Acoustic Tracking of Redband Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus myskiss gairdneri) in Lake Roosevelt (2015-2016), Evaluation of an Acoustic Receiver Array, and Low-Voltage Electroanesthesia for Tag Implantation.

Chapter 1. Telemetry methods are able to acquire knowledge of fish movements which are used for a variety of management decisions. Implanting tags for telemetry requires minor surgery and anesthesia. Anesthesia for tag implantation is typically achieved with chemicals. However, chemicals are inherently variable and have restrictions on their use. This has led to the use of alternative methods for achieving anesthesia such as low voltage electroanesthesia (LVEA). LVEA subjects fish to a continuous non-pulsed direct current to achieve anesthesia appropriate for tag implantation. Unlike chemicals fish are quickly anesthetized and recover from anesthesia instantaneously. My objectives were to subject several species of fish to LVEA and determine if it can bring these species to anesthesia appropriate for tag implantation and if the voltage gradient (volts applied/ distance between electrodes) varies by fish based on size, scale type, species and conductivity of the water. LVEA successfully anesthetized 280 individuals which comprised of 11 species. Ctenoid scaled fish required a significantly higher voltage gradient than cycloid scale fish (Kruskal Wallis chi square = 118, p\u3c0.001). Water conductivity was greater where ctenoid scaled fish where collected than cycloid scaled fish (p\u3c0.0001). Multiple regression indicated that an interaction of fish length, scale type, water conductivity, and species explained 62% of variation in voltage gradient to anesthetize fish. I suggest agencies that use LVEA record information while using this method and make the information freely available to help form a standard procedure Chapter 2. An array of acoustic receivers is in place on Lake Roosevelt and Rufus Woods Reservoirs to study the movements of important fish species. The receivers in this array cannot determine how far away an acoustically tagged fish is from the receiver when an acoustic signal is detected on a receiver. Therefore, it is important to test the range at which these receivers can detect tags to understand where detections are likely coming from and to potentially improve the array by suggesting where to put additional receivers. I evaluated the receiver array with three methods: 1) stationary range testing which was done with a known delay tag at known distances from the receiver in 4 cardinal directions and at three depths at each location, 2) with telemetry data from tagged Redband Trout, and 3) float range testing conducted in the swift water downstream of Grand Coulee Dam. In total 43 receivers were stationary range tested. Generalized linear model indicated that detection frequency declined to 75% 100 m from receivers, 50% 300 m from receive and 25% 500 m from receiver. Tracks of tagged fish indicated 26 of 44 receivers detected greater than 70% of the fish that pass by them Float Range testing indicated the receivers below Grand Coule

Bariatric surgery and brain health: A longitudinal observational study investigating the effect of surgery on cognitive function and gray matter volume

Dietary modifications leading to weight loss have been suggested as a means to improve brain health. In morbid obesity, bariatric surgery (BARS)—including different procedures, such as vertical sleeve gastrectomy (VSG), gastric banding (GB), or Roux-en-Y gastric bypass (RYGB) surgery—is performed to induce rapid weight loss. Combining reduced food intake and malabsorption of nutrients, RYGB might be most effective, but requires life-long follow-up treatment. Here, we tested 40 patients before and six months after surgery (BARS group) using a neuropsychological test battery and compared them with a waiting list control group. Subsamples of both groups underwent structural MRI and were examined for differences between surgical procedures. No substantial differences between BARS and control group emerged with regard to cognition. However, larger gray matter volume in fronto-temporal brain areas accompanied by smaller volume in the ventral striatum was seen in the BARS group compared to controls. RYGB patients compared to patients with restrictive treatment alone (VSG/GB) had higher weight loss, but did not benefit more in cognitive outcomes. In sum, the data of our study suggest that BARS might lead to brain structure reorganization at long-term follow-up, while the type of surgical procedure does not differentially modulate cognitive performance

TECHNIQUES TO START THE STOOP CIRCLE (ADLER) ON HIGH BAR

The stoop circle rearward forward (Adler) is often performed by gymnasts on high bar. The final position, the handstand is a component of judges’ execution value. For the stoop circle only the final position is determined by the gymnastics rules. The start position is not declared. There are two main techniques to start the element stoop circle, which we define as “high” and “low” technique. Aims of the research are finding biomechanical differences between the two techniques and deducing requirements for gymnasts. 2D-video analysis from high bar routines of the World Championships 2007 was used. There are more gymnasts performing the “high” technique. We find differences in movement time and maximum angular velocities for hip and shoulder angles. These differences should be considered by coaches and gymnasts

Media and the contact hypothesis: an experimental study on the impact of parasocial contact

"Does parasocial contact impact on inter-group bias? Widening the scope of Contact Theory, this study aims at experimentally examine the impact of parasocial out-group presentation on decisions in a two-person prisoner's dilemma game and social cognitive constructions of the social event. Within a minimal group experiment, 80 university students were randomly assigned to anonymous or video-wise personalization conditions. Participants rather took personal advantage of expected contributions to a commonly shared dilemma situation in anonymous settings than if a member of the out-group was personalized (p<.05). As perceptions of group boundaries, out-group homogeneity, and similarity did not systematically differ across the conditions, implications are discussed." (author's abstract)"Hat parasozialer Kontakt Einfluss auf intergruppale Diskriminierung? Im Sinne einer Erweiterung der Kontakthypothese liefert die vorliegende Studie eine experimentelle Prüfung des Einflusses von parasozialer Out-Group Präsentation sowohl auf Verteilungsentscheidungen im Prisoner's Dilemma Game als auch auf sozial kognitive Konstruktionen des sozialen Ereignisses. In einem minimalen Gruppen Experiment wurden 80 UniversitätsstudentInnen zufällig einer von zwei Experimentalbedingungen (anonyme Bedingung vs. Video - personalisierte Bedingung) zugewiesen. TeilnehmerInnen in der anonymen Bedingung haben eher einen Vorteil auf Kosten des Mitspielers/ der Mitspielerin aus erwarteten Zuteilungen geschlagen, als wenn ein Mitglied der Fremdgruppe per Video personalisiert wurde (p<.05). Wahrnehmungen der Gruppengrenzen, Outgroup Homogenität und Ähnlichkeit variierten nicht systematisch zwischen den experimentellen Bedingungen. Implikationen werden diskutiert." (Autorenreferat