Home About us Contact
|
Home About us Contact | ||
|
|
||
Mid-Atlantic Region (mid-atlantic + region)
Selected AbstractsContamination of fish in streams of the Mid-Atlantic Region: An approach to regional indicator selection and wildlife assessmentENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 3 2003James M. Lazorchak Abstract The extent of contamination of fish in the Mid-Atlantic Region was evaluated as part of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency's Monitoring and Assessment Program's regional assessment in 1993 through 1994. Fish assemblages from wadeable streams were dominated by small, short-lived fishes (e.g., minnows, darters, and sculpins) that were more widely distributed and abundant than large fishes typically chosen for tissue contaminant studies (e.g., trout, black bass, sunfish, common carp). Chemical concentrations in whole-fish homogenates exceeded detection limits for mercury, DDT, and polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) in 75 to 100% of the stream length assessed using small fishes and 84 to 100% of the stream length assessed using large fishes. Wildlife values (WVs) representing a threshold for toxic effect were developed to allow examination of the spatial extent of potential risk to piscivorous wildlife. For mercury, DDT, dieldrin, and chlordane, estimates of the regional extent of streams where fish contaminant concentrations exceeded the WVs were greater when based on small fishes than on large fishes. However, within the distribution of stream lengths assessed using small and large fishes, the percentage of stream kilometers exceeding the WVs were quite similar. Our data demonstrate that the greater abundance and distribution of small, short-lived fishes provide greater estimates of regional extent of contamination for first- through third-order streams and can be used for regional assessments of potential exposure and effects in wildlife. [source] Determinants of perceived barriers to condom use among HIV-infected middle-aged and older African-American menJOURNAL OF ADVANCED NURSING, Issue 4 2007Christopher Lance Coleman Abstract Title.,Determinants of perceived barriers to condom use among HIV-infected middle-aged and older African-American men Aim., This paper is a report of a study to describe which determinants best predict perceived barriers to condom use during sexual encounters among human immunodeficiency virus human immunodeficiency virus-infected African-American men, middle-aged and older, living in the United States of America. Background., While the global epidemic of acquired immunodeficiency syndrome infection is a well-documented phenomenon with national and international implications, prevalence statistics indicate that middle-aged and older African-American (non-Hispanic) men have not benefited from the prevention efforts implemented during the past two decades. Method., A cross-sectional design using a survey and convenience sampling was adopted between September 2003 and July 2004 to recruit n = 130 middle-aged human immunodeficiency virus-infected African-American men from infectious disease clinics from the Mid-Atlantic region in the United States of America. The survey covered demographics, perceived health beliefs, spiritual well-being and symptoms related to human immunodeficiency virus. Findings., Stepwise multiple regression showed having fewer human immunodeficiency virus-related symptoms associated with the human immunodeficiency virus (P = 0·004) and being single (P = 0·05) were perceived as barriers to condom use during sexual encounters (R2 = 0·029, P = 0·046). Conclusion., Tailored interventions are needed for African-American men, middle-aged and older, infected with human immunodeficiency virus nationally and worldwide that are designed to decrease perceived barriers in order to increase condom use. [source] Home Care Nurses' Descriptions of Important Agency AttributesJOURNAL OF NURSING SCHOLARSHIP, Issue 4 2003Linda Flynn Purpose: To identify attributes of home care agencies described by nurses as important to their professional practice and job satisfaction. Design: Seven focus groups with home health care staff nurses were conducted at 6 home care agencies located in three states in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. A total of 58 home care nurses participated in the study. Methods: Transcriptions of tape-recorded focus groups were subjected to open and axial coding techniques. Results: Six major categories and eight subcategories of organizational attributes described by home care nurses as important to the support of their practice and job satisfaction were identified. Conclusions: Attributes described by home health nurses were not only similar to those described by hospital-based nurses as reported in the ,magnet hospital' literature, but they also were consistent with key concepts described in theories of professional workforce organization. Findings provide insight into developing workplace environments to support home care nurses. [source] Agricultural pesticides and selected degradation products in five tidal regions and the main stem of Chesapeake Bay, USAENVIRONMENTAL TOXICOLOGY & CHEMISTRY, Issue 12 2007Laura L. McConnell Abstract Nutrients, sediment, and toxics from water sources and the surrounding airshed are major problems contributing to poor water quality in many regions of the Chesapeake Bay, an important estuary located in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States. During the early spring of 2000, surface water samples were collected for pesticide analysis from 18 stations spanning the Chesapeake Bay. In a separate effort from July to September of 2004, 61 stations within several tidal regions were characterized with respect to 21 pesticides and 11 of their degradation products. Three regions were located on the agricultural Delmarva Peninsula: The Chester, Nanticoke, and Pocomoke Rivers. Two regions were located on the more urban western shore: The Rhode and South Rivers and the Lower Mobjack Bay, including the Back and Poquoson Rivers. In both studies, herbicides and their degradation products were the most frequently detected chemicals. In 2000, atrazine and metolachlor were found at all 18 stations. In 2004, the highest parent herbicide concentrations were found in the upstream region of Chester River. The highest concentration for any analyte in these studies was for the ethane sulfonic acid of metolachlor (MESA) at 2,900 ng/L in the Nanticoke River. The degradation product MESA also had the greatest concentration of any analyte in the Pocomoke River (2,100 ng/L) and in the Chester River (1,200 ng/L). In the agricultural tributaries, herbicide degradation product concentrations were more strongly correlated with salinity than the parent herbicides. In the two nonagricultural watersheds on the western shore, no gradient in herbicide concentrations was observed, indicating the pesticide source to these areas was water from the Bay main stem. [source] Congregate care for infants and toddlers: Shedding new light on an old questionINFANT MENTAL HEALTH JOURNAL, Issue 5 2002Brenda Jones Harden With the advent of the "crack" epidemic and the concurrent decrease in available foster homes for young children, the placement of infants and toddlers in residential congregate care settings has resurfaced in some of the larger urban areas of the United States. Despite the controversy surrounding this type of placement, current research on congregate care settings is almost nonexistent. The present study examines the congregate care facilities that were established in an urban area in the mid-Atlantic region of the United States, as a response to the placement crisis for young children in foster care. In addition, the study compares the development of a group of children placed in these settings with a group who were placed in foster home settings. Findings suggest that congregate care facilities differ in their appropriateness for young children based on the number of children in the home and the practice philosophy of the group home. The study documented that children reared in foster family homes fared better than their group-reared counterparts on a variety of variables, including mental development and adaptive skills. In contrast, children reared in congregate care facilities were similar to foster home-reared children regarding observed and reported behavior problems. Implications of these finding for policies and practices related to congregate care placements are discussed. ©2002 Michigan Association for Infant Mental Health. [source] | ||||||||||