Wildfires lead to decreased carbon and increased nitrogen concentrations in upland arctic streams.

The Central Siberian Plateau is undergoing rapid climate change that has resulted in increased frequency of forest fires and subsequent alteration of watershed carbon and nutrient dynamics. Across a watershed chronosequence (3 to >100 years since wildfire) we quantified the effects of fire on quantity and composition of dissolved organic matter (DOM), stream water nutrient concentrations, as well as in-stream nutrient uptake. Wildfires increased concentrations of nitrate for a decade, while decreasing concentrations of dissolved organic carbon and nitrogen (DOC and DON) and aliphatic DOM contribution for five decades. These post-wildfire changes in stream DOM result in lower uptake efficiency of in-stream nitrate in recently burned watersheds. Nitrate uptake (as uptake velocity) is strongly dependent on DOM composition (e.g. polyphenolics), ambient dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN), and DOC to DIN ratios. Our observations and experiments suggest that a decade-long pulse of inorganic nitrogen and a reduction of DOC export occur following wildfires in streams draining the Central Siberian Plateau. Increased fire frequency in the region is thus likely to both decrease DOM and increase nitrate delivery to the main stem Yenisei River, and ultimately the Arctic Ocean, in the coming decades.

Occupational health and safety management in polish enterprises implementing total quality management systems.

Total Quality Management (TQM) is defined as the management approach of the organization aimed at long-term success through client satisfaction, and which benefits all members of the organization and society (ISO 8402; International Organization for Standardization, 1994a). The objective of the study was to evaluate management methods applied to improve working conditions in Polish enterprises implementing TQM. The investigation was conducted in the form of interviews, which covered relevant connections between the TQM concept and occupational health and safety (OHS) systematic management rules. The results revealed that the criteria adopted in investigated enterprises for OHS management systems, as well as the implemented management methods and tools, can be evaluated positively. However, many require significant improvement in order to ensure better compliance with the existing law provisions. Elements of OHS management systems also require better integration with the overall management system of the enterprise.

[Acute post-traumatic epidural hematoma: report of 4 non-surgically treated cases]. / Ostry pourazowy krwiak nadtwardówkowy--opis czterech przypadków leczonych zachowawczo.

The authors present four cases of acute epidural hematoma (three supratentorial and one in the posterior fossa), in which non-operative treatment was performed. The conditions to undertake this treatment were: good clinical and neurological state of the patients on admission (GCS equal or more than 14), absence or mild focal symptoms and possibility to observe the patients and to perform CT follow-up. All patients had a good recovery. The authors discuss these cases and present the review of the literature concerning the problem.