Carbon storage versus albedo change: radiative forcing of forest expansion in temperate mountainous regions of Switzerland

In this study, we assess the climate mitigation potential from afforestation in a mountainous snow-rich region (Switzerland) with strongly varying environmental conditions. Using radiative forcing calculations, we quantify both the carbon sequestration potential and the effect of albedo change at high resolution. We calculate the albedo radiative forcing based on remotely sensed data sets of albedo, global radiation and snow cover. Carbon sequestration is estimated from changes in carbon stocks based on national inventories. We first estimate the spatial pattern of radiative forcing (RF) across Switzerland assuming homogeneous transitions from open land to forest. This highlights where forest expansion still exhibits climatic benefits when including the radiative forcing of albedo change. Second, given that forest expansion is currently the dominant land-use change process in the Swiss Alps, we calculate the radiative forcing that occurred between 1985 and 1997. Our results show that the net RF of forest expansion ranges from −24 W m−2 at low elevations of the northern Prealps to 2 W m−2 at high elevations of the Central Alps. The albedo RF increases with increasing altitude, which offsets the CO2 RF at high elevations with long snow-covered periods, high global radiation and low carbon sequestration. Albedo RF is particularly relevant during transitions from open land to open forest but not in later stages of forest development. Between 1985 and 1997, when overall forest expansion in Switzerland was approximately 4%, the albedo RF offset the CO2 RF by an average of 40%. We conclude that the albedo RF should be considered at an appropriately high resolution when estimating the climatic effect of forestation in temperate mountainous regions.

Cognitive improvement in patients with carotid stenosis is independent of treatment type

Treatment of carotid artery stenosis decreases the long-term risk of stroke and may enhance cerebral blood flow. It is therefore expected to have the potential to prevent cognitive decline or even improve cognition over the long-term. However, intervention itself can cause peri-interventional cerebral infarcts, possibly resulting in a decline of cognitive performance, at least for a short time. We investigated the long-term effects of three treatment methods on cognition and the emotional state one year after intervention. In this prospective observational cohort study, 58 patients with extracranial carotid artery stenosis (≥70%) underwent magnetic resonance imaging and assessment of cognition, mood and motor speed before carotid endarterectomy (n = 20), carotid stenting (n = 10) or best medical treatment (n = 28) (i.e., time-point 1 [TP1]), and at one-year follow-up (TP2). Gain scores, reflecting cognitive change after treatment, were built according to performance as (TP2 -TP1)/TP1. Independent of the treatment type, significant improvement in frontal lobe functions, visual memory and motor speed was found. Performance level, motor speed and mood at TP1 were negatively correlated with gain scores, with greater improvement in patients with low performance before treatment. Active therapy, whether conservative or interventional, produces significant improvement of frontal lobe functions and memory in patients with carotid artery disease, independent of treatment type. This effect was particularly pronounced in patients with low cognitive performance prior to treatment.

VIRTOPSY - the Swiss virtual autopsy approach

The aim of the VIRTOPSY project () is utilizing radiological scanning to push low-tech documentation and autopsy procedures in a world of high-tech medicine in order to improve scientific value, to increase significance and quality in the forensic field. The term VIRTOPSY was created from the terms virtual and autopsy: Virtual is derived from the Latin word 'virtus', which means 'useful, efficient and good'. Autopsy is a combination of the old Greek terms 'autos' (=self) and 'opsomei' (=I will see). Thus autopsy means 'to see with ones own eyes'. Because our goal was to eliminate the subjectivity of "autos", we merged the two terms virtual and autopsy - deleting "autos" - to create VIRTOPSY. Today the project VIRTOPSY combining the research topics under one scientific umbrella, is characterized by a trans-disciplinary research approach that combines Forensic Medicine, Pathology, Radiology, Image Processing, Physics, and Biomechanics to an international scientific network. The paper will give an overview of the Virtopsy change process in forensic medicine.

Mindfulness-based cognitive therapie for depression (MBCT) in clinical practice - baseline patient characteristics, process and outcome

Introduction: Mindfulness based cognitive therapy for depression (MBCT) has shown to be effective for the reduction of depressive relapse. However, additional information regarding baseline patient characteristics and process features related to positive response could be helpful both for the provision of MBCT in clinical practice, as well as for its further development. Method: Baseline characteristics, process data, and immediate outcome (symptom change, change in attitudes and trait mindfulness) of 108 patients receiving MBCT in routine care were recorded. A newly developed self-report measure (Daily Mindfulness Scale, DMS) was applied daily during the MBCT program. Additionally, patients filed daily reports on their mindfulness practice. There was no control group available. Results: Patients with more severe initial symptoms indicated greater amounts of symptom improvement, but did not show great rates of dropout from the MBCT intervention. Younger age was related to higher rates of dropout. Contradictory to some previous data, patients with lower levels of initial trait mindfulness showed greater improvement in symptoms, even after controlling for initial levels of symptoms. Adherence to daily mindfulness practice was high. Consistent with this result, the duration of daily mindfulness practice was not related to immediate outcome. Process studies using multivariate time series analysis revealed a specific role of daily mindfulness in reducing subsequent negative mood. Conclusions: Within the range of patient present in this study and the given study design, results support the use of MBCT in more heterogeneous groups. This demanding intervention was well tolerated by patients with higher levels of symptoms, and resulted in significant improvements regarding residual symptoms. Process-outcome analyses of initial trait mindfulness and daily mindfulness both support the crucial role of changes in mindfulness for the effects of MBCT.

Who stays, who benefits? Predicting dropout and change in cognitive behaviour therapy for psychosis

This study investigates predictors of outcome in a secondary analysis of dropout and completer data from a randomized controlled effectiveness trial comparing CBTp to a wait-list group (Lincoln et al., 2012). Eighty patients with DSM-IV psychotic disorders seeking outpatient treatment were included. Predictors were assessed at baseline. Symptom outcome was assessed at post-treatment and at one-year follow-up. The predictor x group interactions indicate that a longer duration of disorder predicted less improvement in negative symptoms in the CBTp but not in the wait-list group whereas jumping-to-conclusions was associated with poorer outcome only in the wait-list group. There were no CBTp specific predictors of improvement in positive symptoms. However, in the combined sample (immediate CBTp+the delayed CBTp group) baseline variables predicted significant amounts of positive and negative symptom variance at post-therapy and one-year follow-up after controlling for pre-treatment symptoms. Lack of insight and low social functioning were the main predictors of drop-out, contributing to a prediction accuracy of 87%. The findings indicate that higher baseline symptom severity, poorer functioning, neurocognitive deficits, reasoning biases and comorbidity pose no barrier to improvement during CBTp. However, in line with previous predictor-research, the findings imply that patients need to receive treatment earlier.

Applying the Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process in Cognitive Cities

This paper introduces a mobile application (app) as the first part of an interactive framework. The framework enhances the inter-action between cities and their citizens, introducing the Fuzzy Analytical Hierarchy Process (FAHP) as a potential information acquisition method to improve existing citizen management en-deavors for cognitive cities. Citizen management is enhanced by advanced visualization using Fuzzy Cognitive Maps (FCM). The presented app takes fuzziness into account in the constant inter-action and continuous development of communication between cities or between certain of their entities (e.g., the tax authority) and their citizens. A transportation use case is implemented for didactical reasons.