Improve Resource Availability Research Articles

Resources Availability And Income Achievement: A Driving Force For Competitiveness Of Rice Farming Products In Tidal Land, South Sumatera, Indonesia

The land conversion of rice farming could only be prevented by increasing farming competitiveness. The first step is to map the resource availability supporting paddy farming and income achievement. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze resource availability and income achievement to increase paddy business competitiveness. It used a survey method and observed two populations of farmers producing paddy seed and rice in Tanjung Lago and Rambutan Districts, Banyuasin Regency. Simple random sampling was adopted to determine 130 respondents from two populations, each with 65 rice and paddy seed farmers. The findings showed that resource availability supports farming in tidal land, though it is significantly higher for paddy seed than rice farmers. Regarding income achievements, paddy seed farmers also have higher R/C and B/C values than rice farmers. Income for rice farmers mainly comes from corn, rubber, and oil palm, while paddy seed farmers earn from their farming. This implies that the chance of land conversion into plantations and corn farming is greater for rice than for paddy seed farmers. When this happens on a large scale and in the long term, it impacts national rice production. Therefore, improved resource availability and better integration in production could sustainably increase paddy farming production in tidal land.

Is postoperative high dependency care really needed for children undergoing supratentorial brain tumour surgery?

Purpose We present our analysis of the existing Paediatric High Dependency Unit (HDU) admission policy at our institution and discuss our thoughts for its revision in the context of paediatric supratentorial tumour surgery. Materials and methods We screened our prospectively maintained database of all children undergoing supratentorial craniotomy for resection of paediatric brain tumours over a fifteen-year period. The post-operative course of each patient was reviewed, assessing the number of patients who had true HDU needs in the immediate post-operative period, and the relative depth of input from paediatric HDU specialists that each patient received. Results Forty-three patients underwent craniotomy for supratentorial tumour resections during the study period. The median age of the children was 8 years old. Forty-two patients in the study cohort did not require any HDU-level monitoring or treatment post-operatively; all these patients were able to be discharged from HDU to a standard ward bed very rapidly post-operatively. Only one patient (2%) from the study cohort had any tangible HDU needs in the acute post-operative period, comprising of invasive cardiovascular monitoring and repeated blood transfusions. This child’s tumour was known to be large, highly vascular, and invasive pre-operatively. Conclusions We would advocate a rational and nuanced approach with regards to predicting which children are most likely need paediatric HDU care following supratentorial craniotomy for resection of a brain tumour. This rationalisation could improve resource availability and reduce financial burdens upon paediatric neurosurgical units.

Unsung heroes in Ghana’s healthcare system: the case of community health volunteers and community health management committee

BackgroundIn Ghana, the community-based health planning and services (CHPS) policy highlights the significance of both community health management committees (CHMCs) and community health volunteers (CHVs) in the Ghanaian health system. However, research into their specific effects on health system improvement is scarce. Some research has focussed on the roles of the CHMCs/CHVs in implementing specific targeted health interventions but not on improving the overall health system. Therefore, this research aims to examine the role of the CHMCs and CHVs in improving the Ghanaian health system.MethodsThe study was conducted in three districts in the Ashanti region of Ghana. A total of 35 participants, mainly health service users and health professionals, participated in the study. Data were collected using semi-structured individual in-depth interviews. Participants were selected according to their patient–public engagement or community health activity roles. Data were transcribed and analysed descriptively using NVIVO 12 Plus.ResultsWe found that the effectiveness of CHMCs and CHVs in health systems improvement depends largely on how members are selected. Additionally, working through CHMC and CHVs improves resource availability for community health services, and using them in frontline community health activities improves health outcomes.ConclusionsOverall, we recommend that, for countries with limited healthcare resources such as Ghana, leveraging the significant role of the CHMCs and CHVs is key in complementing government’s efforts to improve resource availability for healthcare services. Community health management committees and CHVs are key in providing basic support to communities with limited healthcare personnel. Thus, there is a need to strengthen their capacities to improve the overall health system.

Management for learning resources for Senior High School in an integrated high school: basis for management handbook

This action research aimed to determine the management of learning resources for Senior High School students at Cuyab Integrated National High School, focusing on supervision, monitoring, and evaluation processes. The study utilized a descriptive survey research method to gather data from teachers, parents, and students. The findings revealed that teachers supervised learning resources by organizing tasks, providing instructions, and maintaining communication with students and parents. Monitoring involved tracking resource availability and analyzing their status, while evaluation focused on proofreading materials and setting criteria for assessing their quality. Challenges included limited teacher assistance for students, difficulty in accessing learning materials, and communication issues between teachers and parents. The study concluded that teachers’ age, educational attainment, and length of service were significantly correlated with resource management processes. Recommendations were made for improving resource availability, communication, and evaluation practices, and future research is suggested for broader student groups and additional variables.

EAEFA: An Efficient Energy-Aware Task Scheduling in Cloud Environment

The scheduling of tasks in the cloud is a major challenge for improving resource availability and decreasing the total execution time and energy consumption of operations. Due to its simplicity, efficiency, and effectiveness in identifying global optimums, electric fish optimisation (EFO) has recently garnered a lot of interest as a metaheuristic method for solving optimisation issues. In this study, we apply electric fish optimisation (EAEFA) to the problem of cloud task scheduling in an effort to cut down on power usage and turnaround time. The objective is to finish all tasks in the shortest possible time, or makespan, taking into account constraints like resource availability and task dependencies. In the EAEFA approach, a school of electric fish is used to solve a multi-objective optimization problem that represents the scheduling of tasks. Because electric fish are drawn to high-quality solutions and repelled by low-quality ones, the algorithm is able to converge to a global optimum. Experiments validate EAEFA's ability to solve the task scheduling issue in cloud computing. The suggested scheduling strategy was tested on HPC2N and other large-scale simulations of real-world workloads to measure its makespan time, energy efficiency and other performance metrics. Experimental results demonstrate that the proposed EAEFA method improves performance by more than 30% with respect to makespan time and more than 20% with respect to overall energy consumption compared to state-of-the-art methods.

Implementation Evaluation of HIV/AIDS Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) Service at Public Health Facilities of Akaki Kality Sub-City, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.

Voluntary Counseling and Testing (VCT) is widely acknowledged globally as an effective method for preventing and treating HIV/AIDS. It allows people to understand their HIV status, make informed choices about getting tested for it, evaluate their personal risk of contracting HIV, and create plans to reduce that risk. The study aimed to evaluate the process of VCT services in public health facilities of Akaki Kality sub-city, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia. A case study evaluation design with a mixed method was employed from May 12 to June 12, 2021. A total of 244 clients were interviewed during the study period. Furthermore, 12 direct observations, a review of documents from the past six months to the study period, and 12 key informant interviews were conducted. Quantitative data were entered into Epi data 4.6 and exported to SPSS version 25 for analysis. Univariate analysis was done and presented in tables and texts. Qualitative data were transcribed, translated, coded, and analyzed using thematic analysis. The overall service implementation process was measured on the basis of pre-determined judgmental criteria. The overall level of VCT service implementation was 83.84%, to which the availability of resources (84.8%), compliance of service providers with the national guidelines (85.38%), and client satisfaction (76.93%) contributed. One facility had stock-outs of test kits in the last three months, and all VCT counseling and testing rooms lacked audio-visual privacy. Supportive supervision, the use of IEC materials during counseling, linking all HIV-positive clients to treatment and care services, and sending complete reports were practiced in a way that needs some improvement. Overall, the service implementation was deemed satisfactory, but further action is required to improve resource availability, ensure provider compliance with national guidelines, and enhance the status of the service. In addition, the Woreda Health Office and Addis Abeba Health Bureau should regularly supervise and provide feedback.

Endpoint Device Risk-Scoring Algorithm Proposal for Zero Trust

The rapid expansion of remote work following the COVID-19 pandemic has necessitated the development of more robust and secure endpoint device security solutions. Companies have begun to adopt the zero trust security concept as an alternative to traditional network boundary security measures, which requires that every device and user be considered untrustworthy until proven otherwise. Despite the potential benefits of implementing zero trust, the stringent security measures can inadvertently lead to low availability by denying access to legitimate users or limiting their ability to access necessary resources. To address this challenge, we propose a risk-scoring algorithm that balances confidentiality and availability by evaluating the user’s impact on resources. Our contributions include (1) summarizing the limitations of existing risk scoring systems in companies that implement zero trust, (2) proposing a dynamic importance metric that measures the importance of resources accessible to users within zero trust systems, and (3) introducing a risk-scoring algorithm that employs the dynamic importance metric to enhance both security and availability in zero trust environments. By incorporating the dynamic importance metric, our proposed algorithm provides a more accurate representation of risk, leading to better security decisions and improved resource availability for legitimate users. This proposal aims to help organizations achieve a more balanced approach to endpoint device security, addressing the unique challenges posed by the increasing prevalence of remote work.

Stakeholders' perspectives on internal accountability within a sub-national immunization program: A qualitative study in Enugu State, South-East Nigeria.

Weak accountability hinders the effectiveness of routine immunization (RI) systems in low- and middle-income countries, yet studies on accountability of immunization programs are scarce. Aim: The study explored stakeholders' perspectives on the functioning of internal accountability within the National Program on Immunization in Enugu State, southeast Nigeria. We used semi-structured in-depth interviews to collect data from RI officials at state government, local government, and health facility levels (n = 35) in Enugu State between June and July 2021. We adopted maximum variation sampling to purposively select individuals with roles in immunization. The interview guide was developed based on an accountability framework with three dimensions-the axes of power, ability, and justice. Data were analyzed thematically using NVivo software (version 11). The major themes were role clarity, performance standards, supervision, data use, human resources, funding, motivation, sanctions, political influence, and community engagement. Performance targets for immunization coverage and reporting timeline were not always met due to multiple accountability failures. Weaknesses in the formal rules that distribute roles among the immunization workforce comprise a lack of deployment letters, unavailability of job descriptions, and inadequate staff orientation. Local officials have a narrow decision space regarding staff posting, transfer, and discipline. Performance accountability was constrained by staff shortages, uneven staff distribution, absenteeism, infrequent supervision, weak data monitoring system, and underfunding. Despite being motivated by job recognition and accomplishments, low motivation from an insecure working environment and lack of financial incentives undermined the constructive agency of service delivery actors. The sanctions framework exists but is weakly enforced due to fear of victimization. Political commitment to the immunization program was low. Yet, political decision-makers interfered with staff recruitment, distribution, and discipline. Community engagement improved resource availability through paid volunteer health workers and maintenance of facilities. However, health facility committees were poorly resourced, non-functional, and lacked the power to sanction erring health workers. Immunization service delivery actors can be held accountable for program performance when there are sufficient formal instruments that provide roles and responsibilities, needed resources, motivated and supervised staff, an effective sanctions framework, genuine political participation, and strong community engagement.

Race and insurance status outcome disparities following splenectomy in trauma patients are reduced in larger hospitals. A cross-sectional study

BackgroundSplenectomy, still a commonly performed treatment for splenic injury in trauma patients, has been shown to have a high rate of complications. The purpose of this study was to identify predictors, including race and insurance status, associated with adverse outcomes post-splenectomy in trauma patients. We discuss possible explanations and methods for reducing these disparities. MethodsThe American College of Surgeons – Trauma Quality Improvement Program (ACS-TQIP) participant user database was queried from 2010 to 2015 and patients who underwent total splenectomy were identified. All mechanisms of injury, including both blunt and penetrating trauma, were included. Patients with advance directives limiting care or aged under 18 were excluded. Propensity score matching was used to control for age, preexisting medical conditions, and the severity of the traumatic injury. A chi-squared test was used to find significant associations between available predictors and outcomes for this cross-sectional study. ResultsThe post-splenectomy mortality rate was 9.2% (n = 1047), 8.0% (n = 918) of patients had three or more complications, and 20.3% (n = 2315) had major complications. A primary race of white (OR 0.7, 95% Confidence Interval (CI) 0.6–0.9, p < 0.01) and private insurance (OR 0.5, 95%CI 0.4–0.6, p < 0.01) were associated with lower risks of mortality A primary race of neither Black nor white (OR 1.3, 95%CI 1.03–1.7, p = 0.03) and a lack of health insurance (“self-pay”) (OR 1.6, 95%CI 1.3–1.9, p < 0.01) were both correlated with mortality. When limited to hospitals of 600+ beds, there were no associations between race and mortality. ConclusionThe post-splenectomy mortality rate after trauma remains high. In U.S. trauma centers, a primary race of Black and payment status of “self-pay” are associated with adverse outcomes after splenectomy following a traumatic injury. These disparities are reduced when limiting analysis to larger hospitals. Efforts to reduce disparities in outcomes among trauma patients requiring a splenectomy should focus on improving resource availability and quality in smaller hospitals.

Abundance and community composition of free-living nematodes as a function of soil structure under different vineyard managements

Organic farming aims at improving soil fertility in vineyard soils through a combination of farming practices. We studied the effect of organic management on community traits of free-living nematodes as well as bulk and microstructure properties of soil by comparing them to conventional management, both within vine rows and in interrows. The objectives of this study were to: 1) identify differences between management systems in terms of nematode abundance and molecularly measured community composition, and 2) to scrutinize, whether these changes can be explained by microstructural properties measured with X-ray computed tomography (X-ray CT) of individual soil aggregates. Nematode abundance was mainly governed by habitat constraints, which was reflected in significant correlations with soil moisture and with porosity in the habitable size range of 20–220 μm obtained with X-ray CT. The lack of bioturbation by fine roots and the absence of irrigation reduced the abundance of water-filled, habitable pores, which resulted in the lowest nematode abundance in conventionally managed interrows without a grass cover. Community composition in terms of diversity and maturity, in turn, was not affected by habitat constraints but mainly governed by resource availability for the soil food web estimated by particulate and dissolved organic matter contents. The permanent grass cover and lack of tillage in interrows of the organic vineyard improved resource availability and promoted the build-up of omnivores and predators that are especially sensitive to disturbance. The organically managed interrows therefore had lower diversity and higher maturity than conventionally managed interrows. Differences between conventional and organic management were in general greater in interrows than within vine rows.These findings highlight the added value of pore structure investigations via X-ray CT in understanding trophic interactions of nematodes. At the same time, they stress the importance of exact sampling locations on nematode traits especially for perennial, woody crops.

Curling linearity into circularity: The benefits of formal scavenging in closed-loop settings

Scavengers – actors who collect and redistribute waste into circular ecosystems to reuse or recycle it – may improve resource availability and sustainability in the firms' procurement business process. In Closed-Loop Supply Chains, their role is crucial to the business stability. Indeed, governments and the private sectors are encouraged to formalize them, that is, to institutionalize and regulate them and to provide them with the appropriate organization, training, and infrastructures. Yet, to our best knowledge, the scientific literature has not empirically investigated how formal scavengers may advantage those firms that decide to involve them in their procurement process. To do so, a case study was developed in an Italian Pulp & Paper firm that operates in closed-loop settings and that integrated one formal scavenger into its own business to feed its paper mill – one of the biggest in Europe. The findings show that the introduction of the scavenger entailed four benefits: procurement risk mitigation, lower environmental impact, lower procurement costs, and better quality assurance. By considering conservative estimates related to purchasing the waste paper from the secondary raw materials market on a one-year time window, the scavenger has led to a 7.2 % reduction in the procurement costs and a 21 % improvement in the CO2 emissions. Finally, implications for Supply Chain Management and policymaking were outlined.

Intraspecific competition for host resources in a parasite

Intraspecific competition among parasites should, in theory, increase virulence, but we lack clear evidence of this from nature.1-3 Parasitic plants, which are sessile and acquire carbon-based resources through both autotrophy (photosynthesis) and heterotrophy (obtaining carbon from the host), provide a unique opportunity to experimentally study the role of intraspecific competition for nutrients in shaping the biology of both parasite and host.4-6 Here, we manipulated the spatial position of naturally occurring individuals of desert mistletoe (Phoradendron californicum), a xylem hemiparasite, by removing parasites from co-infected branches of a common nitrogen-fixing host, velvet mesquite (Prosopsis velutina), in the Sonoran Desert. We measured physiological performance of both host and parasite individuals under differing competitive environments-parasite location along the xylem stream-through time. Performance was determined by measuring resource availability and use, given that resource demand changed with competitor removal and monsoon-driven amelioration of seasonal drought. Our principal finding was that intraspecific competition exists for xylem resources between mistletoe individuals, including host carbon. Host performance and seasonal climate variation altered the strength of competition and virulence. Hemiparasitic desert mistletoes demonstrated high heterotrophy, yet experimental removals revealed density- and location-dependent effects on the host through feedbacks that reduced mistletoe autotrophy and improved resource availability for the remaining mistletoe individual. Trophic flexibility tempered intraspecific competition for resources and reduced virulence. Mistletoe co-infections might therefore attenuate virulence to maintain access to resources in particularly stressful ecological environments. In summary, experimental field manipulations revealed evidence for intraspecific competition in a parasite species.

Species mixing reduces drought susceptibility of Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) and oak (Quercus robur L., Quercus petraea (Matt.) Liebl.) – Site water supply and fertility modify the mixing effect

Tree species mixing has been widely promoted as a promising silvicultural tool for reducing drought stress. However, so far only a limited number of species combinations have been studied in detail, revealing inconsistent results. In this study, we analysed the effect of mixing Scots pine and oak (pedunculate oak and sessile oak) trees on their drought response along a comprehensive ecological gradient across Europe. The objective was to improve our knowledge of general drought response patterns of two fundamental European tree species in mixed versus monospecific stands. We focused on three null hypotheses: (HI) tree drought response does not differ between Scots pine and oak, (HII) tree drought response of Scots pine and oak is not affected by stand composition (mixture versus monoculture) and (HIII) tree drought response of Scots pine and oak in mixtures and monocultures is not modified by tree size or site conditions. To test the hypotheses, we analysed increment cores of Scots pine and oak, sampled in mixed and monospecific stands, covering a wide range of site conditions. We investigated resistance (the ability to maintain growth levels during drought), recovery (the ability to restore a level of growth after drought) and resilience (the capacity to recover to pre-drought growth levels), involving site-specific drought events that occurred between 1976 and 2015. In monocultures, oak showed a higher resistance and resilience than Scots pine, while recovery was lower. Scots pine in mixed stands exhibited a higher resistance, but also a lower recovery compared with Scots pine in monocultures. Mixing increased the resistance and resilience of oak. Ecological factors such as tree size, site water supply and site fertility were found to have significant effects on the drought response. In the case of Scots pine, resistance was increased by tree size, while recovery was lowered. Resistance of oak increased with site water supply. The observed mixing effect on the tree drought response of Scots pine and oak was in some cases modified by the site conditions studied. Positive mixing effects in terms of resistance and resilience of oak increased with site water supply, while the opposite was found regarding recovery. In contrast, site fertility lessened the positive mixing effect on the resistance of Scots pine. We hypothesise that the observed positive mixing effects under drought mainly result from water- and/or light-related species interactions that improve resource availability and uptake according to temporal and spatial variations in environmental conditions.

Applying science to pressing conservation needs for penguins.

More than half of the world's 18 penguin species are declining. We, the Steering Committee of the International Union for Conservation of Nature Species Survival Commission Penguin Specialist Group, determined that the penguin species in most critical need of conservation action are African penguin (Spheniscus demersus), Galápagos penguin (Spheniscus mendiculus), and Yellow‐eyed penguin (Megadyptes antipodes). Due to small or rapidly declining populations, these species require immediate scientific collaboration and policy intervention. We also used a pairwise‐ranking approach to prioritize research and conservation needs for all penguins. Among the 12 cross‐taxa research areas we identified, we ranked quantifying population trends, estimating demographic rates, forecasting environmental patterns of change, and improving the knowledge of fisheries interactions as the highest priorities. The highest ranked conservation needs were to enhance marine spatial planning, improve stakeholder engagement, and develop disaster‐management and species‐specific action plans. We concurred that, to improve the translation of science into effective conservation for penguins, the scientific community and funding bodies must recognize the importance of and support long‐term research; research on and conservation of penguins must expand its focus to include the nonbreeding season and juvenile stage; marine reserves must be designed at ecologically appropriate spatial and temporal scales; and communication between scientists and decision makers must be improved with the help of individual scientists and interdisciplinary working groups.

The importance of residential swimming pools as an urban water source for bats

Habitat loss has caused bat populations to decline globally and urbanization represents a major contributor to this loss. Yet, recent studies have indicated that urban parks can support a diverse and abundant bat community. These anthropogenically dominated areas must be providing readily available, potentially unconventional, resources. Identifying such resources could therefore give insight into how we can effectively improve urban habitat for bats. Thus, we investigated the use of residential swimming pools by bats as a water resource in behavioral surveys. We also used acoustic activity to determine species presence and identify trends in activity. We recorded 274 bats drinking at swimming pools from April to September 2016. We also acoustically identified all species present in the area. Furthermore, among pools closest to the park (< 200 m), bats only drank as the summer progressed, which corresponded to more ???natural??? sources in the park becoming less accessible. The quality of swimming pools may dictate their use and if we can identify features that influence quality, these insights may be used to improve resource availability for urban bats.

A Novel Multicast Scheme with Grooming for Quality of Service (QoS) Provision and Resource Optimization over Optical Label Switching (OLS) Networks

Abstract Optical label switching is proposed for providing fast all-optical switching, covering all granularities transfer and assuring quality of service support. However, the important issue is improving optical resource and providing a steadiness between satisfying traffic demands and reducing resource utilization. This paper proposes a novel multicast approach which enables grooming using an upgraded core node architecture that switches suitably unicast and multicast connections. The proposed node architecture manages appropriately all optical resource including a fiber delay line and wavelength bandwidth, as well as traffic requirements. A new label framework is introduced to assure the required information exchange for handling suitably real-time traffic constraints and optical resource status. Moreover, innovative signaling and switching schemes are introduced to perform suitably lightpath and traffic constraints supervision. Theoretical model and simulation experiments are conducted for validating the proposed scheme and evaluating its performances and effectiveness. Finally, the proposal guarantees traffic requirements and reduces resource usage while improving resource availability.

The role of nurse successional stages on species-specific facilitation in drylands: Nurse traits and facilitation skills.

Plant establishment is a challenge in semiarid environments due to intense and frequent drought periods. The presence of neighboring trees (nurses) can increase the establishment of seedlings (targets) by improving resource availability and microclimate. The nurse effect, however, might vary depending on nurse‐target species combinations but factors that predict this specificity are poorly known. We used a multispecies experiment to investigate the facilitation potential of trees from a range of successional stages, focusing on how nurse functional traits can predict species‐specific interaction outcomes. We conducted a factorial field experiment in a Brazilian semiarid tropical forest during a severe drought period. Sixty pairs of interacting tree species, 20 potential nurses, and three targets were used. Seedlings of all targets were planted both under and far from the nurse canopy, in a randomized block design replicated five times. Target growth and survival were monitored for 275 days from the beginning of the dry season, and interaction outcomes were calculated using the Relative Interaction Intensity (RII) index. Nurse functional traits such as successional stage, height, wood density, and canopy diameter were used as explanatory variables to predict RII values. The average effect of nurse species on target plants was in general positive, that is, seedling survival and growth increased under the nurse canopy. However, for growth pairwise interactions were significantly species specific. Successional stage was the only functional trait explaining RII values, with pioneer tree species being stronger facilitators than later successional trees. However, the explanation power of this variable was low, and positive, negative, or neutral interactions were found among nurse trees of all successional stages. Because seedling mortality during drought in semiarid systems is high, future studies should investigate how nurse traits related to water use could influence nurse facilitation skills.

Effects of Stress on Critical Care Nurses: A National Cross-Sectional Study.

Health care is a demanding field, with a high level of responsibility and exposure to emotional and physical danger. High levels of stress may result in depression, anxiety, burnout syndrome, and in extreme cases, post-traumatic stress disorder. The aim of this study was to determine which personal, professional, and organizational variables are associated with greater perceived stress among critical care nurses for purposes of developing integrative solutions to decrease stress in the future. We conducted a correlation research survey using a cross-sectional design and an in-person survey method. The questionnaire consisted of 2 parts: (1) socioeconomic, professional, and institutional variables and (2) work stressors. Surveys were conducted between January 1, 2011, and December 1, 2015. Multistage cluster random sampling was utilized for data collection. Inclusion criteria were (1) age ≥18 years, (2) registered nurse, (3) works in the intensive care unit (ICU), and (4) willing and able to complete the survey. We surveyed 21 767 ICU nurses in Iran and found that male sex, lower levels of peer collaboration, working with a supervisor in the unit, nurse-patient ratios, and working in a surgical ICU were positively associated with greater stress levels. Increasing age and married status were negatively associated with stress. Intensive care unit type (semi-closed vs open), ICU bed number, shift time, working on holidays, education level, and demographic factors including body mass index, and number of children were not significantly associated with stress levels. As the largest study of its kind, these findings support those found in various European, North, and South American studies. Efforts to decrease workplace stress of ICU nurses by focusing on facilitating peer collaboration, improving resource availability, and staffing ratios are likely to show the greatest impact on stress levels.

The response of light, water, and nutrient availability to pre-commercial thinning in dry inland Douglas-fir forests

Fire suppression and limited forest management have caused overstocking in many forests across the western United States. Overstocked stands have higher competition for limiting resources and causes tree stress. The amount of stress a tree experiences is related to the current availability of resources (site productivity), and the competition for those resources (stand density). Stressed trees are more susceptible to insects, disease, and mortality, which cause fuel buildup and increase wildfire risk. Pre-commercial thinning (PCT) can alleviate stress by decreasing the amount of competition in younger stands. The objective of this study was to determine how reducing competition through PCT might improve resource availability to trees at a range of initial stand conditions.We used a triplet-plot approach including 4.3m and 5.5m spacing and compared those to unthinned controls in stands varying in site productivity (height growth) and density (initial stand basal area) throughout northern Idaho and northeastern Washington. Stands were dominated by Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menziesii (Mirb.) Franco), grand fir (Abies grandis (Douglas ex D. Don) Lindley), and western red cedar (Thuja plicata Donn ex D. Don). As expected, higher density stands intercepted greater amounts of light. Thinned stands intercepted 33–58% less light than controls, depending on tree spacing. Site productivity was positively correlated with soil moisture in the spring and soil temperature in both the spring and summer. Pre-commercial thinning increased soil moisture by 6% in the spring and 10% in the summer, and soil temperature increased by 0.5°C in spring and 1°C in summer. Douglas-fir foliar N, Ca, Zn concentration decreased after thinning, while P and B increased and S, K, and Cu were unchanged. Thinning had the greatest relative impact on summer soil moisture, followed by soil N availability, and light interception. Thinning response studies frequently focus on light availability; our results demonstrate that the response of soil moisture and nutrient availability exceeded that of light availability for the studied forest types.

Advancing breeding phenology in response to environmental change in a wild red deer population

Most evidence for advances in phenology of in response to recent climate warming in wild vertebrate populations has come from long-term studies of birds. Few studies have either documented phenological advances or tested their climatic causes and demographic consequences in wild mammal systems. Using a long-term study of red deer on the Isle of Rum, Scotland, we present evidence of significant temporal trends in six phenological traits: oestrus date and parturition date in females, and antler cast date, antler clean date, rut start date and rut end date in males. These traits advanced by between 5 and 12 days across a 28-year study period. Local climate measures associated with plant growth in spring and summer (growing degree days) increased significantly over time and explained a significant amount of variation in all six phenological traits, largely accounting for temporal advances observed in some of the traits. However, there was no evidence for temporal changes in key female reproductive performance traits (offspring birth weight and offspring survival) in this population, despite significant relationships between these traits and female phenology. In males, average antler weights increased over time presumably as a result of improved resource availability and physiological condition through spring and summer. There was no evidence for any temporal change in average male annual breeding success, as might be expected if the timing of male rutting behaviour was failing to track advances in the timing of oestrus in females. Our results provide rare evidence linking phenological advances to climate warming in a wild mammal and highlight the potential complexity of relationships between climate warming, phenology and demography in wild vertebrates.