bluuebunny/crossref_metadata_2025 huggingface dataset:
A Computer Program For Managing Lead Poisoning in Children
Authors: Schindler Alan M. , Torchia Mary M.
Published: November 2007

In 1991, the Centers forDisease Control (CDC) revised guidelines for management of childhood lead poisoning. 1 With acceptable blood lead levels lowered from 25 μg/dL to 10 μg/dL, the percentage of children requiring close monitoring for lead intoxication increased from 14 % to 65 % of children under age 7 years in our inner-city clinic. This report describes our experience with a computer program designed to facilitate compliance with the CDC revised guidelines.
SCIWORA (Spinal Cord Injury Without Radiographic Abnormality) in Infants and Children
Authors: Kriss Vesna Martich , Kriss Timothy C.
Published: November 2007

We review the biomechanics of the pediatric cervical spine and the clinical findings that pertain to SCIWORA (spinal cord injury without radiographic abnormality) in order to provide a more thorough understanding of this pediatric phenomenon of closed spinal trauma with significant neurologic sequelae but without bony injury. The unique hypermobility and ligamentous laxity of the pediatric bony cervical and thoracic spine predispose to a SCIWORA-type injury. In SCIWORA, the unusually elastic biomechanics of the pediatric bony spine allow deformation of the musculoskeletal structures beyond physiologic extremes, permitting direct cord trauma followed by spontaneous reduction of the bony spine. Potential mechanisms of the SCIWORA include hyperextension/ flexion, longitudinal distraction, and ischemic injury of the spinal cord.
Home Schooled Children: A Pediatric Perspective
Authors: Klugewicz Susan L. , Carraccio Carol L.
Published: November 2007

To explore the attitudes and self-assessed knowledge of pediatricians regarding home schooling and determine whether practices provide preventive services typically rendered by the school system, we surveyed pediatricians in Wisconsin and Maryland (high versus low rates of home schooling, respectively). Of the 598 (53%) responding, only 18% supported home schooling. They judged home-schooled children to perform at an average (58%) or below average (12%) level on standardized tests and regarded them to be less mature than their peers (51%). These opinions differ from studies published in the educational literature. Many practitioners do not perform routine vision (18%) or hearing (83%) screens or monitor for overdue immunizations (71%). As pediatricians and child advocates, we need to become more knowledgeable about home schooling and provide preventive services for these children. Clin Pediatr. 1999;38:407-411
Neonatal Pelvic Mass
Authors: Kurzrock Eric A. , Nudell David
Published: November 2007

The following Brief Report was written by residents. A discussion by a member of the residents' faculty follows. We invite any resident to submit such articles, together with commentary by a faculty member.
Linking the Organizational Health of Middle Grades Schools to Student Achievement
Authors: Roney Kathleen , Coleman Howard , Schlichting Kathleen A.
Published: November 2007

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between student reading achievement and the organizational health of five middle grades schools in North Carolina. The theoretical framework was based upon Hoy and Feldman's definition of organizational health, which links healthy school climates to improved learning environments and increased student achievement. A mixed-methods sequential research design was used. Data analysis revealed a moderately positive relationship among the five schools' overall Organizational Health Inventory for Middle Schools index scores and student reading scores.
Mothers and teachers looking at books with deaf children
Authors: Bishop Juliet , Gregory Susan
Published: November 2007

The normal child's linguistic experiences at home and school have received much attention in recent comparative studies, but little research has been carried out on the experiences of handicapped children in interaction with parents and teachers. The study focuses on a videorecorded book-reading situation, and compares the styles of mothers and teachers with young deaf children, examining how different adult styles affect child contributions in interaction. The results suggest that the children experience longer and more elaborate dialogues in book-reading with teachers, but with their mothers are able to exert more control in initiating and sustaining con versations. These findings are related to goals which mothers and teachers profess in such situations.
Selecting literature for young language-disordered children
Authors: Sleight Christine C.
Published: November 2007

This paper presents guidelines for selecting children's literature for use with language-disordered children. Techniques are suggested for evaluating prose and poetry, and for the use of literature in therapy.
Changes in spontaneous speech associated with therapy hiatus: a retrospective study
Authors: Hargrove Patricia M. , Holmberg Carol , Zeigler Mary
Published: November 2007

Three single-subject case studies were used to determine if language skills regress following extended breaks from therapy. Language samples were elicited from three preschool language-impaired males following four alternating periods of therapy and no therapy. The samples, which were analysed for a variety of linguistic measures, indicated that regression usually did not occur following breaks from therapy. In fact, many measures evidenced substantial improvement.
Assessing young children's receptive language development
Authors: Wheldall Kevin
Published: November 2007

The revised edition of the Sentence Comprehension Test is described. Details are presented concerning the test's reliability and validity. Comparison data on samples of children aged three to five years are reported.
A team approach to assessing and working with children with specific language difficulties
Authors: Neville Anne , Gunn Margaret
Published: November 2007

This paper describes how the needs of children with specific language difficulties are assessed and met in Liverpool. It describes (a) the assessment procedure at the Child Development Centre, in particular the joint assessment of language and cognition; (b) the links between the child development centre and the Liverpool language units; and (c) the inter disciplinary way in which this is done. It is argued that the main strengths of this set-up are continuity of care, answerability to parents, and the effective use of resources.
The efficacy of intensive group speech therapy for inner city areas
Authors: Onslow Deborah Jane
Published: November 2007

The Intensive Group Speech Therapy project arose from the perceived needs of therapists to develop alternative methods of providing speech therapy for a large number of communication-impaired children living in inner city areas of Newcastle-upon-Tyne. The main aims of the project have been achieved. With careful planning, group therapy has been shown to be an effective treatment method and a valuable diagnostic tool. Many parents have become actively involved in therapy, and the pattern and type of referrals have changed. Unqualified speech therapy aides have been shown to be invaluable. Following careful selection, special-needs children have responded well in the normal communicating environment that a group provides.
Sign systems in special education: some experiences of their use with deaf children
Authors: Lynas Wendy
Published: November 2007

The recent and striking growth in the use of sign-systems with communication-handicapped children other than the deaf has not been monitored by systematic research. Sign-systems have been in use with deaf children, however, for a considerable number of years and much research has been undertaken aimed at evaluating their effectiveness as a means of developing communication. This research is discussed, and the conclusion is that using signs with deaf children is not unproblematic. The findings may well be applicable to the use of signs with any communication- handicapped child. Thus enthusiasm for alternative communication approaches should not be mistaken for efficacy.
Dynamic assessment of spontaneous language and cue responses in adult- directed and child-directed play: a statistical and descriptive analysis
Authors: Wade Karen M. , Haynes William O.
Published: November 2007

This study used a dynamic assessment procedure to examine normally- developing and language-impaired preschoolers in terms of spon taneous language and responses to clinician cues during conditions of child-directed and adult-directed play. No significant differences were found for subject groups or conditions for the spontaneous language variables. Significant differences, however, were found in the respon siveness of the two groups to clinician cues during the adult versus child-directed play conditions. The data were also examined descriptive ly and individual responses to the play-direction conditions are re ported. The relative importance of statistical versus descriptive analyses of the data is discussed along with the clinical implications of dynamic assessment.
Developmental phonological disorders and normal speech development: a review and illustration
Authors: Grunwell Pamela
Published: November 2007

This review discusses the characteristics of phonological development from the preverbal stage of vocalizations through to the mastery of adult-like pronunciation patterns. Developmental phonological dis orders are then considered in the context of normal phonological development. Two children with unusual pronunciation patterns illus trate the characteristics of developmental phonological disorders.
Teaching reading vocabulary to a language-delayed child
Authors: Hyde-Wright Susan , Cheesman Peter
Published: November 2007

This article describes procedures used to enable a 10-year-old language- impaired pupil to use the Paget Gorman Signing System (PGSS) and DataPac strategies in reading. The pupil suffers from a variety of language deficiencies, of which labelling and word retrieval problems were the most severe. Short intervention sessions over a period of seven months were given, involving the use of words from the fuzzbuzz scheme. The results, which showed some improvement in the pupil's performance, are given. The contribution of the intervention sessions is discussed.
The Netherton concept project: a collaborative approach to assessment and teaching
Authors: Hurd Angela
Published: November 2007

This project shows how an assessment for concepts was developed and used to screen children in nursery school as part of a speech therapy management plan. It further advocates a teaching approach that is used across the curriculum, and illustrates its importance in helping children achieve specific goals within one term of intervention.
Developmental delay in young children: redressing the balance for child and parents
Authors: Stroh Katrin , Robinson Thelma
Published: November 2007

We have an integrated therapeutic approach based on the cross- fertilization of child development and psychodynamics. We work with a wide variety of children who have serious disorders of development, including language, learning and emotional problems. We work inten sively with both child and parents, as the needs and adjustment of the parents must be synchronized with those of the children. We use a sample case of a child referred for language delay to illustrate the particular approach we have found successful with such children over many years.
'Invitations to language learning': an evaluation of a language resources project
Authors: Stacey Kathleen
Published: November 2007

The 'Invitations to Language Learning' (ITLL ) project involved the collation of appropriate language resources, the production of a re source guide booklet, and the design and implementation of half-day workshops for staff working in early childhood services who have children with language delays and disorders attending their centres. This paper describes the effectiveness of this project on the increasing level of comfort, involvement and specific support work provided by early childhood staff. The evaluation was based on pre- and post- questionnaire data with follow-up interviews of 20% of participants.
Narrative performance in context: analysis and implications within a South African context
Authors: Alant E. , Tesner H. , Taljaardt E.
Published: November 2007

The importance of narrative abilities for scholastic achievement has received much attention in recent literature. The complexity of the concept Of NARRATIVE, particularly in a multi-cultural situation, necessi tates a more in-depth description of narrative abilities within a specific linguistic and social context. This article aims to describe the narrative ability of 24 Northern Sotho-speaking children in a preschool class. Quantitative and qualitative analyses of spontaneous narratives were made and are discussed. Results indicate that most of the children were reluctant to tell stories of a monologue nature, but that raters did not necessarily perceive them as 'unspontaneous' in the situation. Their story-telling ability is interpreted within the framework of a transitional oral-literacy approach, and implications for intervention are discussed.
Basic numeracy in children with specific language impairment
Authors: Donlan Chris
Published: November 2007

Experience suggests that mathematical learning is often inhibited in children with Specific Language Impairment (SLI), although their nonverbal abilities are presumed intact. The findings of a survey of basic numeracy in a broadly based sample of SLI seven-year-olds are reported. An overall deficit is found, though effects are patchy. Where verbal demands are minimized, evidence is found of relatively advanced numeracy skills in some SLI children. The findings are discussed in relation to recent experimental findings which suggest that a nonverbal representation system underlies the development of numeracy.
Using conversational data in the treatment of pragmatic disorder in children
Authors: Letts Carolyn A. , Reid Jennifer
Published: November 2007

While pragmatic disorders in children have received increasing recogni tion in recent years, therapists still lack tools for the assessment of children displaying such disorders. This paper describes an approach to assessment which is based on the analysis of samples of conversational data. A number of categories of pragmatic 'error' are identified. The system is illustrated by a brief case study. Because of inevitable problems with inter-tester reliability, it is suggested that this approach is best used for identifying areas for remediation, and for reassessment in order to evaluate therapy.
The wrong end of the stick: language-impaired children's understanding of non-literal language
Authors: Vance Maggie , Wells Bill
Published: November 2007

The comprehension of non-literal language was investigated in 18 children with specific language impairment (SLI), including a subgroup identified by clinicians as having semantic-pragmatic difficulties, match ed with a normally developing control group. No difference in group mean scores was found between the SLI children and the control group; however, differences in the relationship between receptive language level and non-literal comprehension performance were found. The subgroup identified as having semantic-pragmatic difficulties performed no worse than the other SLI children and the control children. Implications are discussed for the diagnosis and treatment of semantic-pragmatic dis order.
Using word-prediction technology to improve the writing of low-functioning hearing-impaired students
Authors: Laine C.J. , Follansbee R.
Published: November 2007

This study explored the use of computer assistance and word-prediction as cuing devices. Wordfinding, fluency, and flexibility in low-functioning deaf children were observed in their writing under non-assisted and computer-assisted situations. Although the fluency increased in all cases, so did the variation in words used. The study confirmed that using word- prediction with severely disabled, language-delayed children enhanced word fluency (word count) but not flexibility (word variety). Although many questions are raised, the use of word-prediction is directly associated with the improvement of these students' writing.
Editorial 1985
Authors: Crystal David
Published: November 2007

The aims of CLTT were outlined in an editorial introducing the first issue at the beginning of 1985. This editorial is reproduced here, partly because many of the current subscribers to the journal may not have immediate access to that first issue, and partly because it provides the context for the remarks by the editor which precede.
Intervention with preschool children with specific language impairments: a comparison of two different approaches to treatment
Authors: Kot Anne , Law James
Published: November 2007

This paper examines the effects of two different types of treatment provided for young children with a specific language impairment (SLI). Two groups of seven children matched for language skills were ran domly allocated to one of two treatment conditions. In the first, the children were given group treatment three times a week over a seven week period. At the same time the parents were provided with weekly sessions encouraging them to focus on specific aspects of their child's interaction and language development. In the second condition, children were provided with group treatment equivalent to that in the first condition but parents were not provided with the additional support. Change was measured using video analysis of parent/child interaction in a fixed context before and after the intervention. As predicted, child initiations increased following both groups providing input to children. The parents who were involved in the intervention increased their use of specific referent terms directly relevant to the nonverbal context. How ever, very little difference was noted in the behaviour of parents who were not involved in intervention. The clinical implications of these findings are discussed.
The influence of signing on adult/child interaction in a teaching context
Authors: Hurd Angela
Published: November 2007

The efficacy of signing to promote verbal comprehension and expres sion in children with learning difficulties has been considered frequently in the literature. This study examines the influence of signing on an individual teaching session. The teaching of big/little was investigated in eight children with severe learning difficulties between 3;6 and 6;0 years. Results indicate that it is a beneficial tool both for the child and for the adult which serves to improve the quality of a discourse approach to teaching.
Two into one will go: developing science for pupils with speech and language difficulties
Authors: Sim Iain
Published: November 2007

This study outlines work being undertaken to develop a scheme of work for science specifically for pupils with speech and language difficulties. It concentrates on the methods of adoption and adaptation of a recognized . scheme available on the market. It particularly emphasizes how subject- specific vocabulary can be built into schemes of work to enable pupils with speech and language difficulties to acquire vocabulary and scien tific knowledge.
Speech therapy with a group of hearing impaired adolescents II: mutual nonverbal involvement in therapy sessions
Authors: Bench John , Killen Deanne , Backhouse Roxanne , Heine Chyrisse
Published: November 2007

Speech therapy conversations between five dyads, consisting of senior speech pathology students and hearing-impaired adolescents enrolled in a Total Communication programme, were videorecorded for five weekly sessions. Samples over one-minute intervals at the start, middle, and end of the sessions were analysed for nonverbal behaviour at 3-second periods on 5-point scales covering body orientation, body position, eye gaze, facial expression, head position, and gesture/hand movement. Combination of the six resulting scores produced composite scores, which analysis of variance showed to differ significantly between dyads, sessions, intervals, and conversation partners (students versus adolescents). There were also significant interactions between dyads X sessions, dyads X partners, and sessions X partners. Examples using simple time series analysis complemented the analysis of variance by describing evidence for cyclical involvement between conversation partners.
Teaching the spontaneous use of semantic relations through multipointing to a child with autism and severe learning disabilities
Authors: Potter C.A. , Whittaker C.A.
Published: November 2007

A teaching model in the area of spontaneous communication, undertaken through practitioner research, with Nick, a nonverbal 5-year-old boy with autism and severe learning disabilities, is examined. Multipointing, which is the use of sequences of points, to convey a single complex message during the same communicative act, was taught in progressively less structured situations to facilitate the spontaneous use of a variety of semantic relations. High rates of spontaneous use of multipointing to indicate 'location', 'agent' and 'object' were seen. Results were discussed in terms of symbolization and motor en coding difficulties.
Working with 11-16-year-old pupils with language and communication difficulties in the mainstream school
Authors: Miller Carol , Roux Judy
Published: November 2007

The need for appropriate provision for 11-16 year-olds (secondary school pupils) with language and communication difficulties is increasingly appar ent. This paper discusses the needs of pupils and the characteristics of secondary schools, identified by a group of teachers and speech and language therapists. Their experience provides suggestions for specific aspects of guid ance and the content of professional development activities for practitioners in this level of education.
Compleat Compliance
Authors: Ainsworth Martin
Published: November 2007

Explains how recent legislation and the effects of corporate scandals have necessitated greater due diligence on companies and individuals. Gives details of relevant existing and forthcoming legislation and discusses how a due diligence process can ensure compliance with the law. Points out that prospective clients, employees and investors may all require investigation, and then reviews some of the information sources available for use in both corporate and individual investigations. Considers the impact of international developments, particularly in the light of increased merger and acquisition activity, and discusses some of the barriers to acquiring effective due diligence. Finally considers the applicability of selected commercial databases.
Reflections on the Field
Authors: Rees Amanda
Published: November 2007

This paper examines the content, form and function of popularized accounts of primatological research in the field. Based on the textual analysis of 11 popular accounts published from 1964 to 2001, it demonstrates that a key element of such scientific writing is the construction and presentation of the primates themselves as knowledgeable actors within particular social, ecological and moral landscapes. It places these accounts in the context of the problem of anthropomorphism within the history of the behavioural sciences, and argues that, given the importance of avoiding anthropomorphism in primatological research, the presentation of primate research subjects as persons must serve some significant function. It suggests that while one reason for this might be the severely endangered status of many primates, another might be found in the development of particular methodological strategies for conducting field site research, strategies that may help researchers form individualized relationships with their research subjects. However, such public productions of primate personality have political consequences, consequences that the science studies community needs to consider more carefully.
Obvious Decisions
Authors: Graber Frédéric
Published: November 2007

This paper investigates the decision-making procedures in a technical assembly, the assemblée des Ponts et Chaussées, at the turn of the 19th century. The assemblée was the central institution of a French public-works administration, in which projects were discussed and adopted. The paper describes the transformations of this institution, its routine functioning, and focuses especially on a very controversial case during the Consulate, the Saint-Quentin canal, where conflicting opinions about the use of the vote emerged. The paper studies the engineers' preference for a consensus procedure and their mistrust for the vote. It analyses the epistemological justifications of such a consensus, especially the references to different forms of `obviousness', and its practical social forms, especially the importance (and ambiguous meaning) of silence.
Closing the Loop
Authors: Asomani-Boateng Raymond
Published: November 2007

Accra, Ghana's capital, has solid waste collection and disposal problems that, like most cities in Africa, are concentrated in poor residential neighborhoods. Efforts to improve solid waste management have focused on improving solid waste collection. A practical, low-cost concept that has not been explored is recycling organic solid waste into compost for urban cultivation. This research explored the feasibility of recycling organic solid waste into urban cultivation as a sustainable waste-management strategy in low-income neighborhoods. The main hypothesis of this study is that a significant proportion of solid waste can be diverted from inefficient disposal by redirecting the organic fraction into urban cultivation. The study revealed that waste-based urban cultivation could significantly reduce quantities of organic solid waste for disposal, and minimize waste collection and disposal cost. Challenges to implementing the concept include overcoming the issue of land availability and motivating stakeholders to initiate, implement, and sustain such projects.
Antipsychotic Medication Use in the Elderly Patient
Authors: Malone Matthew , Carnahan Ryan M. , Kutscher Eric C.
Published: November 2007

The use of antipsychotic medications in the elderly can be very complex and is ever changing. Consideration must be given to not only the physiologic and functional changes normally associated with age but also to the latest data on safety and adverse outcomes associated with using these agents. Because of new and changing information, this article will review the effects of aging, side effects of antipsychotic medications, and the current issues surrounding their use in elderly patients for those clinicians who are not specialists in this area of practice.
Blanket mire formation on a drumlin in Nord- Trøndelag, central Norway
Authors: Solem Thyra
Published: November 2007

Pollen analysis, 14C datings and macro-subfossil examination of a series of peat cores collected along a transect across a drumlin covered by blanket mire in eastern Levanger, Nord-Trøndelag, Norway, indicate that peat formation started on the top about 8500 years ago. At that time the drumlin had a vegetation of scattered birch trees. About 5000 years ago much of the drumlin top was covered with mire, which then started to spread slowly down the slopes of the drumlin; on the southwestern slope the mire had reached almost 200 m downslope by about 2300 years ago. There is no evidence for any upslope spread on this slope. Peat formation on the lower part of the northeastern slope, however, started about 7500 years ago, spreading up the slope apparently to join the upper mire and produce a complete blanket on this slope by about 4500 years ago. Pine trees have also grown on the drumlin during various periods, but their disappearance does not seem to have had any overall effect on peat formation. The blanket mire started and expanded as a climatically determined ecosystem, but human activity may have affected the mire surface for a period in the late Holocene.
Icelandic volcanic ash and the mid- Holocene Scots pine (Pinus sylvestris) pollen decline in northern Scotland
Authors: Blackford Jeffrey J. , Edwards Kevin J. , Dugmore Andrew J. , Cook Gordon T. , Buckland Paul C.
Published: November 2007

A volcanic ash-layer in peat from northern Scotland has been identified and coincides exactly with an abrupt decline in Pinus sylvestris L. (Scots pine) pollen frequencies. This provides an isochrone (time-equivalent marker horizon) with which to investigate the timing of the Holocene 'pine-decline'. Furthermore, two possible causes of the southward shift of the range of Pinus in Scotland c. 4000 BP are suggested; a direct effect of acid pollution by chemicals produced by the eruption of Hekla (H-4), or a volcanically-induced climatic perturbation. These possibilities have wider implications for the influence of volcanism on postglacial environmental change.
Vegetation change on Papa Stour, Shetland, Scotland: a response to coastal evolution and human interference?
Authors: Whittington Graeme , Edwards Kevin J.
Published: November 2007

The first palynological and related sedimentological studies from Papa Stour, Shetland are presented and supplement the limited data available for the study of Holocene vegetation change from the Northern Isles of Scotland. Two pollen sites were located on an isthmus which has experienced the marked influences of waterlevel changes, inundation by blown shell sand, and probable grazing and arable activity. In spite of the unpromising, calcareous nature of the mineral materials at the sites, very rich suites of pollen and spore taxa were recovered including those of taxa now absent from, or rare in the islands. The assemblages indicate a strong interplay between two major habitat types, maritime heath and grassland. In addition, the sites demonstrate the effects of intermittent pool formation. The study shows that the vegetational and geomorphological landscapes of the study area are both dynamic and closely linked.
A recent pollen diagram from Antarctica (King George Island, South Shetland Islands)
Authors: van der Knaap W.O. , van Leeuwen Jacqueline F.N.
Published: November 2007

A pollen diagram from King George Island, South Shetland Islands, is presented; it is the first from the Antarctic region. A basal radiocarbon date indicates a calibrated age of 300 years or less. Pollen of one or both of the native vascular plants and many long-distance transported types, mainly Nothofagus, are present in all samples. A total of 37 long-distance transported pollen and spore types were encountered in the samples from the section and in an additional modern moss sample collected on Deception Island, South Shetland Islands. Changes in local vegetation are recorded. The possibilities of reconstructing past human activities and past climatic change with the help of pollen diagrams are discussed.
Decreasing frequency of forest fires in the southern boreal zone of Québec and its relation to global warming since the end of the 'Little Ice Age'
Authors: Bergeron Yves , Archambault Sylvain
Published: November 2007

Although an increasing frequency of forest fires has been suggested as a consequence of global warming, there are no empirical data that have shown a climatically driven change in fire frequency since the warming that has followed the end of the 'Little Ice Age'. We present here evidence from fire and tree-ring chronologies that the post-'Little Ice Age' climate change has profoundly decreased the frequency of fires in the northwestern Québec boreal forest. A 300-year fire history (AD 1688-1988) from the Lake Duparquet area (48°28' N, 79°17' W) shows an important decrease, starting 100 years ago, in the number and the extent of fires. This decrease in fire frequency is also associated with a long- term increase in the mean ring width of northern white cedar (Thuja occidentalis L.) in the same area. Agreement between the standardized tree-ring chronology and fire years, together with a negative correlation with a drought index reconstructed for the AD 1913-1987 period, shows that the decrease in fire frequency may be related to a reduced frequency of drought periods since the end of the 'Little Ice Age'. The contradictory results between predicted and observed effects of warming on fire frequency call into question our present capability to generalize the effect of increasing CO2 levels on fire frequency.
Early-Holocene coastal environments and climate in southeast Sweden: a reconstruction based on macrofossils from submarine deposits
Authors: Gaillard Marie-José , Lemdahl Geoffrey
Published: November 2007

Submarine organic deposits situated 0-15 m below present sea level off the southeastern Swedish coast of the Baltic Sea (Hanö Bay, 55°43'N, 14°12'E) were studied for their macrofossil content (plant, insect and mollusc remains) and radiocarbon dated. These deposits are interpreted as gyttja sediments that accumulated in shallow, elongated lakes behind beach ridges or coastal sand dunes. Coastal processes and a sea-level rise were involved in their genesis. Three distinct generations of coastal lakes (lagoons) were recognized: (1) at the end of the Yoldia Sea Stage between 9600 and 9400 BP at 15 m below present sea level; (2) during the time span 9000-8000 BP (after the Ancylus regression) between 12 and 7 m below present sea level; and (3) around 5500 BP (Litorina Sea Stage) slightly below present sea level. Pine was the dominant tree in these coastal environments until ca. 8500 BP when alder became common on waterlogged soils. The plant, insect and mollusc records suggest diverse coastal environments with a mixture of wooded and open vegetation on waterlogged or dry sandy soils, small shallow lakes, brooks and small rivers. A climate as warm as, or slightly warmer than today is inferred from the insect and mollusc data for the period ca. 9500-8000 BP. The implications of the investigation for the history of the shore displacement in south Sweden are discussed.
Infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) dating of late-Holocene aeolian sands in the Mojave Desert, California, USA
Authors: Wintle Ann G. , Lancastert Nicholas , Edwards Stephen R.
Published: November 2007

A new method of dating potassium feldspar grains from aeolian sands is demonstrated. A luminescence signal is measured whilst the grains are stimulated in the near infrared at 880 nm. A surface sand sample gave an age of 40 ± 15 years, showing that this method is able to provide ages for very young samples. Since the measurement of an infrared stimulated luminescence (IRSL) signal can take place with a short infrared exposure, the IRSL signal of the grains is not depleted; thus growth curves can be obtained for 5 mg sample aliquots. This procedure was exploited in this paper.

Dates were obtained for 10 samples from the Kelso dune field as a demonstration of the applicability of the method in a desert environment where there is no material suitable for radiocarbon dating. Although the number of dates are limited, sand from an area at the eastern end of the dune field with crescentic dunes showing a different wind direction from that of today had an age of 4115 ± 335 years, similar to the 3960 ± 385 years for another sand unit nearby. At the western end of the dune field differently oriented crescentic dunes gave ages of 1540 ± 135 and 1470 ± 145 years, indicating a different phase of aeolian activity. Reworking in the late Holocene is proposed for areas with dates ranging from 845 to 105 years.
Changes in sub-alpine tree distribution in western North America: a review of climatic and other causal factors
Authors: Rochefort Regina M. , Little Ronda L. , Woodward Andrea , Peterson David L.
Published: November 2007

Changes in the distribution of sub-alpine tree species in western North America have been attributed to climatic change and other environmental stresses. These changes include tree-line fluctuations throughout the Holocene and recent invasion of sub-alpine meadows by forest. Most palaeoecological studies suggest that the tree-line was higher during a period of warmer climate approximately 9000 to 5000 BP and lower during the last 5000 years, with short periods of local tree-line advance. Recent advances in sub-alpine tree distribution can be compared with weather records, allowing an examination of relationships between tree advance and climate at a finer resolution. In general, recent sub-alpine forest advances in western North America, based on studies representing three climatic zones (maritime, Mediterranean and continental), have been associated with climatic periods favouring tree germination and growth, although factors such as fire and grazing by domestic livestock have had an impact in some areas. Limitations to tree establishment (e.g., winter snow accumulation, summer drought) vary in relative importance within each climate zone, as do predicted consequences of anthropogenic climatic change. Recent increases in establishment of sub-alpine trees may continue if climatic change alleviates the limitations to tree establishment important in each climatic zone. However, factors such as topography and disturbance may modify tree establishment on a local scale.
Signal and noise in four ice-core records from the Agassiz Ice Cap, Ellesmere Island, Canada: details of the last millennium for stable isotopes, melt and solid conductivity
Authors: Fisher David A. , Koerner Roy M.
Published: November 2007

Four ice cores and two deep pit/auger sequences from the top of the Agassiz Ice Cap have been variously analysed for δ(O18), ECM (solid conductivity) and ice melt-layer stratigraphy. The high- resolution data are presented on time scales covering about the last 1000 years. The 8 time series are compared and the noise examined in terms of snow-drifting and wind-scouring of winter snow from the higher exposed parts of flow lines. The highly scoured 8 records reflect a mixture of summer-biased conditions and the amount of winter-scoured snow. Sites away from the ridges and domes are not scoured. The signal part of the scoured and unscoured sites is obtained by stacking (averaging normalized series). The stacked unscoured series of 8 and accumulation are compared to similar stacked series from central Greenland for the last century of annual averages. The comparison is surprisingly good suggesting that at these resolutions low-noise 8 series have some coherence over fairly large distances. The percentage melt series are presented and compared to those from the Devon Island Ice Cap.
Northeastern Atlantic and Arctic faunal provinces based on the distribution of Recent ostracod genera
Authors: Wood A.M. , Whatley R.C.
Published: November 2007

The benthonic ostracod communities of 93 Recent northeast Atlantic shallow marine sites have been studied. The ostracod assemblages from 76 of these sites were previously undescribed while an additional 17 sites, predominantly from British stations, were assessed from the available literature. Excluding mesohaline genera a total of 102 podocopid ostracod genera were recognized on the northeast Atlantic shelf between the Niger Delta and the Barents Sea. Using both semi-quantitative (most northerly and southerly occurrences of genera) and quantitative (Q-mode analysis, site-site) methods it becomes apparent that ocean currents and water-mass temperature exact a considerable control on the spatial (latitudinal) distribution of benthonic Ostracoda, at the generic level. It has been demonstrated that the majority of northeast Atlantic shelf Ostracoda are restricted to one or several zoogeographical regions or provinces: Nigerian (most southerly), Liberian, Sierra Leonian, Guinean, Mauritanian, Moroccan, Lusitanian, Celtic, Norwegian and Arctic. These provinces are themselves contained within two larger zoogeographical domains, the African and European realms. Each of the 10 provinces are distinguished, not only by the variations in the generic structure of the ostracod assemblages but also in their water-mass characteristics. Ostracod provincial boundaries, in essence, trace zones of intense vertical circulation (Arctic Polar Front and the southern edge of the Guinea Dome) or areas of current divergence (bifurcation of the North Atlantic Drift at Cape Finisterre). Differences also exist in the zoogeographical limits of northeastern and northwestern Atlantic ostracod provinces. The 'concertina' effect on the latitudinal bounds of northwest Atlantic ostracod shelf provinces appears to be intrinsically linked to the presence of a steep thermal gradient associated with the pervasive, southward flowing, Labrador Current. Diametrically, the ameliorating effect of the Gulf Stream has led to the augmentation of provinces within the European realm and assist in the development of broad ecotones, notably in the mid-latitudes. The development of this large modern database and the verification of ostracod provincialism greatly enhances their use, as proxy data, in palaeotemperature and palaeoenvironmental reconstruction of late Cainozoic successions.
Proglacial lacustrine sediments from El Altar, Ecuador: evidence for late-Holocene climatic change
Authors: Rosqvist Gunhild
Published: November 2007

Late-Holocene glacier variations on El Altar, Ecuador, have been reconstructed from proglacial lacustrine sediments. Variations in bulk density and organic content in sediment cores from Laguna Verde, are interpreted as representing a record of the Neoglacial activity of the Obsipo Glacier. Two sedimentological units of laminated silt and clay represent two late-Holocene episodes of glacier expansion, which probably occurred during the last millennium and tentatively suggest a double 'Little Ice Age' signal. Reconstructed equilibrium-line altitudes on the Obispo Glacier seem to reflect changes in both precipitation and temperature, and the glacial fluctuations documented on El Altar are consistent with other evidence of environmental change from northern South America.
Radiometric dating (210Pb, 137Cs, 241Am) of recent ombrotrophic peat accumulation and evidence for changes in mass balance
Authors: Oldfield F. , Richardson N. , Appleby P.G.
Published: November 2007

The paper summarizes and evaluates the results of 210Pb, 137Cs and 241Am analysis on 37 recent ombrotrophic peat profiles. From these and previously published data, it is concluded that radiometric measurements alone cannot be relied on to give an accurate chronology of peat accumulation. Where constrained by profiles of 241Am activity in the upper part and one or more pollen-dated horizons below this, 210Pb can provide good chronologies of peat accumulation provided the constraint does not displace the calculated 210Pb dates by more than c. 10%. Profiles of 137Cs activity, in most cases, fail to contribute significantly to dating recent peat. At somewhat degraded sites, the residual dry mass of peat representing the last c. 150 years is reduced. Further analysis of well-dated profiles suggests that this may reflect loss of catolelm peat newly exposed to aerobic decomposition processes after a fall in water table. Several mechanisms are proposed for the displacement and net loss of lead (including 210Pb) from peat profiles.
Did changes in late Last Glacial and early Holocene atmospheric CO2 concentrations control rates of tufa precipitation?
Authors: Griffiths Huw I. , Pedley H. Martyn
Published: November 2007

Gases trapped within Arctic, Antarctic and Greenland ice-cores document a dramatic increase in atmospheric CO2 levels (by almost 100%) in the period between the last glacial maximum and the late Holocene. The authors note an apparent correlation between increases in levels of atmospheric CO2 during this period and an episode of mass deposition of freshwater carbonate tufas and travertines. As changes in atmospheric CO2 levels are likely to affect carbonate deposition (Tucker and Wright, 1990), we propose the hypothesis that a relationship exists between increasing atmospheric CO2 levels and tufa deposition.
Holocene vegetation, climate and history of a raised bog complex, northern New Zealand based on palynology, plant macrofossils and tephrochronology
Authors: Newnham R.M. , de Lange P.J. , Lowe D.J.
Published: November 2007

A Holocene history of vegetation, climate, and ombrogenous mire development is presented from pollen and plant macrofossil analyses of sediments at Kopouatai Bog, a large, raised, restiad bog in northern New Zealand. Tephra layers of established ages, supplemented by numerous radiocarbon dates, provide a secure chronology. The earliest peats, overlying last glacial sediments, and dated at c. 11700 radiocarbon years BP, with extensive accumulation after c. 10360 BP, are dominated by pollen of warm temperate podocarp-angiosperm forest, indicating a moist, mild early-Holocene climate. The bog began as a series of small soligenous mires within lowland podocarp-dominated swamp forest but was mostly oligotrophic by c. 8500 BP. Peat accumulation rates have varied spatially and temporally, averaging 0.9 mm yr-1 in central and southern areas. The deposition of deltaic muds in the northern part of the bog accompanied a marine transgression c. 6500-5000 BP, while elsewhere an associated groundwater table rise resulted in a temporary return to mesotrophic conditions. As the marine influence subsequently receded, the northern areas remained subject to regular flooding, but underwent rapid peat growth at a mean rate of 1.7 mm yr-1, while oligotrophic conditions returned to other parts of the bog. Regional vegetation developments indicate a change, c. 6000 BP, to drier, frostier conditions during the late Holocene. Ascarina lucida and Agathis australis may be used as regional pollen- stratigraphic markers for the early Holocene and late Holocene, respectively. The loss of tall trees and expansion of subcanopy species and seral vegetation in forests near Kopouatai Bog, just before the deposition of Kaharoa Tephra (c. 700 BP), are likely evidence for human activity dating from at least this time.
Human impact on environment in the Neolithic-Bronze Age in Southern Primorye (far eastern Russia)
Authors: Kuzmin Yaroslav V. , Chernuk Anna V.
Published: November 2007

In the Early Neolithic (7th to 5th millennia BC) the principal components of the palaeoe conomy in Southern Primorye were hunting, fishing and gathering. Human impact on the natural environment was restricted to burning and trampling of the vegetation near archaeological sites. Hunting, fishing and gathering continued in the Late Neolithic (4th to 3rd millennia BC) and the Bronze Age (end of 4th to the 3rd millennia BC), but cattle-breeding and agriculture appeared. The first reliable find of cultivated millet (Setaria italica L.) dates to 4150±60 BP (RUL-177); 2925-2550 cal. BC. The increased human impact on the environment is reflected in pollen spectra from cultural layers; the main effects post-date 4000-4500 BP (3230-2550 cal. BC).
Late-Holocene glaciation and twentieth- century retreat, northeastern Brooks Range, Alaska
Authors: Evison Leah H. , Calkin Parker E. , Ellis James M.
Published: November 2007

Lichenometric dating of moraines deposited by eight glaciers in the northeastern Brooks Range suggests major glacial advances or stillstands at about 2600, 1000, 450, and 60 lichenometric (L) years BP. The latter two advances of the early-middle and latest part of the 'Little Ice Age', respectively, formed promi nent moraines at all glaciers studied. In response to overall twentieth-century warming, these glaciers have retreated at average rates of 2 to 19 m yr-1 from the distinct ridges formed in AD 1890. Glacier thinning at rates of 0.7 to 0.9 m yr-1 accounts for over 90% of the ice loss.