Aquatic Invertebrates Resource Brief

Aquatic invertebrates have been collected along the Niobrara River at Agate Fossil Beds NM since 1989 using Hester-Dendy samplers. These samplers consist of 9 plates that are colonized by invertebrates while they are suspended in the water for 30 days. Aquatic invertebrates are typically identified to genus and counted. Bioassessment metrics are calculated based on invertebrate data to estimate ecosystem health. One bioassessment metric is Ephemeroptera, Plecoptera, and Trichoptera (EPT) richness, which counts the number of taxa that are mayflies, stoneflies, and caddisflies. Insects in these orders tend to be sensitive to ecosystem health, thus more EPT means better ecosystem health. Another bioassessment metric is Hilsenhoff’s Biotic Index (HBI) that uses values (0 to 10) to describe how tolerant invertebrates are to pollution. A value of 0 indicates that the invertebrate is extremely sensitive to pollution and a value of 10 indicates that the invertebrate is very tolerant of pollution. Tolerant invertebrates will live in all types of streams, but sensitive species will be absent in streams with poor ecosystem health

Bursting at the Seams: Improving Patient Flow to Help America\u27s Emergency Departments

From 1992 to 2002, the number of annual ED visits increased 23 percent in the U.S., while the number of EDs decreased by 15 percent. Many EDs are overwhelmed by the number of patients needing their services, with 62 percent of the nation\u27s EDs reporting being at or over operating capacity. Almost daily, newspaper headlines across the country relay stories about patients waiting for hours in the ED before being seen and tales of ambulances being diverted from one hospital to the next due to overcrowding. But while much of the blame for this situation has been placed on broader social issues—such as increasing numbers of uninsured Americans and increasing reliance on the ED by those who are insured—many hospitals have done little to address the patient flow obstacles that lead to overcrowded EDs. The Urgent Matters program, a national initiative of The Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, has worked intensely to try to find solutions to this problem that may be applicable nationwide. Urgent Matters has a commitment to develop and spread patient flow best practices to America\u27s hospitals

Perfecting Patient Flow: America\u27s Safety Net Hospitals and Emergency Department Crowding

Emergency department crowding and delays have become major issues for America\u27s safety net hospitals and health systems. Many facilities are experiencing increasing wait times, a need to board admitted patients in emergency department (ED) hallways, and rising numbers of hours spent on diversion or bypass. These trends result from increased patient demand at a time when the number of emergency departments has declined and hospital inpatient capacity has lagged. Other factors also may contribute to the crisis. Patients without access to medical specialists may view the ED as the quickest route to specialized services. Overburdened physicians may be more likely to refer patients to an ED for care, especially if they view the ED as a comprehensive diagnostic center. Meanwhile, shortages of nurses and on-call specialists may slow the care of patients once they get to the ED. Given these complex factors, solutions we once thought would relieve ED demand, like expanded primary care capacity, may actually do little to alleviate this crisis. For patients as well as caregivers, these are more than issues of convenience. Many of the patients who, due to their frustration at the long wait, leave a hospital ED without being seen by a physician do indeed need immediate medical care. Overworked health professionals are more prone to error, and a crowded ED is more likely to experience high turnover and vacancy rates. Long delays and overextended staffing are recipes for low quality, medical error, and poor morale. Faced with the unique mandate of the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act of 1986 (EMTALA), as well as with historic missions to care for all, safety net hospitals may be especially strained by these conditions. These hospitals often run large emergency departments with trauma and other specialized services and treat many medically and socially complex patients in an environment of declining or no payment. Yet they are expected to care for all comers, and to do it well while being accountable to the public. The National Association of Public Hospitals and Health Systems (NAPH) commissioned this report, Perfecting Patient Flow: America\u27s Safety Net Hospitals and Emergency Department Crowding, to describe practical approaches to reducing ED crowding as implemented in three member hospitals. Each of these hospitals participated in the year-long Robert Wood Johnson Foundation-funded safety net collaborative, Urgent Matters. These three hospitals, The Regional Medical Center at Memphis, Boston Medical Center, and Grady Health System in Atlanta, were chosen through a highly selective process to participate in the project, which was headquartered at The George Washington University Medical Center School of Public Health and Health Services

Iowa State Home Economics Association

The Iowa Home Economics Association will meet in Des Moines at the regular time of the State Teachers\u27 Association, November 8, 9 and 10. The luncheon meeting on Thursday at 12: 30 p. m. will be in the bail room on the Mezzanine floor of the Savery Hotel

Attributes of Dispersing Meadow Voles in Open-Grid Populations

Dispersal was investigated in two open-grid populations of meadow voles, Microtus pennsylvanicus (Ord, 1815) an central Virginia (U.S.A.) from November 1974 to April 1978. Dispersal was defined as immigration onto open, occupied population grids. Dispersers were distinguished from residents by weight at first capture. Individuals first captured at weights \u3c30 g were classified as residents; those first captured at \u3e30 g were classified as dispersers. Three independent lines of evidence support the validity of the 30-g criterion for recognizing dispersers in these vole populations. With frequent trapping and high trappability, particularly of young animals, this open-grid method of study offers two advantages in the study of dispersal. First, dispersers identified in this way exist an a biologically realistic environment as they move into or through an established population. Second, time-dependent components of the fitness of these dispersers can be monitored and compared with those of residents occupying the same habitat. Dispersers (immigrants) usually constituted \u3e75% of the minimum number of animals known to be alive in any week. Dispersal occurred continuously and was more important in situ reproduction as a source of new individuals in the population. Using the criterion of a negative correlation between the proportion of the population dispersing (immigrating) and grid population density, dispersal was not positively density-dependent. Although sex ratios of residents did not differ from 1:1, those of dispersers\u27 favored males on both grids. Nevertheless, 42% of all dispersers were female. Dispersers differed from adult (\u3e30 g) residents in that they were (1) significantly heavier than adult residents of the same sex and (2) more often in reproductive condition, both at first capture and later. Thus, dispersers had the potential to contribute more offspring per individual than residents. Dispersers and adult residents had comparable lifespans on both grids. Females had longer lifespans than males. Based these components of fitness, dispersers appeared to be comparable or superior residents. The attributes of the dispersers and the apparent lack of density dependence may be interpreted as evidence of pre-saturation dispersal in these populations

Evaluation of a School-Based Intervention to Promote Physical Activity and Sport among Young People Aged 11-13 in East London, UK

Abstract: Due to the alarming increase in overweight/obesity among adolescents in the UK and in response to low levels of PAS (physical activity and sport), initiatives have been developed to promote PAS in vulnerable groups. The purpose of this study is: (1) to evaluate the effect of one such PAS initiative on 11-13 (n = 913) years old young people’s PAS patterns and participation; (2) to assess young peoples’ expectations and perceived benefits of the program; and (3) to make evidenced based recommendations for future interventions. Socio-demographic data, PAS data and perceptions of the program were assessed via questionnaire. Anthropometric data (height, weight, waist circumference) were also measured. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests were used to test for significant differences between baseline and follow-up PAS data. McNemar chi-square tests were used to test for significance between baseline and follow-up expectations data. Wilcoxon signed-rank tests showed a reduction in total PAS (from 39% to 7%) from baseline to follow-up but five sports not currently offered through the national PE (physical education) curriculum (badminton, basketball, volleyball, cricket and rowing) saw an increase in participation. Young people’s perception of the program was positive, with a significant increase in those reporting the program helped them “be more sporty” and “be more healthy” (both significant at P < 0.05). While overall PAS did not increase, sports offered outside of those available as part of the national curriculum for PE were more popular; strengthening the case for further research and supporting the current trend of extending the sports available through PE in schools and school sports to positively contribute to increase in PAS. Future interventions should consider the target population more carefully in the design and implementation of such programs by offering culturally responsive PAS programs