The effect of climate change on the potential distribution of the European Phlebotomus species

Our study intended to explore the potential distributionshif of Phlebotomusariasi, P. neglectus, P. perfiliewi, P. perniciosus, and P. tobbi, and some other sandfly species: P. papatasi, P. sergenti, and P. similis. We used climate envelope modeling (CEM) method to determine the ecological requirements of the species and to model the potential distribution for three periods (1961-1990, 2011-2040, and 2041- 2070). We found that by the end of the 2060’s the Southern UK, Germany, entire France and also the western part of Poland can be colonized by sandfly species, mostly by P. ariasi and P. pernicosus. P. ariasishowe the greatest potential northward expansion, from 49°N to 59°N. For all of the studied sand fly species the entire Mediterranean Basin, the Balkan Peninsula, the Carpathian Basin, and northern coastline of the Black Sea are potentially suitable. The length of the predicted active period of the vectors will increase with one or two months.

The effect of climate change on the potential distribution of the European Phlebotomus species and the parasite Leishmania infantum in 2011-2070. A climate envelope modeling approach

Aims: In the Mediterranean areas of Europe, leishmanisasis is one of the most emerging vector-borne diseases. Members of genus Phlebotomus are the primary vectors of the genus Leishmania. To track the human health effect of climate change it is a very important interdisciplinary question to study whether the climatic requirements and geographical distribution of the vectors of human pathogen organisms correlate with each other. Our study intended to explore the potential effects of ongoing climate change, in particular through a potential upward altitudinal and latitudinal shift of the distribution of the parasite Leishmania infantum, its vectors Phlebotomus ariasi, P. neglectus, P. perfiliewi, P. perniciosus, and P. tobbi, and some other sandfly species: P. papatasi, P. sergenti, and P. similis. Methods: By using a climate envelope modelling (CEM) method we modelled the current and future (2011-2070) potential distribution of 8 European sandfly species and L. infantum based on the current distribution using the REMO regional climate model. Results: We found that by the end of the 2060’s most parts of Western Europe can be colonized by sandfly species, mostly by P. ariasi and P. pernicosus. P. ariasi showed the greatest potential northward expansion. For all the studied vectors of L. infantum the entire Mediterranean Basin and South-Eastern Europe seemed to be suitable. L. infantum can affect the Eastern Mediterranean, without notable northward expansion. Our model resulted 1 to 2 months prolongation of the potentially active period of P. neglectus P. papatasi and P. perniciosus for the 2060’s in Southern Hungary. Conclusion: Our findings confirm the concerns that leishmanisais can become a real hazard for the major part of the European population to the end of the 21th century and the Carpathian Basin is a particularly vulnerable area.

The effect of cooperative learning on the attitudes toward science and the achievement of students in a non-science majors' general biology laboratory course at an urban community college

The purpose of this study was to evaluate the effect of cooperative learning strategies on students' attitudes toward science and achievement in BSC 1005L, a non-science majors' general biology laboratory course at an urban community college. Data were gathered on the participants' attitudes toward science and cognitive biology level pre and post treatment in BSC 1005L. Elements of the Learning Together model developed by Johnson and Johnson and the Student Team-Achievement Divisions model created by Slavin were incorporated into the experimental sections of BSC 1005L.^ Four sections of BSC 1005L participated in this study. Participants were enrolled in the 1998 spring (January) term. Students met weekly in a two hour laboratory session. The treatment was administered to the experimental group over a ten week period. A quasi-experimental pretest-posttest control group design was used. Students in the cooperative learning group (n$\sb1$ = 27) were administered the Test of Science-Related Attitudes (TOSRA) and the cognitive biology test at the same time as the control group (n$\sb2$ = 19) (at the beginning and end of the term).^ Statistical analyses confirmed that both groups were equivalent regarding ethnicity, gender, college grade point average and number of absences. Independent sample t-tests performed on pretest mean scores indicated no significant differences in the TOSRA scale two or biology knowledge between the cooperative learning group and the control group. The scores of TOSRA scales: one, three, four, five, six, and seven were significantly lower in the cooperative learning group. Independent sample t-tests of the mean score differences did not show any significant differences in posttest attitudes toward science or biology knowledge between the two groups. Paired t-tests did not indicate any significant differences on the TOSRA or biology knowledge within the cooperative learning group. Paired t-tests did show significant differences within the control group on TOSRA scale two and biology knowledge. ANCOVAs did not indicate any significant differences on the post mean scores of the TOSRA or biology knowledge adjusted by differences in the pretest mean scores. Analysis of the research data did not show any significant correlation between attitudes toward science and biology knowledge. ^

The effect of osteoporosis education on calcium intake and physical activity in a group of community-dwelling Black older adults

The unprecedented increase in the number of older adults is expected to increase the burden of osteoporosis on the individual and society. Blacks have been understudied in osteoporosis prevention education research. Although the risk of osteoporosis is low in this population, its consequences are significant. This study employs a two-group experimental design (experimental and wait-list control groups) to evaluate the effect of an osteoporosis education on two osteoporosis prevention behaviors (OPBs)—calcium intake (CI) and physical activity (PA), in a group of community-dwelling Black older adults, 50 years and older resident in South Florida. A final sample of 110 (mean age 70.15 years), 90% female and 10% male completed a battery of questionnaires at two assessment periods. The experimental group participated in six weekly education program sessions immediately following baseline assessment, and the wait-list control group received the education following end of program assessment by all participants. The weekly educational sessions were conducted in social settings (church or senior center) employing constructs of the Revised Health Belief Model. The sessions focused on improving CI; osteoporosis knowledge (OKT), self-efficacy (SE), health beliefs (HB) and PA. Findings revealed significantly greater increase in reported CI ( M = 556 mg, Wilks’ λ = .47, F (1,108)=122.97, p< .001, η2=.53), OKT (p< .001), and SE (p< .001) among participants in the experimental compared to the wait-list control group. There was no significant difference between the two groups for PA and most of the HB subscales. OKT and SE were the best predictors of CI, while perceived barrier was a predominant factor predicting PA. Over the study period, a change in SE was the only variable related to changes in both OPBs. Attrition rate was lower than expected, which can be attributed to the settings utilized for the study. These findings support the importance of utilizing a familiar social setting. These results suggested the effectiveness of a program offered in multiple short sessions among this underserved minority population to improve OKT and SE resulting in a change in OPBs (increase in CI). However, there is need to explore alternative strategies to improve PA in this population group.

Benthic Exchange of C, N, and P Along the Estuarine Ecotone of Lower Taylor Slough, Florida (USA): Effect of Seasonal Flows and Phosphorus Availability

The southern Everglades and Florida Bay have experienced a nearly 50 % reduction in freshwater flow resulting in increased salinity and landward expansion of mangrove forest. Given the marine end-member is a natural source of P to this region, it is necessary to understand the interactions between inflows and P availability in controlling the exchange of materials across the mangrove ecotone. From 2007 to 2008, we used sediment core incubations to quantify fluxes of dissolved inorganic N and P and dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in three ecotone areas (dwarf mangrove, pond, and bay). Experiments were repeated seasonally over 2 years involving P-enriched surface water as a factor. We saw consistent uptake of soluble reactive P (SRP), DOC, and nitrate + nitrite (N+N) by the soils/sediments and release of ammonium (NH4 +) from soils/sediments to the water column across all sites and seasons. P enrichment had no discernible effect on DIN or DOC flux, suggesting that rapid P uptake may have been more geochemically mediated. However, uptake of added P occurred across all sites and seasons, reflecting high uptake capacity in this carbonate system and the potential of the mangrove ecotone to sequester P as it becomes more available.

The Effect of Osteoporosis Education on Calcium Intake and Physical Activity in a Group of Community-Dwelling Black Older Adults

The unprecedented increase in the number of older adults is expected to increase the burden of osteoporosis on the individual and society. Blacks have been understudied in osteoporosis prevention education research. Although the risk of osteoporosis is low in this population, its consequences are significant. This study employs a two-group experimental design (experimental and wait-list control groups) to evaluate the effect of an osteoporosis education on two osteoporosis prevention behaviors (OPBs) – calcium intake (CI) and physical activity (PA), in a group of community-dwelling Black older adults, 50 years and older resident in South Florida. A final sample of 110 (mean age 70.15 years), 90% female and 10% male completed a battery of questionnaires at two assessment periods. The experimental group participated in six weekly education program sessions immediately following baseline assessment, and the wait-list control group received the education following end of program assessment by all participants. The weekly educational sessions were conducted in social settings (church or senior center) employing constructs of the Revised Health Belief Model. The sessions focused on improving CI; osteoporosis knowledge (OKT), self-efficacy (SE), health beliefs (HB) and PA. Findings revealed significantly greater increase in reported CI (M = 556 mg, Wilks’ λ = .47, F(1,108)=122.97, p< .001, η2=.53), OKT (p< .001), and SE (p< .001) among participants in the experimental compared to the wait-list control group. There was no significant difference between the two groups for PA and most of the HB subscales. OKT and SE were the best predictors of CI, while perceived barrier was a predominant factor predicting PA. Over the study period, a change in SE was the only variable related to changes in both OPBs. Attrition rate was lower than expected, which can be attributed to the settings utilized for the study. These findings support the importance of utilizing a familiar social setting. These results suggested the effectiveness of a program offered in multiple short sessions among this underserved minority population to improve OKT and SE resulting in a change in OPBs (increase in CI). However, there is need to explore alternative strategies to improve PA in this population group.

Effect of the environment on condition and quality of cultured blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) with reference to culture depth and post-harvest practices

The condition and quality of cultured blue mussels (Mytilus edulis) are affected by various environmental characteristics including temperature, salinity, food concentration, composition and year-to-year variability, waves, tides, and currents. Mussels are a keystone species in the ecosystem, affecting the surrounding environment through filtration, biodeposition and nutrient recycling. This study evaluated the effects of culture depth and post-harvest handling on cultured blue mussels in Newfoundland, Canada. Depth was examined over two years; three shallow water (5 m depth) and three deep water sites (15 m depth) were compared for environmental characteristics, mussel physiological stress response, growth, and biochemical composition. The area examined presented complex hydrodynamic characteristics; deep water sites appeared to be located more often near or within the pycnocline than shallow water sites. Deep water sites presented lower temperatures than shallow sites from spring to fall. Physiological stress response varied seasonally, but was unaffected by culture depth. In Year 1 shallow and deep water mussels presented similar growth, while in Year 2 deep water mussels showed better final condition. Lipid and glycogen showed seasonal variation, but no significant differences between shallow and deep water were noted. Fatty acid profiles showed a higher content of omega-3s PUFA in deep water sites at the end of Year 2. Under extreme weather conditions, deep water appeared to provide a more stable environment for mussel growth than shallow water. Harvested mussels were kept under ambient live-holding conditions for one month during the fall, winter, and spring seasons. They were compared to freshly harvested mussels for condition, biochemical profile and palatability. A progressive loss of dry tissue weight and an increase in water content were shown over the holding period during the fall and spring seasons, when compared to field controls. The biochemical analysis suggested seasonal changes; differences in triacylglycerol content were found in the spring season when compared with controls. The palatability data indicated that the panellists were unable to determine a difference between mussels kept in holding and those freshly harvested from the site. This study presents new knowledge for mussel farming, especially in terms of environmental interactions and deep water culture.

Effect of ocean warming and acidification on the early life stages of subtropical Acropora spicifera

This study investigated the impacts of acidified seawater (pCO2 900 µatm) and elevated water temperature (+3 °C) on the early life history stages of Acropora spicifera from the subtropical Houtman Abrolhos Islands (28°S) in Western Australia. Settlement rates were unaffected by high temperature (27 °C, 250 µatm), high pCO2 (24 °C, 900 µatm), or a combination of both high temperature and high pCO2 treatments (27 °C, 900 µatm). There were also no significant differences in rates of post-settlement survival after 4 weeks of exposure between any of the treatments, with survival ranging from 60 to 70 % regardless of treatment. Similarly, calcification, as determined by the skeletal weight of recruits, was unaffected by an increase in water temperature under both ambient and high pCO2 conditions. In contrast, high pCO2 significantly reduced early skeletal development, with mean skeletal weight in the high pCO2 and combined treatments reduced by 60 and 48 %, respectively, compared to control weights. Elevated temperature appeared to have a partially mitigative effect on calcification under high pCO2; however, this effect was not significant. Our results show that rates of settlement, post-settlement survival, and calcification in subtropical corals are relatively resilient to increases in temperature. This is in marked contrast to the sensitivity to temperature reported for the majority of tropical larvae and recruits in the literature. The subtropical corals in this study appear able to withstand an increase in temperature of 3 °C above ambient, indicating that they may have a wider thermal tolerance range and may not be adversely affected by initial increases in water temperature from subtropical 24 to 27 °C. However, the reduction in skeletal weight with high pCO2 indicates that early skeletal formation will be highly vulnerable to the changes in ocean pCO2 expected to occur over the twenty-first century, with implications for their longer-term growth and resilience.

End-of-life care: identifying an appropriate legal framework for specialist palliative care in Ireland

This thesis argues that the legal framework in Ireland for specialist palliative care is inadequate and consequently a more appropriate legal framework must be identified. This research is guided by three central research questions. The first central research question examines the legitimacy of the distinction between specialist palliative care and euthanasia. The second central research question asks what legal framework currently exists in Ireland for specialist palliative care. The third central research question examines an alternative legal framework for specialist palliative. This thesis is composed of seven chapters. The first Chapter is an introduction to the thesis and defines the terminology and the central research questions. Chapter Two explores the development and practice of palliative care in Ireland. Chapter Three examines the distinction in criminal law between specialist palliative care practices and euthanasia. Chapter Four examines the human rights framework for specialist palliative care. Chapter Five critiques the regulatory framework in Ireland for specialist palliative care. Having gained a thorough understanding of palliative care and the related legal framework, this thesis then engages in comparative analysis of the Netherlands which is used as a source of ideas for reform in Ireland. Chapter Seven is the concluding chapter and, in it, the main findings of this thesis are summarised. The main findings being that: the distinction between specialist palliative care and euthanasia is not sufficiently supported by justifications such as a double effect or the acts and omissions distinction, there is no clear decision-making framework in Ireland for specialist palliative care, and the current legal framework lacks clarity and does not promote consistency between providers of specialist palliative care. This Chapter also proposes that detailed professional standards and guidelines are likely to be the most appropriate way to effect individual and institutional change in the provision of specialist palliative care.

Effect of enhanced pCO2 levels on the production of dissolved organic carbon and transparent exopolymer particles in short-term bioassay experiments

It has been proposed that increasing levels of pCO2 in the surface ocean will lead to more partitioning of the organic carbon fixed by marine primary production into the dissolved rather than the particulate fraction. This process may result in enhanced accumulation of dissolved organic carbon (DOC) in the surface ocean and/or concurrent accumulation of transparent exopolymer particles (TEPs), with important implications for the functioning of the marine carbon cycle. We investigated this in shipboard bioassay experiments that considered the effect of four different pCO2 scenarios (ambient, 550, 750 and 1000 µatm) on unamended natural phytoplankton communities from a range of locations in the northwest European shelf seas. The environmental settings, in terms of nutrient availability, phytoplankton community structure and growth conditions, varied considerably between locations. We did not observe any strong or consistent effect of pCO2 on DOC production. There was a significant but highly variable effect of pCO2 on the production of TEPs. In three of the five experiments, variation of TEP production between pCO2 treatments was caused by the effect of pCO2 on phytoplankton growth rather than a direct effect on TEP production. In one of the five experiments, there was evidence of enhanced TEP production at high pCO2 (twice as much production over the 96 h incubation period in the 750 ?atm treatment compared with the ambient treatment) independent of indirect effects, as hypothesised by previous studies. Our results suggest that the environmental setting of experiments (community structure, nutrient availability and occurrence of phytoplankton growth) is a key factor determining the TEP response to pCO2 perturbations.

The Effect of Foam Core Density on the Flexural and Axial Behaviour of Sandwich Panels of Varying Slenderness with Natural Flax-FRP and Glass-FRP Composite Skins

This study investigates the effect of foam core density and skin type on the behaviour of sandwich panels as structural beams tested in four-point bending and axially compressed columns of varying slenderness and skin thickness. Bio-composite unidirectional flax fibre-reinforced polymer (FFRP) is compared to conventional glass-FRP (GFRP) as the skin material used in conjunction with three polyisocyanurate (PIR) foam cores with densities of 32, 64 and 96 kg/m3. Eighteen 1000 mm long flexural specimens were fabricated and tested to failure comparing the effects of foam core density between three-layer FFRP skinned and single-layer GFRP skinned panels. A total of 132 columns with slenderness ratios (kLe/r) ranging from 22 to 62 were fabricated with single-layer GFRP skins, and one-, three-, and five-layer FFRP skins for each of the three foam core densities. The columns were tested to failure in concentric axial compression using pinned-end conditions to compare the effects of each material type and panel height. All specimens had a foam core cross-section of 100x50 mm with 100 mm wide skins of equal thickness. In both flexural and axial loading, panels with skins comprised of three FFRP layers showed equivalent strength to those with a single GFRP layer for all slenderness ratios and core densities examined. Doubling the core density from 32 to 64 kg/m3 and tripling the density to 96 kg/m3 led to flexural strength increases of 82 and 213%, respectively. Both FFRP and GFRP columns showed a similar variety of failure modes related to slenderness. Low slenderness of 22-25 failed largely due to localized single skin buckling, while those with high slenderness of 51-61 failed primarily by global buckling followed by secondary skin buckling. Columns with intermediate slenderness experienced both localized and global failure modes. High density foam cores more commonly exhibited core shear failure. Doubling the core density of the columns resulted in peak axial load increases, across all slenderness ratios, of 73, 56, 72 and 71% for skins with one, three and five FFRP layers, and one GFRP layer, respectively. Tripling the core density resulted in respective peak load increases of 116, 130, 176 and 170%.

A comparative study: long and short term effect of a nutrition sensitive approach to delay the progression of HIV to AIDS among people living with HIV (PLWH) in Nigeria

Background: Malnutrition has a negative impact on optimal immune function, thus increasing susceptibility to morbidity and mortality among HIV positive patients. Evidence indicates that the prevalence of macro and micronutrient deficiencies (particularly magnesium, selenium, zinc, and vitamin C) has a negative impact on optimal immune function, through the progressive depletion of CD4 T-lymphocyte cells, which thereby increases susceptibility to morbidity and mortality among PLWH. Objective: To assess the short and long term effects of a nutrition sensitive intervention to delay the progression of human immune-deficiency virus (HIV) to AIDS among people living with HIV in Abuja, Nigeria. Methods: A randomized control trial was carried out on 400 PLWH (adult, male and female of different religious background) in Nigeria between January and December 2012. Out of these 400 participants, 100 were randomly selected for the pilot study, which took place over six months (January to June, 2012). The participants in the pilot study overlapped to form part of the scale-up participants (n 400) monitored from June to December 2012. The comparative effect of daily 354.92 kcal/d optimized meals consumed for six and twelve months was ascertained through the nutritional status and biochemical indices of the study participants (n=100 pilot interventions), who were and were not taking the intervention meal. The meal consisted of: Glycine max 50g (Soya bean); Pennisetum americanum 20g (Millet); Moringa oleifera 15g (Moringa); Daucus carota spp. sativa 15g (Carrot). Results: At the end of sixth month intervention, mean CD4 cell count (cell/mm3) for Pre-ART and ART Test groups increased by 6.31% and 12.12% respectively. Mean mid upper arm circumference (MUAC) for Pre-ART and ART Test groups increased by 2.72% and 2.52% within the same period (n 400). Comparatively, participants who overlapped from pilot to scale-up intervention (long term use, n 100) were assessed for 12 months. Mean CD4 cell count (cell/mm3) for Pre-ART and ART test groups increased by 2.21% and 12.14%. Mean MUAC for Pre-ART and ART test groups increased by 2.08% and 3.95% respectively. Moreover, student’s t-test analysis suggests a strong association between the intervention meal, MUAC, and CD4 count on long term use of optimized meal in the group of participants being treated with antiretroviral therapy (ART) (P<0.05). Conclusion: Although the achieved results take the form of specific technology, it suggests that a prolong consumption of the intervention meal will be suitable to sustain the gained improvements in the anthropometric and biochemical indices of PLWHIV in Nigeria.

Enhancement of the Cytotoxic Effect of Anticancer Agent by Cytochrome c Functionalised Hybrid Nanoparticles in Hepatocellular Cancer Cells

Treatment of hepatocellular cancer with chemotherapeutic agents has limited successin clinical practice and their efficient IC50 concentration would require extremely highdoses of drug administration which could not be tolerated due to systemic side effects.In order to potentiate the efficacy of anticancer agents we explored the potentialof co-treatment with pro-apoptotic Cytochrome c which activates the apoptoticpathway downstream of p53 that is frequently mutated in cancer. To this end weused hybrid iron oxide-gold nanoparticles as a drug delivery system to facilitate theinternalisation of Cytochrome c into cultured HepG2 hepatocellular carcinoma cells.Our results showed that Cytochrome c can be easily conjugated to the gold shell ofthe nanoparticles which are readily taken up by the cells. We used Cytochrome cin concentration (0.2μgmL-1) below the threshold required to induce apoptosis onits own. When the conjugate was administered to cells treated by doxorubicin, itsignificantly reduced its IC50 concentration from 9μgmL-1 to 3.5μgmL-1 as detectedby cell viability assay, and the efficiency of doxorubicin on decreasing viability ofHepG2 cells was significantly enhanced in the lower concentration range between0.01μgmL-1 to 5μgmL-1. The results demonstrate the potential of the application oftherapeutic proteins in activating the apoptotic pathway to complement conventionalchemotherapy to increase its efficacy. The application of hybrid iron oxide-goldnanoparticles can also augment the specificity of drug targeting and could serve as amodel drug delivery system for pro-apoptotic protein targeting and delivery.

Investigation of the Effect of Speed on the Dynamic Impact Factor for Bridges with Different Entrance Conditions, 2016

The dynamic interaction of vehicles and bridges results in live loads being induced into bridges that are greater than the vehicle’s static weight. To limit this dynamic effect, the Iowa Department of Transportation (DOT) currently requires that permitted trucks slow to five miles per hour and span the roadway centerline when crossing bridges. However, this practice has other negative consequences such as the potential for crashes, impracticality for bridges with high traffic volumes, and higher fuel consumption. The main objective of this work was to provide information and guidance on the allowable speeds for permitted vehicles and loads on bridges .A field test program was implemented on five bridges (i.e., two steel girder bridges, two pre-stressed concrete girder bridges, and one concrete slab bridge) to investigate the dynamic response of bridges due to vehicle loadings. The important factors taken into account during the field tests included vehicle speed, entrance conditions, vehicle characteristics (i.e., empty dump truck, full dump truck, and semi-truck), and bridge geometric characteristics (i.e., long span and short span). Three entrance conditions were used: As-is and also Level 1 and Level 2, which simulated rough entrance conditions with a fabricated ramp placed 10 feet from the joint between the bridge end and approach slab and directly next to the joint, respectively. The researchers analyzed and utilized the field data to derive the dynamic impact factors (DIFs) for all gauges installed on each bridge under the different loading scenarios.