The native prairie of the southern Great Plains has been especially modified by two related forces: conversion of native prairie to agricultural forms of land use and removal of black-tailed prairie ...dogs (Rodentia: Sciuridae, Cynomys ludovicianus (Ord, 1815)) that act as ecosystem engineers via their burrowing and grazing activities. It is unknown how these changes have affected the native bee community. We surveyed the bee communities in relatively intact native prairie at two National Wildlife Refuges in Texas, quantifying bee community structure as a function of the presence/absence of grazing by prairie dogs. Over a 5-mo sampling period in spring-summer 2013, we found high overall bee diversity (180 species, mostly solitary ground-nesters), with differences detected in diversity between Muleshoe and Buffalo Lake National Wildlife Refuges as well as on and off prairie dog colonies. Although the same three species dominated the bee community at both refuges, most species were represented by relatively few individuals, leading to overall differences in diversity (richness, evenness, and effective number of species) by refuge. Bee diversity differed between sites on and off prairie dog colonies, but in trends that differed by refuge and by index, suggesting that location was more important than prairie dog presence.These results represent a reference fauna against which other regional bee communities in other land-cover types can be compared, but the high spatial heterogeneity we found indicates that detecting effects of landscape change on native bees will be challenging.
This retrospective survey of haemophilia A patients from multiple treatment centres in Ireland assessed the development of inhibitors following a switch in the prescribed treatment from recombinant ...factor VIII (rFVIII) produced by Chinese hamster ovary (CHO) cells (rFVIII-CHO) to rFVIII produced by baby hamster kidney (BHK) cells (rFVIII-BHK). Ninety-four patients participated in the survey. Most patients (89.4%) had severe haemophilia. One of 77 (1.3%) patients with no inhibitor history developed an inhibitor. This was a patient with moderate haemophilia. A who developed a transient, low-titre (1 BU) de novo inhibitor following surgery. Recurrent inhibitors were detected in three of 17 patients with an inhibitor history during the 20-month post-switch study period. All patients continued on rFVIII-BHK therapy, and all tested negative for inhibitors at the time of their last inhibitor assay during the observation period. These results are consistent with the low levels of inhibitor formation demonstrated in phase III studies of previously treated patients receiving BHK-produced rFVIII and support the low risk of inhibitor formation following a change from rFVIII-CHO to rFVIII-BHK.
Purpose
– Highlights some of the things that can be done to ensure that organizations embed diversity and inclusion.
Design/methodology/approach
– Considers the need for effective engagement, the ...importance of performance indicators for diversity and inclusion and the key role of sharing stories. Discusses, too, how critical race theory could help to bring about improvements.
Findings
– Advances the view that a transformational process that supports employees with the knowledge and sustainable skills needed to improve business performance via ethical means will form a significant part of future-proofing organizations.
Practical implications
– Argues that, to achieve this organizations have to drive home the message that diversity and inclusion are everyone’s business.
Social implications
– Advances the view that a unified approach to diversity and inclusion, which is embedded in the business ethics of the organization, can have a sustainable positive impact on the health and well-being of individuals, business and society.
Originality/value
– Considers diversity and inclusion from diverse perspectives and draws conclusions that can help organizations to perform better in these areas.
We intensively sampled fishes from two reaches of the Rio Grande within the Albuquerque Basin (Albuquerque and Belen valleys) during 1998–2001, compared our findings with those from 1984, and ...compiled a list of all fishes known from the two reaches. Structure of assemblages (richness, diversity, abundance distributions–taxon dominance versus rank abundance) was similar between reaches in 1998–2001, but the faunas had low taxonomic similarity. The nonnative white sucker (Catostomus commersonii), western mosquitofish (Gambusia affinis), and native red shiner (Cyprinella lutrensis) dominated the Albuquerque Valley. Faunal change in the Albuquerque Valley between 1984 and 1998–2001 indicated all native fishes besides the red shiner declined, particularly the Rio Grande silvery minnow (Hybognathus amarus) and longnose dace (Rhinichthys cataractae). In contrast, the red shiner alone dominated the Belen Valley, nonnative fishes were less dominant, and aside from the Rio Grande silvery minnow and longnose dace, native species did not decline. Environmental differences provide a potential explanation for divergence of faunas between valleys, i.e., discharge in spring and summer is higher and substrate is coarser in the Albuquerque Valley. Dewatering, fragmentation by dams, and modifications of the river channel correspond to historical losses of fishes that require fluvial conditions. With the exception of the red shiner and, possibly, the fathead minnow (Pimephales promelas) and slender carpsucker (Carpiodes carpio), native fishes appear to be succumbing to combined stressors of change in habitat, intermittence of streamflow, and interactions with nonnative taxa.
Purpose
– Highlights some of the things that can be done to ensure that organizations embed diversity and inclusion.
Design/methodology/approach
– Considers the need for effective engagement, the ...importance of performance indicators for diversity and inclusion and the key role of sharing stories. Discusses, too, how critical race theory could help to bring about improvements.
Findings
– Advances the view that a transformational process that supports employees with the knowledge and sustainable skills needed to improve business performance via ethical means will form a significant part of future-proofing organizations.
Practical implications
– Argues that, to achieve this organizations have to drive home the message that diversity and inclusion are everyone’s business.
Social implications
– Advances the view that a unified approach to diversity and inclusion, which is embedded in the business ethics of the organization, can have a sustainable positive impact on the health and well-being of individuals, business and society.
Originality/value
– Considers diversity and inclusion from diverse perspectives and draws conclusions that can help organizations to perform better in these areas.
AIM:To establish the short term outcomes of heart failure(HF)patients in the community who have concurrent chronic obstructive pulmonary disease(COPD).METHODS:We evaluated 783 patients(27.2%)with ...left ventricular systolic dysfunction under the care of a regional nurse-led community HF team between June 2007 and June 2010 through a database analysis.RESULTS:One hundred and one patients(12.9%)also had a diagnosis of COPD;94% of patients were treated with loop diuretics,83% with angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors,74% with β-blockers;10.6% with bronchodilators;and 42% with aldosterone an-tagonists.The mean age of the patients was 77.9 ± 5.7 years;43% were female and mean New York Heart Association class was 2.3 ± 0.6.The mean follow-up was 28.2 ± 2.9 mo.β-blocker utilization was markedly lower in patients receiving bronchodilators compared with those not taking bronchodilators(overall 21.7% vs 81%,P < 0.001).The 24-mo survival was 93% in patients with HF alone and 89% in those with both comorbidities(P = not significant).The presence of COPD was associated with increased risk of HF hospitalization hazard ratio(HR):1.56;95% CI:1.4-2.1;P < 0.001 and major adverse cardiovascular events(HR:1.23;95% CI:1.03-1.75;P < 0.001).CONCLUSION:COPD is a common comorbidity in ambulatory HF patients in the community and is a powerful predictor of worsening HF.It does not however appear to affect short-term mortality in ambulatory HF patients.
This article consists of statements by three young people with a passion for human rights. Two of the young people, Jude Smith (aged thirteen) and Khalil Richard (aged twenty) are members of the ...Sheffield Youth Cabinet. The third young person, Natasha Siguake (aged twenty), is a Young Advisor for Sheffield Futures. The three contributors talk about the human rights that are most important to them and why human rights are important for the future.
Corporate diversity initiatives have neither yielded higher financial returns for companies nor created significantly greater equity and equality of outcome for socially disadvantaged groups within ...organisations. There has been a systematic failure of diversity initiatives, as the strategic business importance of diversity has been avoided. Researchers argue that effective diversity management is dependent upon appropriate structures and systems, not upon human resource management training alone. This article discusses the impact of the design, introduction and application of the ‘Diversity Quality Cycle’. This model allows for the embedding of the values of equality of opportunity and cultural diversity throughout core business functions, and for positive long-term change. A mixed-method approach was taken; Participative Action Research is the main methodology employed, within which quantitative data were generated, analysed and interpreted. The main case study organisation is a Further Education College in the West of England.
This article explores epistemological awareness and instantiation of methods, as well as uninformed ambiguity, in qualitative methodological decision making and research reporting. The authors argue ...that efforts should be made to make the research process, epistemologies, values, methodological decision points, and argumentative logic open, accessible, and visible for audiences. To these ends, they discuss two ways of conceptualizing the role of epistemological awareness and instantiation of methods, including (a) a series of decision junctures and (b) a spatial conceptualization of epistemological decision making. Through an analysis of researchers' decision junctures drawn from studies published in high-impact education journals in 2006, the authors illustrate current methodological awareness and instantiation of methods in the field of education research.
PDF
