Frequent wildfire disasters in southern California highlight the need for risk reduction strategies for the region, of which fuel reduction via prescribed burning is one option. However, there is no ...consensus about the effectiveness of prescribed fire in reducing the area of wildfire. Here, we use 29 years of historical fire mapping to quantify the relationship between annual wildfire area and antecedent fire area in predominantly shrub and grassland fuels in seven southern California counties, controlling for annual variation in weather patterns. This method has been used elsewhere to measure leverage: the reduction in wildfire area resulting from one unit of prescribed fire treatment. We found little evidence for a leverage effect (leverage = zero). Specifically our results showed no evidence that wildfire area was negatively influenced by previous fires, and only weak relationships with weather variables rainfall and Santa Ana wind occurrences, which were variables included to control for inter-annual variation. We conclude that this is because only 2% of the vegetation burns each year and so wildfires rarely encounter burned patches and chaparral shrublands can carry a fire within 1 or 2 years after previous fire. Prescribed burning is unlikely to have much influence on fire regimes in this area, though targeted treatment at the urban interface may be effective at providing defensible space for protecting assets. These results fit an emerging global model of fire leverage which position California at the bottom end of a continuum, with tropical savannas at the top (leverage = 1: direct replacement of wildfire by prescribed fire) and Australian eucalypt forests in the middle (leverage ∼ 0.25).
► In southern California, past fire had no detectable effect on area burned (leverage = 0). ► This is because the encounter rate of burned patches is low and can re-burn soon after a fire. ► Antecedent annual rainfall, the number of Santa Ana wind events and the number of dry days showed weak effects. ► Landscape prescribed burning is unlikely to reduce fire risk in southern California. ► California fits an emerging global model: fire leverage is positively related to annual wildfire area.
Reduce false-positive results and loss to follow-up through systematic modifications in Universal Newborn Hearing Screening at a large public hospital.
During a pilot program, neonates who failed ...technician-performed automated auditory brain stem response were scheduled for diagnostic evaluation. In year 1, audiologists rescreened neonates who failed, and those who did not pass were screened as outpatients. For years 2 through 4, neonates who failed were rescreened by technicians before inpatient audiology rescreening.
For the pilot, 3759 neonates were screened; 1% (n
=
43) failed and 44% (n
=
19) were lost to follow-up. In year 1, 15,297 neonates were screened and 2% (n
=
365) failed; audiology rescreening reduced this to <1% (n
=
129). Outpatient rescreening yielded 0.5% (n
=
70) who failed; 17% (n
=
12) were lost to follow-up. In year 2, 16,384 neonates were screened, 3% (n
=
456) failed, and 1% (n
=
167) failed after technician rescreen; audiology rescreening reduced inpatient fails to 0.6% (n
=
108), and 0.4% (n
=
61) failed outpatient rescreening; 11% (n
=
7) were lost to follow-up. Results for years 3 and 4 were similar to year 2, with further reduction in loss to follow-up to 11% (n
=
6) and 1.7% (n
=
1).
Successful Universal Newborn Hearing Screening with reduced false-positive results and loss to follow-up can be accomplished with a planned schedule of inpatient rescreens and outpatient rescreening at the birthing facility.
OBJECTIVE:
To report a case of rhabdomyolysis resulting from concurrent use of cerivastatin and gemfibrozil.
CASE SUMMARY:
An 82-year-old white man presented to the emergency department with severe ...muscle weakness and inability to walk approximately one month after starting cerivastatin. He had been taking gemfibrozil for several years without any known adverse effects. Both medications were discontinued and the patient recovered. He was discharged with a diagnosis of rhabdomyolysis secondary to his medications.
DISCUSSION:
Four previous reports describing rhabdomyolysis in patients on concomitant cerivastatin and gemfibrozil have been cited. Although monotherapy with cerivastatin is well tolerated and has a low frequency of adverse events, the combination with nicotinic acid (i.e., niacin) or a fibric-acid derivative (i.e., gemfibrozil, fenofibrate) may result in severe skeletal muscle toxicity and rhabdomyolysis.
CONCLUSIONS:
According to the Naranjo scale, a probable relationship exists between the concomitant use of gemfibrozil and cerivastatin with the resulting development of rhabdomyolysis. Concurrent use of gemfibrozil and cerivastatin is therefore contraindicated.
Limb transplantation was performed across the Brown Norway to Fischer 344 histocompatibility barrier in rats to evaluate the effects of triple combination immunosuppressive therapeutic regimens. ...Sixty rats were divided into five groups: group I (F344 to F344) isograft controls group II (BN to F344) allograft controls received no immunosuppressive treatment. Groups III and V (BN to F344) received various exposures to tacrolimus (TRL), mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) and prednisolone (Pred) for two weeks: namely, group III: TRL 0.5 mg/kg/d; MMF 10 mg/kg/d; Pred 0.5 mg/kg/d; group IV: TRL 2 mg/kg/d, MMF 15 mg/kg/d, Pred 0.5 mg/kg/d; and group V: TRL 3 mg/kg/d; MMF 20 mg/kg/d; Pred 0.5 mg/kg/d. After 2 weeks, group III and V animals underwent a simultaneous 20% taper of Pred and MMF each further week such that by week 7 the animals were only on TRL. At this time TRL was tapered at the same rate (20% every week) to a maintenance dose of 0.6 mg/kg/d. Evidence of rejection was sought by daily visual observation for swelling, redness, erythema, edema, or skin necrosis. Salvage treatment was used only if rejection occurred after the first 7 weeks, namely, reversing to 100% of the initial TRL dose in that group for 2 weeks with a subsequent taper. Skin and muscle biopsies were obtained from grafted limbs on day 3, 13, 24, 35, and at the endpoint (9 months or uncontrollable rejection). There was no rejection in group I, while all animals showed acute rejection as expected in group II. All group III rats displayed a similar though delayed acute rejection, showing that the regimen was not therapeutic. Rats in group IV displayed the best results, namely, 10 of 12 (83%) with no rejection or side effects at 9 months. Rats in group V displayed numerous, unacceptable side effects due to overtreatment with a 1-month mortality rate of 50%. This study shows that low-dose TRL in combination with MMF and Pred may achieve excellent long-term results of composite tissue transplants. TRL can be used alone as maintenance therapy following an initial loading dose and a tapering period. Rejection is easily reversed by only temporarily increasing the TRL dose.
The present study examined communication among males and females participating in Internet support groups. Previous qualitative research on Internet support groups has suggested that female cancer ...patients exhibit higher levels of emotional expression than males, and male cancer patients use Internet support groups for information exchange. We developed a laboratory-based protocol for investigating gender differences in online communication, testing the hypothesis that preparation for the online groups would increase levels of disclosure. One hundred and sixty-seven undergraduates were enrolled in same-gender support groups to discuss the shared experience of having a loved one with cancer. Participants were randomized to one of three preparation groups: minimal instruction, detailed instruction with social modeling, and detailed instruction with social modeling and practice. Linguistic Inquiry and Word Count was used to measure levels of emotional and cognitive expression in messages sent to the group. Participants used increasing levels of emotional and cognitive expression over time; this pattern was not altered by preparation and did not differ between males and females. The levels of emotional and cognitive expression during Internet communication suggest that the Internet may be a viable medium for the provision of psychosocial services to people in need of supportive care, such as cancer patients.
The Cretaceous-Tertiary biotic transition Macleod, N; Rawson, P. F; Forey, P. L ...
Journal of the Geological Society,
03/1997, Letnik:
154, Številka:
2
Journal Article
Recenzirano
Mass extinctions are recognized through the study of fossil groups across event horizons, and from analyses of long-term trends in taxonomic richness and diversity. Both approaches have inherent ...flaws, and data that once seemed reliable can be readily superseded by the discovery of new fossils and/or the application of new analytical techniques. Herein the current state of the Cretaceous-Tertiary (K-T) biostratigraphical record is reviewed for most major fossil clades, including: calcareous nannoplankton, dinoflagellates, diatoms, radiolaria, foraminifera, ostracodes, scleractinian corals, bryozoans, brachio-pods, molluscs, echinoderms, fish, amphibians, reptiles and terrestrial plants (macrofossils and palynomorphs). These reviews take account of possible biasing factors in the fossil record in order to extract the most comprehensive picture of the K-T biotic crisis available. Results suggest that many faunal and floral groups (ostracodes, bryozoa, ammonite cephalopods, bivalves, archosaurs) were in decline throughout the latest Maastrichtian while others (diatoms, radiolaria, benthic foraminifera, brachiopods, gastropods, fish, amphibians, lepidosaurs, terrestrial plants) passed through the K-T event horizon with only minor taxonomic richness and/or diversity changes. A few microfossil groups (calcareous nannoplankton, dinoflagellates, planktonic foraminifera) did experience a turnover of varying magnitudes in the latest Maastrichtian-earliest Danian. However, many of these turnovers, along with changes in ecological dominance patterns among benthic foraminifera, began in the latest Maastrichtian. Improved taxonomic estimates of the overall pattern and magnitude of the K-T extinction event must await the development of more reliable systematic and phylogenetic data for all Upper Cretaceous clades.
This study examined the mediating roles of several family variables in the relation between IPV witnessing and children’s emotional and behavioral problems among 129 low-income, African American ...children ages 8 to 12. According to the mediational model tested, experiencing or witnessing IPV negatively impacted the following family variables: maternal psychopathology, family cohesion, and relatedness quality, which were subsequently associated with diminished child adjustment. These findings were stronger when child reports were considered and when the outcome variable was internalizing problems. Findings from this study support the value of targeting these variables in the development of culturally appropriate child witness interventions for low-income African American families. Recommendations for future interventions based on study conclusions are offered.
This article reports the results of neurobehavioral tests on C5-C10 normal paraffinic constituents (n-paraffins). Shortly after exposure, effects were evaluated in several domains including clinical ...effects, motor activity, functional observations, and visual discrimination performance. The representative C5 n-paraffin, n-pentane, did not produce any evidence of acute central nervous system (CNS) effects at levels up to 20 000 mg/m3. Similarly, there was no compelling evidence that n-octane (C8) produced CNS effects at 14 000 mg/m3, the highest concentration tested. n-decane (C10) produced minor, reversible acute CNS effects at 5000 mg/m3, with 1500 mg/m3 as the no-effect level. Consistent with literature data, there seemed to be a relationship between increasing molecular weight up to C10 and acute CNS effects. However, the CNS effects were reversible. Repeated exposures did not provide evidence of metabolic induction.
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