Estimating Density and Residency of Bottlenose Dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in three estuarine sites in South Carolina

Of the three estuarine bottlenose dolphin stocks in South Carolina, two are considered data insufficient, with no minimum population estimate or assigned potential biological removal value. Additionally, the Northern Georgia Southern South Carolina Estuarine System (NGSSCES) stock’s boundaries are based on sighting data that do not extend to the full area encompassed by the boundary lines. In areas where stock boundaries are not clearly defined and data is insufficient for traditional methods of estimating abundance, density may provide insight into local distributions and serve as a proxy for actual abundance. Photo-identification surveys were conducted in three sites, representative of the two data insufficient estuarine stocks, between March 2012 and February 2013. Linear density (dolphins/km transect) was similar for all three sites (p=0.0773) and resident dolphins made up between 15.45% and 23.61% of total individuals within each site. Additionally, there was no movement of individuals between study areas, specifically between the two sites that make up the NGSSCES stock. These patterns provide evidence that estuarine bottlenose dolphins in South Carolina share similar characteristics regardless of stock designation, and that the NGSSCES stock might be comprised of smaller, independent communities or sub-populations. Current management approaches for estuarine bottlenose dolphin stocks in South Carolina are problematic due to the uncertainty of stock boundaries and abundance. If future studies continue to identify small groups of dolphins with strong site fidelity or small home ranges such as in this study, the traditional stock concept might need to be re-evaluated with management efforts shifting toward simple measures of linear density to determine relative abundance

Pattern Selection in the Complex Ginzburg-Landau Equation with Multi-Resonant Forcing

We study the excitation of spatial patterns by resonant, multi-frequency forcing in systems undergoing a Hopf bifurcation to spatially homogeneous oscillations. Using weakly nonlinear analysis we show that for small amplitudes only stripe or hexagon patterns are linearly stable, whereas square patterns and patterns involving more than three modes are unstable. In the case of hexagon patterns up- and down-hexagons can be simultaneously stable. The third-order, weakly nonlinear analysis predicts stable square patterns and super-hexagons for larger amplitudes. Direct simulations show, however, that in this regime the third-order weakly nonlinear analysis is insufficient, and these patterns are, in fact unstable

The holocene ostracods of the Agulhas Bank, South Africa : their classification, distribution and ecology

Bibliography: pages 69-77.An analysis of the Holocene ostracod fauna of the Agulhas Bank has been carried out on seventy-three surficial sediment samples. Sixty-six species of Ostracoda have been recorded, of which fifty-nine species are accounted for in forty genera and the remaining seven species are of indeterminate classification. The species are described and their distribution and ecology is given. An. analysis of the sedimentology, as well as an oceanographic analysis of the bottom water on the Agulhas Bank, has provided environmental parameters for each sediment sample location, enabling relationships to be described between ostracod faunas and environmental conditions. Quantitative factor analysis has been carried out on the twenty-four most abundant species, generating seven factor associations relating ostracod assemblages to a set of environmental parameters. The independent variables analyzed were the temperature, salinity and dissolved-oxygen content of the bottom water, as well as the sand content of the sediment. Contour maps of these variables have been drawn up using SADCO data for the oceanographic variables, and the sediment samples to calculate the sand content. The overall oceanography of the Agulhas Bank has been analyzed by relating the environmental parameters generated at each location to the water masses present on the shelf, and to the oceanic currents affecting them. Finally, the seven factor associations generated have been related directly to the substrate types, the water masses, and the currents present on the Agulhas Bank

Sympoiesis in Turbulent Times: Reading/Literacy in the Chthulucene

Donna Haraway’s Chthulucene suggests a world in which humans and non-humans are inextricably entangled, a world in which global ecological devastation demands new ways of relating across disciplines and across differences, a world in which strategic coalitions across disciplines—fluid transdisciplinary coalitions—are badly needed. Haraway suggests sympoiesis, or making-with, as a move toward response-ability. In this project, I embrace the rich fabric of Narrative Inquiry in English Education and knit a diffractive, transdisciplinary reading of current debates in reading/literacy studies, composing speculative fiction as I compose my own approaches to teaching and research and figure a sympoietic pedagogy

Mechanisms underlying reduced natural killer cell cytotoxicity with age

Ageing is accompanied by a marked reduction in natural killer (NK) cell cytotoxicity (NKCC) at the single cell level that is thought to contribute to the accumulation of senescent cells in aged tissues. Although it is established that decreased killing results from reduced perforin secretion in response to co-culture with cancer cells, the mechanisms involved in reduced NKCC towards senescent cells remain unknown. To investigate reduced NKCC towards senescent cells, we examined the composition of the circulating NK cell pool in healthy young (≤35 years) and older (≥65 years) adults, focussing primarily on highly differentiated CD57+ NK cells as they show reduced function in killing assays. Additionally, we assessed perforin release and mitogen- activated protein kinase (MAPK) activation in NK cells following NKG2D and NKp30 receptor ligation given their role in granule polarisation and NKCC towards senescent cells. Assessment of the composition of the circulating lymphocyte pool revealed a greater proportion of NK cells in older adults, with a marked increase in the percentage of CD56DIM NK cells and terminally differentiated CD56DIMCD57+ NK cells. Since CD57 expression is associated with immune cell dysfunction, an increased proportion of CD57+ NK cells may contribute to impaired perforin release and NKCC. Whilst we were unable to show that NK cells from older adults secreted lower levels of perforin, though sample size was low, we found no age-associated difference in P38 MAPK activation in NK cells following receptor ligation. Thus, we propose that reduced NKCC with age towards senescent cells may be due to defects in the activation of other MAPK signalling pathways such as ERK

\u3cem\u3eEscherichia coli\u3c/em\u3e Pathotypes Occupy Distinct Niches in the Mouse Intestine

Since the first step of the infection process is colonization of the host, it is important to understand how Escherichia coli pathogens successfully colonize the intestine. We previously showed that enterohemorrhagic O157:H7 strain E. coli EDL933 colonizes a niche in the streptomycin-treated mouse intestine that is distinct from that of human commensal strains, which explains how E. coli EDL933 overcomes colonization resistance imparted by some, but not all, commensal E. coli strains. Here we sought to determine if other E. coli pathogens use a similar strategy. We found that uropathogenic E. coli CFT073 and enteropathogenic E. coli E2348/69 occupy intestinal niches that are distinct from that of E. coli EDL933. In contrast, two enterohemorrhagic strains, E. coli EDL933 and E. coli Sakai, occupy the same niche, suggesting that strategies to prevent colonization by a given pathotype should be effective against other strains of the same pathotype. However, we found that a combination of commensal E. coli strains that can prevent colonization by E. coli EDL933 did not prevent colonization by E. coli CFT073 or E. coli E2348/69. Our results indicate that development of probiotics to target multiple E. coli pathotypes will be problematic, as the factors that govern niche occupation and hence stable colonization vary significantly among strains

The barriers and facilitators that indigenous health workers experience in their workplace and communities in providing self-management support: a multiple case study

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made. The Creative Commons Public Domain Dedication waiver (http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/) applies to the data made available in this article, unless otherwise stated.Background The inequality in health outcomes between Indigenous (Throughout the paper, the term Indigenous will be used to represent both Aboriginal Australians and Torres Strait Islander Australians.) and non-Indigenous Australians continues to be a major public health issue. Chronic conditions are responsible for the majority of the gap in life expectancy for this population. Evidence suggests that chronic condition management models focusing on self-management have led to improved health outcomes in Indigenous populations. The Flinders Closing the Gap Program (FCTGP) is a chronic condition care planning tool which aims to engage Indigenous people in self-managing their chronic conditions. Indigenous health workers (IHWs) can provide culturally appropriate self-management support; however there is paucity in current literature describing specific barriers and facilitators that they may experience when attempting to deliver this support. This study aimed to explore IHWs’ perceptions of the effectiveness and appropriateness of the FCTGP, as an evidence-based example of self-management support, and to explore the barriers and facilitators that IHWs experience in their workplace and communities in providing self-management support. Methods In-depth interviews were undertaken with five IHWs, drawn from five different states in Australia. Their selection was aided by key informants from the FCTGP training unit. Interviews were recorded and transcribed verbatim, and were analysed using thematic analysis. Results The following themes were identified. IHWs reported that the FCTGP was appropriate, flexible and acceptable in their communities. Facilitators included factors improving client and worker empowerment, and activities around sharing knowledge. Barriers included competing priorities that clients experience relating to social determinants of health, and negative experiences within mainstream health services. IHW burnout from time pressures, lack of support, and high staff turnover were also considered important barriers. Conclusions This study contributes an insight into the experiences of IHWs who are considered important stakeholders in implementation and sustainability of chronic condition management programs, including the FCTGP. Recommendations focus on supporting and supplementing the role of IHWs and identify the FCTGP as a facilitator in providing self-management support to a population with complex needs

Indigenous patient experiences of returning to country: a qualitative evaluation on the Country Health SA Dialysis bus

This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/), which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided you give appropriate credit to the original author(s) and the source, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate if changes were made.Background Rates of End-Stage Kidney Disease among Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander (Indigenous) Australians in remote areas are disproportionately high; however, haemodialysis is not currently offered in most remote areas. People must therefore leave their ‘Country’ (with its traditions and supports) and relocate to metropolitan or regional centres, disrupting their kinship and the cultural ties that are important for their wellbeing. The South Australian Mobile Dialysis Truck is a service which visits remote communities for one to two week periods; allowing patients to have dialysis on ‘Country’, reuniting them with their friends and family, and providing a chance to take part in cultural activities. The aims of the study were to qualitatively evaluate the South Australian Mobile Dialysis Truck program, its impact on the health and wellbeing of Indigenous dialysis patients, and the facilitators and barriers to using the service. Methods Face to face semi-structured interviews were conducted with 15 Indigenous dialysis patients and 10 nurses who had attended trips across nine dialysis units. Realist evaluation methodology and thematic analysis established patient and nursing experiences with the Mobile Dialysis Truck. Results The consequences of leaving Country included grief and loss. Barriers to trip attendance included lower trip frequencies, ineffective trip advertisement, lack of appropriate or unavailable accommodation for staff and patients and poor patient health. Benefits of the service included the ability to fulfil cultural commitments, minimisation of medical retrievals from patients missing dialysis to return to remote areas, improved trust and relationships between patients and staff, and improved patient quality of life. The bus also provided a valuable cultural learning opportunity for staff. Facilitators to successful trips included support staff, clinical back-up and a co-ordinator role. Conclusions The Mobile Dialysis Truck was found to improve the social and emotional wellbeing of Indigenous patients who have had to relocate for dialysis, and build positive relationships and trust between metropolitan nurses and remote patients. The trust fostered improved engagement with associated health services. It also provided valuable cultural learning opportunities for nursing staff. This format of health service may improve cultural competencies with nursing staff who provide regular care for Indigenous patients