Recovery, Renewal, and Resiliency: Gulf Coast Small Businesses Two Years Later

Presents findings from a survey of small business owners about the state of the local economy immediately following and in the two years since Katrina made landfall

28 years of vegetation change (1978 – 2006) in a calcareous coastal dune system

Changes in vegetation structure and composition over a 28 year period (1978–2006) following removal of human-induced disturbances, were examined in a calcareous coastal dune system in Point Nepean National Park (380 19’S, 1440 41’E) in south-eastern Victoria, Australia. In the early 1980s human habitation of Point Nepean was abandoned and disturbance regimes such as burning, slashing and land clearing were altered or removed, providing an opportunity to study the recovery of disturbed coastal vegetation. Broad-scale and community-level vegetation changes were assessed by comparing quadrat and GIS mapping data from 1978 with data collected in 2006. Results indicate a change in broad vegetation patterns; shrubland vegetation has replaced hind dune grasslands and disturbed areas and there has been a decrease in exposed coastal areas (such as blowouts, dunes and cliffs), and an increase in woody native species and highly invasive woody weeds. The changes highlight the importance of incorporating vegetation states in planning management actions in dynamic coastal vegetation

Fetal Alcohol Syndrome: Perspectives of a Group of Educators in Northwest Florida

Educators in two school districts were surveyed on their knowledge, attitudes, and perceived competence in educating students with fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS). Data from 114 surveys were analyzed using quantitative and qualitative methods. Spearman rank order correlation coefficients revealed statistically significant positive correlations between attitude and knowledge, perceived competence and knowledge, and perceived competence and attitude. Friedman's ANOVA indicated differences between teaching experience and attitude, a relationship between knowledge and type of teacher training, and differences in perceived competence by teacher location and grade level of teaching. Qualitative results revealed themes of knowledge and empathy in response to questions regarding support and strengths in educating students with FAS. Recommendations for educators in northwest Florida were discussed as well as implications of the research for education

Current and Best Practices for Recruiting Qualified Rehabilitation Counselors

The purpose of this study was to investigate the current status of the Comprehensive System of Personnel Development (CSPD) in Rehabilitation Services Administration’s Region IV, along with their current recruitment practices. Written surveys and follow up phone interviews were used to gather data from the 19 Rehabilitation Counselor Education programs and the 12 Federal/State Vocational Rehabilitation programs in Region IV. Additionally, suggestions were obtained from key stakeholders regarding future recruitment activities. Currently there are 891 positions not filled with qualified Rehabilitation Counselors. In addition, a majority of graduates from the Rehabilitation Counselor Education programs are not seeking employment from the Federal/State VR programs (51%). The anticipated retirement and turnover rate for VR Counselors in the next three years is projected to be three times larger than the number of students graduating from RCE programs. Consequently there is a need for an aggressive recruitment campaign. RCE Coordinators and VR Directors agreed that some needed recruitment strategies included: recruitment and development of recruitment videos and development of a regional spokesperson, and development of a regional spokesperson, and development of a web based marketing program, paid internships for VR agencies, and marketing strategies for high schools and universities

The PL calibration for Milky Way Cepheids and its implications for the distance scale

The rationale behind recent calibrations of the Cepheid PL relation using the Wesenheit formulation is reviewed and reanalyzed, and it is shown that recent conclusions regarding a possible change in slope of the PL relation for short-period and long-period Cepheids are tied to a pathological distribution of HST calibrators within the instability strip. A recalibration of the period-luminosity relation is obtained using Galactic Cepheids in open clusters and groups, the resulting relationship, described by log L/L_sun = 2.415(+-0.035) + 1.148(+-0.044)log P, exhibiting only the moderate scatter expected from color spread within the instability strip. The relationship is confirmed by Cepheids with HST parallaxes, although without the need for Lutz-Kelker corrections, and in general by Cepheids with revised Hipparcos parallaxes, albeit with concerns about the cited precisions of the latter. A Wesenheit formulation of Wv = -2.259(+-0.083) - 4.185(+-0.103)log P for Galactic Cepheids is tested successfully using Cepheids in the inner regions of the galaxy NGC 4258, confirming the independent geometrical distance established for the galaxy from OH masers. Differences between the extinction properties of interstellar and extragalactic dust may yet play an important role in the further calibration of the Cepheid PL relation and its application to the extragalactic distance scale.Comment: Accepted for Publication (Astrophysics & Space Science

The characterisation of fossil bone

This research presents a multi-disciplinary approach to the analysis of ancient bones, in which many different chemical and physical analytical techniques were applied to a relatively small sample of human and animal bones from different depositional environments. The results of these analyses indicate that the principle mechanisms responsible for diagenetic alteration of buried bones are chemical hydrolysis of bone collagen and microscopic tunnelling by saprophytic micro-organisms. These mechanisms, either independently or together, result in an increase in the porosity of the bone at a microscopic scale from a value of approximately 20 percent in fresh bone up to as much as 65 percent in some archaeological bones. There is no evidence that the hydrolysis of collagen in buried bones directly affects the mineral component of bone, although the breaking of the intimate association between the collagen molecules and the bone apatite crystallites exposes the crystallites to potential dissolution and recrystallization by percolating ground water. Disruption of the collagen-apatite bond has been recognised in optical microscopy of thin sections by loss of the characteristic birefringence seen in unaltered bone when viewed in polarised light. The birefringence in histologically normal bone results from the strongly anisotropic orientation of the bone mineral crystallites imposed by their association with the highly organised collagen fibrils. Loss of birefringence as a result of diagenetic activity is attributed to a randomising of the orientation of crystallites after hydrolytic degradation of the collagen molecule. With progressive loss of collagen the relative calcium and phosphorus contents of fossil bones have been found to increase in proportions close to those of stoichiometrically correct hydroxyapatite. Microscopic and mineralogical studies have suggested that changes in the crystallinity of buried bones may be attributed to the presence of well-ordered crystals of hydroxyapatite in the pore structures of the bones and that these derive from dissolution and re-precipitation of the original bone apatite. However the elemental and isotopic composition of these re-precipitated apatites may not reflect that of the original bio mineral due to the incorporation of strontium, uranium fluoride etc. from the environment. Dissolution of bone mineral can, in most cases, be associated with the action of micro-organisms, many of which are known to favour low pHs and secrete organic acids as a by-product of their metabolism. Although micro-organisms isolated from buried bones produce collagen degrading enzymes (collagenases) these enzymes are too large to enter the spaces between the bone apatite crystallites and are therefore unable to attack the collagenous matrix of undegraded bone. Before micro-organisms can utilise bone collagen, the bone matrix must first be demineralized to expose the collagen fibrils or the collagen must be degraded by hydrolysis into shorter lengths that then escape via disrupted regions of the surrounding crystallites. Analysis of the strengths of modem and fossil bones has demonstrated a near logarithmic relationship between tensile strength and porosity. In addition, plots of strength vs porosity and strength vs nitrogen content are bimodal, indicating that two mechanisms are involved in the degradation of fossil bones. The microscopic and chemical analyses suggest that these mechanisms are chain scissioning of collagen and tunnelling by micro-organisms. Microscopic studies show that surface adsorption of 'humic acids' and metal ions are responsible for the colouration of fossil bones. Analysis of the total lipid extract of fossil bones contain cholesterol and cholesterol degradation products. Fossil cholesterol represents a potentially important and unique resource for palaeodietary studies. Conversely, this research has demonstrated that studies of ancient DNA are compounded by inhibition by compounds from the soil and contamination by modem DNA. Fossil bones in anoxic or wateriogged soils are readily colonised by sulphate-reducing bacteria and these bacteria are responsible for the deposition of iron sulphide in the form of pyrite framboids in pore spaces in the bone. On exposure to atmospheric oxygen, these pyrite framboids oxidise to sulphuric acid which in turn attacks bone apatite, resulting in the formation of vivianite (Fe(_3)(PO(_4))(_2).8H(_2)O) and gypsum (CaSO(_4).2H(_2)O). Crystallization and hydration of these minerals frequently disrupt the physical integrity of the bone specimens. Finally this research indicates potential regimes for the conservation of fossil bone specimens together with the archaeological or environmental evidence preserved within them

Evaluation of the Coverage of 3 Antibiotic Regimens for Neonatal Sepsis in the Hospital Setting Across Asian Countries.

Importance: High levels of antimicrobial resistance in neonatal bloodstream isolates are being reported globally, including in Asia. Local hospital antibiogram data may include too few isolates to meaningfully examine the expected coverage of antibiotic regimens. Objective: To assess the coverage offered by 3 antibiotic regimens for empirical treatment of neonatal sepsis in Asian countries. Design, Setting, and Participants: A decision analytical model was used to estimate coverage of 3 prespecified antibiotic regimens according to a weighted-incidence syndromic combination antibiogram. Relevant data to parameterize the models were identified from a systematic search of Ovid MEDLINE and Embase. Data from Asian countries published from 2014 onward were of interest. Only data on blood culture isolates from neonates with sepsis, bloodstream infection, or bacteremia reported from the relevant setting were included. Data analysis was performed from April 2019 to July 2019. Exposures: The prespecified regimens of interest were aminopenicillin-gentamicin, third-generation cephalosporins (cefotaxime or ceftriaxone), and meropenem. The relative incidence of different bacteria and their antimicrobial susceptibility to antibiotics relevant for determining expected concordance with these regimens were extracted. Main Outcomes and Measures: Coverage was calculated on the basis of a decision-tree model incorporating relative bacterial incidence and antimicrobial susceptibility of relevant isolates. Data on 7 bacteria most commonly reported in the included studies were used for estimating coverage, which was reported at the country level. Results: Data from 48 studies reporting on 10 countries and 8376 isolates were used. Individual countries reported 51 (Vietnam) to 6284 (India) isolates. Coverage varied considerably between countries. Meropenem was generally estimated to provide the highest coverage, ranging from 64.0% (95% credible interval [CrI], 62.6%-65.4%) in India to 90.6% (95% CrI, 86.2%-94.4%) in Cambodia, followed by aminopenicillin-gentamicin (from 35.9% [95% CrI, 27.7%-44.0%] in Indonesia to 81.0% [95% CrI, 71.1%-89.7%] in Laos) and cefotaxime or ceftriaxone (from 17.9% [95% CrI, 11.7%-24.7%] in Indonesia to 75.0% [95% CrI, 64.8%-84.1%] in Laos). Aminopenicillin-gentamicin coverage was lower than that of meropenem in all countries except Laos (81.0%; 95% CrI, 71.1%-89.7%) and Nepal (74.3%; 95% CrI, 70.3%-78.2%), where 95% CrIs for aminopenicillin-gentamicin and meropenem were overlapping. Third-generation cephalosporin coverage was lowest of the 3 regimens in all countries. The coverage difference between aminopenicillin-gentamicin and meropenem for countries with nonoverlapping 95% CrIs ranged from -15.9% in China to -52.9% in Indonesia. Conclusions and Relevance: This study's findings suggest that noncarbapenem antibiotic regimens may provide limited coverage for empirical treatment of neonatal sepsis in many Asian countries. Alternative regimens must be studied to limit carbapenem consumption

Insulin therapy and dietary adjustments to normalize glycemia and prevent nocturnal hypoglycemia after evening exercise in type 1 diabetes: a randomized controlled trial

Introduction Evening-time exercise is a frequent cause of severe hypoglycemia in type 1 diabetes, fear of which deters participation in regular exercise. Recommendations for normalizing glycemia around exercise consist of prandial adjustments to bolus insulin therapy and food composition, but this carries only short-lasting protection from hypoglycemia. Therefore, this study aimed to examine the impact of a combined basal-bolus insulin dose reduction and carbohydrate feeding strategy on glycemia and metabolic parameters following evening exercise in type 1 diabetes. Methods Ten male participants (glycated hemoglobin: 52.4±2.2 mmol/mol), treated with multiple daily injections, completed two randomized study-days, whereby administration of total daily basal insulin dose was unchanged (100%), or reduced by 20% (80%). Participants attended the laboratory at ∼08:00 h for a fasted blood sample, before returning in the evening. On arrival (∼17:00 h), participants consumed a carbohydrate meal and administered a 75% reduced rapid-acting insulin dose and 60 min later performed 45 min of treadmill running. At 60 min postexercise, participants consumed a low glycemic index (LGI) meal and administered a 50% reduced rapid-acting insulin dose, before returning home. At ∼23:00 h, participants consumed a LGI bedtime snack and returned to the laboratory the following morning (∼08:00 h) for a fasted blood sample. Venous blood samples were analyzed for glucose, glucoregulatory hormones, non-esterified fatty acids, β-hydroxybutyrate, interleukin 6, and tumor necrosis factor α. Interstitial glucose was monitored for 24 h pre-exercise and postexercise. Results Glycemia was similar until 6 h postexercise, with no hypoglycemic episodes. Beyond 6 h glucose levels fell during 100%, and nine participants experienced nocturnal hypoglycemia. Conversely, all participants during 80% were protected from nocturnal hypoglycemia, and remained protected for 24 h postexercise. All metabolic parameters were similar. Conclusions Reducing basal insulin dose with reduced prandial bolus insulin and LGI carbohydrate feeding provides protection from hypoglycemia during and for 24 h following evening exercise. This strategy is not associated with hyperglycemia, or adverse metabolic disturbances