Country-specific correlations across Europe between modelled atmospheric cadmium and lead deposition and concentrations in mosses.

Previous analyses at the European scale have shown that cadmium and lead concentrations in mosses are primarily determined by the total deposition of these metals. Further analyses in the current study show that Spearman rank correlations between the concentration in mosses and the deposition modelled by the European Monitoring and Evaluation Programme (EMEP) are country and metal-specific. Significant positive correlations were found for about two thirds or more of the participating countries in 1990, 1995, 2000 and 2005 (except for Cd in 1990). Correlations were often not significant and sometimes negative in countries where mosses were only sampled in a relatively small number of EMEP grids. Correlations frequently improved when only data for EMEP grids with at least three moss sampling sites per grid were included. It was concluded that spatial patterns and temporal trends agree reasonably well between lead and cadmium concentrations in mosses and modelled atmospheric deposition.

Nitrogen concentrations in mosses indicate the spatial distribution of atmospheric nitrogen deposition in Europe.

In 2005/6, nearly 3000 moss samples from (semi-)natural location across 16 European countries were collected for nitrogen analysis. The lowest total nitrogen concentrations in mosses (<0.8%) were observed in northern Finland and northern UK. The highest concentrations (≥ 1.6%) were found in parts of Belgium, France, Germany, Slovakia, Slovenia and Bulgaria. The asymptotic relationship between the nitrogen concentrations in mosses and EMEP modelled nitrogen deposition (averaged per 50 km × 50 km grid) across Europe showed less scatter when there were at least five moss sampling sites per grid. Factors potentially contributing to the scatter are discussed. In Switzerland, a strong (r(2) = 0.91) linear relationship was found between the total nitrogen concentration in mosses and measured site-specific bulk nitrogen deposition rates. The total nitrogen concentrations in mosses complement deposition measurements, helping to identify areas in Europe at risk from high nitrogen deposition at a high spatial resolution.

Mosses as biomonitors of atmospheric heavy metal deposition: spatial patterns and temporal trends in Europe.

In recent decades, mosses have been used successfully as biomonitors of atmospheric deposition of heavy metals. Since 1990, the European moss survey has been repeated at five-yearly intervals. Although spatial patterns were metal-specific, in 2005 the lowest concentrations of metals in mosses were generally found in Scandinavia, the Baltic States and northern parts of the UK; the highest concentrations were generally found in Belgium and south-eastern Europe. The recent decline in emission and subsequent deposition of heavy metals across Europe has resulted in a decrease in the heavy metal concentration in mosses for the majority of metals. Since 1990, the concentration in mosses has declined the most for arsenic, cadmium, iron, lead and vanadium (52-72%), followed by copper, nickel and zinc (20-30%), with no significant reduction being observed for mercury (12% since 1995) and chromium (2%). However, temporal trends were country-specific with sometimes increases being found.

Forensic Studies by EA-IRMS.

Abstract The authenticity of natural and synthetic matter can be checked by measurement of the isotope ratios of C, N and S. Controlled substances like drugs of abuse (cocaine, heroin) and explosives (TNT) or, simply, traces of paint can hold information in their isotope pattern. Total combustion of samples in an elemental analyzer followed by on-line determination of the isotopes of the combustion products (CO(2), N(2), SO(2)) in an isotope ratio mass spectrometer (EA-IRMS) provides high sample throughout with a minimum of sample preparation.

Chronic pain and the questionable use of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory.

Several studies have observed that patients who complain of chronic pain have significantly elevated scores on the first 3 clinical scales of the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI). Some studies imply that this profile allows one to conclude that such patients exaggerate their symptoms, have strong feelings of inadequacy, have emotional problems which are neurotic, with implications that this is functional pain. The present study and its results challenges the use of the MMPI in attempting to distinguish psychogenic from organic pain. The MMPI was administered to 62 patients on their admission to the hospital. All 62 patients had a diagnosis of some organic findings consistent with their pain symptomatology. The average MMPI scores resulted in an elevated "Conversion-V" profile. It was also noted that as characteristics such as age of the subject, number of surgeries, and number of physicians seen increased, there was a corresponding increase in the neurotic scales. It was concluded that utmost caution should be used in interpreting individual pain patients' MMPI scores. It is especially important to avoid dismissing the pain symptomatology as functional by simply giving the patient a psychiatric diagnosis consistent with the profile. The potential of the MMPI as an aid in developing the treatment plan and as a possible predictive tool for certain treatment procedures is discussed. It is suggested that MMPI data be collected on a comparison group of patients, who have had successful relief of pain through surgical intervention.

A survey of the visual and developmental-perceptual abilities of the Down's syndrome child.

This pilot project was designed to survey the visual and developmental-perceptual abilities and capabilities of the Down's syndrome child. Considering the frequency of Down's syndrome in the general population, there has been a paucity of work done in this area. Each child was given a complete visual evaluation using standard pediatric techniques and careful objective observations of performance. Subjective techniques were used whenever possible, however, subjective testing could not be used on many of the subjects due to problems concerning their overall comprehension of the task and their ability to converse, as many infants were included in this study. All subjects were also given a developmental-visual examination which is composed of tests with readily available normative data, so that subjects could be compared to each other and to normal children.

Chemonucleolysis: evaluation of effectiveness by electromyography.

Findings in 97 consecutive patients who had undergone chemonucleolysis were analyzed. The purpose of this prospective clinical study was two-fold: (1) to provide a comparison of preoperative findings of electromyography, myelography and discography and (2) to evaluate postoperative electromyography as an objective test of recovery. All the patients had complete history and physical examination, five-view roentgenographic study of the lumbosacral spine, electromyography preoperatively and again at three months postoperatively, myelography and discography. Computer analysis of the results was done for the multiple cross-correlations in the study. All patients had had at least three months preoperative conservative care without relief of symptoms. The study shows that electromyographic study three months postchemonucleolysis is of value for corroboration of clinical improvement only if the EMG becomes completely normal. A greater percentage of patients recovered clinically after chemonucleolysis when the preoperative EMG was normal as compared to those for whom the preoperative EMG was abnormal. We were surprised to find no significant correlation between end result and the existence of pending litigation.