Shorter History Research Articles

Alien conifer invasions in South America: short fuse burning?

Alien conifers have been widely planted in the Southern Hemisphere. Australia, New Zealand and South Africa, all with long histories of alien conifer planting, have major problems with invasive conifers (“wildings”). Widespread planting of alien conifers has a much shorter history in South America, and invasions are a recent phenomenon. A workshop was convened in Argentina in May 2007 to discuss the rapid emergence of problems with invasive conifers in South America. Workshop delegates agreed that: the problem is likely to increase substantially and rapidly in many parts of the continent; the problem is not widely recognized; lessons from elsewhere can be transferred; and collaboration can bring benefits. The need was expressed: for an accurate assessment of the dimensions of the problem; to raise awareness of the problem; for a common research agenda; to initiate management interventions. This paper summarizes the key aims, deliberations, and planned outcomes of the workshop.

A review of stand basal area growth models

Growth and yield modeling has a long history in forestry. The methods of measuring the growth of stand basal area have evolved from those developed in the U.S.A. and Germany during the last century. Stand basal area modeling has progressed rapidly since the first widely used model was published by the U.S. Forest Service. Over the years, a variety of models have been developed for predicting the growth and yield of uneven/even-aged stands using stand-level approaches. The modeling methodology has not only moved from an empirical approach to a more ecological process-based approach but also accommodated a variety of techniques such as: 1) simultaneous equation methods, 2) difference models, 3) artificial neural network techniques, 4) linear/nonlinear regression models, and 5) matrix models. Empirical models using statistical methods were developed to reproduce accurately and precisely field observations. In contrast, process models have a shorter history, developed originally as research and education tools with the aim of increasing the understanding of cause and effect relationships. Empirical and process models can be married into hybrid models in which the shortcomings of both component approaches can, to some extent, be overcome. Algebraic difference forms of stand basal area models which consist of stand age, stand density and site quality can fully describe stand growth dynamics. This paper reviews the current literature regarding stand basal area models, discusses the basic types of models and their merits and outlines recent progress in modeling growth and dynamics of stand basal area. Future trends involving algebraic difference forms, good fitting variables and model types into stand basal area modeling strategies are discussed.

Flood safety in the Netherlands: The Dutch response to Hurricane Katrina

In this paper, I discuss why the Dutch culture, although highly technological, remains vulnerable to flooding, with no apparent choice except to continue with its historically developed system for flood risk management. I show that this vulnerability is socially constructed. It has arisen as a result of a long history of technological choices the current political decisions related to financing and a general lack of risk awareness. The question whether there is a need or even a possibility to escape from the present technological lock-in seems to remain out of bounds for a society that imagines flood protection to be absolute. The need for similar absolute protection was demanded in New Orleans shortly after Hurricane Katrina caused extensive flooding there. Because of its circumstances and its much shorter history, New Orleans appears to have an opportunity to deal with flood risk in more creative ways.

ANNIVERSARIES AND JUBILEES Changing Celebratory Customs in Modern Times

Every minute, somebody, somewhere is celebrating something. When did customs of celebrating jubilees become a matter of course in festive culture and why and when did we actually start to cel-ebrate them? With the institution ofthe Holy Year in 1300 an interval of50 years, later of25 years, as a celebratory cycle was found which is observed in both secular and Christian celebrations up to the present. Secular jubilees or private anniversaries have a much shorter history. With a few exceptions in early modernity it was not until the nineteenth century that the number of occasions for "celebrating something" started to grow and the differences of celebratory customs broadened.'

Assembling the Myofibril: Coordinating Contractile Cable Construction With Calcium

Over the last half century, major theoretical and experimental advances have been made in understanding the molecular architecture (e.g., sarcomeric organization) and biophysics (e.g., excitation-contraction coupling) of striated muscle. Studies of how the contractile apparatus is assembled have a shorter history, but our understanding has deepened considerably over the last decade. This review focuses on spontaneous intracellular calcium (Ca2+) signals and their role in skeletal muscle myofibrillogenesis. In embryonic skeletal muscle, several classes of spontaneous Ca2+ signal occur both in vivo and in culture, and blocking their production prevents de novo sarcomere assembly. This review includes a brief overview of myofibrillogenesis, discussion of spontaneous Ca2+ signals produced in embryonic skeletal muscle, the Xenopus model system, the role of Ca2+ signals in regulating assembly of the three major filament systems (actin, titin, and myosin), integration of physiological and biochemical approaches to the problem, and the clinical relevance of basic research in this area. Interspersed throughout are suggestions for future directions and citations for reviews in closely related areas not covered herein.

Risk factors in patients presenting as an emergency with colorectal cancer.

Of 905 patients with colorectal cancer admitted to a single district general hospital, 272 (30 per cent) were admitted as emergencies. Emergency patients had more advanced tumours (Dukes stage B and C 96 per cent versus 88 per cent of those admitted electively, P < 0.006), a shorter history (median 3 versus 11 weeks, P < 0.0001), were less likely to be fully ambulatory (44 versus 80 per cent, P < 0.0001) and more likely to have abdominal pain (74 versus 51 per cent, P < 0.001) and vomiting (40 versus 10 per cent, P < 0.0001). More emergency patients were given stomas (56 versus 35 per cent, P < 0.0001) and died in hospital (19 versus 8 per cent, P < 0.0001). Of those who survived to be discharged, patients admitted as an emergency spent longer in hospital (median stay 16 versus 13 days, P < 0.0001) and had a poorer overall 5-year survival rate (29 versus 39 per cent, P = 0.0001). Emergency patients were significantly older (median 74 versus 72 years, P = 0.04) and much more likely to be widowed (41 versus 27 per cent, P = 0.0002) than those admitted for elective surgery. If the personal and resource disaster of emergency colorectal cancer admission is to be reduced, screening strategies targeted by demographic characteristics require investigation.

Acute superior mesenteric ischaemia.

A review of case records and post-mortem reports from Glasgow Royal Infirmary over the past 12 years identified 102 patients with acute superior mesenteric ischaemia, 53 (52 per cent) of whom were first diagnosed at post mortem. Overall mortality was 92 per cent and mortality in the 49 patients diagnosed in life was 84 per cent. Fourteen patients (14 per cent) underwent exploratory laparotomy only with no survivors, 26 (25 per cent) had bowel resection alone with 7 surviving, and 9 (9 per cent) had a revascularization procedure, 5 requiring additional bowel resection, with only one surviving. Survivors were usually younger, had a shorter history and less extensive bowel infarction. Improvements in intensive care and nutritional support with the greater use of revascularization procedures in the past 6 years have barely influenced mortality. Delays in diagnosis and treatment contribute to the poor results. Earlier diagnosis might be aided by measuring serum inorganic phosphate and, coupled with the more widespread use of emergency angiography and revascularization procedures, holds out the best hope for future improvement.

History of neurosurgery and neurosurgical applications in Turkey

Although there is evidence of applications of cranial surgery in ancient times, it is commonly accepted that modern surgery started in the late 19th century. The advancements in anesthesiology and aseptic techniques were the main factors contributing to this process. Surgery of the nervous system, however, has a relatively shorter history than surgery of other systems. The process of surgical development in Turkey did not differ from most Western countries. Modern surgery started in 1890 in Turkey. In the beginning, neurosurgical applications were performed by general surgeons. Most of these applications included procedures for craniocerebral traumas and infections and procedures for pain relief. The first neurosurgeon, Dr Tuner, started working in 1923, operating in some spinal cord and brain tumor and trigeminal neuralgia cases. Other neurosurgeons, Dr Dilek, Dr Baydur, and Dr Kankat, were trained in France and started to work in the mid 1930s. The first neurosurgery department was established in Istanbul in 1923, and the first neurosurgery training program started in the late 1940s. Today, there are more than 50 neurosurgery training centers and more than 500 neurosurgeons in Turkey. There is an increasing number of publications by Turkish neurosurgeons, contributing to the total body of literature in neurosurgery. The current state of neurosurgery in Turkey is parallel to that of the advanced Western countries.

Training needs of rural school council members

School councils have operated successfully in non-government schools for many years. By contrast, the establishment of school councils in the government school sector has had a much shorter history. In New South Wales, school council members are elected representatives of the broader school community. This study focused on government schools in rural areas of southern New South Wales and specifically examined the professional development and training needs of these school council members. The findings indicated that school council members expressed concern about their inexperience as council members. Further, they identified the following areas within which they should specifically seek professional development and training: i) identifying and analysing the educational needs of the school and its community; ii) enhancing and facilitating better communication between the school and its community; iii) assisting the principal to understand local community politics; and iv) promoting public education within the local community. These priority training needs have relevance for policy makers and professional development leaders at the systemic or departmental level.

Bacteria

Aneo-Latinised version (neuter plural; singular, bacterium) of the Greek bakterion, bacteria owes its current usage mainly to the German botanist Ferdinand Cohn (1828–98). In 1853, he categorised it as one of three types of microorganisms: bacteria (short rods), bacilli (longer rods), and spirilla (spiral forms). Like a number of words in modern medicine, it has a shorter history than the concept from which it originates. Although the word itself and the specific concept it defines developed only with the rise of bacteriology during the late 19th century, it was preceded in the 17th century by the microscopic “animalcules” described by Antony van Leeuwenhoek (1632–1723).

Magnetoencephalography: an investigational tool or a routine clinical technique?

Magnetoencephalography (MEG) is a relatively novel noninvasive technique, with a much shorter history than EEG, that conveys neurophysiological information complementary to that provided by EEG, with high temporal and spatial resolution. Despite its a priori, highly competitive profile, the role of MEG in the clinical setting is still controversial. We briefly review the major obstacles MEG faces in becoming a routine clinical test and the different strategies needed to bypass them. The high cost and complexity associated with MEG equipment are powerful hindrances to wide acceptance of this relatively new technique in clinical practice. The most straightforward advantage is based on the relative facility of MEG recordings in the process of source localization, which also carries some degree of uncertainty, thus partly explaining why the development of clinical applications of MEG has been so slow. Obviously, a decrease in the cost and the elaboration of semiautomatic protocols that could reduce the complexity of the studies and favor the development of consensual strategies, as well as a major effort on the part of clinicians to identify clinical issues where MEG could be decisive, would be most welcome.

Commentary

BACKGROUND Most metastatic skull lesions are asymptomatic, although they can cause severe disability due to compression of dural sinuses and cranial nerves. The authors present current cases of calvarial and skull base metastases. Clinical features are compared to those of primary skull tumors and tumor-like lesions. METHODS We retrospectively reviewed the charts and radiographic images of 38 patients who underwent surgery for a skull lesion at our department between 1991 and 2001. The literature on skull metastases was reviewed. RESULTS In 12 cases, histologic examination revealed skull metastases. Eleven patients were known to suffer from cancer at the time of presentation. However, in 5 cases metastatic lesions were the first evidence of disseminated disease. Radical resection was possible in 9 cases. Removal and reconstruction of the infiltrated dura mater was necessary in 5 patients, whereas reconstruction of the bone was required in 8 patients. In comparison to 18 cases with primary skull tumors, patients with skull metastases presented less frequently with a neurologic deficit (3/12 vs. 9/18), reported a shorter history of symptoms (median 2 months vs. 24 months), and were older (median 70 years vs. 51 years). CONCLUSION Patients presenting with skull metastases are often in an advanced stage of disease, although surgery can relieve symptoms quickly and effectively with low morbidity. In particular, patients with signs of dura infiltration and related neurologic deficit should be offered neurosurgical therapy.

Vagal nerve stimulation in refractory epilepsy: the first 100 patients receiving vagal nerve stimulation at a pediatric epilepsy center.

To determine the outcome of intermittent left vagal nerve stimulation on the first 100 consecutive patients treated at our pediatric epilepsy center. Patients were identified by means of operating room records. Data collected described the patient's epilepsy, previous and subsequent therapies, adverse events, nonepileptic changes, and outcomes. Average age was 10.4 years; years of epilepsy, 8.5; total number of antiepileptic therapies, 8.4; and median monthly seizure frequency, 120. Data on seizure frequency at follow-up were available for 96 of the 100 patients. Forty-five percent of patients achieved greater than 50% reduction; and 18% had had no seizures for the last 6 months. Response was similar in patients with more than 7 years of refractory epilepsy as compared with patients with a shorter history. Magnet-generated, on-demand current reduced seizure intensity in almost half of the patients with available data. Generator infections occurred in 3 patients. Twenty-four patients had their generators removed. Subsequently, 2 of these patients died. Seizure reduction was the same in patients younger than 12 years and 12 years or older and in patients with shorter and longer histories of refractory epilepsy. Adverse effects were few in this population, particularly in those younger than 12 years. Vagal nerve stimulation appears to be a relatively safe and potentially effective treatment for children with severely intractable epilepsy.

Possible absence of Helicobacter pylori in the early stages of duodenal ulceration.

Helicobacter pylori is thought to be a cause of duodenal ulceration, but there is some evidence that it is found less often in early than in later disease. To assess the presence of H. pylori in patients undergoing endoscopy for dyspepsia, with respect to their duration of symptoms. Retrospective case note review. Patients were categorized as having a history greater or less than 6 months, and as H. pylori-positive or -negative, using biopsy rapid urease, culture and PCR tests. Thirty-two duodenal ulcer patients with a history >6 months were all H. pylori-positive according to the PCR test; the five with a shorter history were H. pylori-negative. No patient H. pylori-negative by PCR was positive by the other tests. H. pylori was (at least) less commonly present before 6 months. It is possible that H. pylori, although nearly always present after 6 months, is not present at the onset of the disease. Confirmation of this finding would imply that infection with the organism is not the cause of duodenal ulceration, but a factor producing recurrence and chronicity.

Special Issue on Modern Trends in Mobile Robotics

Since the dawning of the Robotics age, mobile robots have been important objectives of research and development. Working from such aspects as locomotion mechanisms, path and motion planning algorithms, navigation, map building and localization, and system architecture, researchers are working long and hard. Despite the fact that mobile robotics has a shorter history than conventional mechanical engineering, it has already accumulated a major, innovative, and rich body of R&amp;D work. Rapid progress in modern scientific technology had advanced to where down-sized low-cost electronic devices, especially highperformance computers, can now be built into such mobile robots. Recent trends in ever higher performance and increased downsizing have enabled those working in the field of mobile robotics to make their models increasingly intelligent, versatile, and dexterous. The down-sized computer systems implemented in mobile robots must provide high-speed calculation for complicated motion planning, real-time image processing in image recognition, and sufficient memory for storing the huge amounts of data required for environment mapping. Given the swift progress in electronic devices, new trends are now emerging in mobile robotics. This special issue on ""Modern Trends in Mobile Robotics"" provides a diverse collection of distinguished papers on modern mobile robotics research. In the area of locomotion mechanisms, Huang et al. provide an informative paper on control of a 6-legged walking robot and Fujiwara et al. contribute progressive work on the development of a practical omnidirectional cart. Given the importance of vision systems enabling robots to survey their environments, Doi et al., Tang et al., and Shimizu present papers on cutting-edge vision-based navigation. On the crucial subject of how to equip robots with intelligence, Hashimoto et al. present the latest on sensor fault detection in dead-reckoning, Miura et al. detail the probabilistic modeling of obstacle motion during mobile robot navigation, Hada et al. treat long-term mobile robot activity, and Lee et al. explore mobile robot control in intelligent space. As guest editors, we are sure readers will find these articles both informative and interesting concerning current issues and new perspectives in modern trends in mobile robotics.

Pollution-Tolerant Species and Communities: Intriguing Toys or Invaluable Monitoring Tools?

Luoma suggested 25 years ago that tolerant populations could be used to detect adverse ecological effects of pollution. Despite the apparent attractiveness of the idea, there have been few successful examples of its use and a number of failures. Pollution-tolerant populations are limited almost entirely to areas that are grossly contaminated with one or a small number of substances and have flora and fauna that are severely impoverished. Tolerance does provide strong evidence of impact by a particular contaminant but is of limited value as a monitoring tool. Instances of evolved tolerance do, however, have a valuable role to play in environmental risk assessment. They provide model systems for understanding the impact of pollutants on the physiology and performance of individuals and in consequence how they produce effects at the population and community level, in the way that metal tolerance in plants has been used as a model system for the study of evolution. Pollution-induced community tolerance has more promise than population tolerance as a tool for monitoring the effects of pollution, and already has a much longer list of successful applications despite its shorter history.

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT IN SRI LANKA: ITS STATUS AND THE POTENTIAL FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT

Sri Lanka is an island republic situated off the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent. It has a long and continuous recorded history dating back approximately 2,500 years, and claims to have one of the oldest nature reserves in the world. However, Environmental Assessment (EA) in the country has a much shorter history. This can be traced back to the early eighties and the dramatic change in economic policies when initial legislation was enacted. The final three amendments to this legislation making EAs mandatory came into force in 1993, although there were some EIAs predating this legislation that were voluntary and prepared for large infrastructure projects. Since then, a number of EAs and Initial Environmental Examinations (IEEs) have been prepared for a wide variety of projects with varying degrees of success. Despite this, the natural environment is still undergoing rapid deterioration, while proper implementation of good EIA practice is still needed. The research presented in this paper, which is part of a larger study on implementation of EA and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) in Asia, discusses the current status of environmental assessment in Sri Lanka based on information collected from field visits and interviews, as well as published and unpublished data. EA practices are discussed in the context of investigating the potential for introducing the process of SEA in Sri Lanka. Two case studies demonstrate the consideration of environmental issues in the development of strategic sectoral policies programmes and plans. These case studies highlight the potential benefits of an effective SEA strategy in Sri Lanka, as well as identifying some of the weaknesses in the current EA system within the country. Findings from the study suggest that rapid industrialisation combined with poor monitoring, a dearth of technically skilled personnel, the lack of baseline information and the continuing protracted civil war are key factors restricting the successful implementation of the EA process. It is from this perspective that the paper looks at the possible role that SEA may play in overcoming the failings of EA.

Full Length Article

Journal of Environmental Assessment Policy and ManagementVol. 03, No. 02, pp. 209-240 (2001) No AccessENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT IN SRI LANKA: ITS STATUS AND THE POTENTIAL FOR THE INTRODUCTION OF STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENTJAMIE MACKEE, JEFFREY OBBARD, and CLIVE BRIFFETTJAMIE MACKEEDepartment of Building, Faculty of Architecture, Building and Design, University of Newcastle, University Drive, Callaghan, NSW 2308, Newcastle, AustraliaJamie MacKee lectured and resided in Sri Lanka from 1991 until 1998. Search for more papers by this author , JEFFREY OBBARDSchool of Chemical and Environmental Engineering, Faculty of Engineering, National University of Singapore, Kent Ridge Road, Singapore 119260, SingaporeJeffrey Obbard is an Environmental Consultant, having practiced in Hong Kong for many years. Search for more papers by this author , and CLIVE BRIFFETTDepartment of Real Estate, School of Design and the Environment, National University of Singapore, Kent Ridge Road, Singapore 119260, SingaporeClive Briffett is an Environmental Consultant having practiced in Asia for over twenty years and has resided in Singapore since 1983. Search for more papers by this author https://doi.org/10.1142/S1464333201000674Cited by:3 PreviousNext AboutSectionsPDF/EPUB ToolsAdd to favoritesDownload CitationsTrack CitationsRecommend to Library ShareShare onFacebookTwitterLinked InRedditEmail AbstractSri Lanka is an island republic situated off the southern tip of the Indian subcontinent. It has a long and continuous recorded history dating back approximately 2,500 years, and claims to have one of the oldest nature reserves in the world.However, Environmental Assessment (EA) in the country has a much shorter history. This can be traced back to the early eighties and the dramatic change in economic policies when initial legislation was enacted. The final three amendments to this legislation making EAs mandatory came into force in 1993, although there were some EIAs predating this legislation that were voluntary and prepared for large infrastructure projects. Since then, a number of EAs and Initial Environmental Examinations (IEEs) have been prepared for a wide variety of projects with varying degrees of success. Despite this, the natural environment is still undergoing rapid deterioration, while proper implementation of good EIA practice is still needed.The research presented in this paper, which is part of a larger study on implementation of EA and Strategic Environmental Assessment (SEA) in Asia, discusses the current status of environmental assessment in Sri Lanka based on information collected from field visits and interviews, as well as published and unpublished data. EA practices are discussed in the context of investigating the potential for introducing the process of SEA in Sri Lanka.Two case studies demonstrate the consideration of environmental issues in the development of strategic sectoral policies programmes and plans. These case studies highlight the potential benefits of an effective SEA strategy in Sri Lanka, as well as identifying some of the weaknesses in the current EA system within the country.Findings from the study suggest that rapid industrialisation combined with poor monitoring, a dearth of technically skilled personnel, the lack of baseline information and the continuing protracted civil war are key factors restricting the successful implementation of the EA process. It is from this perspective that the paper looks at the possible role that SEA may play in overcoming the failings of EA.Keywords:environmental assessmentstrategic environmental assessmentSri LankaEA statusenvironmental legislationmanagement FiguresReferencesRelatedDetailsCited By 3Policy trends of strategic environmental assessment in AsiaDennis Victor and P. Agamuthu1 Aug 2014 | Environmental Science & Policy, Vol. 41THE STATUS AND EXTENT OF STRATEGIC ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT (SEA) PRACTICE IN SOUTH AFRICA, 1996–2003F. RETIEF, C. JONES and S. JAY1 February 2012 | South African Geographical Journal, Vol. 89, No. 1Towards SEA for the developing nations of AsiaClive Briffett, Jeffrey Philip Obbard and Jamie Mackee1 Mar 2003 | Environmental Impact Assessment Review, Vol. 23, No. 2 Recommended Vol. 03, No. 02 Metrics History Received 23 October 2000 Revised 18 May 2001 Accepted 21 May 2001 Keywordsenvironmental assessmentstrategic environmental assessmentSri LankaEA statusenvironmental legislationmanagementPDF download

Investment bank reputation and relaxed listing requirements: Evidence from infrastructure firm IPOs in Hong Kong

In early 1996, the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong allowed firms focusing on infrastructure projects to issue initial public offerings (IPOs) under a relaxed set of listing requirements, allowing these firms to go public with a shorter history or lower profitability levels. We provide evidence that these firms are no more speculative than firms listing under the regular requirements. To the contrary, we find that firms listed under the relaxed requirements are taken public by reputable investment banks and that these firms have characteristics that otherwise mitigate their lack of earnings history. These patterns are consistent with investment banks avoiding highly speculative issues to protect their reputations.

Strontium hydrogeochemistry of thermal groundwaters from Baikal and Xinzhou

This paper reports our work on the strontium hydrogeochemistry of thermal groundwaters in the Baikal Rift System (BRS) in Russia and Mongolia and the Xinzhou basin of the Shanxi Rift System (SRS) in northern China. Though similar in geological background, groundwaters from the BRS and the Xinzhou basin have different strontium isotope compositions. Both the strontium contents and the87Sr/86Sr ratios of thermal water samples from Xinzhou are higher than those of most samples from Baikal. The major reason is the difference in hostrock geochemistry. The hostrocks of the Xinzhou waters are Archaean metamorphic rocks, while those of the Baikal waters except the Kejielikov spring are Proterozoic or younger rocks. In the study areas, cold groundwaters usually show lower87Sr/86Sr ratio due to shorter water-rock interaction history and lower equilibration degree. Strontium hydrogeochemistry often provides important information about mixing processes. Ca/Sr ratio can be used as an important hydrogeochemical parameter. Case studies at Xinzhou show that thermal waters with lowest Ca/Sr ratios are most weakly affected by mixing with shallow groundwaters, as supported by our hydrochemical and sulfur isotope studies.