Ornamental Fish Species Potentials of Ikpa River in Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria.

Fish species were investigated for 12 calendar months from March 2009 – February 2010 forthnightly using traps, gillnets and cast nets from three sampling stations in Ikpa River. Ornamental fish species were sorted out from the pooled samples. The findings revealed that of the 2307 fish specimens sampled, 1074 specimens made up of 38 species and 19 families were of indigenous ornamental fish. The highest contributing family in terms of number of species is Cichlidae (10 species) whereas Schilbeidae (593 specimens; 55.21%) is the highest contributor in terms of total number of specimens sampled. This is followed by Mochokidae and Mormyridae with 4 species each and Cichlidae with 158 specimens (14.70%). At the species level, the highest contributor is Physalia pellucida (577 specimens; 53.72%) and is followed by Erpetoichthys calabaricus (60 specimens; 5.59%). The least contributors were Heterobranchus bidorsalis, Periophthalmus barbarus and Pelvicachromis pulcher (1 specimen; 0.09%). Twelve families recorded only one species each. These great potentials of ornamental fish have been left unexploited and hence, undeveloped. Several species of ornamental fish have been imported into and exported from Nigeria by businessmen. This paper, therefore, highlights the constraints and also makes recommendations for the exploitation and development of ornamental fishery in Akwa Ibom State and its environs. Keywords: Exotic, Ornamental, Indigenous, Fish species, Ikpa River

Physico-Chemical Factors Influencing Zooplankton Community Structure of a Tropical River, Niger Delta, Nigeria

The Physical and chemical factors influencing the abundance, diversity and species richness of zooplankton in Mbo River, Akwa Ibom State, Nigeria were studied for twelve months (December, 2009- November, 2010) using standard analytical methods. The aim was to study the environmental factors determining zooplankton structure as reference point for the sustainable management of the river in view of the proposed development plans for the river basin. The result showed that Crustacea was highest and constituted 48% in Station I, and 30.8% and 33.3% in Stations II and III respectively. Other taxanomic groups present in this study include Rotifera which contributed to 20.0%, 50.0% and 55.6% in Stations I, II and III, respectively. Mollusc in Station I contributed to 8.0% of the species composition in this Station but was absent in Stations II and III. Protozoa which contributed to 9.1% of the total zooplankton composition in Station I was not recorded in the other two stations. The maximum diversity (Shannon-Weiner Index) per station/month (2.79) was calculated in Station I in September, 2010 and the minimum per station/month (0.93) was observed in Station III in July. Seasonally, the wet season recorded the maximum Shannon-Weiner Index value of 3.02 while the dry season recorded lower values. The significant seasonal variation in zooplankton density (cells/l), diversity and richness was regulated by rainfall, which also modulated the impact of the physico-chemical variables of the river surface water. Keywords: Community structure, Nigeria, Niger Delta, Physico-chemical factors,  Zooplankton

Examining the Characteristics of Physicians That Leave Georgia After Medical School Training

Background: We sought to examine the characteristics of physicians who leave Georgia after graduating from a Georgia medical school. Methods: Using the 2017 National Physician Compare data merged with the 2015-2016 Area Resource File, we compared the individual and practice location characteristics of physicians who went to medical school in Georgia and practice in the state to those who left. Results: Less than half of physicians who had their medical school training in Georgia still practice here; those who leave are typically specialists practicing in older, affluent and less racially diverse counties. Conclusions: Strategies to retain physicians in Georgia after their medical school training will go a long way to enhance Georgia’s physician-to-population ratios

Characteristics of the Health Information Technology Workforce in Georgia

Background: Advancement in medical technology, as well as the Health Information Technology for Economic and Clinical Health Act, has in part influenced the demand for health information technology (HIT) workers. While other sectors have experienced a tremendous increase in the information technology workforce, the health sector lags in this regard. The aim of this study was to describe the characteristics of the HIT workforce in Georgia, relative to surrounding states and the United States. Methods: The supply of the HIT workforce in Georgia, surrounding states, and the United States was estimated using data from the 2014-2016 American Community Survey (ACS). The 2010 ACS Occupation Codes and 2012 ACS Industry Codes were used to identify the HIT workforce. Population data for 2015, obtained from the US Census Bureau was used for standardization of the total supply of the HIT workforce. Data were analyzed using Stata 14.0. Results: The number of HIT workforce supply for Georgia (206.4 per 100,000 population) trails national (275.4 per 100,000) and regional (233 per 100,000) estimates. In terms of demographic characteristics, Georgia has a more racially diverse HIT workforce, compared to the surrounding states and the nation but lacked Hispanic representation. Additionally, compared to the surrounding states and the US, Georgia has a higher proportion of females in this workforce (80.9%). Most HIT workers are employed in hospitals and work full-time. Conclusions: The supply of the HIT workforce in Georgia currently trails regional and national estimates. With the advancements in medical technology and the HITECH Act, there is an increasing demand for health information technology workers. As such, attention should be paid to recruitment and retention efforts. This report may serve as a reference for future evaluation and monitoring of trends in the HIT workforce in the state

Georgia Rural Hospital Tax Credit

Background Eight rural hospitals have closed in Georgia within the last decade, and more are financially distressed. In 2016, Georgia legislation created a state income tax credit for individuals and corporations that donate to qualifying non-profit rural hospitals of their choice. This law, the first of its kind in the US, was intended to provide struggling hospitals with financial support to improve viability. Using a mixed- methods approach, this study assessed the perspective of hospital executives concerning the program, examined community awareness of the program, and evaluated how hospitals used the money to enhance access to care for rural populations

The Use of Social Media for Emergency Response: How Do Georgia Public Health Districts Compare?

This presentation was given during the Georgia Public Health Association Annual Meeting

Identifying Factors Associated with Employee Turnover Intent in a Rural Hospital

This presentation was given during the Georgia Public Health Association Annual Meeting

A Comparative Analysis of Social Media Utilization and Engagement Among Public Health Districts

This presentation was given during the Georgia Public Health Association Annual Meeting

Trends in Emergency Department Utilization in Georgia

This presentation was given during the Georgia Public Health Association Annual Meeting

Field Evaluation of N95 Filtering Facepiece Respirators on Construction Jobsites for Protection against Airborne Ultrafine Particles

Exposure to high concentrations of airborne ultrafine particles in construction jobsites may play an important role in the adverse health effects among construction workers, therefore adequate respiratory protection is required. The performance of particulate respirators has never been evaluated in field conditions against ultrafine particles on construction jobsites. In this study, respiratory protection levels against ultrafine particles of different size ranges were assessed during three common construction related jobs using a manikin-based set-up at 85 L/min air flow rate. Two NanoScan SMPS nanoparticle counters were utilized for measuring ultrafine particles in two sampling lines of the test filtering facepiece respirator—one from inside the respirator and one from outside the respirator. Particle size distributions were characterized using the NanoScan data collected from outside of the respirator. Two models of N95 respirators were tested—foldable and pleated. Collected data indicate that penetration of all categories of ultrafine particles can exceed 5% and smaller ultrafine particles of <36.5 nm size generally penetrated least. Foldable N95 filtering facepiece respirators were found to be less efficient than pleated N95 respirators in filtering nanoparticles mostly at the soil moving site and the wooden building frameworks construction site. Upon charge neutralization by isopropanol treatment, the ultrafine particles of larger sizes penetrated more compared to particles of smaller sizes. Our findings, therefore, indicate that N95 filtering facepiece respirators may not provide desirable 95% protection for most categories of ultrafine particles and generally, 95% protection is achievable for smaller particles of 11.5 to 20.5 nm sizes. We also conclude that foldable N95 respirators are less efficient than pleated N95 respirators in filtering ultrafine particles, mostly in the soil moving site and the wooden building framework construction site