Geography and the Environment / Studies of the Amazon drainage network have primarily focused on the Western Basin and the Amazon Cone, but they have neglected the integration between these areas. Data presents a time gap in the Amazon’s development and the forces responsible for the organization of the drainage network are poorly understood. A key element towards gaining an improved awareness of the Amazon is the Eastern Amazon River Valley. The focus of this study is an 80,000 km² portion of this area. An integrated method is adopted that combines terrain information derived from a digital elevation model with geologic data. The interpretation of DEM data is unique to this study. Seven distinct surfaces were identified, along with numerous erosional environments. This observation supports a geomorphologic record of numerous erosional events starting in the Miocene. This finding is significant as it rejects previous models for staircase-like terraces for the Amazon, and establishes a timeline for the development of geomorphologic landforms in the study area. In addition, neotectonics events provide an alternative explanation to the generation of topography in the study area. It was concluded that geomorphology in the study area is the result of physical and chemical weathering, and modified by neotectonics. These findings provide alternative means for Amazon landscape evolution. / text

No description available.

<p>In 1995 and 2000 a total of 29 886 non surgical ED visits at Uppsala University Hospital were registered. Presenting complaint, admittance to a ward, length of stay, in-hospital mortality, discharge diagnoses, 30-day and long-term mortality were registered. The presenting complaints were sorted into 33 presenting complaint groups (PCGs). </p><p>For different PCGs there was different in-hospital fatality rate. Compared to the largest PCG, chest pain, the gender and age adjusted OR was 2.12 (95% CI 1.01 – 4.44) for the miscellaneous complaint group and 2.04 (95 % CI 1.35 – 3.08) for the stroke–like symptom group. Within a given PCG the in-hospital mortality could vary depending on discharge diagnoses. By relating PCG and long term mortality to the expected mortality in the population, the Standardized Mortality Ratio (SMR) could be calculated. The SMR was found to be highest in seizure 2.62 (95 % CI 2.13 – 3.22), intoxication 2.51 (95% CI 2.11-2.98) and symptoms of asthma 1.8 (1.65 – 2.06). For the same discharge diagnoses the long term mortality could differ considerably depending on PCG at ED arrival (p<0.001). </p><p>Between 1995 and 2000 there was a 30 % increase in ED visits at the non surgical ED. PCGs representing lesser severe conditions had increased. Demographic changes could account for 45 % of the increment and the remaining increase could be ascribed to change in visiting pattern. </p><p>In the 2000 cohort 41.0 % of all visits were performed by re-visitors. The number of revisits and five-year mortality had an inversed u-shaped relationship were patients with three re-visits within the same year had an increased mortality compared to patients with more or less visits. </p><p>Conclusion: It is possible to define presenting complaint groups (PCGs) that are robust and consistent over time and useful as a tool for epidemiological studies in the ED.</p>

Identifying the sites and mechanisms involved in haematopoietic stem cells (HSCs) during development would improve our understanding of how to induce HSCs from alternative sources like embryonic stem cells, while offering insight into pathways involved in HSC-related diseases such as leukaemia. Adult-type HSC, or long-term reconstituting HSCs (LTR-HSCs), are widely defined as cells capable of reconstituting the entire haematopoietic system of a lethally irradiated adult recipient. The first LTR-HSCs emerge and expand in the aorta-gonad-mesonephros (AGM) region of the mid-gestation mouse embryo. Recently, the development of a novel reaggregate culture system has provided a valuable tool to identify key cell populations involved in LTR-HSC development. This system allows the mechanical dissociation of the E11.5 AGM region prior to culture whilst maintaining its ability to autonomously expand LTR-HSCs. Here, I show that reaggregate LTR-HSCs are CD45+Sca1+c-kit+CD31med and that IL-3, SCF, and Flt3l are required in order to achieve an optimal 150 fold LTR-HSC expansion. I also characterise the pattern of Runx1 expression in the adult and E11.5 AGM region of our novel Runx1EGFP reporter mouse and identify a population of EGFP+CD45-VE-cadherin- cells in the E11.5 AGM region that disappears during reaggregate culture. Finally, using the E11.5 AGM reaggregate culture, I show that while uro-genital ridges are potentially required for optimal LTR-HSC expansion, most LTR-HSCs are derived from the dorsal aorta (Ao) region, and that the dorsal aspect of the dorsal aorta (AoD) can contribute to the reaggregate LTR-HSCs compartment.

Background A significant proportion of children are exposed to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) throughout the world. This is mainly because of exposure to parental smoking. It is unknown to what extent the negative effects of ETS on respiratory symptoms track from childhood into adulthood. Methods TESAOD (Tucson Epidemiologic Study of Airway Obstructive Disease) is a large population-based prospective study that was initiated in 1972. Participants were followed prospectively with questionnaires and pulmonary function tests (PFTs) completed about every two years in 12 follow-up surveys up to 1996. Skin prick tests and blood samples for IgE measurements were collected at surveys 1, 6, and 11. We identified subjects who entered the study as children (<15 years old) and were followed to adulthood (>18 years) during the study follow-up. Based on questionnaire data, active asthma, wheeze, cough, and chronic cough (cough for three consecutive months) were coded as never (never reported in childhood or adulthood), incident (never reported in childhood, but ≥ one positive report in adulthood), remittent (≥ one positive report in childhood, but not in adulthood), and persistent (≥ one positive report both in childhood and adulthood). PFTs measurements included forced expiratory volume in 1 second, forced vital capacity, and forced expiratory flow at 25-75%. Parent information on smoking status was collected simultaneously at child visits. ETS exposure status was assessed as “ever” or “never” between birth and 15 years. Results Information on parental ETS exposure in childhood and outcomes in adulthood was available for 444 non-Hispanic white participants (51.4% male) with mean age at initial survey of 7.7 years. Total mean follow-up time was 19.0 years (8.8 years in adulthood). Between birth and 15 years, 53.4% of children were exposed to ETS. After adjusting for sex, age at enrollment, years of follow-up, and personal smoking status (assessed at age 15 and above), combined parental ETS exposure in childhood was significantly associated with persistent wheeze (RR(adj) 1.9, p=0.026), persistent cough (RR(adj) 5.9, p<0.001), and persistent (RR(adj) 3.7, p=0.030) and incident chronic cough (RR(adj) 2.3, p=0.040). Paternal ETS exposure in childhood was associated with persistent wheeze (RR(adj) 2.3, p=0.002), persistent cough (RR(adj) 3.9, p<0.001), persistent (RR(adj) 4.8, p=0.004) and incident chronic cough (RR(adj) 2.2, p=0.031), and persistent asthma (RR(adj) 2.3, p=0.016). Maternal ETS exposure was associated with persistent (RR(adj) 1.9, p=0.029) and incident cough (RR(adj) 2.5, p=0.006). Maternal ETS exposure was associated with an increased percent predicted FVC in adulthood (coefficient, 3.75; p=0.019). No other effects on lung function were seen. There were no effects of ETS exposure on total serum IgE or allergic sensitization. ETS exposure was associated with respiratory symptoms in adulthood among both never and current smokers. Conclusions ETS exposure in childhood has long term health effects on lung function and respiratory symptoms. These effects do not appear to be IgE-mediated. ETS exposure, especially paternal ETS exposure, seems to influence the persistence of respiratory symptoms from childhood to adulthood and to affect women more than men. These effects are independent of personal smoking and also seen in never smokers. Both smoking mothers and fathers should be targeted when attempting to reduce ETS exposure among children.

To preserve multi-centennial length variability in annual tree-ring chronologies, the Regional Curve Standardization (RCS) method calculates anomalies from a regionally common, non-climatic age-trend function. The influence of various factors on the estimation of the regional curve (RC) and resulting RCS- chronology is discussed. These factors are: the method of calculating anomalies from the age-trend function, estimation of the true pith offset, the number of series used, species composition, and site characteristics. By applying RCS to a collection of millennium-length tree-ring data sets, the potential and limitations of the RCS method are investigated. RCS is found to be reasonably robust with respect to tested factors, suggesting the method is a suitable tool for preserving low-frequency variance in long tree-ring chronologies.

No description available.

No description available.

The primary aim was to compare the effectiveness of smoking cessation interventions of different intensities in a clinical dental and a telephone setting in Sweden. Methods: A total of 300 smokers were randomized to High or Low Intensity Treatment (HIT or LIT) at the Public Dental Service, County Council of Västmanland. Effectiveness (abstinence rate) was measured after 1yr (paper I) and 5-8yrs (paper III). A cost-effectiveness analysis was conducted, based on intervention costs, number of abstinent participants after 1yr, and a Markov modelling of future costs and health (in QALYs) consequences (paper II). In paper IV, 586 callers to the Swedish National Tobacco Quitline (SNTQ) were randomized to high-intensity proactive or low-intensity reactive service, and effectiveness was measured after 1 yr. Effectiveness measures were self-reported point prevalence, 6-month continuous abstinence, and sustained abstinence. Results: Absolute quit rates were 7% higher with HIT than with LIT on all measures and increased by 8% from 1yr to 5-8yrs. Point prevalence was 23% vs. 16% (p=.11) after 1yr and 31% vs. 24% (p=.16) after 5-8yrs. Six-month continuous abstinence was 18% vs. 9% (p =.02) after 1yr and 26% vs.19% (p=.18) after 5-8yrs. Sustained abstinence was 12% vs. 5% (p =.03) after 5-8yrs. Nicotine dependence was a strong predictor for abstinence at 1yr and achieved abstinence at 1yr was a strong predictor for abstinence at long-term follow-up. The cost-effectiveness analysis showed that both HIT and LIT were cost-effective, and LIT was even cost-saving compared with doing nothing. HIT was more costly and more effective than LIT, and the cost of each extra QALY gained by HIT was 100,000SEK, which is considered very cost-effective in Sweden. Proactice and reactive services were equally effective at the SNTQ. Point prevalence was 27% and 6-month continuous abstinence was 21% after 1yr. Being smoke-free at baseline was the strongest predictor for abstinence at 1yr. Conclusion: Support at high as well as low intensity in a clinical dental setting in Sweden and at the SNTQ was effective in achieving smoking cessation. Both high- and low-intensity interventions were very cost-effective in a clinical dental setting.

Darbe nagrinėjama priklausomų nuo psichoaktyviųjų medžiagų asmenų gyvenimo kokybė: psichologinė gerovė (pozityvios gerovės pojūtis, savikontrolė, bendrasis sveikatingumas, gyvybingumas, nerimas, depresiška nuotaika), kasdienio gyvenimo fizinė sveikata, psichologinis kūno įvaizdis ir išvaizda, socialiniai ir asmeniniai santykiai, aplinka ir materialiniai ištekliai. Tyrimo tikslas - atlikti priklausomų nuo psichoaktyviųjų medžiagų asmenų, baigusių Lietuvos priklausomybės ligų reabilitacijos centrų ilgalaikes programas, gyvenimo kokybės analizę. Naudotos metodikos: Psichologinės gerovės klausimynas, Pasaulio sveikatos organizacijos Gyvenimo kokybės klausimynas (WHOQOL-BREF). Tyrime dalyvavo 86 ilgalaikę PRP (priklausomybių reabilitacinę programą) baigę asmenys: 68 vyrai ir 17 moterų bei 1 nenurodęs savo lyties asmuo, kurių amžius yra nuo nuo 19 iki 51 metų. Duomenų analizė parodė, kad PRP programą baigusių asmenų, palyginus su reabilitacijos bendruomenėje besigydančiais asmenimis, gyvenimo kokybė yra labiau pozityvi: a) jų geresnė psichologinė gerovė – jie jaučia mažiau nerimo, depresiškos nuotaikos; jaučia turintys daugiau savikontrolės, gyvybingumo; jų yra didesnis pozityvios gerovės pojūtis bei bendrasis sveikatingumas; b) jie savo gyvenimo kokybės visumą bei sveikatos būklę suvokia kaip geresnes; c) jie geriau vertina kasdieninio gyvenimo fizinę sveikatą, socialinius ir asmeninius santykius, aplinką ir materialinius išteklius. PRP programą baigusių asmenų gyvenimo kokybė... [toliau žr. visą tekstą] / The thesis analyses the quality of life of the people with addictive disorders. The quality of life includes their psychological well-being (positive sensation of well-being, self-control, general health, viability, anxiety, and depressed mood), everyday physical health, psychological body image and appearance, social and personal relationships, physical environment and financial resources. The goal of this study was to perform the analysis of the quality of life of the people who have finished long-term addiction rehabilitation programmes in Lithuanian therapeutic communities. The following instruments were used: Psychological General Well-being Schedule, WHO Quality of Life Questionnaire (WHOQOL-BREF). 86 residents of therapeutic communities who have finished a long term ARP (the Addiction Rehabilitation Programme), i.e. 68 men and 17 women and 1 person of an unidentified gender with age ranging from 19 to 51 participated in this study. The data analysis showed that the quality of life of the people who have finished the ARP programme compared to the patients in the same rehabilitation is more positive: a) their psychological well-being is better - they feel less anxiety, depressed mood; they feel more self-control, vitality; they have a greater sensation of positive well-being and general health; b) they perceive their whole quality of life and health status as better; c) they have a better assessment of their everyday physical health, social and personal relationships... [to full text]