Fish assemblages found in tidal-creek and seagrass habitats in the Suwannee River estuary

Fish assemblages were investigated in tidal-creek and seagrass habitats in the Suwannee River estuary, Florida. A total of 91,571 fish representing 43 families were collected in monthly seine samples from January 1997 to December 1999. Tidal creeks supported greater densities of fish (3.89 fish/m2; 83% of total) than did seagrass habitats (0.93 fish/m2). We identified three distinct fish assemblages in each habitat: winter−spring, summer, and fall. Pinfish (Lagodon rhomboides), pigfish (Orthopristis chrysoptera), and syngnathids characterized seagrass assemblages, whereas spot (Leiostomus xanthurus), bay anchovy (Anchoa mitchilli), silversides (Menidia spp.), mojarras (Eucinostomus spp.), and fundulids characterized tidal-creek habitats. Important recreational and commercial species such as striped mullet (Mugil cephalus) and red drum (Sciaenops ocellatus) were found primarily in tidal creeks and were among the top 13 taxa in the fish assemblages found in the tidal-creek habitats. Tidal-creek and seagrass habitats in the Suwannee River estuary were found to support diverse fish assemblages. Seasonal patterns in occurrence, which were found to be associated with recruitment of early-life-history stages, were observed for many of the fish species

Geometry and Dynamics with Time-Dependent Constraints

We describe how geometrical methods can be applied to a system with explicitly time-dependent second-class constraints so as to cast it in Hamiltonian form on its physical phase space. Examples of particular interest are systems which require time-dependent gauge fixing conditions in order to reduce them to their physical degrees of freedom. To illustrate our results we discuss the gauge-fixing of relativistic particles and strings moving in arbitrary background electromagnetic and antisymmetric tensor fields.Comment: 8 pages, Plain TeX, CERN-TH.7392/94 and MPI-PhT/94-4

What are the experiences and concerns raised on an international online forum by caregivers of patients with chronic kidney disease?

This item is only available electronically.Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a health condition which has prolonged symptoms and treatment options which impact a patient’s quality of life. Research has addressed the psychosocial impacts for patients living with CKD, however psychological and physiological impacts on the patient’s caregiver have been overlooked. Social support can improve caregivers’ quality of life, with emerging research exploring online social support. This study employed qualitative content analysis to examine 159 posts on an online international forum: Caregivers of Patients with Kidney Disease. The Research Question addressed by this study was: What are the experiences and concerns raised on an online international forum by caregivers of patients with chronic kidney disease? The process included collection and familiarisation of posts, which were then coded using verbatim words and phrases. Next, codes were arranged into 71 sub-categories, 12 categories and then grouped into three themes: Experiences of caregivers of patients with kidney disease, Use of online social support and Caregiver knowledge. Findings from this study highlight the psychological and physical challenges that caregivers of patients with CKD experience. This study provides valuable insight into the gap in caregiver knowledge and their need to seek online peer support on topics including: advice on patient diet; clinical management; symptoms; and how to support the patient to adhere to diet and medications. This study highlights how caregiver forums can inform support strategies from healthcare professionals to increase caregiver involvement in treatment and education options, as well as tangible assistance to support the caregiver and patients’ needs.Thesis (B.PsychSc(Hons)) -- University of Adelaide, School of Psychology, 202

Does Acupuncture/Dry Needling Improve Pain and Itch in Abnormal Hypertrophic Scars

This research program investigated the use of acupuncture intervention as an adjunct for hypertrophic scar (HTS) management. Mechanistic evidence from ex vivo and animal studies suggests that acupuncture has the potential to modulate neurogenic inflammation to influence pain and itch associated with HTS. Further, acupuncture may mediate non-neuronal cells involved in the proliferation and remodelling stage of healing to promote scar maturation. Previous studies using acupuncture for scar management demonstrated positive outcomes, however low-quality clinical trials and case studies provide limited evidence for treatment benefit. A treatment protocol was designed to investigate the effects of locally applied acupuncture compared to distant acupuncture, combined with routine care scar massage therapy. The protocol was tested for feasibility on one participant with scarring post-burn injury and demonstrated reduced pain, and improved scar physical characteristics. Results from expanded testing of the research protocol in participants with surgical or linear scars are presented as a case series. Outcomes from the case series show improvement in scar symptoms for most participants, however no clear difference was seen between local and distant acupuncture outcomes. Finally, data analysis suggested one sub-group of hypersensitive participants (with high initial scores for both pain and itch) responded to acupuncture intervention possibly providing insight into treatment mechanisms and adding weight to recommendations for future research and clinical practice

The Construction of Sorkin Triangulations

Some time ago, Sorkin (1975) reported investigations of the time evolution and initial value problems in Regge calculus, for one triangulation each of the manifolds $R*S^3$ and $R^4$. Here we display the simple, local characteristic of those triangulations which underlies the structure found by Sorkin, and emphasise its general applicability, and therefore the general validity of Sorkin's conclusions. We also make some elementary observations on the resulting structure of the time evolution and initial value problems in Regge calculus, and add some comments and speculations.Comment: 5 pages (plus one figure not included, available from author on request), Plain Tex, no local preprint number (Only change: omitted "\magnification" command now replaced

The aerodynamics and performance of a cross flow fan

The cross flow fan consists of a cylindrical rotor closed at the ends with a cascade of axial blades around its curved surface. The rotor is mounted in a housing which defines the suction and discharge arcs. The housing extends the full length of the rotor and the throughflow is in a plane at right angles to the rotor axis. This fan is a unique type of turbo-machine which differs significantly from axial flow, centrifugal and mixed flow machines, in that each blade passage experiences a continuosly varying flow each time it makes a revolution through the flow field. In this thesis, experimental results are presented which describe the internal flow regime of a large cross flow fan of rotor length 1.0 m and outside diameter 0,625 m. Details of the flow field are examined for a range of dimensionless flow coefficient Ф between 0, 4 and 0.8, which is taken to be the usual operating range for reasons of efficiency and stability of flow. The measurements are transformed into streamlines for the purpose of illustration and the corresponding variations of a dimensionless total pressure coefficient are also given. Flow visualization techniques have been applied to a dynamically similar model to a reduced scale of 1:6.25 operating in water and photographs representing the flow have been examined both quantitatively and qualitatively. A Rankine-type vortex centered near the inner periphery is confirmed but the core was found to remain virtually stationary over the flow range investigated. The total pressure distribution indicates the spatial growth and weakened circulation of the forced vortex core as the flow rate reduces. A depression of total pressure has been identified in a region diametrically opposite the vortex core which intensifies as the flow rate increases. These data are broadly interpreted and are used to improve a previous theoretical model, in which the location of the vortex is used to define the operating point on the fan characteristic

Estimating Relative Abundance of Young of Year American Eel, Anguilla rostrata, in the Virginia Tributaries of Chesapeake Bay (Spring 2007)

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) adopted the Interstate Fishery Management Plan (FMP) for the American eel in November 1999. The FMP focuses on increasing coastal states’ efforts to collect American eel data through both fishery dependent and fishery independent studies. Consequently, member jurisdictions (including Virginia) agreed to implement an annual survey for YOY American eels. The survey is intended to “…characterize trends in annual recruitment of the YOY eels over time [to produce a] qualitative appraisal of the annual recruitment of American eel to the U.S. Atlantic Coast” (ASMFC, 2000). The development of these surveys began in 2000 with full implementation by 2001. Survey results should provide necessary data on coastal recruitment success and further understanding of American eel population dynamics. A recent American eel stock assessment report (ASMFC, 2006) emphasized the importance of the coast-wide survey as an index of sustained recruitment over the historical coastal range and an early warning of potential range 4 contraction of the species. The Virginia Institute of Marine Science continued its spring sampling to estimate relative abundance of young of year (YOY) American eels in Virginia tributaries of Chesapeake Bay. Funding was provided by the Marine Recreational Fishing Advisory and Commercial Fishing Advisory Boards, which ensured compliance with the 1999 ASMFC Interstate Fishery Management Plan for American Eel

Testing and improving students' understanding of three-dimensional representations in chemistry.

A Dissertation submitted to the Faculty of Education, University of the Witwatersrand, Johannesburg, for the degree of Master of Education.Three-dimensional visualisation is an important skill in chemistry but one in which many students experience difficulty. The main aims of this research were to identify the nature, extent and particularly the reasons for university students' difficulties in three-dimensional thinking and to devise teaching strategies for overcoming them. The research was restricted to the simpler aspects of three-dimensional thinking; it dealt only with rotation and reflection of simple molecules. The component steps required for the solution of three-dimensional problems were identified, and students' competence in these steps was tested. Pretest results showed that the students initially had poor visuaIisation skills. The main reasons for their difficulties were identified to be: (a) inability to visualise the three-dimensional structures of molecules, using the depth cues; (b) lack of precise understanding of the meaning of the phrases used in the questions (such as rotation about the X-axis; reflection in the XY plane); (c) inability to visualise the orientation of the axes and planes and of the positions of the atoms after an operation. A ninety minute remedial instruction programme on those aspects which caused difficulty was found to be enough, as shown by an analysis of covariance, to improve the students' visualisation skills very significantly (p < 0,01).AC 201

Examining error detection capabilities in a novel force production task as a function of athletic experience.

The purpose of this experiment is to determine whether having previous athletic experience in a routine sport (ie. Cheerleading) will affect the participant’s ability to self-report superior error-detection, motor performance, time on target, confidence, and agonist and antagonist co-activation patterns while learning a novel skill compared to non-routine athletes. Participants were required to perform proportions of their maximal isometric elbow flexion (46%) and extension (38%) forces for 5 seconds over 30 acquisition trials on an elbow flexion and extension device. Following each trial, participants will be required to estimate how much force they think they exerted on that trial as well as their confidence on that trial. A feedback screen was provided regarding what their task goal was, their actual performance, and their estimated performance. A no-KR (Knowledge of Results) retention and transfer test was conducted approximately 48-hours after the acquisition period. Meanwhile, we examined the co-activation patterns in the EMG (electromyography) of their biceps and triceps as they performed their isometric contractions. During the acquisition, retention, and transfer periods there were no between group differences for error detection, motor performance, time on target, confidence, nor for muscle co-activation. The present study found that skill level of the participant does not affect error-detection accuracy and decreases muscle co-activation when learning a novel skill