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Emerging contaminants such as microplastics and pharmaceuticals in freshwater ecosystems are a growing concern, seriously affecting aquatic organisms. Ibuprofen, a widely used anti-inflammatory drug, is commonly found in rivers, streams, and water systems where it is discharged. As a result, organisms that inhabit these environments, such as snails, are affected in their natural habitats. This study examines the effects of microplastics (10 μg/L), ibuprofen (500 μg/L), and a combination of ibuprofen (500 μg/L) and microplastics (10 μg/L) on growth, movement, and reproduction in Physella acuta , a freshwater snail species. While no significant effects were observed on movement or number of egg clusters, there was a significant decrease in growth when snails were exposed to microplastics or the combination of microplastics and ibuprofen (p = 0.021). Additionally, snail egg production decreased when exposed to ibuprofen (p = 0.001) but increased when exposed to microplastics (p = 0.002). Microplastic exposure produced more eggs than ibuprofen (p < 0.001) and ibuprofen and microplastics combined (p < 0.001). Our results suggest that ibuprofen affects growth and the total number of eggs, likely due to oxidative stress, neurotoxicity, or disrupted hormonal pathways. In contrast, microplastics may have caused digestive system blockage, thus affecting energy allocation for growth and reproduction. Changes in snail fitness can directly and indirectly affect food webs and nutrient cycles, highlighting the need for research on these pollutants to understand their chronic and long-term effects on ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Personal statements are an important component of applications for counselor education and psychology doctoral programs. However, a paucity of empirical information exists about what types of content are viewed favorably and how this content influences admissions decisions. In the current study, 97 faculty members from clinical psychology, counseling psychology, and counselor education doctoral programs completed an online survey about how favorably they viewed content included in personal statements. Respondents viewed personal statements as the most important component of an application, and there were no significant differences in favorability ratings of content or stylistic issues across program types. Recommendations for those mentoring students applying to graduate school and faculty reviewing applications were provided.

Bats exploit forest resources based on species-specific adaptations, resulting in differences in activity across forested landscapes. Forest management practices alter forests, impacting species differently and presumably affecting bat activity. Application of forest management that promotes species-specific bat conservation requires further understanding of bat response to silvicultural practices. We surveyed timber harvest treatments on two Indiana State Forests to compare bat activity across forest management treatments, in forests adjacent to harvests, and at locations across the harvest-forest gradient from May to July in 2013 and 2014. We used Wildlife Acoustics Song Meter SM2BAT+ detectors and Kaleidoscope Pro analysis software to survey bats in relation to four treatment types: clear cut, patch cut, shelterwood preparatory cut, and intact forest. Detectors were deployed at two points within each treatment and three points on the forested periphery of treatments and recorded for three consecutive nights. We examined bat activity using Admixture models that estimate abundance and probability of detection for an open population and used Akaike's Information Criterion to select the best models. Based on identification of acoustic calls, eastern red bats and hoary bats were more active in harvest treatments than control treatments. Big brown, eastern red, and tri-colored bats were most active at harvest edges. Northern long-eared and Indiana/little brown bats were most active at harvest edges and in adjacent forest and hoary bats were most active at harvest centers. Differences in bat activity across these managed forests suggest bat assemblages benefit from management that employs an array of silvicultural methods, provides edge habitat, and maintains adjacent forest stands. Our results can be used to predict effects of forest management practices on species-specific bat activity to maximize bat usage of forests., INTRODUCTION Approximately 75% of forest cover has been lost in the state of Indiana over the last two centuries due to agricultural expansion, logging practices, urban development, and human population [...]

Nearshore water clarity, as measured by remotely sensed [K.sub.d](490), and stable C and N isotopes of several nearshore fishes differed across the Lake Michigan basin. Values of [[delta].sup.13]C of round goby (Neogobius melanstomus), yellow perch (Percaflavescens), and spottail shiner (Notropis hudsonis) were depleted in the southeast where water clarity was low relative to the southwest where water clarity was greater. Bayesian analyses were used to evaluate spatial variation in diet composition and quantify the relationship between water clarity and the proportional importance of pelagic energy in fish diets. Water clarity in nearshore areas is likely related to variable riverine inputs, resuspension, and upwelling processes. While these processes may not directly impacts [[delta].sup.13]C or [[delta].sup.15]N of nearshore fishes, we hypothesize that water clarity differentially affects benthic and pelagic algal production. Lower water clarity in the benthos and subsequently lower benthic productivity may be related to regional diet differences and increased reliance on pelagic energy sources. Mobile fishes such as alewife (Alosa pseudoharengus) may not be in isotopic equilibrium with regional prey sources and depart from spatial patterns observed in other nearshore fishes. La transparence des eaux littorales, exprimee par le coefficient [K.sub.d](490) mesure a distance, et les signatures d'isotopes stables du carbone et de l'azote de plusieurs poissons littoraux varient dans l'espace dans le bassin du lac Michigan. Les valeurs de [[delta].sup.13]C de gobies a taches noires (Neogobius melanstomus), de perchaudes (Percaflavescens) et de queues a taches noires (Notropis hudsonis) sont appauvries au sud-est, oU la transparence de l'eau est faible, par rapport aux valeurs au sud-ouest, oU la transparence de l'eau est plus grande. Des analyses bayesiennes sont utilisees pour evaluer les variations spatiales de la composition des regimes alimentaires et quantifier la relation entre la transparence de l'eau et l'importance proportionnelle de l'energie de source pelagique dans les regimes alimentaires des poissons. La transparence de l'eau dans les zones littorales est vraisemblablement reliee aux apports fluviaux variables et a des processus de remise en suspension et de remontee. Si ces processus n'ont pas necessairement une incidence directe sur les [[delta].sup.13]C et [[delta].sup.15]N des poissons littoraux, nous postulons que l'influence de la transparence de l'eau n'est pas la meme sur la production d'algues benthique que sur la production d'algues pelagique. Une plus faible transparence de l'eau dans le benthos et la productivite benthique plus faible en decoulant pourraient etre associees a des variations regionales des regimes alimentaires et a un plus grand recours a des sources d'energie pelagiques. Des poissons mobiles comme le gaspareau (Alosa pseudoharengus) pourraient ne pas etre en equilibre isotopique avec les sources de proies regionales et presenter des motifs spatiaux differents des motifs observes pour d'autres poissons littoraux. [Traduit par la Redaction], Introduction Ecologists recognize that ecosystem processes (e.g., primary production, nutrient cycling, energy flow) change along environmental gradients over broad spatial scales (Vannote et al. 1980; Turner 1989; Polis et al. [...]

Understanding swimming performance of native freshwater fishes has implications for ecology, conservation, and management. In particular, this type of information has practical importance for improving the understanding of fish dispersal, occurrence, migration, and invasive potential. The objective of this study was to characterize swimming performance of 2 taxa from the comparatively understudied minnow family (Cyprinidae) and test for potential drivers as a function of total length, sex, habitat, morphology, or some combination.The study assessed Spotfin Shiner (Cyprinella spiloptera; n = 66) and Bluntnose Minnow (Pimephalesnotatus;n = 24) populations from an ontogenic range of male and female individuals from lentic and lotic habitats in Indiana and Ohio. Akaike information criterion (AIC) model selection identified the most parsimonious linear regression model to predict swimming performance of Spotfin Shiner and Bluntnose Minnow independently. Overall, larger Spotfin Shiners were superior swimmers compared with smaller individuals. In both species, individuals having more streamlined heads and elongated caudal regions were better swimmers. Additionally, Spotfin Shiners that were collected from lotic environments were generally better swimmers than individuals from lentic environments. Models did not recover sex-specific effects in either species--or meaningful total length, or habitat effects, in Bluntnose Minnows. Overall, this study provides evidence of a complex series of swimming performance covariates when assessing or understanding performance. This has implications for aquatic population, assemblage, and community ecology as well as management and conservation efforts., INTRODUCTION Alterations to flow regimes are almost ubiquitous globally (Poff et al. 1997). Dams constitute the most obvious and recognizable form of these alterations; however, while dams do act as [...]

Global climate change, driven by rapid population growth and anthropogenic activities, presents an urgent challenge to aquatic ecosystems. Salinity intrusion threatens water quality and availability for human and wildlife populations. At the same time, due to the demand for pharmaceuticals, these pollutants are increasingly detected in freshwater environments, with acetaminophen being one of the most prevalent. This research analyzed the individual and combined effects of salinity (2.5 g/L) and acetaminophen (488 µg/L) on Physella acuta. Overall, we observed reduced snail movement under elevated salinity and no effects on growth or movement with acetaminophen alone or in combination with salinity. Our results suggest a complex interaction between stressors and physiological responses. Despite the high tolerance of P. acuta to salinity, elevated levels affected its movement. Additionally, there is a need for further research into multiple stressors and their interactions as well as understanding the responses of aquatic organisms to mitigate the impact of pollution and climate change on freshwater ecosystems. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Migratory behaviors of coastal Striped Bass Morone saxatilis are diverse and vary by latitude along the U.S. Atlantic Coast. Northern populations (e.g., north of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina) are anadromous, with spawning occurring in tidal freshwater/brackish rivers and adults leaving spawning locations during the winter to conduct north–south coastal migrations. The central Atlantic comprises a mixture of potamodromous and anadromous types, completing the natural continuum of behavioral modes along latitudinal ecotones. Southern populations (e.g., south of Cape Hatteras, North Carolina) are typically resident and potamodromous, completing full life cycles within river systems, and do not migrate along the Atlantic Coast. There are limited studies that have investigated daily movement of Striped Bass in the Southeast and no studies have documented movement of Striped Bass in the Great Pee Dee River, particularly with reference to spawning migrations. The objective of this study was to describe daily movement patterns and centers of attraction (e.g., spawning and resting stages) of Striped Bass in the Great Pee Dee River, South Carolina. We implanted 10 fish with hydroacoustic transmitters between 2013 and 2016. We describe daily movement and behavior using the state-space model with a two-dimensional spatial coordinate system. We recorded a total of 94,857 data points across all individuals and receivers. We observed two movement patterns. One group completed a seasonal migration (i.e., were recorded swimming upstream or downstream) that coincides with spring spawning season. A second group was present in the lower river section and Winyah Bay during the winter for 3 consecutive years but were never observed migrating up the Great Pee Dee River during the spring. One individual was documented swimming 80 river km north in the Atlantic Intracoastal Waterway, suggesting there are important overwintering locations outside their natal river. Additionally, there were significant gaps in observations for all individuals, particularly in the summer. It is possible that fish are leaving the main stem in search of thermal refuge within small tributaries. Identifying these overwintering areas and tributaries that serve as summer refuge is needed to determine stressors and fishing pressure of this important species. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Clump, Bauer, and Bradley (2004) and Burchfield and Sappington (2000) previously found extremely low levels of reading in undergraduate psychology courses. The current study investigated whether these low levels of reading are also found with graduate students, or if this value is altered by only investigating individuals who show continued interest in higher education. As a result, we assessed the reading levels of students in graduate Forensic Psychology courses. Across the six courses from which data were collected, 193 usable responses to the Textbook Reading in this Course ("The Teaching Professor", 2001) and 4 questions from previous research by Solomon (1979) were analyzed. Unfortunately, the reading levels of these graduate students, who recently graduated from college, are still disappointing with students only reading 54.21% of the assigned material before class and 84.14% before a test. (Contains 2 tables.)

ABSTRACT. Estrogenic compounds are commonly found in wastewater effluents. Exposure of male fish to these chemicals can lead to 'feminization', including decrease in secondary sex characteristics and production of female-specific [...]

ABSTRACT. Estrogenic compounds are known to cause physiological and behavioral changes in fish. Point sources of estrogenic compounds include wastewater treatment plants, combined sewer overflows, and agricultural operations. The West [...]

ABSTRACT. To accurately determine the sources of impairment on downstream bodies of water, headwaters and tributaries must first be evaluated on temporal and longitudinal changes. Fish assemblage assessments in Killbuck [...]