scholarly journals Technique to study the impact of large herbivores on woody vegetation within piospheres

Koedoe ◽  
2000 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
Author(s):  
J. Brits ◽  
M.W. Van Rooyen ◽  
N. Van Rooyen

A continuously sampled transect away from a watering point provides good results in situations where geology and soil type remain constant, but is unsuitable to apply where regular changes in soil type occur. A comparison was made between a continuously sampled transect and sampling taken at intervals along the transect. An analysis of variance indicated no significant differences in any of the variables obtained by means of the two sampling methods. The advantage of interval sampling is that, within each zone, areas with the same soil type can be selected in order to avoid environmental heterogeneity. A comparison between transects made in different directions from the watering point yielded no significant differences in any of the structural variables of the woody vegetation at the same distance from the watering point. Therefore, combining transects from different directions to attain a representative sample away from the watering point was an acceptable practice. It is recommended that the original data be smoothed and the logistic function used to model the impact of large herbivores on the structure of the woody vegetation around watering points.

Cancers ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (6) ◽  
pp. 1321
Author(s):  
Constanza Saka-Herrán ◽  
Enric Jané-Salas ◽  
Antoni Mari-Roig ◽  
Albert Estrugo-Devesa ◽  
José López-López

The purpose of this review was to identify and describe the causes that influence the time-intervals in the pathway of diagnosis and treatment of oral cancer and to assess its impact on prognosis and survival. The review was structured according to the recommendations of the Aarhus statement, considering original data from individual studies and systematic reviews that reported outcomes related to the patient, diagnostic and pre-treatment intervals. The patient interval is the major contributor to the total time-interval. Unawareness of signs and/or symptoms, denial and lack of knowledge about oral cancer are the major contributors to the process of seeking medical attention. The diagnostic interval is influenced by tumor factors, delays in referral due to higher number of consultations and previous treatment with different medicines or dental procedures and by professional factors such as experience and lack of knowledge related to the disease and diagnostic procedures. Patients with advanced stage disease, primary treatment with radiotherapy, treatment at an academic facility and transitions in care are associated with prolonged pre-treatment intervals. An emerging body of evidence supports the impact of prolonged pre-treatment and treatment intervals with poorer survival from oral cancer.


Diagnosis ◽  
2020 ◽  
Vol 0 (0) ◽  
Author(s):  
Justin B. Searns ◽  
Manon C. Williams ◽  
Christine E. MacBrayne ◽  
Ann L. Wirtz ◽  
Jan E. Leonard ◽  
...  

AbstractObjectivesFew studies describe the impact of antimicrobial stewardship programs (ASPs) on recognizing and preventing diagnostic errors. Handshake stewardship (HS-ASP) is a novel ASP model that prospectively reviews hospital-wide antimicrobial usage with recommendations made in person to treatment teams. The purpose of this study was to determine if HS-ASP could identify and intervene on potential diagnostic errors for children hospitalized at a quaternary care children’s hospital.MethodsPreviously self-identified “Great Catch” (GC) interventions by the Children’s Hospital Colorado HS-ASP team from 10/2014 through 5/2018 were retrospectively reviewed. Each GC was categorized based on the types of recommendations from HS-ASP, including if any diagnostic recommendations were made to the treatment team. Each GC was independently scored using the “Safer Dx Instrument” to determine presence of diagnostic error based on a previously determined cut-off score of ≤1.50. Interrater reliability for the instrument was measured using a randomized subset of one third of GCs.ResultsDuring the study period, there were 162 GC interventions. Of these, 65 (40%) included diagnostic recommendations by HS-ASP and 19 (12%) had a Safer Dx Score of ≤1.50, (Κ=0.44; moderate agreement). Of those GCs associated with diagnostic errors, the HS-ASP team made a diagnostic recommendation to the primary treatment team 95% of the time.ConclusionsHandshake stewardship has the potential to identify and intervene on diagnostic errors for hospitalized children.


Antibiotics ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 335
Author(s):  
Anssi Karvonen ◽  
Ville Räihä ◽  
Ines Klemme ◽  
Roghaieh Ashrafi ◽  
Pekka Hyvärinen ◽  
...  

Environmental heterogeneity is a central component influencing the virulence and epidemiology of infectious diseases. The number and distribution of susceptible hosts determines disease transmission opportunities, shifting the epidemiological threshold between the spread and fadeout of a disease. Similarly, the presence and diversity of other hosts, pathogens and environmental microbes, may inhibit or accelerate an epidemic. This has important applied implications in farming environments, where high numbers of susceptible hosts are maintained in conditions of minimal environmental heterogeneity. We investigated how the quantity and quality of aquaculture enrichments (few vs. many stones; clean stones vs. stones conditioned in lake water) influenced the severity of infection of a pathogenic bacterium, Flavobacterium columnare, in salmonid fishes. We found that the conditioning of the stones significantly increased host survival in rearing tanks with few stones. A similar effect of increased host survival was also observed with a higher number of unconditioned stones. These results suggest that a simple increase in the heterogeneity of aquaculture environment can significantly reduce the impact of diseases, most likely operating through a reduction in pathogen transmission (stone quantity) and the formation of beneficial microbial communities (stone quality). This supports enriched rearing as an ecological and economic way to prevent bacterial infections with the minimal use of antimicrobials.


Water ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 13 (5) ◽  
pp. 585
Author(s):  
Catalina Iticescu ◽  
Puiu-Lucian Georgescu ◽  
Maxim Arseni ◽  
Adrian Rosu ◽  
Mihaela Timofti ◽  
...  

The use of sewage sludge in agriculture decreases the pressure on landfills. In Romania, massive investments have been made in wastewater treatment stations, which have resulted in the accumulation of important quantities of sewage sludge. The presence of these sewage sludges coincides with large areas of degraded agricultural land. The aim of the present article is to identify the best technological combinations meant to solve these problems simultaneously. Adapting the quality and parameters of the sludge to the specificity of the land solves the possible compatibility problems, thus reducing the impact on the environment. The physico-chemical characteristics of the fermented sludge were monitored and optimal solutions for their treatment were suggested so as to allow that the sludge could be used in agriculture according to the characteristics of the soils. The content of heavy metals in the sewage sludge was closely monitored because the use of sewage sludge as a fertilizer does not allow for any increases in the concentrations of these in soils. The article identifies those agricultural areas which are suitable for the use of sludge, as well as ways of correcting some parameters (e.g., pH), which allow the improvement of soil quality and obtained higher agricultural production.


2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (14) ◽  
pp. 6537
Author(s):  
Marian Łupieżowiec

The article presents the concept of monitoring buildings and infrastructure elements located near large construction investments (the construction of high-rise buildings of the Oak Terraces housing estate in Katowice and the construction of a tunnel under the roundabout in Katowice along the intercity express road DTŚ). The impacts include deep excavation, lowering of the groundwater level over a large area, and dynamic influences related to the use of impact methods of soil improvement. The presented monitoring includes observation of the groundwater level with the use of piezometers, geodetic measurements of settlement and inclinations, as well as the measurement of vibration amplitudes generated during the works involving shocks and vibrations. It was also important to observe the development of cracks on the basis of a previously made inventory of damage. The results of the monitoring allow corrections to be made in the technology of works (e.g., reduction of vibration amplitudes, application of additional protections at excavations, etc.) or the use additional safety measures. Currently, there are also monitoring systems used during the operation of completed facilities.


2019 ◽  
Vol 24 (2) ◽  
pp. 199-217 ◽  
Author(s):  
Boy Lüthje

The article examines the development of advanced digital manufacturing (as outlined in the ‘Made-in-China 2025’ government plan) from the perspective of the changing socio-technical paradigms of production. The analysis focuses on the transformations of value chains and work, based on theories of social shaping of technology, regulation theory and regimes of production. Analytically, the author proposes to distinguish between ‘production-driven’ and ‘distribution-driven’ pathways of manufacturing digitalisation. The transformation of semi-rural industrial areas (‘Taobao villages’, named after China’s largest e-commerce platform Taobao) into mass production clusters for e-commerce is depicted as a paradigmatic model of distribution-driven transformation and as a characteristic Chinese strategy in this field. The article examines the impact on industry supply chains and work, leading to ever-more precarious conditions of employment. Policy recommendations focus on local strategies to stabilise supply chain structures and working conditions, as an alternative to the present top-down approaches to manufacturing modernisation in China.


Phytotaxa ◽  
2015 ◽  
Vol 207 (3) ◽  
pp. 273
Author(s):  
FRITHJOF A.S. STERRENBURG ◽  
STUART R. STIDOLPH ◽  
EUGENIA A. SAR ◽  
Ines Sunesen

In continuation of an earlier paper on Pleurosigma species with an (almost) non-sigmoid valve and raphe sternum, a comparative study was made in LM and SEM of Pleurosigma subrectum and P. acus. For P. subrectum, slides and a subsample of the type material were examined. For P. acus no unmounted material permitting SEM investigation is extant; a sample containing specimens fully matching the type in LM was therefore used as epitype material for SEM. The original data on striation of P. acus are emended. No morphological differences indicating separate specific status of these two taxa were observed and P. acus is therefore here designated a heterotypic synonym of P. subrectum. From the data now available, this is a very widely distributed species. The study demonstrates the indispensable role of collections for investigations on the diversity and distribution of diatom species.


2017 ◽  
Vol 38 (4) ◽  
pp. 580-593 ◽  
Author(s):  
Nick Deschacht ◽  
Ann-Sophie De Pauw ◽  
Stijn Baert

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to test hypotheses regarding the importance of employee preferences in explaining sticky floors, the pattern that women are, compared to men, less likely to start to climb the job ladder. Design/methodology/approach The authors use original data obtained using a survey and a vignette study in which participants had to score the likeliness with which they would accept job offers with different promotion characteristics. Findings The main findings are that young female professionals have a less pronounced preference for more demanding and less routinary jobs and that this effect is mediated by the greater risk aversion and anticipated gender discrimination among women. No gender differences were found in the relative likeliness to apply for jobs that involve a promotion in terms of job authority. Research limitations/implications The vignette method assumes that artificial settings with low stakes do not bias results. Another limitation follows from the focus on inter-organizational promotions among young professionals, which raises the question to what extent the results can be generalized to broader settings. Originality/value This paper contributes to the literature on gender differences in careers by measuring the impact of employee preferences on gender differences in career decisions.


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