Vegetation responses to rapid climatic changes during the last deglaciation 13,500-8,000 years ago on southwest Andoya, arctic Norway

The late-glacial vegetation development in northern Norway in response to climate changes during the Allerod, Younger Dryas (YD), and the transition to the Holocene is poorly known. Here we present a high-resolution record of floral and vegetation changes at lake Lusvatnet, south-west Andoya, between 13500 and 8000 cal b.p. Plant macrofossil and pollen analyses were done on the same sediment core and the proxy records follow each other very closely. The core has also been analyzed using an ITRAX XRF scanner in order to check the sediment sequence for disturbances or hiatuses. The core has a good radiocarbon-based chronology. The Saksunarvatn tephra fits very well chronostratigraphically. During both the Allerod and the Younger Dryas time-periods arctic vegetation prevailed, dominated by Salix polaris associated with many typically arctic herbs such as Saxifraga cespitosa, Saxifraga rivularis and Oxyria digyna. Both periods were cold and dry. Between 12450 and 12250 cal b.p. during the Younger Dryas chronozone, the assemblage changed, particularly in the increased abundance of Papaver sect. Scapiflora and other high-Arctic herbs, suggesting the development of polar desert vegetation mainly as a response to increased aridity. After 11520 cal b.p. a gradually warmer and more oceanic climate initiated a succession to dwarf-shrub vegetation and the establishment of Betula woodland after 1,000 years at c. 10520 cal b.p. The overall late-glacial aridity contrasts with oceanic conditions in southern Norway and is probably related to sea-ice extent.

Postglacial vegetation dynamics of western Tierra del Fuego

The southern fringes of the South American landmass provide a rare opportunity to examine the development of moorland vegetation with sparse tree cover in a wet, cool temperate climate of the Southern Hemisphere. We present a record of changes in vegetation over the past 17,000 years, from a lake in extreme southern Chile (Isla Santa Inés, Magallanes region, 53°38.97S; 72°25.24W), where human influence on vegetation is negligible. The western archipelago of Tierra del Fuego remained treeless for most of the Lateglacial period; Lycopodium magellanicum, Gunnera magellanica and heath species dominated the vegetation. Nothofagus may have survived the last glacial maximum at the eastern edge of the Magellan glaciers from where it spread southwestwards and established in the region at around 10,500 cal. yr BP. Nothofagus antarctica was likely the earlier colonizing tree in the western islands, followed shortly after by Nothofagus betuloides. At 9000 cal. yr BP moorland communities expanded at the expense of Nothofagus woodland. Simultaneously, Nothofagus species shifted to dominance of the evergreen Nothofagus betuloides and the Magellanic rain forest established in the region. Rapid and drastic vegetation changes occurred at 5200 cal. yr BP, after the Mt Burney MB2 eruption, including the expansion and establishment of Pilgerodendron uviferum and the development of mixed Nothofagus-Pilgerodendron-Drimys woodland. Scattered populations of Nothofagus, as they occur today in westernmost Tierra del Fuego may be a good analogue for Nothofagus populations during the Lateglacial in eastern sites.

Holocene climate change, vegetation history and human impact in the Central Mediterranean: evidence from the Maltese Islands

Holocene climates and human impact in the Mediterranean basin have received much attention, but the Maltese Islands in the Central Mediterranean, although a pivotal area, have been little researched. Here, sedimentary and palynological data are presented for three cores from the Holocene coastal and shallowmarine
deposits of the Maltese Islands. These show deforestation from Pinus-Cupressaceae woodland in the early Neolithic, and then a long, but relatively stable history of agriculturally degraded environments to the present day. The major climate events which have affected the Italian and Balkan peninsulas to the
north, and Tunisia to the south, are not reflected in the pollen diagrams from the Maltese Islands because of the strong anthropogenic imprint on the Maltese vegetation from early in the Neolithic. Previous suggestions of environmentally-driven agricultural collapse at the end of the Neolithic appear, however,
to be substantiated and may be linked to regional aridification around 4300 cal. BP. Depopulation in early Medieval times is not supported by the current palynological evidence.

Multidimensional rehabilitation programmes for adult cancer survivors

This is the protocol for a review and there is no abstract. The objectives are as follows:

To assess the effectiveness of multidimensional rehabilitation programs in terms of maintaining or improving the physical and psychosocial well-being of adult cancer survivors.

The review will evaluate the extent to which:

Professionally led multidimensional rehabilitation programs achieve better outcomes than standard services for patients with cancer and their caregivers
Rehabilitation programmes exert a different impact on different domains (e.g. psychological health, physical functioning)
Different modes of delivery and different settings influence outcomes
There is relationship between the number, duration and intensity of rehabilitation sessions and degree of change in measured outcomes.

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbon (PAH) dispersion and deposition to vegetation and soil following a large scale chemical fire

Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs) were determined in soil and vegetation following a large scale chemical fire involving 10,000 ton of polypropylene. In comparison with sites outside the plume from the fire, PAH concentrations were elevated in grass shoots (by up to 70-fold) and in soil (by up to 370-fold). The pattern of PAH dispersion under the plume was dependent on the physical-chemical properties of individual PAHs. The lighter, least hydrophobic PAHs were dispersed into the environment at greater distances than heavier, more hydrophobic PAHs. At the most distant sampling point (4.5 km) under the plume, the low molecular weight PAHs were still considerably elevated in vegetation samples compared to control sites. Dispersion appeared to be regulated by the compounds partitioning between the vapour and particulate phase, with dry particulate deposition occurring closer to the fire source than gaseous deposition. For all PAHs, the fire resulted in greater contamination of soils compared to grasses, with the relative ratio of plant/soil contamination decreasing as hydrophobicity increased.

Effectiveness of multidisciplinary early rehabilitation in reducing behaviour-related risk factors

To evaluate the effect of a 4-week primary prevention programme on health-risk behaviours amongst employees at increased risk of work incapacity.

An outpatient respiratory rehabilitation program:Findings from a community hospital

Objectives: To determine patient satisfaction with a community hospital's respiratory rehabilitation program and to assess changes in patient physical and emotional function and quality of life. Design: Pre- and post-program measures were made on a variety of physiological and psychosocial factors. A modified version of the Chronic Respiratory Disease Questionnaire was administered before and after the 8-week multidisciplinary and comprehensive respiratory rehabilitation program. The post-program questionnaire also included a number of service delivery and patient satisfaction and quality-of-life questions. Setting: Respiratory Rehabilitation Program at St. Joseph's Hospital, a community hospital in Brantford, Ont., in active partnership with the Brant County Lung Association. Brant County is located in Central West Ontario, and has both urban and rural areas and a population of approximately 125 000 people. Participants: Twenty-nine patients, with a diagnosis of moderate to severe chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) who were referred to the Fall 1997 and Spring 1998 programs, were enrolled in the study. Outcome measures: Changes in physical and emotional function, health knowledge, skills mastery, quality of life and satisfaction with the program. Results: Twenty-one of 29 patients completed the program. Statistically significant and clinically important improvements were found between all pre- and post-program evaluation scores (distance walked, fatigue, dyspnea, emotional function, skills mastery and health knowledge). Participants were very satisfied with the program and felt it improved their quality of life. Conclusion: The positive outcomes reported rom randomized controlled trials of respiratory rehabilitation programs can be achieved in a community hospital setting.

Behavior problems in children requiring inpatient rehabilitation treatment for asthma

Forty-eight asthmatic children (age 6-16 years), inpatients at the Hugh McMillan Medical Centre, were rated by their parents on their behavior using Achenbach's Child Behaviour Checklist. Completed checklists were used to determine normalized T scores for behavior syndromes, and these were compared against norms for clinically referred and nonreferred children. Behavior problems were elevated compared with nonreferred children for both boys and girls, with boys scoring at a clinical level. While many behavior problems were recognized, somatic complaints was a prominent syndrome, particularly for those in the 6-11-year age group.