CHARACTERISTICS OF MANGROVE DIAMONDBACK TERRAPINS (MALACLEMYS TERRAPIN RHIZOPHORARUM) INHABITING ALTERED AND NATURAL MANGROVE ISLANDS

The Mangrove Diamondback Terrapin, (Malaclemys terrapin rhizophorarum) is dependent on a very broad array of the services provided by the mangrove ecosystem. We sought to evaluate both the turtles and their habitat by an integrated assessment of physical, chemical, and physiological parameters. Extreme site fidelity of the turtles to mangrove habitat was evident along with a strong female biased sex ratio. We provide blood serum values and microbial cultures as baselines from these turtles in the wild. Salmonella sp., a potentially zoonotic pathogen, was isolated from one female. Ultimately, the health of these turtle populations may be reflective of the integrity of the mangrove system on which they depend

Élan Vital

My art explores the inner qualities of life, focusing on adaptability and resiliency. I am interested in the mysterious vital force philosophers call élan vital that animates human beings. I investigate the transitory nature of life where it intersects with élan vital. My paintings accommodate the ephemeral and the perpetual. Please see Download button in top right corner for the full statement

Ocean acidification and the loss of phenolic substances in marine plants.

Rising atmospheric CO(2) often triggers the production of plant phenolics, including many that serve as herbivore deterrents, digestion reducers, antimicrobials, or ultraviolet sunscreens. Such responses are predicted by popular models of plant defense, especially resource availability models which link carbon availability to phenolic biosynthesis. CO(2) availability is also increasing in the oceans, where anthropogenic emissions cause ocean acidification, decreasing seawater pH and shifting the carbonate system towards further CO(2) enrichment. Such conditions tend to increase seagrass productivity but may also increase rates of grazing on these marine plants. Here we show that high CO(2) / low pH conditions of OA decrease, rather than increase, concentrations of phenolic protective substances in seagrasses and eurysaline marine plants. We observed a loss of simple and polymeric phenolics in the seagrass Cymodocea nodosa near a volcanic CO(2) vent on the Island of Vulcano, Italy, where pH values decreased from 8.1 to 7.3 and pCO(2) concentrations increased ten-fold. We observed similar responses in two estuarine species, Ruppia maritima and Potamogeton perfoliatus, in in situ Free-Ocean-Carbon-Enrichment experiments conducted in tributaries of the Chesapeake Bay, USA. These responses are strikingly different than those exhibited by terrestrial plants. The loss of phenolic substances may explain the higher-than-usual rates of grazing observed near undersea CO(2) vents and suggests that ocean acidification may alter coastal carbon fluxes by affecting rates of decomposition, grazing, and disease. Our observations temper recent predictions that seagrasses would necessarily be "winners" in a high CO(2) world

Local and systemic biomarkers in gingival crevicular fluid increase odds of periodontitis

AimTo determine the independent and combined associations of interleukin-1beta (IL-1beta) and C-reactive protein (CRP) in gingival crevicular fluid (GCF) on periodontitis case status in the Australian population.Materials and methodsGCF was collected from 939 subjects selected from the 2004-2006 Australian National Survey of Adult Oral Health: 430 cases had examiner-diagnosed periodontitis, and 509 controls did not. IL-1beta and CRP in GCF were detected by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays. Odds ratios (OR) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated in bivariate and stratified analysis and fully adjusted ORs were estimated using multivariate logistic regression.ResultsGreater odds of having periodontitis was associated with higher amounts of IL-1beta (OR=2.4, 95% CI=1.7-3.4 for highest tertile of IL-1beta relative to lowest tertile) and CRP (OR=1.9, 95% CI=1.5-2.5 for detectable CRP relative to undetectable CRP). In stratified analysis, there was no significant interaction between biomarkers (p=0.68). In the multivariate analyses that controlled for conventional periodontal risk factors, these relationships remained (IL-1beta OR=1.8, 95% CI=1.1-2.6; CRP OR=1.7, 95% CI=1.3-2.3).ConclusionsElevated odds of clinical periodontitis was associated independently with each biomarker. This suggests that people with elevated biomarkers indicative of either local (IL-1beta) or systemic (CRP) inflammation are more likely to suffer from periodontal disease.Tracy R. Fitzsimmons, Anne E. Sanders, P. Mark Bartold and Gary D. Slad

Letter to Hazel Johnson regarding the Southeastern Law Librarian, November 7, 1984

A letter from Catherine Mealey to Newsletter editor (Hazel Johnson) updating the mailing information for the editor of the WESTPAC Newsletter

Oral History Interview: Charice Mealey

This interview is one of a series conducted with former employees of the Huntington Owens-Illinois, Inc. glass bottle factory. Ms. Clarice Mealey was an employee at the Owens Illinois glass plant. She discusses: her family (including her son dying and other family members working at the plant); how she came to work at the plant during the Great Depression; her job and duties at the plant; working in plants at several different cities (including Charleston and Atlanta); comparisons between the Huntington plant and the Charleston plant; co-workers; a brief discussion of donations and charity; and individuals such as Hugh Kramus (a foreman), Dave Baker, & Juanita Summers.https://mds.marshall.edu/oral_history/1426/thumbnail.jp

The Effect of a Restructured Dietetic Placement Programme Centred Around the Nutrition and Dietetic Care Process (NDCP) on Students’ Confidence and Paperwork Burden

Dietetic pre-registration training includes placements within a healthcare setting. In 2011, King’s College London and London Metropolitan University updated the placement programme with learning outcomes and assessment tools, based on the Nutrition and Dietetic Care Process (NDCP). Over a two year period (2012-2014), students completed a questionnaire post their second placement, measuring their confidence with the NDCP in clinical practice and reporting the hours they spent on placement assessment tools. Fifty-three students met the inclusion criteria. Twenty-two students (42%) had completed the new-style placement, P2, and thirty-one (58%) the old-style placement, PB. Students’ median confidence level score for undertaking nutritional assessment tasks for patient care (step 1 of NDCP) was significantly statistically higher in the group that had completed P2 (5.0; very confident) than the PB group (4.0; confident), U = 464, z = 2.545, p = .011. The median hours-spent score was significantly statistically higher for PB students (3.0 equates to 1-2 hours) than P2 (2.0 equates to up to 1 hour), U = 205.5, z = -2.546, p = .011. The use of a care process model (NDCP) introduced at university to structure placement learning outcomes and assessment tools, is effective at preparing students to provide dietetic care. The reduced amount of paperwork required to demonstrate achievement of learning outcomes, decreases learner burden and shortens working hours. Further research, and placement assessment tools modification, are recommended to improve the student learning experience while reducing paperwork burden for learners and practice educators