Leaf nutrient draw back as a strategy for tree grass co-existence in the savanna biome

As there is still a major debate on how trees and grasses manage to coexist in the savanna biome, the niche separation by phenology hypothesis (Scholes and Archer 1997) was tested by observing the seasonal variation in carbon and nitrogen concentrations in leaves and young twigs of two deciduous species, Combretum apiculatum and Terminalia sericea. The study was carried out in the sub-tropical savanna biome in southern Kruger National Park, South Africa. Photosynthetic readings show a decrease in leaf activity towards the end of the growing season. There was no significant change in the carbon concentrations over the months for both species sampled but there was a significant decrease in leaf nitrogen for C. apiculatum. T. sericea experienced relatively no nitrogen draw back until a sudden drop at the end of June. Translocated nitrogen in C. apiculatum accumulated in large amounts in the peripheral twigs (branching order one) compared to T. sericea, where nitrogen only increased at the end of June in the same location. There was also a corresponding significant change in the carbon:nitrogen ratio in C. apiculatum, especially in the leaves, showing a decrease in palatability as nitrogen was drawn out. The results observed did not become more pronounced in site 3, which had the highest soil moisture content. Soil moisture availability therefore does not appear to influence the degree of nitrogen reabsorption from the leaves. The hypothesis proposed is that deciduous trees use stored nitrogen from their senescing leaves to leaf out earlier gaining a competitive advantage over grasses, which are waiting for nitrogen to be mineralized in the soil with the onset of the summer rain. This study therefore supports the niche separation by phenology hypothesis to explain how these two growth forms coexist in the savanna biome

Nutrition For New Mothers: Healthy Defaults For A Healthier You

This pamphlet informs the audience about how to make healthier choices by utilizing healthy defaults. Tips will be discussed throughout the pamphlet on reducing your risk for obesity and other chronic diseases, postpartum healthy defaults, and breastfeeding for new mothers.https://dune.une.edu/an_studedres/1168/thumbnail.jp

Efficacy of interventions that use apps to improve diet, physical activity and sedentary behaviour : a systematic review

Background: Health and fitness applications (apps) have gained popularity in interventions to improve diet, physical activity and sedentary behaviours but their efficacy is unclear. This systematic review examined the efficacy of interventions that use apps to improve diet, physical activity and sedentary behaviour in children and adults. Methods: Systematic literature searches were conducted in five databases to identify papers published between 2006 and 2016. Studies were included if they used a smartphone app in an intervention to improve diet, physical activity and/or sedentary behaviour for prevention. Interventions could be stand-alone interventions using an app only, or multi-component interventions including an app as one of several intervention components. Outcomes measured were changes in the health behaviours and related health outcomes (i.e., fitness, body weight, blood pressure, glucose, cholesterol, quality of life). Study inclusion and methodological quality were independently assessed by two reviewers. Results: Twenty-seven studies were included, most were randomised controlled trials (n = 19; 70%). Twenty-three studies targeted adults (17 showed significant health improvements) and four studies targeted children (two demonstrated significant health improvements). Twenty-one studies targeted physical activity (14 showed significant health improvements), 13 studies targeted diet (seven showed significant health improvements) and five studies targeted sedentary behaviour (two showed significant health improvements). More studies (n = 12; 63%) of those reporting significant effects detected between-group improvements in the health behaviour or related health outcomes, whilst fewer studies (n = 8; 42%) reported significant within-group improvements. A larger proportion of multi-component interventions (8 out of 13; 62%) showed significant between-group improvements compared to stand-alone app interventions (5 out of 14; 36%). Eleven studies reported app usage statistics, and three of them demonstrated that higher app usage was associated with improved health outcomes. Conclusions: This review provided modest evidence that app-based interventions to improve diet, physical activity and sedentary behaviours can be effective. Multi-component interventions appear to be more effective than standalone app interventions, however, this remains to be confirmed in controlled trials. Future research is needed on the optimal number and combination of app features, behaviour change techniques, and level of participant contact needed to maximise user engagement and intervention efficacy

A Study on Donor Preferences and Charitable Giving

This study entailed the administration of a mail survey of 2,000 donors to determine if baby boomers (aged 40 to 58) would be more inclined than mature donors (aged 59 and older) to value efficiency, organizational outcomes, and information when making a charitable gift. There were no statistically significant differences between donors of the baby boomer generation and mature donors concerning the variables efficiency and outcomes, but there were statistically significant differences between baby boomers and mature donors regarding the variable information: baby boomers valued information more than mature donors did. Moreover, significant differences were found between young donors (aged 18- 39), baby boomers, and mature donors regarding efficiency, where young donors valued efficiency the least and mature donors valued efficiency the most. Young donors were less demanding than baby boomers and mature donors regarding both the percentage charities should spend on overhead, and their desire to be informed of that percentage. Young donors were also more likely than baby boomers and mature donors to give to a charity that spent a high percentage on overhead. The research also demonstrated that there were differences between young donors and mature donors regarding the value they accorded to organizational outcomes when making a decision to give, such that young donors valued organizational outcomes more than baby boomers and mature donors. Young donors read and desired information about an organization\u27s accomplishments, such as program outcomes, more often than baby boomers and mature donors. Young donors were also more likely to give more money to a charity if they had more information regarding how their gift would be used. Finally, young donors were more likely than baby boomers and mature donors, respectively, to use the Internet, a charity\u27s web site, or friends or family, to search out information about a charity when making a decision to give. Young donors used a greater range of sources of information when making a decision to give than did baby boomers and mature donors, respectively

Math Emporium Model: Preparing Developmental Students for College Algebra

This study examined the effectiveness of the Emporium Model in reducing math anxiety and in preparing developmental math students at a community college to be successful in College Algebra. The study involved 59 students enrolled in Intermediate Algebra at a community college and compared those in the Emporium class format to those in the Traditional class format. Participants completed a pre-post math anxiety rating scale questionnaire and a pre-post algebra readiness test to address the research questions of the study. Two mixed model ANOVAs were done and the findings showed that there was a significant difference in math anxiety level between students enrolled in the Emporium and Traditional class formats. A decrease in math anxiety level was evident in the Traditional group. There was no significant difference between the two groups on the algebra readiness test scores. Additional analysis was conducted using a repeated measures MANOVA on the subscales of the A-MARS to determine which subscale contributed significantly to math anxiety level

The Securitization of Development Policy or the Developmentalization of Security Policy?: Legitimacy, Public Opinion, and the EU External Action Service (EAS)

The EU has strained to find its identity as a security and defense power. The EU, historically, has more experience and credibility in the area of its development policy. Given the EU’s history of development promotion and recent efforts to expand and clarify its foreign policy objectives, it should not be surprising that development and security goals often resemble each other. This paper argues that the conflation of traditional security concerns with the overall development policy of the EU indicates an expansion of and an effort to legitimize the EU’s foreign and security policy. However, the lack of a clear distinction between security and development strategies acts as both a hindrance, in terms of operational clarity, and an asset, in terms of justification, to the formulation of a more coherent EU foreign policy, especially after the passage of the Lisbon Treaty

What Does a Systems Approach to Quality Improvement Look Like in Practice?

Universally improving healthcare systems is difficult to achieve in practice with organisations implementing a range of quality improvement (QI) approaches, in varying and changing contexts, and efforts ranging from project-based improvements to whole system change. This study aimed to identify how organisations overcome the challenges to improving the quality of the services they deliver. Drawing on the eight challenges from the ‘Quality and Safety in Europe by Research (QUASER) hospital guide, we assessed eight cases reported by the UK-based regulator Care Quality Commission as improving their performance. A thematic analysis of these secondary data established that all eight challenges had been addressed or considered in varying degrees. Education and physical and technological challenges seemed less prominent than developments made to address other challenges such as developing leadership, structure, and culture to support improving quality. This paper relies on the analysis of secondary case data and one framework to assess improvement efforts. Further research is required to consider other models and frameworks and to collate longitudinal data to capture the dynamics and increasing the maturity of improving healthcare systems in practice