“Buckle Up NOW!” An Enforcement Program to Achieve High Belt Use

In the mid-1980s, the first formal seat-belt enforcement program in the United States was conducted in Elmira, NY. Front seat-belt use increased from 49% to 80%, and the Elmira program became a model for other such programs. In the spring of 1999, the New York State Police launched a statewide seat-belt enforcement campaign, and the Elmira program was revived as part of this effort. This 3-week program was coordinated by the Chemung County Sheriff's Office, and carried out in cooperation with local police departments as well as the state police. The earlier Elmira program emphasized the health and safety benefits of seat belts and warning periods prior to tickets being issued. The 1999 program featured a strong no-excuses, no-warning enforcement message, 32 belt-use checkpoints, and publicity about the enforcement through a variety of mechanisms, including feedback signs that informed motorists of current belt use rates. Front seat-belt use increased from 69% to 90%. Public opinion surveys indicated the program was well known to Elmira residents, and had the support of 79% of those polled. The 1999 Elmira program demonstrates that high-intensity enforcement programs can increase seat-belt use to very high levels with strong community support.     

Prey selection by resident common bottlenose dolphins (tursiops truncatus) in Sarasota Bay, Florida

Prey selection was investigated in wild, resident common bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, during the summer months in Sarasota Bay, Florida, USA. Stomach content analyses of 15 dolphins with extensive sighting histories and well-documented distributions were used to determine prey use. Prey availability was assessed by purse seine surveys. We compared the relative abundances of prey available to estimates of prey use at closely matching spatial and temporal scales. G-tests determined that dolphins in this study significantly selected for prey at the species, family, and soniferous/non-soniferous prey levels (G _adj  = 753.98–1,775.93, df = 1–21, p ≤ 0.01). While comprising only 6.3% of the total available prey, soniferous fishes accounted for 51.9% of the total prey consumed. Manly’s standardized forage ratios and 95% Bonferroni confidence intervals determined significant positive selection for soniferous prey and against non-soniferous prey (β^S = 0.9461 vs. β^NS = 0.0539). Dolphins selected against Gerridae, Clupeidae, and Sparidae (β ≤ 0.0014), as well as against all the species within those families (β ≤ 0.0190). It is likely that passive listening for soniferous prey provides an ecological or energetic advantage to cetaceans utilizing this specific foraging technique.     

Erratum to: Prey selection by resident common bottlenose dolphins (Tursiops truncatus) in Sarasota Bay, Florida

Prey selection was investigated in wild, resident common bottlenose dolphins, Tursiops truncatus, during the summer months in Sarasota Bay, Florida, USA. Stomach content analyses of 15 dolphins with extensive sighting histories and well-documented distributions were used to determine prey use. Prey availability was assessed by purse seine surveys. We compared the relative abundances of prey available to estimates of prey use at closely matching spatial and temporal scales. G-tests determined that dolphins in this study significantly selected for prey at the species, family, and soniferous/non-soniferous prey levels (G _adj  = 753.98–1,775.93, df = 1–21, p ≤ 0.01). While comprising only 6.3% of the total available prey, soniferous fishes accounted for 51.9% of the total prey consumed. Manly’s standardized forage ratios and 95% Bonferroni confidence intervals determined significant positive selection for soniferous prey and against non-soniferous prey (β^S = 0.9461 vs. β^NS = 0.0539). Dolphins selected against Gerridae, Clupeidae, and Sparidae (β ≤ 0.0014), as well as against all the species within those families (β ≤ 0.0190). It is likely that passive listening for soniferous prey provides an ecological or energetic advantage to cetaceans utilizing this specific foraging technique.     

The role of enforcement programs in increasing seat belt use

Seat belt laws by themselves led to increased belt use in the United States and Canada, but initial effects were limited. Canadian provincial officials launched highly publicized enforcement campaigns in the early 1980s that resulted in substantially increased belt use. Canadian-style enforcement programs subsequently were adopted in the United States, and the use of such programs has grown in recent years. Lessons from these efforts include the importance of police leadership, focused publicity about enforcement, and sustained rather than single-shot efforts. What is needed in the United States to achieve a national belt use rate of 90% or greater is widespread, methodical, and sustained application of enforcement programs augmented by creative publicity. Enhanced penalties-in particular drivers license points-likely will be needed to reach hard-core nonusers.     

GEOMETRIC VARIATIONS IN RESERVOIR WATER QUALITY1

ABSTRACT: In developing water quality models for lakes and reservoirs, the assumptions of one-dimensionality (i.e., water quality changes are significant only in one dimension – usually depth), as well as two-dimensionality (considering the length and depth of the water body), have been utilized to predict water quality. In both caws, the assumption of lateral homogeneity is made. A field study was undertaken to determine the change of water quality in the lateral dimension. The main study reservoir was Center Hill Lake in Middle Tennessee. Data were also obtained for Cherokee Lake in East Tennessee. Several water quality parameters (temperature, dissolved oxygen, pH, conductivity, and oxidation reduction potential) were analyzed over the length, breadth, and depth of these reservoirs from pre-stratification through post-stratification. The statistical and theoretical three-dimensional analysis showed the expected variation for each water quality parameter in each direction. The influence of the lateral dimension on water quality management and modeling was found to be negligible.     

QUASIMEME laboratory performance study of the biological effects of tributyltin (imposex and intersex) on two marine gastropod molluscs

The disruption of the endocrine systems of gastropod molluscs and consequential physiological changes (imposex and intersex) are used as biomarkers for environmental contamination by tributyltin compounds. The first international laboratory performance study on the determination of imposex and intersex in neogastropod molluscs, Nucella lapillus and Littorina littorea has been undertaken by the QUASIMEME (Quality Assurance of Information for Marine Environmental Monitoring in Europe) project. Samples of live gastropods were distributed and participants were asked to record shell height and sex, together with penis length and vas deferens sequence stage (VDS) in Nucella or the intersex stage (IS) and prostate length in Littorina. Calculations were made of vas deferens sequence index (VDSI) and the relative penis size index (RPSI) in Nucella and of intersex stage index (ISI) and the average female prostate length (FPrL) in Littorina. Thirteen (87%) of the 15 participating laboratories returned data. The remaining two laboratories asked to participate in later exercises. For Nucella, seven laboratories reported sex ratios significantly different from the reference laboratory data. Differences in penis length measurements between laboratories were largely random, although there were indications of systematic errors affecting the data from three laboratories. Seven laboratories reported satisfactory data (Z-score magnitude of Z < 2) for VDSI. The inclusion of a high proportion of sub-adults in the Nucella samples may have made separation of the sexes more difficult than in mature adults. The sub-adults will have had smaller pene than mature adults in the same population, and therefore any errors (random or systematic) in the measurement of penis length or observation of reproductive organs would have a potentially greater impact on the final reported values of the summary imposex indices. The Littorina sample did not show a high degree of intersex (ISI = 0.41). The laboratories could determine the sex of Littorina reliably and only one laboratory reported data significantly different from the reference laboratory. All except two laboratories reported satisfactory data for ISI.