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Third Year (third + year)
Terms modified by Third Year Selected AbstractsDevelopmental changes in baseline cortisol activity in early childhood: Relations with napping and effortful controlDEVELOPMENTAL PSYCHOBIOLOGY, Issue 3 2004Sarah E. Watamura Abstract Development of the hypothalamic,pituitary,adrenocortical (HPA) axis was examined using salivary cortisol levels assessed at wake-up, midmorning, midafternoon, and bedtime in 77 children aged 12, 18, 24, 30, and 36 months, in a cross-sectional design. Hierarchical linear modeling (HLM) analyses were used to characterize cortisol production across the day and to examine age-related differences. Using area(s) under the curve (AUC), cortisol levels were higher among the 12-, 18-, and 24-month children than among the 30- and 36-month children. For all five age groups, cortisol levels were highest at wake-up and lowest at bedtime. Significant decreases were noted between wake-up and midmorning, and between midafternoon and bedtime. Unlike adults, midafternoon cortisol levels were not significantly lower than midmorning levels. Over this age period, children napped less and scored increasingly higher on parent reports of effortful control. Among the 30- and 36-month children, shorter naps were associated with more adultlike decreases in cortisol levels from midmorning to midafternoon. Considering all of the age groups together, effortful control correlated negatively with cortisol levels after controlling for age. These results suggest that circadian regulation of the HPA axis continues to mature into the third year in humans, and that its maturation corresponds to aspects of behavioral development. © 2004 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Dev Psychobiol 45: 125-133, 2004. [source] Scottish clinical research group enters its third yearADDICTION, Issue 7 2003Article first published online: 17 JUN 200 No abstract is available for this article. [source] Oral health-related quality of life and its relationship with health locus of control among Indian dental university studentsEUROPEAN JOURNAL OF DENTAL EDUCATION, Issue 4 2008S. Acharya Abstract Objectives:, The objectives of this study were to assess the relationship between Oral Health-Related Quality of Life (OHRQoL) and Health Locus of Control (HLC) among students in an Indian dental school. Materials and methods:, A cross sectional study design was used. Three hundred and twenty-five dental students returned completed forms containing the 14 item Oral Health Impact Profile (OHIP-14) and the 18 item Multidimensional Health Locus of Control Scale (MHLC). Results:, The results showed that the perceived OHRQoL differed among students studying in different stages of the dental course. The OHRQoL dimensions of ,Social Handicap' and ,Handicap' were significantly (P < 0.01) lower among the later years of the course than the freshman year students. There was a sharp increase in Self-reported dental problems, in particular, Malocclusion, Tooth decay, Calculus among the third year and final year students respectively. The OHIP-14 scores were significantly higher among those with self-reported oral problems. Correlation analysis between the OHIP-14 and the MHLC scores also showed a statistically significant (P < 0.01) correlation between the ,Chance' dimension of the MHLC and OHIP-14 scores. Conclusions:, The results of this study underscored the relationship between the OHRQoL and HLC and of importance of assessing health attitudes and their impact on OHRQoL among the dental student community. [source] Epidemiologic Analysis of an Urban, Public Emergency Department's Frequent UsersACADEMIC EMERGENCY MEDICINE, Issue 6 2000Joshua H. Mandelberg BA Abstract. Objectives: To determine how the demographic, clinical, and utilization characteristics of emergency department (ED) frequent users differ from those of other ED patients. Methods: A cross-sectional and retrospective cohort study was performed using a database of all 348,858 visits to the San Francisco General Hospital ED during a five-year period (July 1, 1993, to June 30, 1998). A "frequent user" visited the ED five or more times in a 12-month period. Results: Frequent users constituted 3.9% of ED patients but accounted for 20.5% of ED visits. The relative risk (RR) of frequent use was high among patients who were homeless (RR = 4.5), African American (RR = 1.8), and Medi-Cal sponsored (RR = 2.1). Frequent users were more likely to be seen for alcohol withdrawal (RR = 4.4), alcohol dependence (RR = 3.4), and alcohol intoxication (RR = 2.4). Frequent users were also more likely to visit for exacerbations of chronic conditions, including sickle cell anemia (RR = 8.0), renal failure (RR = 3.6), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (RR = 3.3). They were less likely to visit for all forms of trauma (RR = 0.43). Survival analysis showed that only 38% of frequent users for one year remained frequent users the next year. However, 56% of frequent users for two consecutive years remained frequent users in the third year. Conclusions: Frequent use of the ED reflects the urban social problems of homelessness, poverty, alcohol abuse, and chronic illness. Frequent use of the ED shows a high rate of decline from one year to the next. This rate of decline slows after the first year and suggests the existence of a smaller group of chronic frequent users. [source] Rainfall in arid zones: possible effects of climate change on the population ecology of blue cranesFUNCTIONAL ECOLOGY, Issue 5 2009Res Altwegg Summary 1.,Understanding the demographic mechanisms through which climate affects population dynamics is critical for predicting climate change impacts on biodiversity. In arid habitats, rainfall is the most important forcing climatic factor. Rainfall in arid zones is typically variable and unpredictable, and we therefore hypothesise that its seasonality and variability may be as important for the population ecology of arid zone animals as its total amount. 2.,Here we examine the effect of these aspects of rainfall on reproduction and age specific survival of blue cranes (Anthropoides paradiseus Lichtenstein) in the semi-arid eastern Nama Karoo, South Africa. We then use our results to predict the effect of changes in rainfall at the population level. 3.,Using combined capture-mark-resighting and dead-recovery models, we estimated average survival of cranes to be 0·53 in their first year, 0·73 in their second and third year, and 0·96 for older birds. 4.,We distinguished between three seasons, based on the blue cranes' breeding phenology: early breeding season, late breeding season and nonbreeding season. Cranes survived better with increasing rainfall during the late but not early breeding season. Based on road counts and success of monitored nests, reproduction was positively associated with rainfall during the early but not late breeding season. 5.,A matrix population model predicted that population growth rate would increase with increasing rainfall. A stochastic analysis showed that variation in early breeding season rainfall increased population growth slightly due to the nonlinear relationship between rainfall and reproduction. This effect was opposed by the effect of variation in late breeding season rainfall on survival and overall, variation in rainfall had a negligible effect on population growth. 6.,Our results allow predictions to be made for a range of climate-change scenarios. For example, a shift in seasonality with drier springs but wetter summers would likely decrease reproduction but increase survival, with little overall effect on population growth. [source] Carbon dioxide balance of a fen ecosystem in northern Finland under elevated UV-B radiationGLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 4 2009JAANA K. HAAPALA Abstract The effect of elevated UV-B radiation on CO2 exchange of a natural flark fen was studied in open-field conditions during 2003,2005. The experimental site was located in Sodankylä in northern Finland (67°22,N, 26°38,E, 179 m a.s.l.). Altogether 30 study plots, each 120 cm × 120 cm in size, were randomly distributed between three treatments (n=10): ambient control, UV-A control and UV-B treatment. The UV-B-treated plots were exposed to elevated UV-B radiation level for three growing seasons. The instantaneous net ecosystem CO2 exchange (NEE) and dark respiration (RTOT) were measured during the growing season using a closed chamber method. The wintertime CO2 emissions were estimated using a gradient technique by analyzing the CO2 concentration in the snow pack. In addition to the instantaneous CO2 exchange, the seasonal CO2 balances during the growing seasons were modeled using environmental data measured at the site. In general, the instantaneous NEE at light saturation was slightly higher in the UV-B treatment compared with the ambient control, but the gross photosynthesis was unaffected by the exposure. The RTOT was significantly lower under elevated UV-B in the third study year. The modeled seasonal (June,September) CO2 balance varied between the years depending on the ground water level and temperature conditions. During the driest year, the seasonal CO2 balance was negative (net release of CO2) in the ambient control and the UV-B treatment was CO2 neutral. During the third year, the seasonal CO2 uptake was 43±36 g CO2 -C m,2 in the ambient control and 79±45 g CO2 -C m,2 in the UV-B treatment. The results suggest that the long-term exposure to high UV-B radiation levels may slightly increase the CO2 accumulation to fens resulting from a decrease in microbial activity in peat. However, it is unlikely that the predicted development of the level of UV-B radiation would significantly affect the CO2 balance of fen ecosystems in future. [source] Initial cultivation of a temperate-region soil immediately accelerates aggregate turnover and CO2 and N2O fluxesGLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 8 2006A. STUART GRANDY Abstract The immediate effects of tillage on protected soil C and N pools and on trace gas emissions from soils at precultivation levels of native C remain largely unknown. We measured the response to cultivation of CO2 and N2O emissions and associated environmental factors in a previously uncultivated U.S. Midwest Alfisol with C concentrations that were indistinguishable from those in adjacent late successional forests on the same soil type (3.2%). Within 2 days of initial cultivation in 2002, tillage significantly (P=0.001, n=4) increased CO2 fluxes from 91 to 196 mg CO2 -C m,2 h,1 and within the first 30 days higher fluxes because of cultivation were responsible for losses of 85 g CO2 -C m,2. Additional daily C losses were sustained during a second and third year of cultivation of the same plots at rates of 1.9 and 1.0 g C m,2 day,1, respectively. Associated with the CO2 responses were increased soil temperature, substantially reduced soil aggregate size (mean weight diameter decreased 35% within 60 days), and a reduction in the proportion of intraaggregate, physically protected light fraction organic matter. Nitrous oxide fluxes in cultivated plots increased 7.7-fold in 2002, 3.1-fold in 2003, and 6.7-fold in 2004 and were associated with increased soil NO3, concentrations, which approached 15 ,g N g,1. Decreased plant N uptake immediately after tillage, plus increased mineralization rates and fivefold greater nitrifier enzyme activity, likely contributed to increased NO3, concentrations. Our results demonstrate that initial cultivation of a soil at precultivation levels of native soil C immediately destabilizes physical and microbial processes related to C and N retention in soils and accelerates trace gas fluxes. Policies designed to promote long-term C sequestration may thus need to protect soils from even occasional cultivation in order to preserve sequestered C. [source] Root production and demography in a california annual grassland under elevated atmospheric carbon dioxideGLOBAL CHANGE BIOLOGY, Issue 9 2002Paul A. T. Higgins Abstract This study examined root production and turnover in a California grassland during the third year of a long-term experiment with ambient (LO) and twice-ambient atmospheric CO2 (HI), using harvests, ingrowth cores, and minirhizotrons. Based on one-time harvest data, root biomass was 32% greater in the HI treatment, comparable to the stimulation of aboveground production during the study year. However, the 30,70% increase in photosynthesis under elevated CO2 for the dominant species in our system is considerably larger than the combined increase in above and belowground biomass. One possible explanation is, increased root turnover, which could be a sink for the additional fixed carbon. Cumulative root production in ingrowth cores from both treatments harvested at four dates was 2,3 times that in the single harvested cores, suggesting substantial root turnover within the growing season. Minirhizotron data confirmed this result, demonstrating that production and mortality occurred simultaneously through much of the season. As a result, cumulative root production was 54%, 47% and 44% greater than peak standing root length for the no chamber (X), LO, and HI plots, respectively. Elevated CO2, however, had little effect on rates of turnover (i.e. rates of turnover were equal in the LO and HI plots throughout most of the year) and cumulative root production was unaffected by treatment. Elevated CO2 increased monthly production of new root length (59%) only at the end of the season (April,June) when root growth had largely ceased in the LO plots but continued in the HI plots. This end-of-season increase in production coincided with an 18% greater soil moisture content in the HI plots previously described. Total standing root length was not affected by CO2 treatment. Root mortality was unaffected by elevated CO2 in all months except April, in which plants grown in the HI plots had higher mortality rates. Together, these results demonstrate that root turnover is considerable in the grassland community and easily missed by destructive soil coring. However, increased fine root turnover under elevated CO2 is apparently not a major sink for extra photosynthate in this system. [source] Manipulation of herbage production by altering the pattern of applying nitrogen fertilizerGRASS & FORAGE SCIENCE, Issue 1 2008D. Hennessy Abstract The redistribution of herbage production during the growing season to synchronize herbage supply with feed demand by livestock by altering the application pattern of a range of nitrogen (N) fertilizer rates was studied. Application rates of N were 50, 150 and 250 kg N ha,1 per annum and patterns were with 0·60 of N fertilizer applied before June (treatment RN) and with only 0·20 of N fertilizer before June (treatment IN). Treatments were imposed in a cutting (simulated grazing) experiment (Experiment 1), which was conducted for 2 years and a grazing experiment (Experiment 2) which was conducted for 3 years. In both experiments, herbage production was reduced in April and May and increased in the June,October period on treatment IN relative to RN, but annual herbage production was not significantly affected except in the third year of Experiment 2, when treatment RN had significantly (P < 0·05) higher herbage production than treatment IN. Crude protein (CP) concentration of herbage was lower in April and May on treatment IN than treatment RN. However, CP concentration of herbage was rarely below 150 g kg,1 DM and so it is unlikely that livestock productivity would be compromised. On treatment IN, concentrations of CP in herbage were higher in the late summer than on treatment RN, which may increase livestock productivity during July and August when livestock productivity is often lower. Altering the strategy of application of N fertilizer did not affect in vitro dry matter digestibility of herbage. [source] Evidence for prolonged clinical benefit from initial combination antiretroviral therapy: Delta extended follow-upHIV MEDICINE, Issue 3 2001Delta Coordinating Committee Background The findings from therapeutic trials in HIV infection with surrogate endpoints based on laboratory markers are only partially relevant for clinical decisions on treatment. Although the collection of clinical follow-up data from such a trial would be relatively straightforward, this rarely occurs. An important reason for this may be the perception that such data have little value because the number of participants remaining on their original allocated therapy has usually fallen substantially. Methods Delta was an international, multicentre trial in which 3207 HIV infected individuals were randomly allocated to treatment with zidovudine (ZDV) alone, ZDV combined with didanosine (ddI) or ZDV combined with zalcitabine (ddC). Although the trial closed in September 1995, information on vital status, AIDS events, treatment changes and CD4 counts was still collected every 12 months until at least March 1997. This has allowed analyses of the longer term clinical effect of treatment. Results The median follow-up to date of death or last known vital status was 43 months (10th percentile 18 months; 90th percentile 55 months). The proportion of participants remaining on their allocated treatment fell steadily over time; by 4 years after trial entry, 3% remained on ZDV, 20% on ZDV + ddI and 21% on ZDV + ddC. Changes mainly involved the stopping, addition or switching of a nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitor (NRTIs). There was little use of protease inhibitors (PIs) or non-nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NNRTIs) before the third year of the trial. Between the third and fourth years, regimens included a drug from one of these classes for approximately 17% of person-time in all treatment groups. Relative to ZDV monotherapy, the beneficial effects of combination therapy on mortality and disease progression rates increased significantly with time since randomization. The maximum effects on mortality were observed between 2 and 3 years, with a 48% reduction for ZDV + ddI and a 26% reduction for ZDV + ddC. These rates were observed when the original allocated treatment was received 42% and 47% of the time in the ZDV + ddI and ZDV + ddC groups, respectively. The mean CD4 count remained significantly higher (approximately 50 cells/,L) in the combination therapy groups 4 years after randomization, suggesting a projection of a clinical benefit beyond this time point. Conclusions The sustained clinical effect of the initial allocation to combination therapy, particularly ZDV + ddI, was remarkable in light of the convergence of drug regimens actually received across the three treatment groups. Interpretation of this finding is not straightforward. One of the possible explanations is that the effectiveness of ddI and ddC is diminished if first used later in infection or with greater prior exposure to ZDV, although the data do not clearly support either hypothesis. This analysis highlights the value of long-term clinical follow-up of therapeutic trials in HIV infection, which should be considered in the planning of all new studies. [source] A model for predicting behavioural sleep problems in a random sample of Australian pre-schoolersINFANT AND CHILD DEVELOPMENT, Issue 5 2007Wendy A. Hall Abstract Behavioural sleep problems (childhood insomnias) can cause distress for both parents and children. This paper reports a model describing predictors of high sleep problem scores in a representative population-based random sample survey of non-Aboriginal singleton children born in 1995 and 1996 (1085 girls and 1129 boys) in Western Australia. Longitudinal repeated data were collected up to age 4 years by caregiver report. Children's sleep rhythmicity levels in their first year, as well as conflicted and lax parenting in their second year, predicted higher scores on the sleep problem scale from the Child Behaviour Checklist/2,3 in the children's third year. Higher scores on the sleep problem scale in the children's third year predicted higher scores on the aggressive behaviour subscale of the Child Behaviour Checklist/4,16. The results support a model in which sleep problems mediated the relationship between parental conflict and aggressive behaviour, even when controlling for maternal depression, which has been associated with children's aggressive behaviour. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] A standardized and reliable method to apply the Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale to psychiatric case recordsINTERNATIONAL JOURNAL OF METHODS IN PSYCHIATRIC RESEARCH, Issue 2 2000Dr M. Mirandola Abstract The Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale is widely used both in routine clinical practice and in research. However, its reliability has never been assessed when used to rate information in clinical records. The present study focuses on the development of a standardized method (an ongoing modelling process between raters) for establishing desired levels of inter-rater reliability (IRR) in the application of the GAF to psychiatric case records. Fifty-one patients at first-ever contact with mental health services were included in the study. They were selected from a total sample of 662 first-ever patients by using a systematic sampling. Three raters (resident psychiatrists at their third year of training) took part in a 12-hour training programme, during which they were asked to assess the global psychological functioning of patients, taking into account information recorded in case records. The extent of agreement between raters was estimated by applying the ,limits of agreement' method and the ,concordance correlation coefficient'. The training programme proved to be feasible, easy to administer and acceptable to psychiatrists in training with limited previous experience of using rating scales. Very high levels of concordance (all greater than 0.95) emerged between the three raters. The GAF, completed using information from case records included in the initial assessment form, appeared to be a reliable instrument, even when used by clinical psychiatrists in training. Copyright © 2000 Whurr Publishers Ltd. [source] The career paths of a group of Romanian nurses in Italy: a 3-year follow-up studyINTERNATIONAL NURSING REVIEW, Issue 2 2008A. Palese rn, bnsc Purpose:, The objective of this study was to describe for how long a homogeneous group of 17 Romanian nurses who first arrived at the ,Teaching Hospital' in Italy in 2003, stayed in the same hospital/ward of the host country, why and when they decided to move from one hospital to another, and their levels of competence in core skills, after either 6 months or 3 years. Methods:, A longitudinal study design was adopted. The first phase was carried out in 2004, the second in 2006. We used an anonymous questionnaire. Results:, Only ten of the 17 nurses, who had started working in Italy 3 years before, remained in the same Hospital where they first started working. In spite of being given the opportunity to stay, some decided to move to hospitals where it is possible to earn more money or where they could save more by living in less expensive towns. The first nurse left the hospital in the first year, five in the second and one in the third year. Levels of perceived professional independence after 3 years are very good: the permanent group had improved their skills in all areas even though they felt a lack of confidence during the first 6 months. Conclusions:, This study, within the limits of the sample and the methods, shows that foreign nurses are highly mobile in the host country and this revolves around the opportunity to earn more. With increasing recruitment of nurses from within the European continent, it is necessary to continue studying the factors that sustain foreign nurses, to find out how they can be helped, how to value their imported professional skills, how to reduce the initial lack of faith in their own abilities and to discover which strategies would encourage them to stay in the hospital where they arrived. [source] The current state of the center for the creation and dissemination of new Japanese nursing science: The 21st century Center of Excellence at Chiba University School of NursingJAPAN JOURNAL OF NURSING SCIENCE, Issue 1 2006Kazuko ISHIGAKI Abstract Aim:, The Center of Excellence for the Creation and Dissemination of a New Japanese Nursing Science at Chiba University School of Nursing is now in its third year of operation. This center aims to develop nursing science that is appropriate for Japanese culture and to internationally disseminate the importance of culturally based care. Our project seeks to systematically transform the art of nursing practise into a nursing science. Method:, To date, multiple frameworks have been created through the qualitative meta-synthesis of research on effective nursing care. To create a nursing science, these frameworks derived from meta-synthesis must be verified and internalized in nursing practise. Results:, After three years of research, the following findings are emerging: professional care relationships in nursing practise in Japan are characterized by the bidirectional process between the nurse and the client, in which both gradually undergo a transformation in order to establish a collaborative, therapeutic relationship; Japanese nurses emphasize the importance of understanding adolescent clients' subjective understanding of their own life with self-care, as well as social support; and the priority for community health nurses in Japan is to create support systems in the community, regardless of whether the intended client is an individual, a family, a specific group, or the community as a whole. Conclusions:, Our future efforts will focus on verifying our findings through interdisciplinary and international comparative research and by integrating various frameworks in order to create a new Japanese nursing science. [source] Feeding by short-snouted weevils on seedlings of seven tree species planted beneath Norway spruce at differing stand densitiesAGRICULTURAL AND FOREST ENTOMOLOGY, Issue 1 2009M. Löf Abstract 1,Short-snouted weevils, including Strophosoma spp. and related species, may damage tree seedlings. We investigated the damage caused by these weevils feeding on seedlings of seven tree species planted in clear-cuts and under shelterwoods with three densities (control, dense, and sparse). 2,There were no pronounced differences in damage caused by short-snouted weevils in the various shelterwood densities. Most feeding occurred in the clear-cuts during the first year, whereas more seedlings were damaged in the shelterwoods of all densities in the second year. In the third year, virtually no feeding occurred in either the clear-cuts or shelterwoods. We cannot explain this pattern of damage, but a fallow period of 2 years seems to prevent short-snouted weevil damage. 3,We determined the general feeding preferences for short-snouted weevils to be cherry, lime > beech, oak, spruce > maple, ash. However, although Strophosoma mellanogrammum [Correction added after online publication 8 December 2008: Strophosoma melanogrammum corrected to Strophosoma mellanogrammum] was observed feeding on seedlings, no full short-snouted weevil inventory was conducted, so caution must be exercised when drawing conclusions from this study regarding weevil damage patterns and feeding preferences. 4,Short-snouted weevils can sometimes occur in large numbers and may destroy entire reforestation projects, but in our study their influence on seedling growth and survival was minor. [source] CHANGES IN LAND USE/MANAGEMENT AND WATER QUALITY IN THE LONG CREEK WATERSHED,JOURNAL OF THE AMERICAN WATER RESOURCES ASSOCIATION, Issue 6 2002Daniel E. Line ABSTRACT: Surface water in the Long Creek watershed, located in western Piedmont region of North Carolina, was monitored from 1993 to 2001. The 8,190 ha watershed has undergone considerable land use and management changes during this period. Land use surveys have documented a 60 percent decrease in cropland area and a more than 200 percent increase in areas being developed into new homes. In addition, more than 200 conservation practices have been applied to the cropland and other agricultural land that remains in production. The water quality of Long Creek was monitored by collecting grab samples at four sites along Long Creek and continuously monitoring discharge at one site. The monitoring has documented a 70 percent reduction in median total phosphorus (TP) concentrations, with little reductions in nitrate and total Kjel-dahl nitrogen, or suspended sediment levels. Fecal coliform (FC) and streptococci (FS) levels declined significantly downstream as compared to upstream during the last four years of monitoring. This decrease was attributed to the implementation of waste management practices and livestock exclusion fencing on three dairy operations in the watershed. Annual rainfall and discharge increased steadily until peaking in the third year of the monitoring period and varied while generally decreasing during the last four years of the project. An array of observation, pollutant concentration, and hydrologic data provide considerable evidence to suggest that the implementation of BMPs in the watershed have significantly reduced phosphorus and bacteria levels in Long Creek. [source] Exploring spatiotemporal patterns in early stages of primary succession on former lignite mining sitesJOURNAL OF VEGETATION SCIENCE, Issue 2 2008Birgit Felinks Abstract Questions: 1. Does random colonization predominate in early stages of primary succession? 2. Do pioneer species facilitate the establishment of later arriving species? 3. Does an initially random distribution change to an aggregated pattern with ongoing succession? Location: Lignite mining region of Lower Lusatia, eastern Germany. Methods: Individual plants were mapped along a 2 m × 28 m transect during three successive years and classified into two groups (1) the pioneer Corynephorus canescens and (2),all other species'. Using the pair-correlation function, univariate point pattern analysis was carried out by applying a heterogeneous Poisson process as null model. Bivariate analysis and a toroidal shift null model were applied to test for independence between the spatial patterns of the two groups separately for each year, as well by exploring spatiotemporal patterns from different years. Results: In the first year Corynephorus and ,all other species' showed an aggregated pattern on a spatial scale > 40 cm and in the second and third years a significant attraction for distances between 4 and 12 cm, with an increasing radius in the third year. The analyses of interspecific spatiotemporal dynamics revealed a change from independence to attraction between distances of 4 cm and 16 cm when using Corynephorus as focal species. However, applying ,all other species' as focal points results in a significant attraction at distances up to 60 cm in the first year and a diminishing attraction in the second and third years with distances , 6 cm. Conclusions: Facilitative species-species interactions are present in early stages of primary succession, resulting mainly from pioneer species acting as physical barriers and their ability to capture diaspores being drifted by secondary dispersal along the substrate surface. However, due to gradual establishment of perennial species and their ability of lateral extension by vegetative dispersal, facilitation may influence spatial pattern formation predominantly on short temporal and fine spatial scales. [source] Ground-level changes after wildfire and ploughing in eucalyptus and pine forests, Portugal: implications for soil microtopographical development and soil longevityLAND DEGRADATION AND DEVELOPMENT, Issue 2 2002R. A. Shakesby Abstract Soil level changes over four years at 50 sites in three types of post-fire eucalyptus and pine forest management practices (natural pine seedling regeneration; eucalyptus regrowth from coppiced stumps; and deep-(rip-) ploughed areas planted with eucalyptus seedlings) in the Águeda Basin, Portugal are reported. Average ground lowering at regrowth sites was high during the first year after fire (up to an estimated 18,mm), declining sharply by the third year with vegetation growth and litter cover development. In the first year after rip-ploughing, there was greater surface lowering (up to 27,mm recorded), with recovery within three,four years. This sharp post-ploughing reduction in soil loss is attributed to stone lag development through erosion of fines. Soil erosion resulting from a wildfire,rip-ploughing cycle is estimated to be up to 174,t,ha,1, which would lead to ultimate physical degradation for typically thin soils within 50,100 years. Soil surface roughness decreased slightly or remained virtually stable for the moist Águeda Basin stony soil compared with a model of increased roughness for dry Mediterranean stony soils. This difference is attributed to moist conditions encouraging vegetation growth and rapid fermentation of organic matter together with transported sediment infilling surface indentations. The value of a ground-level change approach, and of the soil erosion bridge in particular, in soil erosion studies is discussed. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd. [source] Three-year follow-up of clinical and inflammation parameters in children monosensitized to mites undergoing sub-lingual immunotherapyPEDIATRIC ALLERGY AND IMMUNOLOGY, Issue 6 2005F. Marcucci Parallel follow-up of clinical and inflammatory markers during sub-lingual immunotherapy (SLIT) is highly beneficial. Twenty-four children (age 4,16) monosensitized to house dust mite were randomized to receive either active or placebo SLIT for 1 yr in a double-blind placebo controlled design (Marcucci et al., Allergy 2003: 58: 657,62). Thereafter, for 2 yr they all received active treatment. Symptom scores for rhinitis, asthma, and drug usage were daily recorded. Eosinophil cationic proten (ECP) and tryptase in sputum and nasal secretions, serum and nasal mite-specific immunoglobulin E (IgE) were recorded before treatment and at 10,12 months intervals. Nasal ECP and nasal tryptase after specific nasal provocation tests were significantly reduced as compared to baseline values (p = 0.0043 and 0.0195, respectively) in the third year of active treatment. None of the other inflammatory parameters was increased. In placebo treated patients all these parameters tended to decrease only after switching to active treatment. Clinical scores did not improve in treated vs. placebo patients in the double-blind placebo-controlled phase of the study. In both cohorts a clinical benefit was observed as intra-group score reduction as compared to baseline. A significant difference was reached in patients treated for 2 yr for rhinitis and asthma (p = 0.0009 and 0.0019, respectively) but not for drug usage and in patients treated for 3 yr for rhinitis, asthma, and drug usage (p = 0.0105, 0.0048, and 0.02, respectively). SLIT in children monosensitized to mites reverted the spontaneous increase in nasal IgE and in local parameters of allergic inflammation. These outcomes were followed by a consolidated clinical improvement in the second and third year of treatment. [source] Evaluation of catch-up growth after liver transplantation in children with biliary atresiaPEDIATRIC TRANSPLANTATION, Issue 3 2004G. Alonso Abstract:, Orthotopic liver transplantation (Tx) has improved survival in infants with extrahepatic biliary atresia (BA) when portoenteroanastomosis fails. Symptoms leading to Tx include liver failure, poor quality of life and growth failure. The objective of the study was to determine catch-up growth in children with BA. Medical records and growth data of 36 patients (24 girls) who received a Tx due to BA were analyzed. Thirty-two patients completed 3 yr and 15 patients 7 yr of follow-up after Tx. At Tx, the median age was 2.7 yr (range 0.7,12.6) and mean height Z score (±s.d.) was ,1.56 (±1.3). Patients were divided in two groups according to age at Tx: group I (n = 10), younger than 1.0 yr, and group II (n = 26) older than 1.0 yr. Median age (range) at Tx in group I was 0.8 yr (0.7,1.0) and in group II it was 3.35 yr (1.25,12.6). Thirteen patients (nine in group I) were receptors of living related donors. We evaluated linear growth, liver and renal function, immunosuppressive regimen and allograft rejection episodes. We did not find any significant differences in allograft or renal function, immunosuppressive therapy and number of acute rejection episodes or height Z score at Tx, second and third year post-Tx between both groups. The mean height Z score at Tx in group I was ,1.61 and in group II ,1.54; at the second year, group I ,0.66 and group II ,1.08; at the third year, group I ,0.17 and group II ,0.85; and at the seventh year (total group) ,0.3. However, the height gain at the third year was better in group I than in group II (p < 0.01, t-test). Height Z score at the third year improved more than 1 SDS in seven out of eight patients in group I and in only nine out of 24 in group II (odds ratio 11.6). We also found a correlation between height gain at the third year and age at Tx (r,0.65) and between height gain at the third year and height Z score at Tx (r,0.54) (Pearson, p < 0.05). Children with BA who are transplanted before 12 months of age presented better catch-up growth without change survival and morbidity. Orthotopic liver Tx improves survival and also enables height gain in these children. [source] Variable photosynthetic acclimation in consecutive cohorts of Scots pine needles during 3 years of growth at elevated CO2 and elevated temperaturePLANT CELL & ENVIRONMENT, Issue 5 2003E.-M. LUOMALA ABSTRACT In this experiment, the photosynthetic acclimation of successive needle cohorts of Scots pine were studied during 3 years of growth at elevated CO2 and temperature. Naturally regenerated Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris L.) trees were subjected to elevated CO2 concentration (+CO2, 700 p.p.m), elevated temperature (+T, ambient +2 to +6 °C) and to a combination of elevated CO2 and temperature (+CO2 + T) in closed-top chambers, starting in August 1996. Trees growing in chambers with ambient CO2 and ambient temperature served as controls (AmbC). Elevated CO2 influenced the dark reactions more than the light reactions of photosynthesis, as in the 1996 and 1997 cohorts the carboxylation capacity of Rubisco was reduced in the first and second year of exposure, but there was no consistent change in chlorophyll fluorescence. Net photosynthesis measured at growth concentration of CO2 was higher at +CO2 than at AmbC on only one measuring occasion, was generally lower at +T and was not changed at +CO2 + T. However, trees grown at +T tended to invest more nitrogen (N) in Rubisco, as Rubisco/chlorophyll and the proportion of the total needle N bound to Rubisco occasionally increased. The interaction of +CO2 and +T on Rubisco was mostly negative; consequently, in the second and third year of the experiment the carboxylation capacity decreased at +CO2 + T. In the 1996, 1997 and 1998 cohorts, the structural N concentration of needles was lower at +CO2 than at AmbC. Elevated CO2 and elevated temperature generally had a positive interaction on N concentration; consequently, N concentration in needles decreased less at +CO2 + T than at +CO2. At +CO2 + T, the acclimation response of needles varied between years and was more pronounced in the 1-year-old needles of the 1997 cohort than in those of the 1998 cohort. Thus, acclimation was not always greater in 1-year-old needles than in current-year needles. In the +CO2 + T treatment, elevated temperature had a greater effect on acclimation of needles than elevated CO2. [source] Attitudes of early-career psychiatrists in Japan toward child and adolescent psychiatry and their career decisionPSYCHIATRY AND CLINICAL NEUROSCIENCES, Issue 2 2010Masaru Tateno MD The aim of the present study was to carry out a national survey to understand the attitude of early-career psychiatrists toward child and adolescent psychiatry (CAP). The subjects were 348 early-career psychiatrists. A questionnaire was sent to the subjects and returned anonymously. A total of 234 subjects (67.2%) responded. Ten out of 115 psychiatrists (8.9%) in their first,third year of experience, and 18 of 119 psychiatrists (15.1%) in their fourth,10th year answered that they had interest in CAP. Psychiatry rotations with adequate CAP cases may be necessary to attract early-career psychiatrists to CAP. [source] Enamel hypoplasias and physiological stress in the Sima de los Huesos Middle Pleistocene homininsAMERICAN JOURNAL OF PHYSICAL ANTHROPOLOGY, Issue 3 2004E. Cunha Abstract This study presents an analysis of linear enamel hypoplasias (LEH) and plane-form defects (PFD) in the hominine dental sample from the Sima de los Huesos (SH) Middle Pleistocene site in Atapuerca (Spain). The SH sample comprises 475 teeth, 467 permanent and 8 deciduous, belonging to a minimum of 28 individuals. The method for recording PFD and LEH is discussed, as well as the definition of LEH. The prevalence of LEH and PFD in SH permanent dentition (unilateral total count) is 4.6% (13/280). Only one deciduous tooth (lower dc) showed an enamel disruption. Prevalence by individual ranges from 18.7,30%. The most likely explanation for the relatively low LEH and PFD prevalence in the SH sample suggests that the SH population exhibited a low level of developmental stress. The age at occurrence of LEH and PFD was determined by counting the number of perikymata between each lesion and the cervix of the tooth. Assuming a periodicity of nine days for the incremental lines, the majority of LEH in the SH sample occurred during the third year of life and may be related to the metabolic stress associated with weaning. Am J Phys Anthropol 123:000,000, 2004. © 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc. [source] Recovery of Bird Species in Minimally Restored Indonesian Tin Strip MinesRESTORATION ECOLOGY, Issue 2 2000Howard D. Passell Abstract Bird species richness and individual abundances were recorded in old, unrestored tin strip mine plots, in mined plots restored 1, 2, and 3 years before the study, and in adjacent, unmined, natural secondary forest plots on the 11,340-km2 Indonesian island of Bangka (2°S, 106°E). The objective was to assess the ecological recovery of unrestored and minimally restored mine plots compared with surrounding reference forest. Unrestored mines had not been mined or used for any other purpose for 14,30 years; plots in their first, second, and third year since restoration were old mines planted with Acacia mangium (Leguminosae) at a density of 400 trees/ha. Natural secondary forest plots 20 or more years since the last disturbance were immediately adjacent to both unrestored and restored plots. Bird surveys on 4-ha plots were performed during the 1995 breeding season. A comparison of data from unrestored plots of widely varying ages showed no significant differences among them for species richness, diversity (Shannon,Wiener index, H,), or individual abundance, indicating that little natural bird community recovery had occurred over time in the plots. However, increases did occur in restored sites over only 3 years for both species richness (r 2= 0.29, p = 0.04) and diversity (r 2= 0.45, p = 0.009). All values for third-year restored plots, however, were still significantly lower than corresponding values for adjacent natural secondary forest plots. The quick return of bird activity on the plots after minimal efforts at restoration supports the idea that simple, inexpensive restoration can be effective for "jump starting" degraded systems at large scales. Such a restoration strategy might be of particular value for degraded land in developing nations, where scientific, professional, and financial resources might be in short supply. Using this strategy, a small number of restoration professionals could mobilize the labor of many local people in many areas, serving to both improve ecological systems and to educate and engage local populations in restoration and conservation projects. [source] Transaction tax and market quality of the Taiwan stock index futuresTHE JOURNAL OF FUTURES MARKETS, Issue 12 2006Robin K. Chou On May 1, 2000, the Taiwan government reduced the tax levied on futures transactions on the Taiwan Futures Exchange from 5 to 2.5 basis points. This event provides a unique opportunity to test empirically the impact of a tax rate reduction on trading volume, bid-ask spreads, and price volatility. Intraday and daily time series data from May 1, 1999, through April 30, 2001, are tested in a three-equation structural model. Findings show that transaction taxes have a negative impact on trading volume and bid-ask spreads, as trading volume increased and bid-ask spreads decreased in the period following the reduction in the transaction tax. This study's analysis is not consistent with the argument that the imposition of a transaction tax may reduce price volatility because there are no significant changes in price volatility after the tax reduction. Further, it was found that although the reduction in the transaction tax did reduce tax revenues, the proportional decrease in tax revenues is less than the 50% reduction in the tax rate. Finally, tax revenues in the second and third year after the tax reduction increased, as compared to the year before the tax reduction. © 2006 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Jrl Fut Mark 26:1195,1216, 2006 [source] Assessing and Documenting General Competencies in Otolaryngology Resident Training Programs,THE LARYNGOSCOPE, Issue 5 2006Rick M. Roark PhD Abstract Objectives: The objectives of this study were to: 1) implement web-based instruments for assessing and documenting the general competencies of otolaryngology resident education, as outlined by the Accreditation Council of Graduate Medical Education (ACGME); and 2) examine the benefit and validity of this online system for measuring educational outcomes and for identifying insufficiencies in the training program as they occur. Methods: We developed an online assessment system for a surgical postgraduate education program and examined its feasibility, usability, and validity. Evaluations of behaviors, skills, and attitudes of 26 residents were completed online by faculty, peers, and nonphysician professionals during a 3-year period. Analyses included calculation and evaluation of total average performance scores of each resident by different evaluators. Evaluations were also compared with American Board of Otolaryngology-administered in-service examination (ISE) scores for each resident. Convergent validity was examined statistically by comparing ratings among the different evaluator types. Results: Questionnaires and software were found to be simple to use and efficient in collecting essential information. From July 2002 to June 2005, 1,336 evaluation forms were available for analysis. The average score assigned by faculty was 4.31, significantly lower than that by nonphysician professionals (4.66) and residents evaluating peers (4.63) (P < .001), whereas scores were similar between nonphysician professionals and resident peers. Average scores between faculty and nonphysician groups showed correlation in constructs of communication and relationship with patients, but not in those of professionalism and documentation. Correlation was observed in respect for patients but not in medical knowledge between faculty and resident peer groups. Resident ISE scores improved in the third year of the study and demonstrated high correlation with faculty perceptions of medical knowledge (r = 0.65, P = .007). Conclusions: Compliance for completion of forms was 97%. The system facilitated the educational management of our training program along multiple dimensions. The small perceptual differences among a highly selected group of residents have made the unambiguous validation of the system challenging. The instruments and approach warrant further study. Improvements are likely best achieved in broad consultation among other otolaryngology programs. [source] Physiological responses of lupin genotypes to terminal drought in a Mediterranean-type environmentANNALS OF APPLIED BIOLOGY, Issue 3 2007J.A. Palta Abstract Field experiments concerning lupin grown in a low-rainfall environment of the Mediterranean climatic region of Western Australia were conducted over three seasons to identify and evaluate the characteristics that maximise yield per unit of rainfall. The characteristics of early flowering and podding, high pod retention, fast rates of seed filling, osmotic adjustment and the degree of dry matter transfer from stem to the seed were studied in 12 lupin genotypes differing in seed yield under conditions of terminal drought. To allow recently released cultivars and advanced breeding lines to be evaluated, five to six genotypes were included in the first and the third year and nine in the second year. The genotypes were grown rainfed until pod set and then under a rainout shelter. Flowering and podding dates, pod retention, seed growth rate and osmotic adjustment were measured in detail, together with leaf water potential, seed yield and its components. The timing and intensity of development of the terminal drought varied from average in 1998 and 1999 to extreme in 2000. In each year, the seed yield under terminal drought showed genotypic differences, which appeared consistent with the timing and intensity of the development of terminal drought. Early flowering and podding were significantly correlated with seed yield. Fast rates of seed growth were highly and significantly correlated with high yields regardless of the intensity of development of terminal drought. Pod retention was highly correlated with yield in seasons in which the intensity of the development of terminal drought was average but not under extreme conditions of terminal drought. This was because the seed number per pod was markedly reduced to compensate for the high number of pods retained. Osmotic adjustment did not occur during the development of terminal drought in any of the genotypes. Dry matter transfer from stems to seeds was insignificant and not related to seed yield, suggesting that it is not a useful characteristic in screening for high yield under terminal drought. [source] Influences on medical students' decisions to study at a rural clinical schoolAUSTRALIAN JOURNAL OF RURAL HEALTH, Issue 5 2008Ryan J. Spencer Abstract Objective:,To identify factors that influenced medical students at Monash University to undertake their first year of clinical training (third year of the medical course) at a rural clinical school (RCS). Design:,Third-year Monash University medical students undertaking clinical placements at a RCS were surveyed in 2005. A semistructured questionnaire was used to ask students to rate the influence of a list of factors on their decision to undertake their year-long placement at a RCS. Results:,Under half (48%) of students studying at an RCS reported that they were of rural background. All surveyed items were identified as having had a positive influence. Greater clinical experience, learning opportunities and patient access were identified as having the greatest positive influence followed closely by free accommodation and other financial and supportive incentives. Future rural career intention was eight times more likely to be a positive influence in rural compared with urban background students. Conclusion:,The most important positive influence on Monash third-year medical students' decision to study at an RCS is the perception of high-quality clinical experiences and education. This perception arises from rural exposure during pre-clinical years. [source] A 3-year follow-up of a prospective randomized trial comparing transurethral electrovaporization of the prostate with standard transurethral prostatectomyBJU INTERNATIONAL, Issue 6 2000M.Y. Hammadeh Objective To compare the safety, efficacy and durability of transurethral electrovaporization of the prostate (TUVP) with standard transurethral resection of the prostate (TURP). Patients and methods In all, 104 patients admitted from the waiting list for surgery for BPH were randomized to either TUVP (52 patients, mean age 67.5 years) or TURP (52 patients, mean age 70.2 years); 51, 47 and 40 patients in each arm completed 1, 2 and 3 years of follow-up, respectively. Patients were assessed at baseline and during the follow-up using the International Prostate Symptom Score (IPSS), the associated quality-of-life score (QoL), postvoid residual volume (PVR) and maximum urinary flow rate (Qmax). Results Both groups had comparable mean IPSS, QoL, Qmax and PVR at baseline. The mean ( sd) values for TUVP and TURP, respectively, at 3 years showed a significant and maintained improvement in IPSS, at 4.1 (3.3) and 7.1 (6.2) (P = 0.01), in QoL, at 1.0 (0.9) and 1.6 (1.4) (P = 0.04), and in Qmax, at 22.2 (8.5) and 18 (7.1) mL/s (P = 0.02), with decreases in PVR of 30 (38) and 21.9 (26.2) mL (P = 0.27). The re-operation rate in each group was 4% during the first year, 4% during the second year and 5% during the third year. After surgery and at 1, 2 and 3 years of follow-up, impotence was reported in 17% of the TUVP group and 11% of the TURP group (P = 0.49), and retrograde ejaculation in 72% of the TUVP group and 89% of the TURP group (P = 0.47). Conclusion The 3-year follow-up results confirm that TUVP is as effective as standard TURP in the treatment of moderate-sized BPH. The long-term side-effects and complications were comparable and the initial improvement was maintained over 3 years in most patients in both groups. [source] Perception of risk of adverse drug reactions by medical students: influence of a 1 year pharmacological courseBRITISH JOURNAL OF CLINICAL PHARMACOLOGY, Issue 2 2007G. Durrieu What is already known about this subject ,,Previous studies have pointed out the question of effective training and information for health professionals on adverse drug reactions (ADRs). ,,This lack of training is known to induce inadequate use of drugs and noncompliance of patients. What this study adds ,,Our study was the first to evaluate the perceived risk of ADRs among young medical students and to investigate the impact of university pharmacology courses on their perception of this risk. ,,The aim of our study was not to assess a definite level of perception of risk for the different drug classes but to determine whether the perceived risk of ADRs differs after attending pharmacology courses. ,,Our results show that the pharmacological training allows young medical students to be aware of potentially serious ADRs, especially related to drugs considered as relatively safe, such as NSAIDs and aspirin. Aims To investigate how adverse drug reactions (ADRs) to several classes of drugs are perceived by young medical students before and after a 1 year pharmacology course. Methods The whole cohort of 92 medical students (63 females and 29 males) was questioned during their third year. A visual analogue scale was used to define a score (ranging from 0 to 10) of perceived risk of ADRs associated with each drug class before and at the end of the pharmacological training period. Results Before the pharmacology course, hypnotics were ranked as the most dangerous drugs by the medical students, followed by antidepressants and anticoagulants. Contraceptive pills were listed in the last position. After pharmacological training, antidepressants moved into the first position, followed by anticoagulants and hypnotics. When all different drug classes were taken as a whole, the mean (±SD) of median scores of the perceived risk were 4.8 (±1.3) before and 5.8 (±1.5) at the end of the pharmacology course (P < 0.0001). Except for antidiabetics, antihypertensive drugs, tranquillizers, corticosteroids and hypnotics, the perceived risk significantly increased after the pharmacology course for the other drugs. The highest increases were observed for contraceptive pills (+104%, P < 0.01), NSAIDs (+86%, P < 0.01) and aspirin (+56%, P < 0.01). Conclusions Pharmacological training allows young medical students to be aware of potentially serious ADRs associated with drugs, in particular with drugs considered relatively safe (such as NSAIDs and aspirin) by nonhealth professionals. [source] | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||