bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
Multifocal M. Intracellulare Osteomyelitis in an Immunocompetent Child
Authors: Raszka William V. , Trinh Thu-Thao , Zawadsky Peter M.
Published: November 2007

We report the successful treatment of disseminated Mycobacterium intracellulare osteomyelitis, without evidence of other visceral involvement, in a previously healthy, HIV-negative, 2-year-old female using a 23-month regimen of antimicrobial agents that included 18 months of oral therapy with azithromycin, rifabutin, trimethoprimsulfamethoxazole (TMP/SMX), and ethambutol.
Cutaneous Herpes Simplex Virus Infection in a Child With Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome
Authors: Choudhury Shahana A. , Hodes David S. , Peters Vicki B. , Bottone Edward J.
Published: November 2007

Infections with herpes simplex virus (HSV) are common in children with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection and can be severe and atypical.1 Herein, we report a case of a progressive wound of the hand associated with HSV type 1 in a child with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS).
Microalbuminuria in an Adolescent Cohort With Insulin-Dependent Diabetes Mellitus
Authors: Quattrin Teresa , Waz Wayne R. , Duffy Linda C. , Sheldon Mark W. , Campos Susana P. , Albini Christine H. , Feld Leonard G.
Published: November 2007

To document the incidence of microalbuminuria in children and adolescents with longstanding insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and to compare the clinical characteristics and determinant risk factors of those with and without microalbuminuria, 135 adolescent patients with IDDM for 5 years or longer were evaluated. The study population was divided on the basis of microalbumin excretion into normal (<20 μg/min), incipient (20-200 μg/min), and overt (>200 μg/min) nephropathy groups. There were 106 patients in the normal group, 24 patients in the incipient group, and five in the overt nephropathy group. Glycosylated hemoglobin, cholesterol concentration, and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were analyzed. The incidence of incipient and overt nephropathy was 17.8% and 3.7%, respectively. Mean cholesterol concentration in the incipient and overt nephropathy groups (208 ± 39 mg/dL [5.4 ± 1.0 mmol/L] ) and 227 ± 49 mg/dL [5.9 ± 1.3 mmol/L] , respectively) was significantly higher than the normal group (186 ± 37 mg/dL [4.8 ± 0.9 mmol/L] P<0.05). Similarly, systolic and diastolic blood pressures were significantly higher in the incipient and overt nephropathy groups compared to the normal group. This study confirms the high incidence of incipient and overt nephropathy in adolescents with IDDM early in the course of the disease.
Agenesis of the Trachea
Authors: Josephson Gary D. , Brown-Wagner Marie , Josephson Jordan S.
Published: November 2007

Respiratory distress in the newborn requires emergent treatment. Many times, the physician can simply intubate the neonate, gaining airway control, and then proceed to find a cause for the distress among a differential diagnosis. Other times, emergent tracheotomy is performed because intubation is unsuccessful. We present a patient with agenesis of the trachea, a rare anomaly of the respiratory tract that is uniformly fatal, despite attempts at intervention.
Infective Endocarditis in Neonates
Authors: Daher Amirah H. , Berkowitz Frank E.
Published: November 2007

We studied retrospectively the predisposing factors and signs of infective endocarditis (IE) in neonates and infants younger than 3 months of age, and we suggest diagnostic criteria. The charts of 16 infants less than 3 months of age, diagnosed with IE during a 5-year period, were reviewed for possible maternal and infant risk factors and for pathognomonic clinical and laboratory features. No apparent maternal risk factors were noted. Infant risk factors were congenital heart disease (4), patent ductus arteriosus (PDA) (5), and the use of central venous catheters (14). The main clinical findings were cardiac murmurs (12), petechiae (2), skin abscesses (7), arthritis (2), hepatomegaly (9), and splenomegaly (2). Echocardiography revealed a mass or vegetation in nine patients. Of the 27 microorganisms isolated from blood, the most common were staphylococci (15) and Candida sp. (6). Urine cultures were positive in six patients and cerebrospinal fluid cultures were positive in one. Other laboratory findings were not of diagnostic value. We conclude that the main risk factors for neonatal IE are central venous catheters and congenital heart disease, including PDA. The main causative microorganisms are staphylococci and Candida sp. The main investigations of diagnostic value are blood and urine cultures and echocardiography. We propose the diagnostic categories of definite, probable, and possible cases of neonatal IE, based primarily on clinical, blood culture, and echocardiographic data.
The Timing of SIDS Deaths in Premature Infants in an Urban Population
Authors: Lipsky Caren L. , Gibson Eric , Cullen James A. , Rankin Kathleen , Spitzer Alan R.
Published: November 2007

Previous reports have demonstrated that premature infants are at greatly increased risk for sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS). Although only 9% of infants are born at less than 36 weeks' gestation, 20% of SIDS victims are former premature infants. The objective of this study was to characterize the time course of SIDS in premature infants and to determine why SIDS occurs at such a high rate in this patient population. A database of all cases of SIDS in Philadelphia from 1987 through 1991 was used to establish the time course for SIDS deaths in term and preterm infants. Gestational age was established by Dubowitz exam. To evaluate distinctly different age groups, infants from 32-36 weeks were excluded from analysis. Age at death and postconceptional age of death were compared for both groups. Data are described in weeks (mean ± SEM), and analyzed using unpaired t-test and log-rank test to compare survival rate between term and preterm infants. A significant difference (P<0.01) was noted in age at death of term versus preterm infants. No difference was found in postconceptional age of death. The survival rates were also different (P<0.001). Preterm infants showed a much wider distribution in age of death from SIDS. The term infants followed the classic SIDS curve. By 32 weeks' postnatal age, 95% of all SIDS had taken place in the term group, but only 75% in the preterm group. The age at death for SIDS differs in the preterm infant. These data reinforce the concept of prolonged vulnerability of preterm infants to SIDS. Survival of greater numbers of premature infants makes it increasingly important to focus efforts for SIDS prevention in this group for a longer period of time.
The Role of Serology in the Diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori Infection in Children
Authors: Jae Geon Sim  , Eui Chong Kim  , Jeong Kee Seo
Published: November 2007

The aim of this study was to evaluate the diagnostic accuracy of serologic tests and to verify whether specific IgG antibody can be used in the diagnosis of Helicobacter pylori infection in children without endoscopy. Serologic and endoscopic examinations were performed in 310 children (1 month-15 years) with gastrointestinal symptoms. Serologic outcomes were compared with the results of rapid urease test, histologic examination, and culture. The prevalence of H. pylori infection was 21.0% and the seropositivity of H. pylori was 24.2% in these symptomatic children. Serologic examination for diagnosis of H. pylori showed a sensitivity of 94.9% and a specificity of 92.4%, diagnostic reliability equal to the rapid urease test and histologic examination in children. The serum IgG test is a useful tool for the diagnosis of H. pylori infection, especially in children.
Recognition and Management of Teething Diarrhea Among Florida Pediatricians
Authors: Coreil Jeannine , Price Lorinda , Barkey Nanette
Published: November 2007

According to current medical opinion, teething diarrhea (TD) is a myth; yet cross-cultural data document a worldwide distribution of popular belief in the association of frequent, loose stools with tooth eruption. A mail survey in 1990 of 215 pediatricians practicing in Florida investigated beliefs and practices related to TD. Thirty-five percent of respondents believed there is a real association between diarrhea and tooth eruption. When compared with pediatricians who do not believe in TD, these respondents were more likely to be more recent graduates of medical school, to be in general pediatric practice, to be female, to see more patients per week, and to practice in metropolitan areas. The most common explanations for the link between dentition and diarrhea were changes in eating habits, increased salivation, and stress. Respondents reported that both they and the parents of their patients tended to view TD as less serious than other types of diarrhea, and both managed it accordingly. When compared with earlier studies, our findings indicate that belief in TD among pediatricians may have increased since the 1970s. The results suggest a need for more empirical research on the effects of tooth eruption on bowel function.
Addition of Rifampin to Cephalexin Therapy for Recalcitrant Staphylococcal Skin Infections—An Observation
Authors: Feder Nenry M. , Pond Karen E.
Published: November 2007

We report two pediatric patients with recalcitrant staphylococcal infections whose infections resolved when rifampin was added to standard antistaphylococcal therapy. One patient had a post-varicella staphylococcal ulcerative lesion and did not respond to cephalexin alone but did respond when rifampin was added. A second patient had staphylococcal bullous impetigo and did not respond to dicloxacillin or cephalexin but did respond when rifampin was added to the cephalexin. If a patient fails to respond to traditional antistaphylococcal therapy, the addition of rifampin may be beneficial.
Therapeutic Approaches to Neonatal Jaundice: An International Survey
Authors: Hansen Thor Willy Ruud
Published: November 2007

Jaundice is one of the most common clinical phenomena in the neonatal period and a frequent indication for treatment with phototherapy, exchange transfusion, or drugs. The present study documents the variability in approaches to the treatment of this condition. A mail questionnaire was sent to neonatal units worldwide. One hundred and eight answers (49% response rate) were received from Europe (n=72), North America (n=28), Africa (n=7), and Asia (n=1). The neonatal intensive care units represented by the respondents had 31 ±18 beds [mean ±SD], and 638 ±519 admissions per year. All units offered phototherapy, 106/ 108 performed exchange transfusions, while 44/ 108 used some form of drug therapy. There was considerable variability among the units in their approaches to the jaundiced neonate. This applied to all aspects of care, including type of phototherapy lights used, practical implementation of phototherapy, use of fluid supplementation, and use of prophylactic phototherapy. The majority used written protocols for investigation and treatment of neonatal jaundice and would let their decision on whether to treat be influenced by the infant's clinical state. There was great variability between units in the level of serum bilirubin that would trigger therapy. This applied across weight groups and to phototherapy as well as exchange transfusion. The significant heterogeneity in our approach to the treatment of jaundiced neonates suggests that our understanding of the biology of neonatal jaundice is inadequate and that further research will be necessary in order to provide a more solid biological foundation for therapy.
Sleep Apnea in Patients Receiving Growth Hormone
Authors: Gerard James M. , Garibaldi Luigi , Myers Susan E. , Aceto Thomas , Kotagal Suresh , Gibbons Vincent P. , Stith John , Weber Colleen
Published: November 2007

Among 145 patients treated with recombinant human growth hormone (GH), four devel oped sleep apnea (two obstructive, two mixed) associated with tonsillar and adenoidal hypertrophy in three. These four patients had no local risk factors predisposing to upper airway obstruction (i.e., frequent pharyngitis or sinusitis). Clinical and/or polysomnographic features of sleep apnea improved following cessation of GH therapy in one patient, and following tonsillectomy and adenoidectomy in all patients. The present observations indicate that, albeit rarely, obstructive and/or central sleep apnea may occur in children treated with GH. Polysomnography should be considered if symptoms of snoring, interrupted sleep, daytime somnolence—particularly if associated with tonsillar hypertrophy—appear in children during GH therapy.
NIDDM-Y in First Nation Children in Canada
Authors: Dean Heather
Published: November 2007

Prevalence of NIDDM-Y in children in many First Nations communities in Manitoba and northwestern Ontario is now severalfold greater than the prevalence of IDDM in the general pediatric population. Rates vary among First Nations communities in Canada owing to inconsistent screening programs and different genetic risk. The number of undiagnosed, asymptomatic cases is predicted to be at least 2× greater than the known cases. Serious complications of diabetes are known to occur in the early third decade of life and within 10 years of diagnosis. Long-term follow-up data are scarce. Nonpharmacologic management in youths has been successful in short-term studies but generally unsuccessful in achieving long-term acceptable glycemic control. The safety and efficacy of pharma cologic interventions have not been proven in this age group, particularly the prepubertal group. NIDDM-Y fits the WHO criteria for a disease appropriate for screening. There is an urgent need for consistent community-based screening programs and randomized controlled trials of pharmacologic interventions to test the safety and efficacy of these agents in primary prevention and secondary prevention of complications in youths. Clin Pediatr. 1998;37:89-96
Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes in Children and Adolescents: The Therapeutic Challenge
Authors: Jones Kenneth Lee
Published: November 2007

Data are presented comparing non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) and insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) in youth. Children and adolescents with NIDDM were predominantly Mexican-American, presented less frequently in ketoacidosis, had a greater frequency of family history of diabetes, had higher BMIs (27.4 vs 16.6 kg/m2), and had higher frequency of acanthosis nigricans (67% vs 1.2%). Logistical, social, and cultural challenges facing the physician treating children and adolescents with NIDDM are discussed, and treatment options for NIDDM in youth are briefly reviewed. Clin Pediatr. 1998;37:103-110
The role of the speech therapist in a language school
Authors: Haynes Corinne
Published: November 2007

A language school provides a total remedial and learning environment for the language disordered child, in which the speech therapist can ficnction most effectively by participating in a staff team. Team members from different disciplines make separate but complementary contributions to the remedial programme, but productive fusion of these approaches is not achieved without effort and good will. The therapist's role can be defined (1) with other professionals as communicator, both giving and receiving information, and coordinator of language programmes, (2) with parents as informant, listener and developer of skills, (3) with the children as diagnostician, therapist and - constantly - learner.
Oral language of dyslexic adolescents
Authors: Stirling E.G. , Miles T.R.
Published: November 2007

Evidence is presented which suggests that dyslexic adolescents need help in learning to express themselves orally. Suggestions are made as to possible ways of providing such help.
The use of nonwords in teaching reading to a 13-year-old language- impaired pupil: an intervention case study
Authors: Davies Cheryl , Grauberg Eva
Published: November 2007

This article describes procedures to overcome the reluctance of a 13-year-old language-impaired pupil to use phonic strategies in reading. The pupil was suffering from a variety of language deficiencies, of which labelling problems were the most severe. A 'crash course' of 40 short intervention sessions over a period of three months was given, involving the use of nonwords. The results, which showed some improvement in the pupil's performance, are given. The contribution of the course to this improvement is discussed.
A comparative study of paired-reading techniques using parents as tutors to second-year junior school children
Authors: Diaper Gordon
Published: November 2007

This paper describes a study which compares the effectiveness of 'classical' paired reading with simultaneous and independent reading over a period of nine weeks using parent tutors with second-year junior children. The results confirm the indications from other largely non- controlled studies that the classical approach is superior to other variations of paired reading. Of importance is the finding that the less able reader appears to benefit to a greater extent than the more able reader from being tutored in reading by a parent, especially in the long-term.
Using language through reading (LTR II)
Authors: Fisher John
Published: November 2007

An account is given of a method of implementing part of the Language through Reading scheme in a classroom context with language- handicapped children. Different steps in the method are described in detail, and some observations about further work presented.
Social communicative behaviours of language-disordered Mexican- American students
Authors: Kayser Hortencia
Published: November 2007

The purpose of this study was to provide a qualitative description of the similarities and differences in the observed social communicative be haviours of three Mexican-American children, aged 7 to 9 years, identified as language handicapped. This research used primarily diary notes of daily observations, language samples of the children in their daily classroom interactions, and interviews with significant informants over a four-month period. Results indicated that two of the children had social communicative abilities that were different from the third child. These two children had friends who were from diverse achievement groups and who initiated conversations with them; they had the ability to initiate games, and used discreet gestures during communication with peers; and they had numerous group interactions. These two children's communication skills were not like those described in the literature for children interacting within the classroom and who have a language disorder.
Helping out Mr Tongue, or, Who's the boss?
Authors: Stacey Kathleen
Published: November 2007

A major objective in working with articulation delayed/disordered children is to find constructive, positive and fun ways of intervening which support the child's self esteem. This paper describes an approach developed from systems theory (family therapy) which invites children to be in charge or 'be boss' of their tongue, by externalizing their difficulty and allowing them to deal with it in a non-blaming way. It is proposed that this approach deals more positively with issues of motivation, progress, generalization, and self esteem. The theoretical origins, current developments, applications, and future visions for this approach are discussed.
Profiles of the relationship between phonology and language in late talkers
Authors: Tyler Ann A.
Published: November 2007

The focus of this article is on the relationship between phonological and language development in children who were identified as slow in expressive language development at 21 to 32 months of age. A detailed retrospective review of 12 children who were followed for six months to a year or longer is presented. Lexical, syntactic, and phonological information from clinical records was analysed to determine if language and phonological domains were developing commensurately. All sub jects displayed phonological and language behaviours that were com mensurate at their initial evaluation. At the one-year follow-up data point, 25% of the subjects no longer displayed an expressive language delay. The majority of subjects were still delayed in development and no longer displayed language and phonological skills that were commensu rate. For half of the subjects, phonological behaviours lagged behind developmental language level. Profiles regarding the time when phono logical and language domains separate are proposed, and variables related to outcomes, such as the focus of intervention, are discussed.
Language intervention with a 'family- centered, collaborative, transdisciplinary, integrated' approach: an example
Authors: Bernhardt Barbara , Smith Doreen , Smith Robert
Published: November 2007

This article provides an example of some current collaborative trends in language intervention. The authors are the speech-language pathologist and the parents of the child involved in intervention, a child with a pervasive developmental disorder with autistic features in the context of a Fetal Dilantin Syndrome. We describe both his development from age 4 to 6 and the therapeutic process we have undertaken.
Vowel assessment and remediation: a case study
Authors: Penney Giselle , Fee E. Jane , Dowdle Cindy
Published: November 2007

This study presents data from a preschooler (aged 4;11) with a phonological disorder involving the vocalic system. Assessment, using a revised version of Pollock and Keiser's stimulus word list for examining the vowels of English, shows that this child had a reduced, nine-vowel system. She lacked the front low vowel /æ/, the back vowels /u/, /υ / and /o/, the low central vowel /a/, and the diphthong /au/. The low front vowel was always produced as a back vowel, while the back tense vowels were generally produced as diphthongs. Overall, 65% of her vowels were correct. Intervention strategies were developed, targeting the vowels /u/ and /æ/.
Literature on hearing impairment: a source of help with inclusion
Authors: Candler-Lotven Ann C. , Hildreth Bertina L. , Strawderman Carol Wright
Published: November 2007

This manuscript provides an alternative to professional literature for expanding one's knowledge base of hearing impairments and related issues. The alternative described proposes the use of books written by individuals with hearing impairments, their family members, or teach ers. For discussion purposes, the books are grouped into five categories: (a) technology associated with hearing impairment; (b) language acqui sition and methods of communication; (c) adjustment to hearing impairment; (d) normalcy of individuals with a hearing impairment; and (e) family perspectives in dealing with hearing impairment. Utiliza tion of this source may be helpful in facilitating inclusion of students with hearing impairments because of the firsthand insights they provide.
Language therapy with a child with sensory integration dysfunction: a case study
Authors: Klecan-Aker Joan S. , Green Laura Brueggeman , Flahive Lynn K.
Published: November 2007

The purpose of the present investigation was to design, implement, and measure the outcome of a language treatment programme for a school- age child with sensory integration dysfunction. Standardized tests and criterion-referenced measures were used to determine areas of difficulty and goals for treatment. Treatment was implemented on a twice-a-week basis for 32 weeks. Data were obtained every four weeks throughout the course of the treatment. Progress, although variable across objectives, was noted in each of the targeted areas. Results are discussed in terms of selecting targets from baseline data, how a sensory integration disorder can make an impact on language functions, and the importance of measuring outcomes.
Acauisition of lexical semantic fields: an evaluation of the PRISM-L procedure
Authors: Long Steven H. , Hand Linda
Published: November 2007

While developmental approaches to language treatment are prevalent in the domains of grammar and phonology, they are rare and poorly organized in the area of vocabulary. This is due both to a lack of data on lexical acquisition and to the difficulty of developing a practical clinical procedure for assessing and remediating lexical deficits. One of the few available procedures, Crystal's (1982) PRISM-L, has been largely neglected. In this study, we evaluated PRISM-L's developmental arrangement of lexemes by coding spontaneous speech data obtained in the Mount Gravatt Project (Hart, Walker, and Gray, 1977) from Australian children 2;6 to 6;6 years of age. Results showed regular developmental changes for all groups, with the exception of some anomalies among children 4;6 years old. Comparison of the number of lexeme types to the sequence predicted by PRISM-L produced a statistically significant but low correlation (r = 0.229). By reorganizing the PRISM-L chart to retain a linguistically coherent structure but better match the obtained data, a substantially better correlation (r = 0.763) was achieved. This revised chart is recommended for future clinical use.
Some observations on the use of conjunctions when using the CELF-R with hearing-impaired children
Authors: Martin Lois , Bench John
Published: November 2007

Some results when using the Clinical Evaluation of Language Fundamen tals-Revised (CELF-R) with 17 children with severe to profound hearing losses are reported. Of particular interest was the pattern of responses when using conjunctions, especially before and after. A preference was observed for postponing the subordinate clause when using before and after, but not with other conjunctions. Although the children could use before and after, meaningfully, they were restricted in the range of contexts where they would be successful in so doing. It is suggested that a lack of syntactic versatility prevented these children from using some conjunctions fully. This lack of versatility is discussed in the context of the communicative difficulties which hearing-impaired children are likely to experience.
Converging Institutions: Shaping Relationships Between Nanotechnologies, Economy, and Society
Authors: Ott Ingrid , Papilloud Christian
Published: November 2007

Nanotechnologies are technologies applied to a molecular level, which can be embedded in materials including human cells and atoms of mineral, chemical, or physical substrates. Nanotechnologies have been used in attempts to foster interactions between a multitude of products, production processes, and social actors. Just like bio, info, and cognitive science, nanotechnologies belong to the so-called converging technologies, which are expected to change main societal paths toward a more functional and coarser mesh. However, research, development, and di fusion of converging technologies depends on the adaptability of existing economic structures and on the social acceptance of products and services augmented by nanotechnologies. Because of these characteristics, externalities and the risk of systemic divergences caused by potentially noncontrollable or unwanted interactions between sectors, actors, and environments may arise and disturb the e ficiency of the innovation process. Converging institutions, however, aim to manage these market imperfections and social risks in the long run.
Alternative Medicine's Encounter with Laboratory Science
Authors: Kim Jongyoung
Published: November 2007

Through ethnographic research at the Graduate School of East—West Medical Science (GSM) at Kyung Hee University in South Korea, this paper examines how a hybrid research team translates Korean medicine (KM) into scientific languages through the mobilization of laboratory science in a global knowledge-making field. Paying attention to the asymmetric power relationship between KM and science, I show that the richness and liveliness of KM is truncated as it enters the global scientific field. This lab study examines: (1) KM's double approach to local KM and global scientific fields; (2) the lab's political function in relation to biomedicine and science; and (3) the identity crisis and reconstruction of KM caused by its scientific translation.
Listening Without Prejudice?
Authors: Evans Robert , Plows Alexandra
Published: November 2007

Public participation in technological decision-making is increasingly seen as de rigueur, but the limits and purpose of such participation remain open to debate. In this paper we explore the tension between different rationales for widening participation and examine their implications for its practice. Taking debates about medical genomics in the UK as an illustrative example, we argue that more heterogeneous participation and debate have the potential to improve the scrutiny and accountability of science within representative democracies. In doing so we also argue that it is necessary to replace the language of `lay expertise' with a more systematic and rigorous treatment of the expertise or its absence that characterizes different participants. Drawing on the theoretical work of Collins & Evans (2002), we distinguish between those processes where expert knowledge is required and debate is conducted within the public domain, rather than by the public itself, and those where the views of non-expert lay citizens are needed and valued. The effect of adopting this approach is to permit a more inclusive treatment of the `technical' while also providing a positive role for non-expert citizens in the democratic control and oversight of science.
Secondary spontaneous pneumothorax in rapidly progressive forms of silicosis: characterization of pulmonary function measurements and clinical patterns
Authors: Mohebbi Iraj , Rad Isa Abdi
Published: November 2007

Background: A secondary spontaneous pneumothorax is a complication of an underlying pulmonary disease. In recent years, there have been only a few scattered reports of patients with silicosis also having a pneumothorax. Silicosis, a form of disabling pulmonary fibrosis, is a well-known occupational disease resulting from high-level exposure to silica or silica-containing dusts. The objective of the present study was to elucidate any associations between the occurrence of a pneumothorax, and pulmonary function tests and clinical observations performed prior to the pneumothorax; these two factors may be predictors for a pneumothorax among workers exposed primarily to silica-containing respirable dust. Methods: A diagnosis of silicosis was made on several factors: silica dust exposure, appropriate interval of time after exposure, clinical findings, pulmonary function tests and chest radiological findings. A checklist was designed for collecting data of occupational history, respiratory signs, and symptoms from onset of dust exposure to the occurrence of a pneumothorax. Spirometery was conducted in accordance to the recommendations of standard protocols and guidelines posited by the American Thoracic Society. Autopsies were performed in three cases where the patient had suffered a pneumothorax due to silicosis. Mann—Whitney U-tests and Fisher's exact tests were used to determine any associations between pneumothorax and predictor factors. Results: An association between a progressive decrease in pulmonary function test values and a pneumothorax was observed. The occurrence of a pneumothorax was associated with complaints of pleuretic chest pain, resting dyspnea, respiratory distress, paroxysmal nocturnal dyspnea, orthopnea and crackle. Conclusion: A characteristic decline in pulmonary function test values and the severity of respiratory impairment may facilitate the occurrence of a pneumothorax in silicosis. Toxicology and Industrial Health 2007; 23: 125—132.
Chasing Shadows? Perspectives on Self-Regulation in UK Charity Fundraising
Authors: Harrow Jenny
Published: November 2007

The policy developments culminating in the creation of a self-regulatory body for charity fundraising for England, Scotland and Wales are explored. Underpinned by literature on regulation, the paper identifies policy chronology and processes leading to the establishment of a 'Fundraising Standards Board' in 2006. It reports on the roles of some leading charities in driving the policy forward and draws on the metaphor of the 'shadow of the state' as ever present in self-regulation systems. It considers the prior complexity of UK charity fundraising regulation and suggests that this latest development reflects a market-based view of the fundraising environment, rather than one which delivers new accountabilities.
Estimating the age of peat samples from their weight: a study from west-central Canada
Authors: Zoltai S.C.
Published: November 2007

Radiocarbon dates of 116 peat samples from 66 sites in the Boreal and Subarctic region of west-central Canada were used to obtain peat mass accumulation rates. A direct relationship is shown between the peat mass and the time during which the peat has accumulated in peat deposits of bogs and fens in ecologically defined regions. Peat mass accumulation was more rapid in the Boreal peatlands than in the Subarctic peatlands and it was more predictable in environmentally uniform bogs than in the more complex fens. Age estimates may be suitable for a general indication of age for studies where absolute accuracy is not required.
General circulation (GCM) modelling of palaeoclimates: a critique
Authors: Street-Perrott F. Alayne
Published: November 2007

The best method so far devised for testing the ability of a general circulation model (GCM) to simulate climates very different from today is to conduct 'snapshot' experiments for specific times in the past at which the climatic forcing can be prescribed in detail. This paper focuses on the period from the last glacial maximum through the Holocene. During this interval, changes in atmospheric circulation were driven primarily by variations in the seasonality of insolation and secondarily by variations in surface-boundary conditions accompanying deglaciation. Changes in atmospheric transparency are usually neglected, apart from lower CO2 at 18 ka BP.

Palaeoclimatic simulations have yielded important insights into the dynamics of glacial/interglacial climate change. The results have been tested in three main ways: 1) qualitative comparison of the spatial patterns of climate anomalies; 2) comparison of the simulated climate at individual grid points or groups of grid points with quantitative estimates derived from geological data; and 3) further processing of the model output to yield simulated values of palaeoclimatic indicators such as pollen spectra. The first approach makes effective use of qualitative data, for example, aeolian evidence. The second is largely confined to data-rich areas such as Europe and North America. The third technique, which capitalises on the relative strengths of both approaches, deserves much greater attention.
The Holocene climatic record of the salt caves of Mount Sedom Israel
Authors: Frumkin A. , Magaritz M. , Carmi I. , Zak I.
Published: November 2007

Mount Sedom is a salt diapir, on the southwestern shore of the Dead Sea, which has been rising above the local base level throughout the Holocene. Karst development within the salt body has kept pace with the rise forming subhorizontal cave passages with vertical shafts. Wood fragments found embedded in flood sediments that were deposited in the cave passages yielded 14C ages ranging from c. 7100 to 200 BP. A palaeoclimatic sequence was constructed, based on parameters that include: relative abundance of plant types or floral communities, the elevations of the corresponding cave passages and the ratio of their width to present passage width. The results were correlated to the Holocene sedimentary sequence of the Dead Sea Basin, and other features associated with shifting lake levels. Moister climatic stages are indicated by relatively abundant wood remains, by wide cave passages and by elevated outlets indicating high Dead Sea level. Arid periods are marked by a scarcity of wood remains, by narrow cave passages and by low-level outlets.

The Holocene sequence of Mount Sedom is subdivided into 10 climatic stages: A moist stage in the early Holocene, older than 7000 BP, and nine subsequent stages of drier climate, fluctuating between conditions that are somewhat drier, up to somewhat moister than those of today. The Dead Sea level dropped from c. -300 MSL during the early moist period to -400 MSL or lower during the subsequent arid periods.
The late Holocene record of aeolian and fire activity in northern Québec, Canada
Authors: Filion Louise , Saint-Laurent Diane , Desponts Mireille , Payette Serge
Published: November 2007

A set of 196 14C dates was used to reconstruct Late Holocene aeolian activity in the Hudson Bay area along a south-north transect crossing the northern boreal forest, the forest tundra and the shrub tundra zones. The record indicates a minor period of aeolian activity between 4650 and 4050 BP, and three major periods at 3650-2750 BP and after 700 BP. In the northern boreal forest, there was little temporal variation in dune activity, except around 1300-950 BP where a major peak of activity is recorded. In the forest tundra, two major peaks of activity are recorded between 1650-950 BP and after 700 BP. Only minor activity occurred in the shrub tundra during the last 4000 14C-yr and some aeolian events appear to have been slightly out-of-phase compared to the two other zones. Most dates were obtained from non-charred material in the shrub tundra where, unlike in the Subarctic, the aeolian activity responded to a triggering process unconnected with fire.

The dune record is compared with that of gelifluction activity in snowpatch environments and with a detailed fire chronology derived from radiocarbon-dated conifer charcoal sampled in present-day treeless sites of the forest tundra. Post-fire gelifluction reached a maximum around 1500-1100 BP and 750 BP. Fire activity was also at a maximum after 2000 BP in the forest tundra. The similarity of the chronologies suggests that fires occurring during cold periods of the late Holocene were catastrophic, having a significant impact on soil erosion and deforestation.
Climatic change over the last millennium in Tasmania reconstructed from tree-rings
Authors: Cook E. , Bird T. , Peterson M. , Barbetti M. , Buckley B. , D'Arrigo R. , Francey R.
Published: November 2007

Tree-ring widths from millennium-old Huon pine (Lagarostrobos franklinii) trees have been used to reconstruct warm season (November-April) temperatures back to AD 900 for Tasmania. The reconstruction indicates that the most recent 100 years of climate have been highly unusual, with the coldest and warmest 25-year periods occurring from 1890 to 1914 and 1965 to 1989, respectively. Although the most recent 25-year period is warmer than any comparable period over the past 1090 years, it is not yet statistically unprecedented. Some evidence for the Medieval Warm Period and the 'Little Ice Age' can be found in the reconstruction, especially during the twelfth and seventeenth centuries respectively. However, the latter is weakly expressed compared to many records from the northern hemisphere, suggesting that the southern oceans may have significantly moderated its effect on Tasmania. Regular oscillations on the order of 30, 56, 80 and 180 years in length have been identified in the reconstruction using spectral analysis. These oscillations cannot be easily linked to climatic forcing functions related to solar or volcanic activity. Thus, they are best regarded as arising from the internal dynamics of the ocean-atmosphere-cryosphere system.
The fire history of Danish heathland areas as reflected by pollen and charred particles in lake sediments
Authors: Odgaard Bent Vad
Published: November 2007

Sediments deposited during the last 5400 years in two Danish, closed, oligotrophic lakes have been analysed for pollen, dark-coloured hyphae and microscopic charred particles. Chronologies are provided by numerous radiocarbon datings. Redundancy analysis is used to develop a model for the relationship between concentrations of sedimentary charred particles and pollen at Lake Solsø. The only pollen type which is significantly correlated with charred particles is Calluna. The model is used to predict charred particle concentrations in the sediments of lake Skånsø from the Calluna-concentrations and the predicted values are compared to the observed. The results indicate that: (1) the source area and the means of transportation for microscopic charred particles and pollen are approximately identical; (2) charred particles and pollen may be focused differentially in a lake; and (3) high fire intensities triggered heathland expansion and heaths were maintained by fires through millennia.
Fulgurites in the southern Central Sahara, Republic of Niger and their palaeoenvironmental significance
Authors: Sponholz B. , Baumhauer R. , Felix-Henningsen P.
Published: November 2007

The mineralogical and chemical characteristics of fulgurites (= natural glasses formed by lightning strikes to the ground) from the southern Central Sahara (Niger) are presented. The fulgurites are indicators of thunderstorms. The northernmost important fulgurite formation in the study area reached up to about 18°N, with decreasing fulgurite concentration from south to north. Their distribution pattern and the relative dating of their formation in relation to landscape history from the Late Pleistocene onwards (e.g., palaeolakes, palaeosols), and to Neolithic settlement reveals their value as palaeoenvironmental indicators. They indicate: (1) local palaeoenvironmental conditions depending on the topographical situation in a complex dune relief; (2) climatic change during the mid-Holocene from northerly rains to southerly rains; and (3) the northernmost limit of important thunderstorms and rainfall activity since this time in the southern Central Sahara.
Sun, ocean, climate and atmospheric 14CO2 : an evaluation of causal and spectral relationships
Authors: Stuiver Minze , Braziunas Thomas F.
Published: November 2007

Solar (heliomagnetic), geomagnetic and oceanic forcing all play a role in atmospheric 14CO2 change. Here we assign the variance associated with certain periodicities in a single year (0-450 cal. BP) and a Holocene bidecadal (0-11400 cal. BP) 14CO2 record to specific forcing factors. In the single-year time series the variance in the 2-6-year periodicity range is attributable to El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) ocean perturbations. A 10-11-year component is partially tied to solar modulation of the cosmic ray flux, and multidecadal variability may relate to either solar modulation or instability of the North Atlantic thermohaline circulation. For the early Holocene bidecadal 14C record we derive a 512-year atmospheric 14C periodicity which relates to instabilities in North Atlantic thermohaline circulation. North Atlantic deep water formation increased near the start, instead of the termination, of the Younger Dryas interval. The ubiquitous 206-year 14C cycle is assigned either to solar modulation, or to solar modulation modified by a climate (ocean) response. The latter modification is discussed as part of a hypothetical mechanism explaining postulated climate-14C relationships in which a minor solar- induced Maunder Minimum climate change is amplified by salinity effects on North Atlantic thermoha line circulation.
Anthropogenic influences on changes in the sediment load of the Yellow River, China, during the Holocene
Authors: Mei-e Ren , Zhu Xianmo
Published: November 2007

Using data on formation of the Loess Plateau of central China, loess-palaeosol sequences, pollen analysis, historical geography, and long-term experimentation on rates of soil erosion, it is demonstrated that current serious erosion on the Loess Plateau is mainly due to human destruction of the natural vegetation and irrational land use. These two modifications greatly reduce soil-infiltration capacity and resistance of the soil to erosion. The increase of soil erosion began ca. 5000 BP at which time a hunting and pastoral life began to change gradually to a sedentary life centred around cultivation. Using the volume of Holocene loessic sediments on the continental shelf of the Bohai, Yellow, and East China Seas, it is estimated that the present sediment load of the lower Yellow River is at least three times greater than it was during the Holocene. Although human-induced soil erosion in the Loess Plateau began earlier, it was not until the Tang dynasty (about 1000 BP) that it began to increase rapidly. According to available information on projected and planned economic development and major conservancy works in the Yellow River basin over the next 25 years, it is predicted that sediment load of the lower Yellow River will be reduced by about 30-40% in the early twenty-first century.
Modern pollen rain in the northwest of the British Isles
Authors: Fossitt Julie A.
Published: November 2007

Modern pollen rain in three unforested regions in the northwest of the British Isles is investigated using surface sediments from 64 small lakes (mean size 1.5 ha). Pollen assemblages from Shetland and the Western Isles accurately reflect the predominance of blanket peat vegetation on the islands and combined frequencies for the three main taxa, Calluna vulgaris, Gramineae and Cyperaceae, exceed 65% at all sites. The proportion of tree and shrub pollen is small (7-24%). Variation in pollen representation is much greater in surface samples from Donegal, Ireland; tree and shrub pollen frequencies range from 12-52% and have a mean of 30.1%. Concentrations and accumulation rates indicate that the pollen production capacity of blanket peat vegetation is comparatively high and is within the range for boreal woodland. Pollen assemblages from remote Scottish islands are not overwhelmed by long-distance inputs; a mean of 11.3% on Shetland and 13.8% on the Western Isles is thought to have originated from off-island sources. Small lakes in a treeless landscape record regional pollen signals and recruit a large proportion of pollen from outside the immediate catchment areas.
Sedimentary sequences at Sani Top, Lesotho highlands, southern Africa
Authors: Marker Margaret E.
Published: November 2007

Detailed examination of sediments retained in two north-facing cirques south of Sani Top (latitude 29°30'S; longitude 29°2'E) has been undertaken as a contribution to the Late Quaternary history of highland Lesotho. The sediments are exposed by gullies incised through the deposits. Nine sections are discussed in detail. Inorganic sediments, matrix-supported diamictons and derived orange gravels as well as organic dark clays and peats are present. Eight dated organic samples range in age from 13490BP, currently the oldest organic carbon date from highland Lesotho, to 2310 BP. The sedimentary sequences are interpreted to present a sequence of Late Quaternary events with climatic implications.
Paraglacial debris-cone formation on recently deglaciated terrain, western Norway
Authors: Ballantyne Colin K.
Published: November 2007

Five debris cones have formed on terrain deglaciated since AD 1750-75 in Bergsetdalen, western Norway. Three were surveyed and studied in detail. Two accumulated over 108-215 years and the third over 57-108 years. Accumulation on all three appears to have effectively ceased around or slightly before AD 1965 through exhaustion of readily entrainable sediment in source areas upslope. The volumes of the three cones range from c. 9500 m3 to 403 600 m3, and imply average sediment accumulation rates of 8-44 mm yr-1; sediment erosion at one site was calculated to be 37-93 mm yr-1, averaged over the entire sediment source area. Paraglacial reworking of glacial drift by debris flows appears to have been the main agent of cone development at two sites, but snow avalanches are thought to represent the main process of sediment transport at the largest cone. These findings indicate that substantial debris cones may form and become inactive within 100-200 years of deglaciation, implying that many late Pleistocene paraglacial debris cones may be virtually indistinguishable in age from neighbouring moraines and drift deposits.