Population connectivity shifts at high frequency within an open-coast marine protected area network.

A complete understanding of population connectivity via larval dispersal is of great value to the effective design and management of marine protected areas (MPA). However empirical estimates of larval dispersal distance, self-recruitment, and within season variability of population connectivity patterns and their influence on metapopulation structure remain rare. We used high-resolution otolith microchemistry data from the temperate reef fish Hypsypops rubicundus to explore biweekly, seasonal, and annual connectivity patterns in an open-coast MPA network. The three MPAs, spanning 46 km along the southern California coastline were connected by larval dispersal, but the magnitude and direction of connections reversed between 2008 and 2009. Self-recruitment, i.e. spawning, dispersal, and settlement to the same location, was observed at two locations, one of which is a MPA. Self-recruitment to this MPA ranged from 50-84%; within the entire 60 km study region, self-recruitment accounted for 45% of all individuals settling to study reefs. On biweekly time scales we observed directional variability in alongshore current data and larval dispersal trajectories; if viewed in isolation these data suggest the system behaves as a source-sink metapopulation. However aggregate biweekly data over two years reveal a reef network in which H. rubicundus behaves more like a well-mixed metapopulation. As one of the few empirical studies of population connectivity within a temperate open coast reef network, this work can inform the MPA design process, implementation of ecosystem based management plans, and facilitate conservation decisions

Larval mussel shell composition under high and low pH and O2 from SIO, UCSD from 2012 and 2013 (OA_Proxies project)

Dataset: Mussel shell trace element ratiosLarval mussel shell composition under high and low pH and O2 from SIO, UCSD from 2012 and 2013. For a complete list of measurements, refer to the full dataset description in the supplemental file 'Dataset_description.pdf'. The most current version of this dataset is available at: https://www.bco-dmo.org/dataset/521670NSF Division of Ocean Sciences (NSF OCE) OCE-104106

Dispersion, feeding behavior and competition in two spionid polychaetes

Spatial analysis, laboratory and field experiments, and feeding observations indicate contrasting patterns of aggression in the polychaetes Pseudopolydora paucibranchiata (Okuda) and Streblospio benedicti (Webster) and provide the first evidence of territoriality in a spionid polychaete (Pseudopolydora)...

A Meeting of the Minds: Enhancing Collaboration with the Department of Psychiatry through the Institutional Repository

This presentation will provide an overview of an ongoing collaboration between the Lamar Soutter Library and the Department of Psychiatry at the University of Massachusetts Medical School (UMMS) to promote faculty research. The Library has a long-standing liaison relationship with the Department of Psychiatry to share information about library collections and services, and to support the department’s teaching, clinical, and research needs. In 2009 the Library formally established a Research and Scholarly Communication Services department, with one librarian overseeing the university’s institutional repository, eScholarship@UMMS. eScholarship@UMMS is a digital archive offering worldwide access to the research and scholarly output of the University of Massachusetts Medical School community. Its goal is to bring together all of the University\u27s research under one umbrella, in full text whenever possible, in order to preserve, promote, and provide access to that research. Important features include usage statistics, optimized indexing in Google and Google Scholar, the opportunity to create a personal researcher page, electronic journal publishing software, RSS feeds and email alerts, and ongoing Library support and administration. The Library leveraged the existing liaison relationship with the Department of Psychiatry to advocate for the use of eScholarship@UMMS as a tool to maximize the readership and impact of faculty scholarship. The Department has proven to be an enthusiastic collaborator. eScholarship@UMMS has been enhanced with new research materials, faculty researcher pages, and the publication of an electronic journal. This project serves as a model for library collaboration with faculty departments to support and preserve faculty research output. Presented at the Association for College and Research Libraries New England Chapter Annual Conference, Creative Collaborations, on May 13, 2011, in Worcester, Mass

Use and cost of disease-modifying therapies by Sonya Slifka Study participants: has anything really changed since 2000 and 2009?

Background:Disease-modifying therapies benefit individuals with relapsing forms of multiple sclerosis, but their utility remains unclear for those without relapses. Objective:To determine disease-modifying therapy use and costs in 2009, compare use in 2009 and 2000, and examine compliance with evidence-based guidelines. Methods:We determined the extent and characteristics of disease-modifying therapy use by participants in the Sonya Slifka Longitudinal Multiple Sclerosis Study (Slifka) in 2000 (n=2156) and 2009 (n=2361) and estimated out-of-pocket and total (payer) costs for 2009. Two multivariable logistic regressions predicted disease-modifying therapy use. Results:Disease-modifying therapy use increased from 55.3% in 2000 to 61.5% in 2009. In 2009, disease-modifying therapy use was reported by 76.5% of participants with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, 73.2% with progressive-relapsing multiple sclerosis, 62.5% with secondary progressive multiple sclerosis, and 41.8% with primary progressive multiple sclerosis. Use was significantly associated with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, shorter duration of illness, one to two relapses per year, non-ambulatory symptoms, using a cane, younger age, higher family income, and having health insurance. Average annual costs in 2009 were US$939-3101 for patients and US$16,302-18,928 for payers. Conclusion:Use rates were highest for individuals with relapsing-remitting multiple sclerosis, but substantial for those with progressive courses although clinical trials have not demonstrated significant benefits for them

Dr. Samuel B. Woodward: A 19th Century Pioneer in American Psychiatric Care

Objective: Showcase the life and work of Dr. Samuel B. Woodward, the medical superintendent of one of the first public hospitals for the mentally ill in the U.S., the Worcester State Hospital in Worcester, Mass. Dr. Woodward overcame then-popular views of mental illness to champion compassionate, optimistic, and individualized treatment for patients. Methods: Dr. Samuel B. Woodward brought a significant paradigm shift to the dark world of mentally ill indigent citizens of Massachusetts in the early 19th century. When Dr. Woodward became the first superintendent of Worcester State Hospital in 1833, mentally ill patients were viewed with suspicion and fear and were usually relegated to prisons and poorhouses. Woodward rejected a supernatural explanation of mental illness that was very popular at that time. He believed mental illness was a somatic disease, not unlike other diseases. His approach, called “moral therapy,” consisted of kind, compassionate, individualized care that respected the patient as a human being. Dr. Woodward was also instrumental in the burgeoning field of psychiatry. He was a prolific writer and became the first president of the organization that would later become the American Psychiatric Association. Presented at the Medical Library Association Annual Meeting, San Antonio, TX, on May 17, 2005

Control of deep-sea benthic community structure by oxygen and organic-matter gradients in the eastern Pacific Ocean

At boundaries of oxygen minimum zones (OMZs), bathyal faunas experience steep gradients in oxygen and organic-matter availability. The present study compares changes in microbial, meiofaunal, macrofaunal and megafaunal benthic assemblages along these gradients on Volcano 7, a 2.3-km high seamount in the eastern tropical Pacific. Faunal tolerance to dysaerobic (low oxygen) conditions varies with organism size; microbial and meiofaunal abundances are less affected than macro- and megafaunal abundances. At the exceedingly low concentrations (\u3c0.1 ml/l) encountered on the upper summit of Volcano 7, oxygen appears to exert primary control over abundance, composition and diversity of macrofauna, overriding other factors such as food availability and sediment grain size. When oxygen concentration is sufficient, food availability in sediments (indicated by the presence of labile material such as chlorophyll a) is highly correlated with meiofaunal and macrofaunal abundance. Four distinct physical zones were identified on Volcano 7: (1) the coarse-grained upper summit zone (730–770 m) where near-bottom oxygen concentrations were usually lowest (often \u3c0.1 ml/l) and organic-matter (% organic carbon and chlorophyll a) availability was high, (2) the coarse-grained lower summit (770–1000 m) where near-bottom oxygen concentrations were usually slightly higher (0.11 to 0.16 ml/l) and organic-matter availability remained high, (3) the coarse-grained flank (1000–2000 m) where oxygen concentration was intermediate (0.7–0.9 ml/l) and sediment organic-matter content was very low, and (4) the finer-grained base (2000–3500 m) where oxygen values exceeded 2.5 ml/l, sediment organic carbon was moderate, and chlorophyll a was low. Abundances of larger forms (megafauna and macrofauna) were severely reduced on the upper summit, but attained high values (2.25/m2 and 8,457/m2 respectively) just tens of meters below. The smaller forms (bacteria and meiofauna) attained peak abundances on the low-oxygen upper summit, however, abundances of harpacticoid copepods were greatly reduced on the upper and lower summit, presumably due to oxygen limitation. Macrofaunal abundance and diversity patterns along the Volcano 7 oxygen/enrichment gradient resembled those typically observed along shallow-water gradients of organic pollution. Low densities of a few soft-bodied, low-oxygen tolerant species resided on the upper summit, a high-density, low-diversity assemblage inhabited the lower summit, and low-density, high-diversity assemblages occupied the flank and base sediments. The infaunal communities on Volcano 7 support the idea that OMZ boundaries are regions of enhanced biological activity. Modern faunal distributions and biogenic structures at OMZ boundaries may be useful in reconstructing oxygenation histories of ancient marine basins