Nursing home bed capacity in the States, 1978-86.

Trends in nursing home bed supply in the States show large variations in beds per population and a gradual decline in supply per aged population. A cross-sectional time-series regression analysis was used to examine some factors associated with nursing home bed supply. Variation was accounted for by economic factors, supply of alternative services, and climate. State Medicaid reimbursement rates had negative coefficients, with supply suggesting States may be increasing rates to improve access where supply is limited. Medicaid waiver policy was not found to be significant

Take Me Back To My Dear Old Mother

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mmb-vp/6587/thumbnail.jp

There\u27s No Friends Like The Friends From Way Back Home

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mmb-vp/6524/thumbnail.jp

Roses Bring Memories Of You

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mmb-vp/6449/thumbnail.jp

Two phase aqueous extraction of whey proteins in a polyethylene glycol - arabinogalactan system

The whey protein separation potential of aqueous two-phase systems of arabinogalactan [AG] (Lonza FiberAidTM) and polyethylene glycol [PEG], buffered with 10 mmol/g phosphate or citrate buffer, was studied. 100 mmol/g potassium chloride [KCl] was added as required. Previously-published phase equilibrium results were verified and the absorbance of whey protein isolate [WPI] in an AG-PEG solution was measured. The effect of pH, KCl concentration, initial WPI concentrations and upper to lower phase mass ratios on whey partitioning was studied. The best separation system contained 17.20% (w/w) AG, 7.20% (w/w) PEG, 10 mmol citrate buffer (pH 5.4) and 100 mmol KCl per gram of total system. The upper to lower phase mass and volume ratios were 1:1 and 16:11 respectively. Approximately 12 mg (mainly α-lactalbumin) of the 20 mg WPI added partitioned into the AG-rich upper phase. This system has potential to reduce chromatographic requirements in large scale separation of protein mixtures

Work placement reports: Student perceptions

Engineering students complete work placement reports after being on placement in industry, the aim is to increase work place learning and to increase students understanding about the placement, themselves, career direction and skills obtained. Third and fourth year engineering students perceptions on their report writing experience, academic feedback quality, and the effect of completing work placement reports on their learning and report writing ability, were surveyed. Third year students enjoyed the experience more than fourth year students and perceived greater benefits. Fourth year student opinion was mixed, reflecting greater experience and cynicism. Fourth year students rated feedback from academics higher than the third years, perhaps because their reports were more interesting for the academics. The fourth year students were more cynical on the benefits of reflecting and reviewing what they had learned, and many considered this was not important for being an engineer

Perhaps

https://digitalcommons.library.umaine.edu/mmb-vp/2377/thumbnail.jp

Nest Predation by brown-headed cowbirds (Molothrus ater)

The reproductive success of parasites is entirely dependent on their ability to encounter suitable hosts. Obligate brood parasitic birds may increase host encounter rate, and consequently their reproductive output, if they cause unsuitable late-stage host nests to fail thereby stimulating the host to create another nest that they can parasitize. I tested key predictions of this ‘farming’ hypothesis for the brown-headed cowbird (Molothrus ater). I found evidence that cowbird attacks are not uncommon, a basic requirement of the hypothesis. Furthermore, I found multiple lines of evidence that cowbird attacks are not indiscriminate, but directed at non-parasitized nests and at those at a developmental stage too late to be suitable for parasitism. I experimentally demonstrate that cowbirds determine the age of a nest by directly puncturing a portion of the clutch or indirectly by attending to the absolute number of eggs. Cowbirds also parasitized a high proportion of the re-nesting attempts following their attacks suggesting that they take advantage of the reproductive opportunities they create. A Monte Carlo model comparing simulated farming and non-farming cowbirds also shows that a farming strategy may lead to higher reproductive output likely by enhancing individual nest discovery as opposed to increasing the number of nests. How cowbirds occupy space may also provide insight into how they encounter potential hosts. Utilization distributions (UDs) are among the most applicable methods of quantifying space use. In one of the first practical applications of a multidimentional UD that includes time as a dimension, I show that cowbirds were significantly more likely to be found around nesting sites when a nest was active suggesting that cowbirds optimize their nest searching. I did not, however, find a difference in probability of occurrence depending on the developmental stage of a nest. I also found evidence that cowbirds become less territorial later in the day. Comparisons to strictly spatial UDs suggest that including a time dimension may provide a more realistic model of how cowbirds find host nests and interact with one another. Thus, cowbirds can discriminate appropriate vs inappropriate nests and adjust their predatory and spatial behaviour accordingly to improve their encounters with hosts