Wildlife population changes across eastern europe after the collapse of socialism

When political regimes fall, economic conditions change and wildlife protection can be undermined. Eastern European countries experienced turmoil following the collapse of socialism in the early 1990s, raising the question of how wildlife was affected. We show that the aftermath of the collapse changed the population growth rates of various wildlife taxa. We analyzed populations of moose (Alces alces), wild boar (Sus scrofa), red deer (Cervus elaphus), roe deer (Capreolus capreolus), brown bear (Ursus arctos), Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx), and gray wolf (Canis lupus) in nine countries. Population growth rates changed in 32 out of 49 time series. In the countries that reformed slowly, many species exhibited rapid population declines, and population growth rates changed in 83% of the time series. In contrast, in countries with fast post- socialism reforms, many populations increased rapidly, and growth rates changed in only 48% of time series. Our results suggest that the direction and frequency of the changes were associated with socioeconomic conditions, and that wildlife populations can be greatly affected by socioeconomic upheavals

Toward an operative diagnosis in sepsis: a latent class approach

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Recent data have suggested that 18 million of new sepsis cases occur each year worldwide, with a mortality rate of almost 30%. There is not consensus on the clinical definition of sepsis and, because of lack of training or simply unawareness, clinicians often miss or delay this diagnosis. This is especially worrying; since there is strong evidence supporting that early treatment is associated with greater clinical success. There are some difficulties for sepsis diagnosis such as the lack of an appropriate gold standard to identify this clinical condition. This situation has hampered the assessment of the accuracy of clinical signs and biomarkers to diagnose sepsis.</p> <p>Methods/design</p> <p>Cross-sectional study to determine the operative characteristics of three biological markers of inflammation and coagulation (D-dimer, C-reactive protein and Procalcitonin) as diagnostic tests for sepsis, in patients admitted to hospital care with a presumptive infection as main diagnosis.</p> <p>Discussion</p> <p>There are alternative techniques that have been used to assess the accuracy of tests without gold standards, and they have been widely used in clinical disciplines such as psychiatry, even though they have not been tested in sepsis diagnosis. Considering the main importance of diagnosis as early as possible, we propose a latent class analysis to evaluate the accuracy of three biomarkers to diagnose sepsis.</p

Characterizations of multivalued dependencies and related expressions. Discovery Science 2004

Abstract We study multivalued dependencies, as well as the propositional formulas whose deduction calculus parallels that of multivalued dependencies, and the variant known as degenerated multivalued dependencies. For each of these sorts of expressions, we provide intrinsic characterizations in purely semantic terms. They naturally generalize similar properties of functional dependencies or Horn clauses

The middle/late Eocene transition in the Eastern Carpathians (Romania) based on foraminifera and calcareous nannofossil assemblages

Foraminiferal and calcareous nannofossil assemblages from the Eastern Carpathians (northern part of the Tarcău Nappe, Romania) were documented and correlated in order to reconstruct the palaeonvironmental settings and provide a biostratigraphic framework of the Plopu Formation. The benthic foraminiferal assemblages are dominated by flysch-type agglutinated taxa, suggesting a bathyal palaeodepth with frequent oscillations of the carbon compensation depth. The agglutinated foraminifera morphogroup analyses suggest different levels of organic matter influx and oxygenation. Both the foraminifera and calcareous nannofossil assemblages suggest a shift between the warm mid Eocene to the cooler late Eocene climate. Biostratigraphic data based on calcareous nannofossils (NP15–NP19/NNTe8–NNTe12 biozones) helped to establish the age of the formation. Four assemblages of benthic agglutinated foraminifera (Psammosiphonella cylindrica – Nothia excelsa; Paratrochamminoides spp. – Trochamminoides spp.; Karrerulina spp.– Reticulophragmium amplectens; Spiroplectammina spectabilis) correlated with calcareous nannofossil bioevents supported the placement of the mid to late Eocene transition within the Plopu Formation

Geochemistry of Upper Cretaceous of the Bozeş Formation (Apuseni Mts., Romania) : provenance implications

A whole-rock geochemical study was carried out on sandstones from the Upper Cretaceous Bozeş Formation in the southeastern part of the Apuseni Mountains (Romania) in order to constrain their provenance and depositional setting. The geochemical results were compared and integrated with previously reported provenance indicators, such as framework composition and heavy mineral assemblages. The chemical composition is similar for all samples investigated, with limited ranges for both major oxides and trace elements. The sandstones are potassic (Na2O/K2O < 1) and can be classified mainly as arenites with a few greywackes. Their immature to relatively mature character is revealed by the SiO2/Al2O3 ratios, ranging between 3.90 and 11.25, as well as their high Sr/Rb ratios. The source rocks were affected by weak to moderate chemical alteration, as indicated by the specific index (CIA), with values between 47 and 71. The detrital material was influenced by a little hydraulic sorting during transportation, while post-depositional eftects were limited to K-metasomatism. Two major potential source types were identified based on the chemical composition of the samples studied: a felsic magmatic arc and a recycled, quartzose metasedimentary basement. Our data indicate that the depositional setting is likely to be on a convergent margin. The results are consistent with uplifted and exhumed Transylvanian basement as the major source area