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The growing popularity of cold-brewed coffee has resulted in large amounts of localized spent coffee grounds (SCG) generated from production plants. Spent coffee grounds offer many favorable agronomic properties, but also contain caffeine, tannins and phenolic compounds that may be deleterious to plant growth. There is a growing body of research examining the effects of SCG on plants, but little of which pertains to use in turfgrass systems. The objective of this two-year field study was to evaluate the feasibility of using SCG as an agronomic source of nutrients for turfgrass. Field studies were conducted over two years to characterize performance of 'Riley's Super Sport' (Celebration®) bermudagrass (Cynodon dactylon) receiving multiple nutrient source treatments including fresh and composted SCG, as well as synthetic, natural organic, and bridge fertilizers, some which included SCG. Soils were analyzed at the conclusion of the study to determine whether SGC provided long-term effects of on soil pH and/or nutrient concentrations. Our results demonstrated that although SCG possesses between 2.3-2.9% N and a favorable C:N ratio, direct SCG applications over two seasons did not produce responses typical of a fertilizer when applied as a topdressing. However, when combined with poultry litter, the SCG-containing organic fertilizer GeoJava produced improved turf quality relative to other organic and synthetic commercial fertilizers in our study, including Milorganite, ammonium sulfate, and URI-PEL S.R. Further, despite the acidic nature of SCG, their repeated application over multiple years did not result in any long-term changes to soil pH. Although early on, SCG treatments caused mild and transient phytotoxicity, these effects were not observed when it was applied in combination with the manure used in GeoJava. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Woody plant areal encroachment is pervasive throughout the Southern Great Plains, USA. The ability of woody plants to dissipate excess solar radiation - dynamically over the day and sustained periods without recovery overnight - is key for maintaining photosynthetic performance during dry stretches, but our understanding of these processes remains incomplete. Photosynthetic performance and energy dissipation were assessed for co-occurring encroachers on the karst Edwards Plateau (Juniperus ashei, Prosopis glandulosa, and Quercus fusiformis) under seasonal changes in water status. Only J. ashei experienced mild photoinhibition from sustained energy dissipation overnight while experiencing the lowest photochemical yields, minimal photosynthetic rates, and the highest dynamic energy dissipation rates at midday during the dry period - indicating susceptibility to photosynthetic downregulation and increased dissipation under future drought regimes. Neither other encroacher experienced sustained energy dissipation in the dry period, though P. glandulosa did experience marked reductions in photosynthesis, photochemical yields, and increased regulatory dynamic energy dissipation. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Sea level rise (SLR) is a long‐lasting consequence of climate change because global anthropogenic warming takes centuries to millennia to equilibrate for the deep ocean and ice sheets. SLR projections based on climate models support policy analysis, risk assessment and adaptation planning today, despite their large uncertainties. The central range of the SLR distribution is estimated by process‐based models. However, risk‐averse practitioners often require information about plausible future conditions that lie in the tails of the SLR distribution, which are poorly defined by existing models. Here, a community effort combining scientists and practitioners builds on a framework of discussing physical evidence to quantify high‐end global SLR for practitioners. The approach is complementary to the IPCC AR6 report and provides further physically plausible high‐end scenarios. High‐end estimates for the different SLR components are developed for two climate scenarios at two timescales. For global warming of +2°C in 2100 (RCP2.6/SSP1‐2.6) relative to pre‐industrial values our high‐end global SLR estimates are up to 0.9 m in 2100 and 2.5 m in 2300. Similarly, for a (RCP8.5/SSP5‐8.5), we estimate up to 1.6 m in 2100 and up to 10.4 m in 2300. The large and growing differences between the scenarios beyond 2100 emphasize the long‐term benefits of mitigation. However, even a modest 2°C warming may cause multi‐meter SLR on centennial time scales with profound consequences for coastal areas. Earlier high‐end assessments focused on instability mechanisms in Antarctica, while here we emphasize the importance of the timing of ice shelf collapse around Antarctica. This is highly uncertain due to low understanding of the driving processes. Hence both process understanding and emission scenario control high‐end SLR. Plain Language Summary: Taking a co‐production approach between scientists and practioners, we provide high‐end sea level rise (SLR) estimates for practitioner application based on an expert evaluation of physical evidence and approaches currently used in policy environments to understand high end risk. We do this for two global warming scenarios, a modest and a strong one, for two time slices 2100 and 2300. The large and growing differences between the scenarios beyond 2100 emphasize the long‐term benefits of mitigation. However, even a modest warming may cause multi‐meter SLR on centennial time scales with profound consequences for coastal areas. Earlier high‐end assessments focused on instability mechanisms in Antarctica, while here we emphasize the importance of the timing of ice shelf collapse around Antarctica as well as how practitioners use high end projections to frame risk. We stress that both emission scenario and limited physical understanding control the outcome. Key Points: A high‐end estimate of sea level rise in 2100 and 2300Decisionmaker/practitioner perspective on high‐endTiming of collapse of ice shelves critical [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

In tropical cyclone (TC) regions, tide gauge or numerical hindcast records are usually of insufficient length to have sampled sufficient cyclones to enable robust estimates of the climate of TC-induced extreme water level events. Synthetically-generated TC populations provide a means to define a broader set of plausible TC events to better define the probabilities associated with extreme water level events. The challenge is to unify the estimates of extremes from synthetically-generated TC populations with the observed records, which include mainly non-TC extremes resulting from tides and more frequently occurring atmospheric-depression weather and climate events. We find that extreme water level measurements in multiple tide gauge records in TC regions, some which span more than 100 years, exhibit a behaviour consistent with the combining of two populations, TC and non-TC. We develop an equation to model the combination of two populations of extremes in a single continuous mixed climate (MC) extreme value distribution (EVD). We then run statistical simulations to show that long term records including both historical and synthetic events can be better explained using MC than heavy-tailed generalised EVDs. This has implications for estimating extreme water levels when combining synthetic cyclone extreme sea levels with hindcast water levels to provide actionable information for coastal protection. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Haematophagous parasites can negatively impact breeding success and their control is often the target of management for threatened bird species. Mitigating parasitism can be difficult and certainly should only be done if parasite control is possible and if successful control improves host species fitness. Here, we use an experiment to test the effect of two alternative chemical methods of Ornithonyssus bursa management in nests of a threatened host species, the New Zealand hihi Notiomystis cincta. We compared a reactive management alternative using Frontline® (active ingredient fipronil) to control O. bursa infestations after detection to a preventative management alternative using Avian Insect Liquidator (AIL) spray (active ingredients piperonyl butoxide (PBO), permethrin and methoprene) before egg laying. We found that AIL‐treated nests were less likely to be parasitized and parasitism occurred later in nestling development if nests did become parasitized. We also found no difference in egg hatchability nor nestling condition between alternative management approaches but did find nest success was higher in preventative AIL‐treated nests. Our approach highlights the value of an experimental approach in assessing management alternatives in threatened species conservation and the host fitness benefits that can be achieved from control of costly parasitism. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Global climate change will alter wind sea and swell waves, modifying the severity, frequency and impact of episodic coastal flooding and morphological change. Global-scale estimates of increases to coastal impacts have been typically attributed to sea level rise and not specifically to changes to waves on their own. This study provides a reduced complexity method for applying projected extreme wave changes to local scale impact studies. We use non-stationary extreme value analysis to distil an incremental change signal in extreme wave heights and associate this with a change in the frequency of events globally. Extreme wave heights are not projected to increase everywhere. We find that the largest increases will typically be experienced at higher latitudes, and that there is high ensemble model agreement on an increase (doubling of events) for the waters south of Australia, the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Guinea by the end of the twenty-first century. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Empirical equations for wave breaking and wave setup are compared with archived shoreline wave setup measurements to investigate the contribution of wind waves to extreme Mean Total Water Levels (MTWL, the mean height of the shoreline), for natural beaches exposed to open ocean wind waves. A broad range of formulations is compared through linear regression and quantile regression analysis of the highest measured values. Shoreline wave setup equations are selected based on the availability of local beach slope data and the ability of the quantile regression to show a good representation of the highest measured levels. Wave parameters from an existing spectral wave hindcast are used as input to the selected equations and are combined with a storm tide time series to quantify the relative contribution of shoreline wave setup to the extreme MTWL climate along Australian beaches. A multipass analysis is provided to understand the ability to capture the shoreline wave setup estimates with and without considering beach slope. The national scale analysis which does not include beach slope indicates there are multiple contributing factors to MTWL. Examples are provided at two locations of differing local beach slope to show the importance of including local beach slope in determining the contribution of waves to MTWL. A tool is in development for further investigation of wave setup for Australian beaches. Plain Language Summary: Understanding how high ocean water levels can reach up the coast is important for designing coastal protection from coastal inundation and erosion. This is particularly important as climate change affects wind and weather conditions and sea level rise with the subsequent modification to the occurrence of the largest storm‐driven water levels. While the height of storm‐driven water levels are well understood for protected harbors and estuaries, new research is providing estimates of how high water levels can reach for coastlines exposed to dangerous wave/surf conditions. This study uses mathematical model simulations spanning ~30 years of historical water levels and ocean waves. Statistical analysis is performed to determine how high the largest storm events will likely reach on natural sandy beaches directly exposed to large wave/surf conditions. The study demonstrates that estimates are very sensitive to local beach characteristics. The paper presents the science behind a tool (which is in development) to allow further investigation of the contribution of waves/surf to the highest water levels for individual beaches. Key Points: Quantile comparison of shoreline wave setup equations versus measurements demonstrates their ability to predict the highest measured levelsNew ~30‐year hindcasts of shoreline wave setup are used with a storm tide hindcast to predict the extreme mean total water level climateBeach slope is shown to be important to the contribution of waves to mean total water levels [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Attachment Aware Schools (AAS) project was a targeted and collaborative intervention between academics and school-based practitioners. The aim of the project was to promote practitioner awareness of attachment in relation to child behaviours and learning. It focused on using relational-based strategies and interventions to address the needs of children and young people. The AAS framework promoted Emotion Coaching as a universal, relational-based practice approach, with specialised targeted support for children with additional needs. Supportive managerial strategies and setting policies sustained the integration and maintenance of attachment-informed practice and school ethos. This article reports the findings from the project which included over 200 participants (107 teaching and support staff and 94 pupils aged 5 to 16 years), from 40 schools, in two different Local Authorities within the UK. Adopting a mixed methods approach, qualitative and quantitative data provided hard and soft indicators of improved pupil and adult outcomes. Findings demonstrated significant improvements in pupils' academic achievement in reading, writing and maths. There were significant decreases in sanctions, exclusions and overall difficulties. Practitioners reported a positive impact on professional practice, adult self-regulation and emotional self-control, and were more confident when talking with children about emotions. This project contributes to the growing evidence based on the effectiveness of whole school attachment-based strategies and is already demonstrating policy implications at a national level. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Captive rearing of wild brown kiwi (Apteryx mantelli) is widely carried out to assist in the recovery of this declining species. As a consequence, high densities of immunologically naïve kiwi are commonly housed in semi-captive conditions, with the potential to result in substantial morbidity and mortality from coccidiosis caused by multiple species of Eimeria. Previous research has described circadian variation in oocyst shedding across multiple avian host species. The aim of this research was to describe any circadian variation in oocyst shedding in brown kiwi. Droppings were collected from brown kiwi (n = 4) at a single captive rearing facility using video surveillance to determine the time of excretion, and oocyst counts were undertaken. Results show that two of the Eimeria spp. affecting brown kiwi exhibit a peak in oocyst shedding between 03.00 and 07.00 with few or no oocysts shed between 08.00 and midnight. These results are not able to be explained by the current hypotheses theorising the evolutionary forces behind the development of this adaptive trait. Our findings increase the current understanding of the biology of the Eimeria spp. affecting brown kiwi and have important implications for the management of captive-reared kiwi, in particular for the accurate interpretation of faecal oocyst counts. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background As an important aspect of health and development, a number of policy and practice initiatives across education, health and social care are aimed at increasing children's emotional well-being. Links have been made between young children's emotional well-being and play although empirical evidence is limited. This paper demonstrates that when children perceive an activity as play, they show more signs of emotional well-being than when they perceive the same activity as not play. Methods One hundred and twenty-nine children aged between 3 and 5 years participated in the study. The cues children use to differentiate play and not play were used to create an activity session that was 'like play' and an activity session that was 'not like play'. The activity itself remained constant. Children were allocated to either of the activity session types alternately and emotional well-being was measured using the Leuvens Involvement Scale. Results There was a significant difference in the level of emotional well-being displayed by children in the two activity session types. Children who undertook the 'like play' activity scored significantly higher than children who undertook the same activity but 'not like play'. Detailed observational analysis also showed increased behavioural indicators relating to emotional well-being among children participating in the 'like play' rather than 'not like play' activity session. Conclusion Children demonstrate increased emotional well-being when they perceive an activity as play rather than not play. Findings support the proposition that play can be seen as an observable behaviour but also as a mental state. As well as providing important evidence as to the value of play for enhancing children's emotional well-being, findings are discussed in relation to professional practice in children's services. The paper highlights the training needs of practitioners to enable them to understand children's views about play and use this information to create playful situations which maximize the developmental potential of play. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

ABSTRACT This study presents an analysis of the wind-wave climate on the south-east Australian continental margin and its potential changes under the effects of projected climate change. The wind-wave climate is modelled for three 20 year time-slices (1981-2000, 2031-2051, and 2081-2100) using a dynamical wave modelling approach in which the WaveWatch III spectral wave model, with a nested domain SWAN model, is the region of interest. Surface wind forcing is obtained from an ensemble of three global climate model runs (CSIRO Mk3.5, GFDLcm2.0, and GFDLcm2.1) dynamically downscaled using CSIRO's Cubic conformal atmospheric model (CCAM), under two greenhouse gas emission scenarios (a high emission SRES A2 and low emission SRES B1 scenario). A third level of uncertainty associated with adjusting climate model derived winds for climate and variability bias is found to be the largest source of uncertainty among the limited range of sources considered in the twenty-eight 20 year wave model simulations undertaken herein. The ensemble of wave model runs for the 2081-2100 time-slice project a robust decrease in mean significant wave height along the south-east Australian coast relative to present (1981-2000) conditions. The magnitude of projected change in mean annual significant wave height is less than 0.2 m, with larger values in the north of the region of interest, and is associated with a projected decrease in storm wave energy in the region. An anticlockwise rotation in mean wave direction of approximately 5° is also projected over the same period. Copyright © 2012 Royal Meteorological Society [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objective:In the adipose tissue, activation of AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) by phosphorylation favours local fatty acid oxidation and inhibition of lipogenesis. We have previously shown that the potent androgen dihydrotestosterone (DHT) can inhibit phosphorylation of AMPK in adipose tissue and 3T3-L1 adipocytes in a dose-dependent manner. This negative effect of DHT was reversed by oestrogen treatment. The purpose of this current study was to determine the underlying mechanisms whereby androgens and oestrogens can regulate AMPK phosphorylation in adipocytes, and whether this mechanism is receptor dependent.Results:Phosphorylation of AMPK was assessed by western blot in cells treated for 24 h with testosterone or DHT (1-1000 nM). Testosterone and DHT significantly inhibited basal phosphorylation of AMPK. Addition of the androgen receptor antagonist Flutamide (1 μM) to the media reversed the negative effect of testosterone and DHT by returning AMPK phosphorylation levels to those of basal. To further dissect the mechanism underlying AMPK inhibition by testosterone or DHT, we examined the mRNA expression of the upstream activator of AMPK, namely LKB1. Testosterone and DHT treatment of murine 3T3-L1 or human SGBS adipocytes for 24 h significantly decreased the mRNA expression of LKB1. In contrast, 17β-estradiol treatment increased LKB1 mRNA, an effect mediated by oestrogen receptor alpha.Conclusion:We conclude that regulation of AMPK phosphorylation by androgens and oestrogens is receptor-dependent, and demonstrate for the first time that LKB1 is regulated by sex hormones in adipocytes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

An efficient approach for evaluating storm tide return levels along the southeastern coastline of Australia under present and future climate conditions is described. Storm surge height probabilities for the present climate are estimated using hydrodynamic model simulations of surges identified in recent tide gauge records. Tides are then accounted for using a joint probability method. Storm tide height return levels obtained in this way are similar to those obtained from the direct analysis of tide gauge records. The impact of climate change on extreme sea levels is explored by adding a variety of estimates of mean sea level rise and by forcing the model with modified wind data. It is shown that climate change has the potential to reduce average recurrence intervals of present climate 1 in 100 year storm tide levels along much of the northern Bass Strait coast to between 1 and 2 years by the year 2070. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The spatial variability of preferential pathways for water and chemical transport in a field soil, as visualized through dye infiltration experiments, was studied by applying multifractal and wavelet transform analysis (WTA). After dye infiltration into a 4 m² plot located on a Vertisol soil near College Station, Texas, horizontal planes in the subsoil were exposed at 5 cm intervals, and dye stain patterns were photographed. Box-counting methods and WTA were applied to all of the 16 digitalized high-resolution dye images and to the dye-mass image obtained merging all sections. The wellknown Devil's staircase multifractal was also used to illustrate wavelet-based analysis. Our results suggest that wavelet methods can complement box-counting analysis in the context of multiscaling structure analysis. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Objectively derived resolution-dependent criteria are defined for the detection of tropical cyclones in model simulations and observationally based analyses. These criteria are derived from the wind profiles of observed tropical cyclones, averaged at various resolutions. Both an analytical wind profile model and two-dimensional observed wind analyses are used. The results show that the threshold wind speed of an observed tropical cyclone varies roughly linearly with resolution. The criteria derived here are compared to the numerous different criteria previously employed in climate model simulations. The resulting method provides a simple means of comparing climate model simulations and reanalyses. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper describes the effect of a disease outbreak on the success of a translocation for conservation management in a critically endangered species. Three juvenile kakapo from a group of 19 translocated birds died within 72 h of transport between New Zealand offshore islands. Clinical findings, gross necropsy changes, cytology, histopathology and bacterial culture confirmed systemic disease caused by Erysipelothrix rhusiopathiae . On the island from which the kakapo were sourced, positive cultures of E. rhusiopathiae were obtained from the medulla of the ulna from 10 out of 15 seabird carcasses examined, suggesting that this could be the source of infection for the kakapo. Immediately after the diagnosis, all of the translocated birds were re-captured and treated with antibiotics. A vaccination programme has commenced using a commercial killed bacterin developed for turkeys. The disease outbreak has had costly implications for the population and conservation management of the species. This is the first report of erysipelas in wild parrots, and the first report of the management of erysipelas in a critically endangered wild population of birds. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The Ryan White CARE Act supports comprehensive care to persons with HIV infection. With an annual budget of over $1 billion, it is the largest federally funded programme for HIV care in the USA. We analysed data from the HIV Costs and Services Utilization Study, a nationally representative sample of HIV patients. Patient data were collected in 1996-97 and clinic data were collected in 1998-99. We examined whether CARE Act funded clinics differed from other HIV clinics in (1) the characteristics of their patients, and (2) their organization, staffing, and services. We found that patients at CARE Act clinics were younger, less educated, poorer, and more likely to be female, non-white, unemployed, uninsured, and have heterosexual contact as an HIV risk factor, compared to patients at other HIV clinics. CARE Act clinics tended to specialize in HIV care, had more infectious disease specialists, had fewer total patients, and provided more support services (e.g. mental health, nutrition, case management, child care). These results are consistent with findings of other studies that were limited by non-probability samples or restricted geographical areas. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This study deals with incorporating predictions of sea level rise into practical municipal planning. Predictions of global mean sea level rise can be made with more confidence than many other aspects of climate change science. The world has warmed in the past century, and as a result global mean sea level has risen and is expected to continue to rise. Even so, there are significant uncertainties regarding predictions of sea level. These arise from two main sources: the future amount of greenhouse gases in the atmosphere, and the ability of models to predict the impact of increasing concentrations of greenhouse gases. Current knowledge regarding the effect of global warming on sea level rise is reviewed. Global mean sea level is expected to rise by 3–30 cm by 2040, and 9–88 cm by 2100. An important remaining uncertainty is the future contribution of surface water storage (for example, lakes and reservoirs) to changes in sea level. In addition, there are also significant local sea level effects that need to be taken account in many regions of the globe, including isostatic and tectonic effects. The thermal expansion component of sea level rise is also likely to vary regionally, due to regional differences in the rate of downward mixing of heat and to changes in ocean currents. The current state of planning for sea level rise in Australia is reviewed. While not all coastal municipalities include sea level rise in their planning schemes, the recent adoption in a number of States of new planning schemes with statutory authority creates a changed planning environment for local government. Coastal urban planning needs to take sea level rise into account because its effects will be apparent during the typical replacement time of urban infrastructure such as buildings (before about 70 years). For local planning, ideally a risk assessment methodology may be employed to estimate the risk caused by sea level rise. In many locations, planning thresholds would also have to be considered in the light of possible changes in storm surge climatology due to changes in storm frequency and intensity, and (in some locations) changes to return periods of riverine flooding. In the medium term (decades), urban beaches will need beach re-nourishment and associated holding structures such as sea walls. Changes in storm and wave climatology are crucial factors for determining future coastal erosion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A technique to evaluate the risk of storm tides (the combination of a storm surge and tide) under present and enhanced greenhouse conditions has been applied to Cairns on the north-eastern Australian coast. The technique combines a statistical model for cyclone occurrence with a state-of-the-art storm surge inundation model and involves the random generation of a large number of storm tide simulations. The set of simulations constitutes a synthetic record of extreme sea-level events that can be analysed to produce storm tide return periods. The use of a dynamic storm surge model with overland flooding capability means that the spatial extent of flooding is also implicitly modelled. The technique has the advantage that it can readily be modified to include projected changes to cyclone behaviour due to the enhanced greenhouse effect. Sea-level heights in the current climate for return periods of 50, 100, 500 and 1000 years have been determined to be 2.0 m, 2.3 m, 3.0 m and 3.4 m respectively. In an enhanced greenhouse climate (around 2050), projected increases in cyclone intensity and mean sea-level see these heights increase to 2.4 m, 2.8 m, 3.8 m and 4.2 m respectively. The average area inundated by events with a return period greater than 100 years is found to more than double under enhanced greenhouse conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Bypass flow in subsurface flow constructed wetlands, which may be related to several wetland characteristics, reduces detention time and may result in inadequately treated wastewater. Subsurface flow constructed wetlands, 23 m wide by 4.8 m long and containing a gravel matrix, were used to investigate the impact of wetland depth, inlet pipe location, loading volume, and plants on water flow. Flow patterns were determined using blue dye or bromide as tracers. The blue dye adsorbed to the gravel and was not an effective tracer for following water movement Water dispersed as it flowed through the wetland, and approximately two pore volumes of added water were required to displace approximately 99% of the bromide tracer added as a pulse. In 17 and 25 cm deep wetlands, water flow was uniform with depth, and inlet depth had little influence on water flow patterns. Water flow in a 40 cm deep wetland was not uniform with depth for either inlet pipe placement The presence of plants caused preferential water flow around root masses, thereby, limiting their potential to interface with wastewater. Water mixing by dispersion from the surface to deeper depths may enhance aeration. Bromide was first detected in effluent after only 05 pore volumes of tap water had been added. This indicates that detention time for some wastewater would be less than expected, since plug flow is usually assumed in subsurface flow constructed wetlands. This occurrence should be considered for time-dependent treatments, such as fecal coliform and biological oxygen demand reduction. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Evaluates the effectiveness of drip tubing in distributing the wastewater uniformly through the soil matrix, providing removal of Escherichia coli bacteria from wastewater and keeping wastewater from reaching the soil surface. Effect of the volume of water applied on the number of times water reached the soil surface; Major mechanisms associated with reducing bacterial populations in water; Influence of depth, volume applied per dose, and preferential flow paths on the frequency of wastewater surfacing from drip emitters.

Context: The relationship between psychiatric symptoms and disability in refugee survivors of mass violence is not known.Objective: To determine if risk factors, such as demographics, trauma, health status, and psychiatric illness, are associated with disability in Bosnian refugees.Design, Setting, and Participants: Cross-sectional survey conducted in 1996 of Bosnian refugee adults living in a camp established by the Croatian government near the city of Varazdin. One adult aged 18 years or older was randomly selected from each of 573 camp families; 534 (93%) agreed to participate (mean age, 50 years; 41% male).Main Outcome Measures: Culturally validated measures for depression and posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) included the Hopkins Symptom Checklist 25 and the Harvard Trauma Questionnaire, respectively. Disability measures included the Medical Outcomes Study Short-Form 20, a physical functioning scale based on World Health Organization criteria, and self-reports of socioeconomic activity, levels of physical energy, and perceived health status.Results: Respondents reported a mean (SD) of 6.5 (4.7) unduplicated trauma events; 18% (n=95) had experienced 1 or more torture events. While 55.2% reported no psychiatric symptoms, 39.2% and 26.3% reported symptoms that meet DSM-IV criteria for depression and PTSD, respectively; 20.6% reported symptoms comorbid for both disorders. A total of 25.5% reported having a disability. Refugees who reported symptoms comorbid for both depression and PTSD were associated with an increased risk for disability compared with asymptomatic refugees (unadjusted odds ratio [OR], 5.02; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.05-8.26; adjusted OR, 2.06; 95% CI, 1.10-3.86). Older age, cumulative trauma, and chronic medical illness were also associated with disability.Conclusions: In a population of Bosnian refugees who had recently fled from the war in Bosnia and Herzegovina, psychiatric comorbidity was associated with disability independent of the effects of age, trauma, and health status. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Background: The dose-effect relationships of cumulative trauma to the psychiatric symptoms of major depression and post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in a community study of Cambodian survivors of mass violence were evaluated.Method: In 1990, a survey of 1000 households was conducted in a Thai refugee camp (Site 2) using a multi-stage random sampling design. Trauma history and psychiatric symptoms were assessed for two time periods. Analysis used linear dose-response regression modelling.Results: 993 Cambodian adults reported a mean of 14 Pol Pot era trauma events and 1.3 trauma events during the past year. Symptom categories of depression, PTSD, dissociative and culturally dependent symptoms exhibited strong dose-effect responses with the exception of avoidance. All symptom categories, except avoidant symptoms, were highly correlated.Conclusions: Cumulative trauma continued to affect psychiatric symptom levels a decade after the original trauma events. The diagnostic validity of PTSD criteria, with the notable exception of avoidance, was supported. Inclusion of dissociative and culturally dependent symptoms increased the cultural sensitivity of PTSD. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article highlights the variability and changes in sea level in 2013. Topics discussed include the continued increase in global mean sea level (GMSL), the natural variability associated with the Pacific decadal oscillation (PDO), and the changes in global mean ocean mass and in global mean continental water storage.

Smith, T. F., Brooke, C., Preston, B., Gorddard, R., Abbs, D., Mcinnes, K. Withycombe, G. and Morrison, C., 2007. Managing for Climate Variability in the Sydney Region. Journal of Coastal Research, SI 50 (Proceedings of the 9th International Coastal Symposium), 109 – 113. Gold Coast, Australia, ISSN 0749.0208 Coastal research and management often has an issue-specific focus, with little attention paid to the interdependencies between those issues. Climate variability is one such issue that is impacted by, and impacts on, several other areas (e.g. coastal processes, infrastructure, health and regional economies). These interdependencies create challenges for local governments to scale-up so as to tackle these issues at a regional scale. Critical to this process of scaling-up is the adaptive capacity of local governments. A method to assist local governments deal with climate variability in the Sydney region is being developed by CSIRO and the Sydney Coastal Councils Group through the Australian Greenhouse Office National Climate Change Adaptation Program. The method consists of: (i) creating vulnerability mapping templates; (ii) working with local governments to determine collective and local vulnerabilities; (iii) analysis of local government priorities and capacity for adaptation; and (iv) assessment of transferability of the method to other regions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The article focuses on a study, which compares the quality of health care provided by Nurse practitioners (NPs), physician assistants (PAs) and doctors in HIV clinics. 177 doctors and 66 NPs and PAs who took care of 6651 patients in 68 HIV clinics were studied. The quality of care provided by NPs and PAs was similar to or better than that provided by doctors. NPs and PAs were better than all doctors at screening for tuberculosis and cervical cancer. They were better than non-HIV expert doctors without special training at giving proper anti-HIV drugs, controlling HIV infection, and giving flu shots.

Long-term measurements of CO2 exchange between coastal wetlands and the atmosphere are necessary to improve our understanding of the role these ecosystems play in the global carbon cycle, and theresponse of these systems to environmental change. We conducted research to adapt and evaluate tower-based conditional sampling as a method for measuring net CO2 exchange (NCE) at the ecosystem scale on a continuous basis. With conditional sampling, NCE is determined from the product of the standard deviation of vertical wind velocity, the difference in CO2 concentration between updrafts and downdrafts in the constant flux portion of the boundary layer above the surface, and an empirical coefficient. We constructed a systemthat used a sonic anemometer to measure vertical wind velocity (w) and control a high-speed three-way valve that diverted air from updrafts and downdrafts into separate sample lines, depending on the direction of w. An infrared gas analyzer was used to measure the concentration difference. The conditional sampling system was installed and tested in a marsh in the Nueces River Delta near Corpus Christi, Texas, as part of a long-term study of effects of freshwater inflow on CO2 flux. System accuracy was evaluated by comparing conditional sampling measurements of water vapor flux with independent estimates obtained with the Bowen ratio method. Average daily flux estimates for the two methods agreed to within 13%. Measurements showed that freshwater inflow due to flooding of the Nueces River increased NCE by increasing CO2 assimilation and decreasing CO2 efflux. Over a 65-d period, daily NCE varied from a maximum gain of 0.16 mol CO2 m-2 d-1 during flooding to a maximum loss of -0.14 mol CO2 m-2 d-1 when the marsh dried. Our study showed that conditional sampling was well suited for quantifying CO2 exchange in coastalwe [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]