63 research outputs found
"Being in the present" : The meaning of the interaction between older persons with Alzheimer's disease and a therapy dog
The number of persons with Alzheimer’s disease is increasing world-wide and the disease affects the persons, their families, the health care system and the economy within society worldwide. The symptoms and behaviours caused by Alzheimer’ disease may be difficult to manage for the person and their caregivers. Alternative methods are recommended before pharmacological treatment. The presence of a therapy dog has been described as beneficial, in for instance increasing well-being and alleviating symptoms and dementia behaviours. The overall aim of this thesis was to gain a deeper understanding of the influence of therapy dogs on persons with Alzheimer’s disease from the person’s and the dog handler’s perspectives. Further, adopting a longitudinal perspective, the study investigates the therapy dog’s influence on activity and sleep for persons with Alzheimer’s disease. Video observations of five persons with Alzheimer’s disease interacting with a therapy dog (I, II), as well as interviews with nine dog handlers (III) were gathered and transcribed. Data was analyzed using a phenomenological hermeneutical method (I, II, III). Registration of activity and sleep was conducted over a period of 16 weeks using an Actigraf that generated curves, and were then analysed using descriptive statistics (III). The time spent with the dog revealed memories and feelings resulting in existential thoughts of oneself and life, which then connected to the present situation (I). Distancing oneself from the symptoms of the disease when interacting with the dog showed a person functioning in the present with the dog, striving for the dog’s best and putting the dog before and above oneself (II). The therapy dog’s presence showed no pattern of effect on the patients’ daytime activity and sleep. The findings instead pointed to a great variety of possible different effects, bringing about increased activity at different time points, for example during night-time sleep (III), creating a respite from illness and contributing wordlessly to an existence but thoroughly directed by the dog handler, where the person was comfortable and took the initiative (IV). In conclusion, the therapy dog team’s presence with the person with Alzheimer’s disease induced meaning that allowed the person’s hidden qualities and abilities to develop and, when observed from a person-centred perspective, also brought out the individual in each person
Mercury Concentrations in Bat Guano From Caves and Bat Houses in Florida and Georgia
Previous studies have indicated that several pollutants are bioaccumulating in insectivorous bats, including the heavy metal mercury. This has resulted in an increased presence of mercury in bat waste (guano). In this study, we collected bat guano from ten caves in Florida and Georgia and two bat houses in Florida and analyzed the samples for mercury concentrations (ppm). Since the predominant bat species using caves (Myotis austroriparius) versus bat houses (Tadarida braziliensis) were different, the objective of this study was to make statistical comparisons of the mercury concentrations among caves, between caves and bat houses, and between bat houses. We found no significant differences between caves and bat houses. The mean concentrations among caves were significantly different, as well as the concentrations between the two bat houses. These results show similar levels of mercury concentrations in bat guano in both predominant bat species that use these caves and bat houses in Florida and Georgia. But variability exists between all locations, which indicate that other variables (e.g., geographic hot spots for mercury exposure) also affect mercury concentrations in guano. This study provides baseline data for bat guano mercury levels, which is a barometer of bat health and potential bioaccumulation of mercury in guanitic food webs, such as those in cave ecosystems
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Abundance, Distribution and Type of Marine Debris in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean
Marine debris was observed and recorded during a cetacean and ecosystem assessment cruise in the oceanic eastern tropical Pacific during July-December of 2006 aboard two NOAA research vessels. The geographic area spanned waters from the US-Mexico border south to Peru and west to Hawaii, including approximately 21 million km2 of water and the Exclusive Economic Zones of 12 nations. Standard 300m strip transect methods were used for each data set. Marine debris was identified using 10 categories: organic, plastic, wood, monofilament, glass, rubber, metal, Styrofoam, paper, and other. Total sightings as well as individual items were counted. As expected, density of marine debris varied spatially and was highest in shelf and Exclusive Economic Zones, and convergence zones. Plastic items were the most abundant, followed by wood and Styrofoam debris. Abundance and distribution maps of marine debris types were quantified using Arc-Map and GIS methods and debris density was calculated for each Exclusive Economic Zone
Recommended from our members
Abundance, Distribution and Type of Marine Debris in the Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean
Marine debris was observed and recorded during a cetacean and ecosystem assessment cruise in the oceanic eastern tropical Pacific during July-December of 2006 aboard two NOAA research vessels. The geographic area spanned waters from the US-Mexico border south to Peru and west to Hawaii, including approximately 21 million km2 of water and the Exclusive Economic Zones of 12 nations. Standard 300m strip transect methods were used for each data set. Marine debris was identified using 10 categories: organic, plastic, wood, monofilament, glass, rubber, metal, Styrofoam, paper, and other. Total sightings as well as individual items were counted. As expected, density of marine debris varied spatially and was highest in shelf and Exclusive Economic Zones, and convergence zones. Plastic items were the most abundant, followed by wood and Styrofoam debris. Abundance and distribution maps of marine debris types were quantified using Arc-Map and GIS methods and debris density was calculated for each Exclusive Economic Zone
Proposals for printing by subscription, Cambden's Britannia, English. Newly translated with large additions.
Proposals for printing by subscription, Bibliotheca patrum, or, A new ecclesiastical history
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