggesting that amygdala and amygdala-mPFC processing influence the LHA independently. Study 2 used immediate early gene induction to map the patterns of functional activation within this amygdala-prefrontal-lateral hypothalamic network during the expression of fear-cue inhibited feeding behavior, and to assess whether these patterns were similar in males and females. We found differential activation across the network, and activation patterns related to the presentation of fear-cues, the presence of food-related cues, and the amount of food consumed were associated within distinct cell groups in the amygdala, mPFC, and LHA. Together, the studies presented in this dissertation provide anatomical and functional maps for future interrogation of the circuitry underlying fear-cue inhibited feeding.Thesis (PhD) — Boston College, 2015.Submitted to: Boston College. Graduate School of Arts and Sciences.Discipline: Psychology