Minimal effects of oyster aquaculture on local water quality: Examples from southern Chesapeake Bay

As the oyster aquaculture industry grows and becomes incorporated into management practices, it is important to understand its effects on local environments. This study investigated how water quality and hydrodynamics varied among farms as well as inside versus outside the extent of caged grow-out areas located in southern Chesapeake Bay. Current speed and water quality variables (chlorophyll-a fluorescence, turbidity, and dissolved oxygen) were measured along multiple transects within and adjacent to four oyster farms during two seasons. At the scale of individual aquaculture sites, we were able to detect statistically significant differences in current speed and water quality variables between the areas inside and outside the farms. However, the magnitudes of the water quality differences were minor. Differences between sites and between seasons for water quality variables were typically an order of magnitude greater than those observed within each site (i.e. inside and outside the farm footprint). The relatively small effect of the presence of oysters on water quality is likely attributable to a combination of high background variability, relatively high flushing rates, relatively low oyster density, and small farm footprints. Minimal impacts overall suggest that low-density oyster farms located in adequately-flushed areas are unlikely to negatively impact local water quality. Associated datafiles available at: https://doi.org/10.25773/wwva-tz1

A Data Repository for Minimal Effects of Oyster Aquaculture on Water Quality: Examples from Southern Chesapeake Bay

The objective of this study was to quantify the effects of oyster aquaculture on water quality, sediment quality, and hydrodynamics at select sites in southern Chesapeake Bay. To this end, information was gathered over the course of approximately one year from February 2017 to October 2017 at four operating commercial farms. Farms were sampled during spring, summer, and fall seasons during times of oyster filtration activity when temperatures were greater than 10oC. Aquaculture sites differed in environmental setting, in terms of their exposure to waves and resulting sediment characteristics. Sites had mesohaline salinities (ranging from 15-22 psu) and mean water depths of ~1 m (ranging from 0.5 to 2 m depending on distance from shore and tidal stage). Site characterization was conducted at each oyster farm using standard sedimentological measurements with a PONAR grab to map sediment characteristics throughout the extent of each oyster farm and surrounding area. Following site characterization, hydrographic, water clarity, and water quality data were collected using high frequency spatial water quality mapping of transects on a moving vessel and an instrumented profiler at discrete point samples. On high frequency spatial water quality mapping (transect) cruises, the vessel was driven along 10-30 transects including approximately half inside and half outside the extent of cages while vessel-mounted instruments sampled continuously. On discrete point sample (instrumented profiler) cruises, data were collected at five designated stations along a central transect of the farms with three stations within the extent of cages and two stations outside. The two smallest oyster farms were sampled only during Summer 2017. Two of the larger oyster farms were sampled during Summer and Fall 2017. Additionally, during Summer 2017 at Windmill Point, a stationary upward facing acoustic Doppler profiler collected data over one month

Environmental and Ecological Benefits and Impacts of Oyster Aquaculture Chesapeake Bay, Virginia, USA

To better quantify the ecological benefits and impacts of oyster aquaculture, we sampled water quality, sediment quality, benthic macrofaunal communities and oysters at four oyster aquaculture sites located on the western shore of Chesapeake Bay in Virginia, USA. At each site, we collected samples from within the footprint of the aquaculture cages and from nearby areas with similar physical and environmental conditions but far enough away to be minimally influenced by aquaculture operations. Data collected from the water column included chlorophyll concentrations, turbidity, pH, dissolved oxygen concentrations, light attenuation, particle concentration, median particle size, total suspended solids and their organic content, and dissolved nutrient concentrations. Sediment and macrofauna community data collected included sediment grain size and organic content and macrofauna identity, abundance, biomass and species richness. In addition to assessing the potential impacts of oyster aquaculture on the water column and benthos, we also assessed differences in the oysters harvested Environmental and ecological benefits and impacts of oyster aquaculture at each site and estimated the total amount of nitrogen and phosphorus harvested at each site. Differences in water quality, sediment quality, and macrofauna community structure between areas within and outside the farm footprint were rare and of small magnitude and varying direction (i.e. negative versus positive impact) when they did occur. Aquaculture sites varied by an order of magnitude in size, annual harvest and harvest per unit area. They also varied by an order of magnitude in the total amount of nitrogen (N) and phosphorus (P) harvested per unit area. In contrast to the negative environmental impacts associated with other forms of animal protein production for human consumption, oyster harvest from aquaculture sites studied here resulted in the removal of 21-372 lbs. of N and 3-49lbs of P per farm per year

The role of the GP in managing suspected transient ischaemic attack: a qualitative study.

BACKGROUND: National guidelines recommend patients with suspected transient ischaemic attack (TIA) should be seen by a specialist within 24 h. However, people with suspected TIA often present to non-specialised services, particularly primary care. Therefore, general practitioners (GPs) have a crucial role in recognition and urgent referral of people with suspected TIA. This study aims to explore the role of GPs in the initial management of suspected TIA in the United Kingdom (UK). METHODS: One-to-one, semi-structured interviews with GPs, TIA clinic staff and patients with suspected TIA from two sites in the UK: Cambridge and Birmingham. Thematic analysis was undertaken to explore views on the role of the GP in managing suspected TIA. Thirty semi-structured interviews were conducted with stroke patients (n = 12), GPs (n = 9) and TIA clinic hospital staff (n = 9) from two hospitals and nine GP practices in surrounding areas. RESULTS: Three overarching themes were identified: (1) multiple management pathways for suspected TIA; (2) uncertainty regarding suspected TIA as an emergency or routine situation; and (3) influences on the urgency of GP management. CONCLUSIONS: Guidelines on the primary care management of TIA describe only a small proportion of the factors which influence GP management and referral of suspected TIA. Efforts to improve treatment, appropriate referral and patient experience should use a real rather than idealised model of the GP role in managing suspected TIA.This research was funded by the National Institute for Health Research. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care. The funders had no role in the design of the study and collection, analysis, and interpretation of data or in writing the manuscript. JM and GT receive funding from the National Institute for Health Research NIHR Senior Investigator Award and Postdoctoral Fellowship Award, respectively. The views expressed are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the NHS, the NIHR or the Department of Health and Social Care

Does characterising patterns of multimorbidity in stroke matter for developing collaborative care approaches in primary care?

Stroke and transient ischaemic attack (TIA) remain leading causes of mortality and morbidity globally. Although mortality rates have been in decline, the number of people affected by stroke has risen. These patients have a range of long-term needs and often present to primary care. Furthermore, many of these patients have multimorbidities which increase the complexity of their healthcare. Long-term impacts from stroke/TIA along with care needs for other morbidities can be challenging to address because care can involve different healthcare professionals, both specialist and generalist. In the ideal model of care, such professionals would work collaboratively to provide care. Despite the commonality of multimorbidity in stroke/TIA, gaps in the literature remain, particularly limited knowledge of pairings or clusters of comorbid conditions and the extent to which these are interrelated. Moreover, integrated care practices are less well understood and remain variable in practice. This article argues that it is important to understand (through research) patterns of multimorbidity, including number, common clusters and types of comorbidities, and current interprofessional practice to inform future directions to improve long-term care.This article received no specific grant from any funding agency, commercial or not-for-profit sectors. JM is an National Institute for Health Research (NIHR) Senior Investigator

Many Questions Remain Unanswered About the Role of Microbial Transmission in Epizootic Shell Disease in American Lobsters (Homarus americanus), a perspective article

Despite decades of research on lobster species’ biology, ecology, and microbiology, there are still unresolved questions about the microbial communities which associate in or on lobsters under healthy or diseased states, microbial acquisition, as well as microbial transmission between lobsters and between lobsters and their environment. There is an untapped opportunity for metagenomics, metatranscriptomics, and metabolomics to be added to the existing wealth of knowledge to more precisely track disease transmission, etiology, and host-microbe dynamics. Moreover, we need to gain this knowledge of wild lobster microbiomes before climate change alters environmental and host-microbial communities more than it likely already has, throwing a socioeconomically critical industry into disarray. As with so many animal species, the effects of climate change often manifest as changes in movement, and in this perspective piece, we consider the movement of the American lobster (Homarus americanus), Atlantic Ocean currents, and the microorganisms associated with either

The Iowa Homemaker vol.8, no.9

“Bella Italia” by Julia Bourne, page 1 Flower Culture and How by Isabel Leith, page 2 “If the Shoe Fits” by Vera Kurtz, page 3 My Grandmother’s Dresses and Mine by Hazel B. McKibbon, page 4 New Book on Consumption by Grace M. Zorbaugh, page 5 Girls’ 4-H Clubs by Josephine Arnquist, page 6 State Association by Marcia E. Turner, page 8 Textile Standardization by Ruth Stewart, page 10 Editorial, page 11 Alumnae News by Vera Caulum, page 1

Temperature of the Plasmasphere from Van Allen Probes HOPE

We introduce two novel techniques for estimating temperatures of very low energy space plasmas using, primarily, in situ data from an electrostatic analyzer mounted on a charged and moving spacecraft. The techniques are used to estimate proton temperatures during intervals where the bulk of the ion plasma is well below the energy bandpass of the analyzer. Both techniques assume that the plasma may be described by a one-dimensional E→×B→ drifting Maxwellian and that the potential field and motion of the spacecraft may be accounted for in the simplest possible manner, i.e., by a linear shift of coordinates. The first technique involves the application of a constrained theoretical fit to a measured distribution function. The second technique involves the comparison of total and partial-energy number densities. Both techniques are applied to Van Allen Probes Helium, Oxygen, Proton, and Electron (HOPE) observations of the proton component of the plasmasphere during two orbits on 15 January 2013. We find that the temperatures calculated from these two order-of-magnitude-type techniques are in good agreement with typical ranges of the plasmaspheric temperature calculated using retarding potential analyzer-based measurements—generally between 0.2 and 2 eV (2000–20,000 K). We also find that the temperature is correlated with L shell and hot plasma density and is negatively correlated with the cold plasma density. We posit that the latter of these three relationships may be indicative of collisional or wave-driven heating of the plasmasphere in the ring current overlap region. We note that these techniques may be easily applied to similar data sets or used for a variety of purposes

Patient-reported outcomes in integrated health and social care:A scoping review

Background: Patient-reported outcomes (PROs) have potential to support integrated health and social care research and practice; however, evidence of their utilisation has not been synthesised. Objective: To identify PRO measures utilised in integrated care and adult social care research and practice and to chart the evidence of implementation factors influencing their uptake. Design: Scoping review of peer-reviewed literature. Data sources: Six databases (01 January 2010 to 19 May 2023). Study selection: Articles reporting PRO use with adults (18+ years) in integrated care or social care settings. Review methods: We screened articles against pre-specified eligibility criteria; 36 studies (23%) were extracted in duplicate for verification. We summarised the data using thematic analysis and descriptive statistics. Results: We identified 159 articles reporting on 216 PRO measures deployed in a social care or integrated care setting. Most articles used PRO measures as research tools. Eight (5.0%) articles used PRO measures as an intervention. Articles focused on community-dwelling participants (35.8%) or long-term care home residents (23.9%), with three articles (1.9%) focussing on integrated care settings. Stakeholders viewed PROs as feasible and acceptable, with benefits for care planning, health and wellbeing monitoring as well as quality assurance. Patient-reported outcome measure selection, administration and PRO data management were perceived implementation barriers. Conclusion: This scoping review showed increasing utilisation of PROs in adult social care and integrated care. Further research is needed to optimise PROs for care planning, design effective training resources and develop policies and service delivery models that prioritise secure, ethical management of PRO data