1. A 7-year study was conducted in three hydrologically distinct sections within the highly regulated, lowland Campaspe River to investigate the influence of hydrology on temporal and spatial patterns in fish composition, abundance and recruitment. One section had 6 months, one section 2 months and one section no months of increased flow due to storage releases. The fish fauna of the less regulated, nearby Broken River served as a reference to which that of the Campaspe River was compared for the last 3 years of the study to allow insight into the relative effects of hydrology, barriers to movement and other environmental characteristics. The study included one high-flow year, a moderateflow year and five low-flow years. 2. A total of 16 fish species -10 native and six alien -were caught in the Campaspe River, although of the native species, only three are considered to have self-sustaining populations. The remaining species are either itinerants or a result of stocking. Alien species comprised approximately 64% of the total biomass of all fish caught. 3. Overall composition of the fish fauna did not differ significantly by year, but did by section of river. Species richness and the abundance of most of the dominant species also differed significantly by river section, but there was little inter-annual variation in the abundance of any species, except for European perch and for common carp; the latter showing an increase in abundance following a high-flow event during the spring of 2000 as a result of recruitment. 4. Overall faunal composition was not influenced by hydrology. However, multiple regression indicated that species richness, abundance of the dominant species and abundance of young-of-year (YOY) of golden perch, European perch and common carp all were influenced significantly by hydrological variables. The nature of the relationships was dependent on river section and hydrological season ('winter' or 'spring/summer'). Of note was the result that the total abundance of fish and that of YOY common carp were significantly positively related to the number of spells above the threshold for movement upstream through the lower two weirs in the Campaspe River. Only one significant 789 relationship between hydrological and fish-related variables was found for the upper river section, whereas seven and five were found for the lower and middle sections respectively. 5. Comparisons with fish collected in the Broken River over 3 years suggest that the fauna of the Broken River is in a more natural state than that of the Campaspe River. Since the two rivers do not differ substantially in water quality, and since both contain significant weirs, which act as barriers to movement of fish, flow regulation is most likely to be the major reason for the poor state of the fauna in the Campaspe River.

Background In addition to administering vaccinations, healthcare professionals (HCPs) also play a crucial role in providing education and advocacy to the public regarding immunizations. Yet, many current and future HCPs are unprepared or reluctant to address the vaccine conversation with hesitant patients. Doctors, pharmacists, and nurses are all recognized as the most trusted sources of vaccine information. By comparing future HCPs in these three distinct programs, we can better understand where potential gaps may lie in their training and education. With insight from students, potential changes to curriculum can improve future HCPs ability to address vaccine hesitancy in their respective careers. The objective of this study was to assess and compare the knowledge, attitudes, and opinions of HCP students on the topic of immunization. Methods A cross-sectional survey was conducted in 2017 to assess students in nursing, medical, and pharmacy programs at two universities in the state of North Dakota in the United States. The survey assessed six key themes: 1) demographic information; 2) basic vaccine knowledge; 3) vaccine hesitancy; 4) likelihood to recommend vaccines; 5) confidence in addressing vaccine-related topics with patients; 6) an appraisal of the education they have received on vaccinations. Results The survey was completed by 223 participants (overall response rate = 23.7%). Results indicated that vaccine-related knowledge varied greatly by program; high knowledge scores were achieved by 74.3% of medical students, 62.7% of pharmacy students, 57.1% of doctor of nursing practice (DNP) students, and 24.7% of bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) students. Over a third (34.2%) of BSN students believed that the current recommended immunization schedule places undue burden on a child’s immune system, versus only 4.3% of medical students. Additionally, 54.2% of participants believed that spreading out recommended vaccines over several visits was an appropriate means of reducing parental stress about vaccinating. Conclusions Participant responses suggest that negative attitudes, lack of knowledge, and general discomfort exist across all programs, but especially among nursing students, regarding vaccination. Our findings indicate potential areas where targeted interventions could be implemented to better equip future HCPs in their ability to discuss and educate the public regarding vaccination. Trial registration #PH17173 Electronic supplementary material The online version of this article (10.1186/s12909-019-1678-8) contains supplementary material, which is available to authorized users.

Carp (Cyprinus carpio L.) is a pest species in Australian waterways, and cyprinid herpesvirus 3 (CyHV-3) is being considered as a potential biological control (biocontrol) agent. An important consideration for any such agent is its target specificity. In this study, the susceptibility to CyHV-3 of a range of non-target species (NTS) was tested. The NTS were as follows: 13 native Australian, and one introduced, fish species; a lamprey species; a crustacean; two native amphibian species (tadpole and mature stages); two native reptilian species; chickens; and laboratory mice. Animals were exposed to 100-1000 times the approximate minimum amount of CyHV-3 required to cause disease in carp by intraperitoneal and/or bath challenge, and then examined clinically each day over the course of 28 days post-challenge. There were no clinical signs, mortalities or histological evidence consistent with a viral infection in a wide taxonomic range of NTS. Furthermore, there was no molecular evidence of infection with CyHV-3, and, in particular, all RT-PCRs for viral mRNA were negative. As a consequence, the results encourage further investigation of CyHV-3 as a potential biocontrol agent that is specific for carp.

No abstract

No abstract