Abnormal long wave dispersion phenomena in a slightly compressible elastic plate with non-classical boundary conditions

A two parameter asymptotic analysis is employed to investigate some unusual long wave dispersion phenomena in respect of symmetric motion in a nearly incompressible elastic plate. The plate is not subject to the usual classical traction free boundary conditions, but rather has its faces fixed, precluding any displacement on the boundary. The abnormal long wave behaviour results in the derivation of non-local approximations for symmetric motion, giving frequency as a function of wave number. Motivated by these approximations, the asymptotic forms of displacement components established and long wave asymptotic integration is carried out

THE RIGHT CALL: BASEBALL COACHES\u27 ATTEMPTS TO INFLUENCE UMPIRES

On-field conversations and confrontations between baseball coaches and umpires have long been a part of the game. An umpire\u27s decision can alter the course of the game, but little has been written about the exchanges between a coach or manager and umpire, especially in relation to theoretical considerations. This study applies management and leadership theories in exploring the strategies baseball coaches use to contest an umpire\u27s decision. By using leadership scholar John E. Barbuto\u27s concept of influence tactics and the various types of social power discussed by sociologists John R. French and Bertram Raven, the study also tests the congruence theory that baseball imitates the workplace. The investigators interviewed six high school and six college baseball coaches in Iowa and Nebraska and found that the strategies used by coaches to dispute calls can be categorized into five tenets: (1) coaches say it\u27s their duty to question umpires and to keep their players from arguing with umpires; (2) coaches expect umpires to use their fellow crew members to help during close calls and to admit their mistakes; (3) coaches say they can help their cause by showing respect for umpires and building positive relationships with them; (4) coaches believe that discretion is important in deciding when they should argue a call; and (5) coaches say their arguments aren\u27t meant to reverse a call but to prevent the umpire from making the same mistake later in the game or in future games. Such strategies are also used in the workplace by managers who want to influence employees or fellow managers, thus reinforcing the congruence theory and demonstrating the similarities between baseball and the workplace. Future research should examine the umpire\u27s perspective during disputed calls and whether the approaches used by high school and college coaches are the same as those used by managers of professional baseball teams

Effects of capture, marking, and tracking on the welfare of wild birds

Ethical considerations with respect to the capture, handling, and marking of wild birds must balance the risk of potential harm to individual birds against the need to obtain the necessary data to address goals in basic science, as well as conservation targets for species and ecosystems. The Norwegian Environment Agency and the Norwegian Food Safety Authority requested an updated knowledge base on methods for capture, handling, and marking of wild birds for scientific and management purposes, and associated risk-reducing measures. Methods The assessment includes any bird species belonging to orders of birds that are represented on the Norwegian mainland, other land areas where Norwegian law applies, or in Norwegian territorial waters; and methods that require a permit from the National Animal Research Authority, a bird ringing license and/or a wildlife permit from the Norwegian Environment Agency. Assessments of potential impacts of physical sampling methods were also included. Regarding the 3Rs approach, this report does not address whether field studies of wild birds should be replaced with alternative approaches or if the number of marked birds should be reduced but instead focuses on the refinement of methods in cases where marking is regarded as the most appropriate and adequate method. Conclusions If conducted by trained personnel following best practices, all the methods for capture, handling, or sampling were assessed as low or moderate risk for short-term or long-lasting harm to animal welfare. Among the different methods for marking and tagging of wild birds, temporary feather dyes and PIT tags were assessed as low risk, while glue and tape methods, tail mounted tags, necklace collars, and surgical implants were assessed as low or moderate risk, and flipper tags on penguins as high risk. Metal and colour rings, leg flags, patagial wing and web tags, neck bands, nasal discs and saddles, sutures and subcutaneous anchors, leg mounted tags, leg-loop and backpack (thoracic) harness were assessed as low, moderate, or high risk, depending on group of birds. The substantial heterogeneity in the impacts on animal welfare among methods and different groups of birds means that thorough pre-investigation, planning, and preparations are required for safe capture, handling, sampling, and marking of wild birds. Risk-reducing measures In addition to measures provided for each specific field method assessed, we have identified five key measures that would reduce the probability of adverse impacts on animal welfare: (1) follow best practises; (2) conduct pilot and effect studies; (3) ensure training routines; (4) standardise assessments and encourage reporting of animal welfare effects; and (5) continuing efforts to address the 3Rs with refinement and reduction to improve animal welfare. The assessment spans subject areas for three of VKM's panels and is approved by a separate approval group.Effects of capture, marking, and tracking on the welfare of wild birdspublishedVersio

DNA-analysis to monitor Fisheries and Aquaculture: Too costly?

Evidence from DNA‐analysis is commonplace in human criminal investigations, and while it is increasingly being used in wildlife crime, to date, its application to control and enforcement activities in fisheries and aquaculture has only been sporadic. Contemporary DNA‐analysis tools are capable of addressing a broad range of compliance issues, species identification, mislabelling of fish products, determining the origin of catches and the farm of origin of aquaculture escapees. Such applications have the potential to ensure traceability along the fish product supply chain and to combat consumer fraud and Illegal, Unreported and Unregulated fishing. Nevertheless, DNA‐analysis is not yet used routinely in investigations into compliance with fisheries and aquaculture legislation. One potential reason for this is that DNA‐analysis techniques may have been regarded as too expensive. However, costs have plummeted over the past decade prompting us to objectively assess whether the costs associated with routine use of DNA‐analysis techniques for fisheries and aquaculture control and enforcement activities do constitute an impediment. Based on a number of recent fisheries and aquaculture compliance investigations that incorporated DNA‐analysis, our results indicate that the use of genetic analysis was justified and worthwhile in all cases examined. We therefore conclude that the costs associated with DNA‐analysis do not represent a barrier to the routine adoption of DNA‐analysis techniques in fisheries and aquaculture compliance investigations. Thus, control and enforcement agencies should be encouraged to use such techniques routinely

Delineating Anaplasma phagocytophilum Ecotypes in Coexisting, Discrete Enzootic Cycles

Genetically distinct subpopulations have adapted to different niche

Air pollution and general practitioner access and utilization: a population based study in Sarnia, 'Chemical Valley,' Ontario

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Health impacts of poor environmental quality have been identified in studies around the world and in Canada. While many of the studies have identified associations between air pollution and mortality or morbidity, few have focused on the role of health care as a potential moderator of impacts. This study assessed the determinants of health care access and utilization in the context of ambient air pollution in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Residents of Sarnia participated in a Community Health Study administered by phone, while several ambient air pollutants including nitrogen dioxide (NO₂), sulphur dioxide (SO₂) and the volatile organic compounds benzene, toluene, ethylbenzene, mp- and o-xylene (BTEX) were monitored across the city. Land Use Regression models were used to estimate individual exposures to the measured pollutants and logistic regression models were utilized to assess the relative influence of environmental, socioeconomic and health related covariates on general practitioner access and utilization outcomes.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>The results show that general practitioner use increased with levels of exposure to nitrogen dioxide (NO₂- Odds Ratio [OR]: 1.16, <it>p </it>< 0.05) and sulphur dioxide (SO₂- OR: 1.61, <it>p </it>< 0.05). Low household income was a stronger predictor of having no family doctor in areas exposed to high concentrations of NO₂and SO₂. Respondents without regular care living in high pollution areas were also more likely to report travelling or waiting for care in excess of 20 minutes (OR: 3.28, <it>p </it>< 0.05) than their low exposure counterparts (OR: 1.11, <it>p </it>> 0.05).</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>This study provides evidence for inequitable health care access and utilization in Sarnia, with particular relevance to its situation as a sentinel high exposure environment. Levels of exposure to pollution appears to influence utilization of health care services, but poor access to primary health care services additionally burden certain groups in Sarnia, Ontario, Canada.</p

Maternal High Fat Diet Is Associated with Decreased Plasma n–3 Fatty Acids and Fetal Hepatic Apoptosis in Nonhuman Primates

To begin to understand the contributions of maternal obesity and over-nutrition to human development and the early origins of obesity, we utilized a non-human primate model to investigate the effects of maternal high-fat feeding and obesity on breast milk, maternal and fetal plasma fatty acid composition and fetal hepatic development. While the high-fat diet (HFD) contained equivalent levels of n-3 fatty acids (FA's) and higher levels of n-6 FA's than the control diet (CTR), we found significant decreases in docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) and total n-3 FA's in HFD maternal and fetal plasma. Furthermore, the HFD fetal plasma n-6∶n-3 ratio was elevated and was significantly correlated to the maternal plasma n-6∶n-3 ratio and maternal hyperinsulinemia. Hepatic apoptosis was also increased in the HFD fetal liver. Switching HFD females to a CTR diet during a subsequent pregnancy normalized fetal DHA, n-3 FA's and fetal hepatic apoptosis to CTR levels. Breast milk from HFD dams contained lower levels of eicosopentanoic acid (EPA) and DHA and lower levels of total protein than CTR breast milk. This study links chronic maternal consumption of a HFD with fetal hepatic apoptosis and suggests that a potentially pathological maternal fatty acid milieu is replicated in the developing fetal circulation in the nonhuman primate