An investigation of moral distress experienced by occupational therapists.

This study used a quantitative survey design to investigate the existence of moral distress among occupational therapists. The Moral Distress Scale-Revised (MDS-R-OHPA) was distributed to a random sample of 600 members of the American Occupational Therapy Association (AOTA). The results of this explorative study found that occupational therapists reported moderate levels of moral distress with occupational therapists working in geriatric settings reporting higher levels of moral distress than occupational therapists who work in physical disability settings, although the difference was not statistically significant.

Localized electron transfer rates and microelectrode-based enrichment of microbial communities within a phototrophic microbial mat.

Phototrophic microbial mats frequently exhibit sharp, light-dependent redox gradients that regulate microbial respiration on specific electron acceptors as a function of depth. In this work, a benthic phototrophic microbial mat from Hot Lake, a hypersaline, epsomitic lake located near Oroville in north-central Washington, was used to develop a microscale electrochemical method to study local electron transfer processes within the mat. To characterize the physicochemical variables influencing electron transfer, we initially quantified redox potential, pH, and dissolved oxygen gradients by depth in the mat under photic and aphotic conditions.

Pilot study of the Olympia oyster Ostrea conchaphila in the San Francisco Bay estuary: description and distribution of diseases.

Olympia oysters Ostrea conchaphila have declined markedly during the last century and are a focus of restoration in many embayments, including the San Francisco Bay (SFB) estuary. Oysters were collected from 17 sites in this estuary and nearby Tomales Bay in an effort to characterize diseases that may impact recovery of this species and captive rearing programs. Three diseases/disease agents including a Mikrocytos-like protist (microcell), a haplosporidian and hemic neoplasia were observed from several sites along the western margins of the SFB estuary suggesting a geographic localization of disease presence.