Traditional plant functional groups explain variation in economic but not size-related traits across the tundra biome.

AIM: Plant functional groups are widely used in community ecology and earth system modelling to describe trait variation within and across plant communities. However, this approach rests on the assumption that functional groups explain a large proportion of trait variation among species. We test whether four commonly used plant functional groups represent variation in six ecologically important plant traits. LOCATION: Tundra biome. TIME PERIOD: Data collected between 1964 and 2016. MAJOR TAXA STUDIED: 295 tundra vascular plant species. METHODS: We compiled a database of six plant traits (plant height, leaf area, specific leaf area, leaf dry matter content, leaf nitrogen, seed mass) for tundra species. We examined the variation in species-level trait expression explained by four traditional functional groups (evergreen shrubs, deciduous shrubs, graminoids, forbs), and whether variation explained was dependent upon the traits included in analysis. We further compared the explanatory power and species composition of functional groups to alternative classifications generated using post hoc clustering of species-level traits. RESULTS: Traditional functional groups explained significant differences in trait expression, particularly amongst traits associated with resource economics, which were consistent across sites and at the biome scale. However, functional groups explained 19% of overall trait variation and poorly represented differences in traits associated with plant size. Post hoc classification of species did not correspond well with traditional functional groups, and explained twice as much variation in species-level trait expression. MAIN CONCLUSIONS: Traditional functional groups only coarsely represent variation in well-measured traits within tundra plant communities, and better explain resource economic traits than size-related traits. We recommend caution when using functional group approaches to predict tundra vegetation change, or ecosystem functions relating to plant size, such as albedo or carbon storage. We argue that alternative classifications or direct use of specific plant traits could provide new insights for ecological prediction and modelling.

Does the identification of seniors at risk (ISAR) score effectively select geriatric patients on emergency admission?

The number of older patients admitted to emergency departments (ED) increases continuously. The Identification of Seniors at Risk (ISAR) score is currently recommended to screen patients in German ED, but its appropriateness is being criticized. ISAR scores and clinical characteristics from 98 emergency admissions (EA), 80 from acute geriatrics (AG) and 89 from a geriatric rehabilitation (GR) unit were compared retrospectively. No significant differences were found between groups, being the ISAR score positive in 87.7% of EA, 94.9% of AG and 94.4% of GR cases. None of positively identified geriatric patients in the EA was transferred to the geriatric ward of competence. EA patients showed significantly higher number of functional impairments (p = 0.001) and higher BI score (p < 0.0001) compared to AG and GR groups. A higher ISAR score threshold and additional functional information might be needed to better select patients in need of prompt treatment by a geriatric team.

[Decision aids in complex polypharmacy : Medication data bases and counselling by clinical pharmacists]. / Entscheidungshilfen bei komplexer Polypharmazie : Medikationsdatenbanken und Beratung durch den klinischen Apotheker.

The number of older people with polypharmacy (more than six drugs taken simultaneously) is increasing. The greatest proportion consists of guideline drugs, analgesics and psychopharmaceuticals because in many cases of geriatric multimorbidity several underlying main diseases are present which must be treated according to the guidelines. Polypharmacy is a complex and difficult situation for all treating physicians because substantial side effects and intoxication can be induced but it can also be very difficult to recognize which drug was at fault and how a reduction can be safely made. This article describes the exemplary case of a 77-year-old patient with drug-induced delirium and demonstrates the procedure followed. The question of rapid assistance by the utilization of medication data bases is described and the importance of clinical pharmacists is demonstrated. In the future working with medication data bases will possibly become increasingly more important for physicians and hopefully simpler. The case presented here also shows that the effective and justified reduction of drugs can show a very good effect and is possible.

[Age 89 years, depression, fall with pelvic fracture, severe confusion - serotonin syndrome : Differential diagnosis, importance of CYP450 and economic considerations]. / 89 Jahre, Depression, Sturz mit Beckenfraktur, schwerste Verwirrtheit ­ das serotonerge Syndrom : Differenzialdiagnose, Bedeutung von CYP450 und ökonomische Betrachtungen.

A case study of an 89-year-old patient is reported, who was admitted to hospital because of immobility due to pain. After the cause of the pain could initially be clarified and treated, the further clinical course in this very old woman showed an alarming symptom complex of agitation, confusion and cognitive deterioration, which took on grave forms. The work-up of this case showed a typical constellation of pain and depression in old age; however, the pharmaceutical treatment in this case is not atypical and could lead to a severe serotonin syndrome. The interaction, diagnostics, differential diagnosis, pharmacological, functional, codification and economic aspects of the course of the disease are discussed.

The effectiveness of global protected areas for climate change mitigation.

Forests play a critical role in stabilizing Earth's climate. Establishing protected areas (PAs) represents one approach to forest conservation, but PAs were rarely created to mitigate climate change. The global impact of PAs on the carbon cycle has not previously been quantified due to a lack of accurate global-scale carbon stock maps. Here we used ~412 million lidar samples from NASA's GEDI mission to estimate a total PA aboveground carbon (C) stock of 61.43 Gt (+/- 0.31), 26% of all mapped terrestrial woody C. Of this total, 9.65 + /- 0.88 Gt of additional carbon was attributed to PA status. These higher C stocks are primarily from avoided emissions from deforestation and degradation in PAs compared to unprotected forests. This total is roughly equivalent to one year of annual global fossil fuel emissions. These results underscore the importance of conservation of high biomass forests for avoiding carbon emissions and preserving future sequestration.

Modular pulse synthesizer for transcranial magnetic stimulation with fully adjustable pulse shape and sequence.

The temporal shape of a pulse in transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) influences which neuron populations are activated preferentially as well as the strength and even direction of neuromodulation effects. Furthermore, various pulse shapes differ in their efficiency, coil heating, sensory perception, and clicking sound. However, the available TMS pulse shape repertoire is still very limited to a few biphasic, monophasic, and polyphasic pulses with sinusoidal or near-rectangular shapes. Monophasic pulses, though found to be more selective and stronger in neuromodulation, are generated inefficiently and therefore only available in simple low-frequency repetitive protocols. Despite a strong interest to exploit the temporal effects of TMS pulse shapes and pulse sequences, waveform control is relatively inflexible and only possible parametrically within certain limits. Previously proposed approaches for flexible pulse shape control, such as through power electronic inverters, have significant limitations: The semiconductor switches can fail under the immense electrical stress associated with free pulse shaping, and most conventional power inverter topologies are incapable of generating smooth electric fields or existing pulse shapes. Leveraging intensive preliminary work on modular power electronics, we present a modular pulse synthesizer (MPS) technology that can, for the first time, flexibly generate high-power TMS pulses (one-side peak ∼4000 V, ∼8000 A) with user-defined electric field shape as well as rapid sequences of pulses with high output quality. The circuit topology breaks the problem of simultaneous high power and switching speed into smaller, manageable portions, distributed across several identical modules. In consequence, the MPS TMS techology can use semiconductor devices with voltage and current ratings lower than the overall pulse voltage and distribute the overall switching of several hundred kilohertz among multiple transistors. MPS TMS can synthesize practically any pulse shape, including conventional ones, with fine quantization of the induced electric field (⩽17% granularity without modulation and ∼300 kHz bandwidth). Moreover, the technology allows optional symmetric differential coil driving so that the average electric potential of the coil, in contrast to conventional TMS devices, stays constant to prevent capacitive artifacts in sensitive recording amplifiers, such as electroencephalography. MPS TMS can enable the optimization of stimulation paradigms for more sophisticated probing of brain function as well as stronger and more selective neuromodulation, further expanding the parameter space available to users.

Anthropogenic modification of forests means only 40% of remaining forests have high ecosystem integrity.

Many global environmental agendas, including halting biodiversity loss, reversing land degradation, and limiting climate change, depend upon retaining forests with high ecological integrity, yet the scale and degree of forest modification remain poorly quantified and mapped. By integrating data on observed and inferred human pressures and an index of lost connectivity, we generate a globally consistent, continuous index of forest condition as determined by the degree of anthropogenic modification. Globally, only 17.4 million km2 of forest (40.5%) has high landscape-level integrity (mostly found in Canada, Russia, the Amazon, Central Africa, and New Guinea) and only 27% of this area is found in nationally designated protected areas. Of the forest inside protected areas, only 56% has high landscape-level integrity. Ambitious policies that prioritize the retention of forest integrity, especially in the most intact areas, are now urgently needed alongside current efforts aimed at halting deforestation and restoring the integrity of forests globally.

Global plant trait relationships extend to the climatic extremes of the tundra biome.

The majority of variation in six traits critical to the growth, survival and reproduction of plant species is thought to be organised along just two dimensions, corresponding to strategies of plant size and resource acquisition. However, it is unknown whether global plant trait relationships extend to climatic extremes, and if these interspecific relationships are confounded by trait variation within species. We test whether trait relationships extend to the cold extremes of life on Earth using the largest database of tundra plant traits yet compiled. We show that tundra plants demonstrate remarkably similar resource economic traits, but not size traits, compared to global distributions, and exhibit the same two dimensions of trait variation. Three quarters of trait variation occurs among species, mirroring global estimates of interspecific trait variation. Plant trait relationships are thus generalizable to the edge of global trait-space, informing prediction of plant community change in a warming world.

Noninvasive Detection of Motor-Evoked Potentials in Response to Brain Stimulation Below the Noise Floor-How Weak Can a Stimulus Be and Still Stimulate.

Motor-evoked potentials (MEP) are one of the most important responses to brain stimulation, such as supra-threshold transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and electrical stimulation. The understanding of the neurophysiology and the determination of the lowest stimulation strength that evokes responses requires the detection of even smallest responses, e.g., from single motor units, but available detection and quantization methods are rather simple and suffer from a large noise floor. The paper introduces a more sophisticated matched-filter detection method that increases the detection sensitivity and shows that activation occurs well below the conventional detection level. In consequence, also conventional threshold definitions, e.g., as 50 µV median response amplitude, turn out to be substantially higher than the point at which first detectable responses occur. The presented method uses a matched-filter approach for improved sensitivity and generates the filter through iterative learning from the presented data. In contrast to conventional peak-to-peak measures, the presented method has a higher signal-to-noise ratio (≥14 dB). For responses that are reliably detected by conventional detection, the new approach is fully compatible and provides the same results but extends the dynamic range below the conventional noise floor. The underlying method is applicable to a wide range of well-timed biosignals and evoked potentials, such as in electroencephalography.

Advances in satellite remote sensing of environmental variables for epidemiological applications.

Earth-observing satellites have provided an unprecedented view of the land surface but have been exploited relatively little for the measurement of environmental variables of particular relevance to epidemiology. Recent advances in techniques to recover continuous fields of air temperature, humidity, and vapour pressure deficit from remotely sensed observations have significant potential for disease vector monitoring and related epidemiological applications. We report on the development of techniques to map environmental variables with relevance to the prediction of the relative abundance of disease vectors and intermediate hosts. Improvements to current methods of obtaining information on vegetation properties, canopy and surface temperature and soil moisture over large areas are also discussed. Algorithms used to measure these variables incorporate visible, near-infrared and thermal infrared radiation observations derived from time series of satellite-based sensors, focused here primarily but not exclusively on the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) instruments. The variables compare favourably with surface measurements over a broad array of conditions at several study sites, and maps of retrieved variables captured patterns of spatial variability comparable to, and locally more accurate than, spatially interpolated meteorological observations. Application of multi-temporal maps of these variables are discussed in relation to current epidemiological research on the distribution and abundance of some common disease vectors.

Weight gain and antipsychotic medication: differences between antipsychotic-free and treatment periods.

BACKGROUND: We performed a retrospective analysis of data involving 121 inpatients to examine the rate of weight gain during antipsychotic-free periods and during treatment with various antipsychotic drugs. METHOD: Data were analyzed to determine differences in weekly weight change during antipsychotic-free (N = 65), typical antipsychotic (N = 51), or atypical antipsychotic (N = 130) treatment periods. Atypical antipsychotic treatment periods were further subdivided into olanzapine (N = 45), clozapine (N = 47), or risperidone (N = 36) treatment periods. A paired comparison was conducted on 65 patients who had an antipsychotic-free treatment period preceding or following a neuroleptic drug treatment period. In addition, patients were classified as either non-obese (with a body mass index [BMI] < or = 29.9 kg/ml) or obese (BMI > or = 30.0 kg/m2) to test whether the rate of weight gain during treatment periods was related to initial BMI. RESULTS: Across all treatment periods, weekly weight gain was as follows: 0.89 lb/wk (0.40 kg/wk) on atypical antipsychotic medication, 0.61 lb/wk (0.27 kg/wk) on typical antipsychotic medication, and 0.21 lb/wk (0.09 kg/wk) on no antipsychotic medications. The atypical antipsychotic versus antipsychotic-free comparison was significant (F = 3.51; df = 2,231; p = .031), while the typical antipsychotic versus antipsychotic-free comparison was not. Among the individual atypical antipsychotic medications, significantly more weight gain occurred during olanzapine treatment (1.70 lb/wk) (0.76 kg/wk) than with either clozapine (0.50 lb/wk) (0.22 kg/wk) or risperidone (0.34 lb/wk) (0.15 kg/wk) treatments (F = 7.77; df = 2,117; p = .001). In the paired analysis with patients serving as their own controls, the difference between weekly weight gain during atypical antipsychotic treatment and antipsychotic-free treatment was significant (t = -3.91; df = 44; p = .001), while the difference between weight gain during typical antipsychotic treatment and antipsychotic-free treatment was not significant. With the individual drugs. treatment with both olanzapine and clozapine caused significantly higher weekly weight gain than antipsychotic-free treatment (p = .001 and p = .036, respectively). while treatment with risperidone did not. Non-obese patients (BMI < 29.9 kg/m2) and obese patients (BMI > 30.0 kg/m2) did not differ significantly in their weight gain during typical or atypical antipsychotic treatment. CONCLUSION: Treatment with atypical antipsychotics was associated with more weight gain than treatment with typical antipsychotics. Among the atypical drugs, olanzapine was associated with more weight gain than either clozapine or risperidone. The patient's admission BMI was not associated with the amount of weight gained during subsequent antipsychotic treatment.

Extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma of the pleura. Report of a case clinically simulating mesothelioma.

A primary extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma of the pleura that clinically mimicked a malignant mesothelioma in a 66-year-old man with a history of asbestos exposure is described. Although exceedingly rare in this location, the characteristic histologic features, immunohistochemical reactivities, and ultrastructural features support the diagnosis of extraskeletal myxoid chondrosarcoma. Many ferruginous (asbestos) bodies consistent with the exposure history were found in the lung tissue sections and confirmed by energy-dispersive spectrometry. This case demonstrates an unusual pleural primary neoplasm associated with asbestos.

Forensic issues in the psychiatric emergency department.

To function effectively in the ED, mental health clinicians must be able to: Competently evaluate and manage psychiatric patients in acute crisis. Obtain informed consent for treatment or procedures from patients or substitute health care decision makers. Develop clinical data about patients from collateral sources, such as family members and current treaters. Retrieve records of previous admissions to the ED or hospital psychiatric unit. Conduct competent suicide and violence risk assessments that direct clinical interventions. Conduct risk-benefit assessments before discharging suicidal or potentially violent patients. Observe basic safety precautions and procedures with potentially violent patients. Work with community mental health facilities for the follow-up care of chronically mentally ill patients. Possess a working knowledge of the legal regulation of mental health practice, especially as it applies to evaluating and treating patients in the ED. Obtain legal consultation when in doubt about matters of law affecting patient care.

Hematopoietic elements associated with adrenal glands. A study of the spectrum of change in nine cases.

We report nine cases of hematopoietic elements or myelolipomatous foci that were found in association with normal and neoplastic adrenal glands. A spectrum of change occurred that ranged from small clusters of purely erythroid or myeloid cells to microscopic myelolipomas that contained a mixture of hematopoietic elements. Recognition of the myeloid elements was facilitated with the use of the chloroacetate esterase (Leder) stain and a CD15 (myelomonocytic antigen) immunohistochemical stain. The majority (six of nine) of these cases were found in association with cortical adenomas in middle-aged women, but myelolipomatous foci were also found in association with an adrenocortical carcinoma, a pheochromocytoma, and a renal angiomyolipoma. The histogenesis of the foci remained speculative. However, the association with hormonally active neoplasms suggested that the hormonal microenvironment may have played a role in the development of the myelolipomatous foci.

Malignant rhabdoid tumor of the uterus: report of a case with findings in a cervical smear.

Rhabdoid tumors are an uncommon group of neoplasms which share a distinctive morphology. We report the cytologic and histologic findings of a uterine rhabdoid tumor. The presence of rhabdoid cells on a cervical Papanicolaou (Pap) smear raises an intriguing differential diagnosis. Cytologists should be aware of this entity and consider rhabdoid tumor in the differential diagnosis when single malignant cells are noted on cervical Pap smear.

[A multidimensional questionnaire as a component of preventive geriatric assessment: comparison of self-assessment version with the interview version]. / Ein multidimensionaler Fragebogen als Bestandteil eines präventiven geriatrischen Assessments: Vergleich der Selbstausfüllerversion mit der Interviewversion.

In an earlier study we have shown good internal consistency and test-retest-reliability of a newly developed German-language instrument in the interviewer-administered version. The aim of this study was to test the reliability of a self-administered version compared to the original interviewer-administered version of our newly developed German-language instrument. We recruited a group of 50 over 75-year-old community-dwelling persons in Hamburg, Germany (N = 25) and Berne, Switzerland (N = 25). The questionnaire contains items on: self-perceived health, chronic conditions, basic and instrumental activities of daily living, urinary incontinence, nutrition, recent falls, pain, the social support/network and preventive-care measures. In addition, the Functional Status Questionnaire, the Physical Activity Scale for the Elderly, the Geriatric Oral Health Assessment Index, the Visual Function Questionnaire, the Hearing Handicap Inventory for the Elderly and the Geriatric Depression Scale were administered. Cohen's Kappa (self-administered version compared to the interviewer-administered version) was good to excellent (0.69-1.0) with only three exceptions (physical activity kappa = 0.49, basic activities kappa = 0.54 and oral health kappa = 0.54). For the domains activities of daily living, oral health, visual function and depression the self-administered version detected significantly more problems than the interview. In the future the self-administered version of this assessment instrument can be used for various purposes, e.g. (annual) preventive geriatric assessment for outpatients and other community-dwelling persons and epidemiological studies in older persons.

Updating Historical Maps of Malaria Transmission Intensity in East Africa Using Remote Sensing.

Remotely sensed imagery has been used to update and improve the spatial resolution of malaria transmission intensity maps in Tanzania, Uganda, and Kenya. Discriminant analysis achieved statistically robust agreements between historical maps of the intensity of malaria transmission and predictions based on multitemporal meteorological satellite sensor data processed using temporal Fourier analysis. The study identified land surface temperature as the best predictor of transmission intensity. Rainfall and moisture availability as inferred by cold cloud duration (ccd) and the normalized difference vegetation index (ndvi), respectively, were identified as secondary predictors of transmission intensity. Information on altitude derived from a digital elevation model significantly improved the predictions. "Malaria-free" areas were predicted with an accuracy of 96 percent while areas where transmission occurs only near water, moderate malaria areas, and intense malaria transmission areas were predicted with accuracies of 90 percent, 72 percent, and 87 percent, respectively. The importance of such maps for rationalizing malaria control is discussed, as is the potential contribution of the next generation of satellite sensors to these mapping efforts.

[Struma, hyper- and hypothyroidism]. / Struma, Hyper- und Hypothyreose.

Careful history and physical examination form the basis of thyroid diagnostics. They are important for the choice of the appropriate laboratory and imaging tests such as sonography and scintigraphy. Estimation of FT4 and TSH (measured with a 'sensitive' assay) are nowadays considered to be the principal laboratory tests for thyroid disease. Euthyroidism and hypothyroidism are confirmed by measuring FT4 and TSH (not FT3 or TT3), hyperthyroidism by measuring FT3, FT4 and TSH. If a goitre is observed, the primary tests are TSH and sonography.

[Falls in elderly patients--assessment of falls with reference to etiology and prevention]. / Stürze älterer Menschen--von Sturzassessment zu Abklärung und Prävention.

Falls have been identified as a major risk factor for disability. There is an increasing risk of falls and fall-related injuries in the elderly due to a decline in mobility and due to multimorbidity. Intrinsic and extrinsic factors lead to falls with and without syncope. Among nursing-home residents intrinsic factors are the main cause of falls, whereas community-dwelling elderly are more likely to fall because of environment (extrinsic) factors. Assessment of falls must be detailed, multidimensional and function-orientated, and aimed at identifying the causes of the index fall and risk-factors for further falls. As the risk of falling increases linearly with the number of abnormalities contributing to decreased mobility (mental status, mood, decline in sensory inputs, neurological and musculosceletal affections), identifying all risk factors increases the chance of successful intervention. Prevention of fall-related sequalae and further falls is the major goal of therapy. Primary prevention should be included in the scope of future strategies. The basis of successful intervention is fall-assessment, risk-factor assessment, causative therapy, if possible, as well as individually adapted function-orientated therapy programs, and, if at all possible, endurance and resistance training.