Silvoarable agroforestry

Introduction: A silvoarable system of land management implies the cultivation of trees and arable crops on the same area of land, a system practised quite commonly in southern Europe and in the tropics. The system comprises two components: tree rows, generally one tree wide, and arable alleys, alternating across the field. The first major development of silvoarable practice in the UK took place during the 1960s and 1970s when Bryant & May established extensive poplar plantations on lowland farmland in southern England to supply their own market for match veneer timber (Beaton, 1987). Since the demise of the Bryant Sr May market for match timber in 1978, interest in the potential for silvoarable systems lay dormant until the advent of food crop surpluses in the 1980s

Cancer screening behaviours among South Asian immigrants in the UK, US and Canada: a scoping study

South Asian (SA) immigrants settled in the United Kingdom (UK) and North America [United States (US) and Canada] have low screening rates for breast, cervical and colorectal cancers. Incidence rates of these cancers increase among SA immigrants after migration, becoming similar to rates in non-Asian native populations. However, there are disparities in cancer screening, with low cancer screening uptake in this population. We conducted a scoping study using Arksey & O’Malley’s framework to examine cancer screening literature on SA immigrants residing in the UK, US and Canada. Eight electronic databases, key journals and reference lists were searched for English language studies and reports. Of 1465 identified references, 70 studies from 1994 to November 2014 were included: 63% on breast or cervical cancer screening or both; 10% examined colorectal cancer screening only; 16% explored health promotion/service provision; 8% studied breast, cervical and colorectal cancer screening; and 3% examined breast and colorectal cancer screening. A thematic analysis uncovered four dominant themes: (i) beliefs and attitudes towards cancer and screening included centrality of family, holistic healthcare, fatalism, screening as unnecessary and emotion-laden perceptions; (ii) lack of knowledge of cancer and screening related to not having heard about cancer and its causes, or lack of awareness of screening, its rationale and/or how to access services; (iii) barriers to access including individual and structural barriers; and (iv) gender differences in screening uptake and their associated factors. Findings offer insights that can be used to develop culturally sensitive interventions to minimise barriers and increase cancer screening uptake in these communities, while recognising the diversity within the SA culture. Further research is required to address the gap in colorectal cancer screening literature to more fully understand SA immigrants’ perspectives, as well as research to better understand gender-specific factors that influence screening uptake

Fractionating negative and positive affectivity in handedness: Insights from the Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory of personality

The Annett Hand Preference Questionnaire (AHPQ), as modified by Briggs and Nebes [(1975). Patterns of hand preference in a student population. Cortex, 11(3), 230-238. doi: 10.1016/s0010-9452(75)80005-0 ], was administered to a sample of 177 participants alongside the Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory of Personality Questionnaire [RST-PQ; Corr, P. J., & Cooper, A. (2016). The Reinforcement Sensitivity Theory of Personality Questionnaire (RST-PQ): Development and validation. Psychological Assessment. doi: 10.1037/pas000 ], which measures two factors of defensive negative emotion, motivation and affectivity-the Behavioural Inhibition System (BIS) and the Fight-Flight-Freeze System (FFFS)-and one positive-approach dimension related to reward sensitivity, persistence and reactivity-the Behavioural Approach System. We sought to clarify the nature of negative, and positive, affectivity in relation to handedness. ANOVAs and multiple regression analyses converged on the following conclusions: left-handers were higher on the BIS, not the FFFS, than right-handers; in right-handers only, strength of hand preference was positively correlated with the FFFS, not the BIS. The original assessment method proposed by Annett was also used to assess handedness, but associations with RST-PQ factors were not found. These findings help us to clarify existing issues in the literature and raise new ones for future research

Handedness and behavioural inhibition system/behavioural activation system (BIS/BAS) scores: A replication and extension of Wright, Hardie, and Wilson (2009)

The Annett Hand Preference Questionnaire (AHPQ) as modified by Briggs and Nebes was administered along with Carver and White's behavioural inhibition system (BIS) and behavioural activation system (BAS) scale and a shortened form of the Big Five personality questionnaire to 92 university students. After eliminating the data from five respondents who reported having changed handedness and one outlier, there was a significant sex difference in mean BIS scores, with females (n = 43) scoring higher than males (n = 43). Replicating the results of Wright, Hardie and Wilson, non-right-handers (n = 36) had significantly higher mean BIS score than right-handers (n = 50). Controlling for sex of participant, neuroticism and BAS sub-scale scores in hierarchical regression analyses left this BIS effect substantially unaffected. There was no handedness or sex difference on any of the three BAS sub-scales. Further analyses revealed no association between strength, as distinct from direction, of handedness and BIS (or BAS) scores. The findings are discussed with reference to recent developments in reinforcement sensitivity theory on which BIS/BAS variables are based

Increased incidence and size of the cavum septum pellicidum in children with chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome

Chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) is a result of a hemizygotic microdeletion that results in a variety of impairments in children including greater risk for psychiatric ailments in adulthood. We used high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging to accurately quantify the length and, for the first time, volume, of the cavum septum pellucidum (CSP) in children aged 7 to 14years with 22q11.2DS and typically developing (TD) controls. Significantly greater anteroposterior length and greater CSP volumes were found in children with 22q11.2DS compared with controls. Furthermore, the largest CSP were found only in the 22q11.2DS group and with a much higher incidence than previously reported in the literature. Given the significant midline anomalies in the brains of those affected by 22q11.2DS, large CSP may be a biomarker of atypical brain development. The implication of these larger CSP for cognitive and behavioral development is a topic in need of further investigation

Increased incidence and size of the cavum septum pellicidum in children with chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome

Chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) is a result of a hemizygotic microdeletion that results in a variety of impairments in children including greater risk for psychiatric ailments in adulthood. We used high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging to accurately quantify the length and, for the first time, volume, of the cavum septum pellucidum (CSP) in children aged 7 to 14years with 22q11.2DS and typically developing (TD) controls. Significantly greater anteroposterior length and greater CSP volumes were found in children with 22q11.2DS compared with controls. Furthermore, the largest CSP were found only in the 22q11.2DS group and with a much higher incidence than previously reported in the literature. Given the significant midline anomalies in the brains of those affected by 22q11.2DS, large CSP may be a biomarker of atypical brain development. The implication of these larger CSP for cognitive and behavioral development is a topic in need of further investigation

Diagnosis and outcome of oesophageal Crohn's disease

BACKGROUND AND AIMS: Crohn's disease (CD) can involve any part of the gastrointestinal tract. We aimed to characterize clinical, endoscopic, histologic features and treatment outcomes of CD patients with oesophageal involvement. METHODS: We collected cases through a retrospective multicentre European Crohn's and Colitis Organisation CONFER [COllaborative Network For Exceptionally Rare case reports] project. Clinical data were recorded in a standardized case report form. RESULTS: A total of 40 patients were reported [22 males, mean (±SD, range) age at oesophageal CD diagnosis: 25 (±13.3, 10-71) years and mean time of follow-up: 67 (±68.1, 3-240) months]. Oesophageal involvement was established at CD diagnosis in 26 patients (65%) and during follow-up in 14. CD was exclusively located in the oesophagus in 2 patients. Thirteen patients (32.2%) were asymptomatic at oesophageal disease diagnosis. Oesophageal strictures were present in 5 patients and fistulizing oesophageal disease in one. Eight patients exhibited granulomas on biopsies. Proton-pump inhibitors (PPIs) were administered in 37 patients (92.5%). Three patients underwent endoscopic dilation for symptomatic strictures and none oesophageal-related surgery. Diagnosis in pre-established CD resulted in treatment modifications in 9/14 patients. Clinical remission of oesophageal disease was seen in 33/40 patients (82.5%) after a mean time of 7 (±5.6, 1-18) months. Follow-up endoscopy was performed in 29/40 patients and 26/29 (89.7%) achieved mucosal healing. CONCLUSION: In this case series the endoscopic and histologic characteristics of isolated oesophageal CD were similar to those reported in other sites of involvement. Treatment was primarily conservative, with PPIs administered in the majority of patients and modifications in pre-existing IBD-related therapy occurring in two thirds of them. Clinical and endoscopic remission was achieved in more than 80% of the patients.info:eu-repo/semantics/publishedVersio

Extinction Maps Toward The Milky Way Bulge: Two-Dimensional And Three-Dimensional Tests With APOGEE

Galactic interstellar extinction maps are powerful and necessary tools for Milky Way structure and stellar population analyses, particularly toward the heavily reddened bulge and in the midplane. However, due to the difficulty of obtaining reliable extinction measures and distances for a large number of stars that are independent of these maps, tests of their accuracy and systematics have been limited. Our goal is to assess a variety of photometric stellar extinction estimates, including both two-dimensional and three-dimensional extinction maps, using independent extinction measures based on a large spectroscopic sample of stars toward the Milky Way bulge. We employ stellar atmospheric parameters derived from high-resolution H-band Apache Point Observatory Galactic Evolution Experiment (APOGEE) spectra, combined with theoretical stellar isochrones, to calculate line-of-sight extinction and distances for a sample of more than 2400 giants toward the Milky Way bulge. We compare these extinction values to those predicted by individual near-IR and near+mid-IR stellar colors, two-dimensional bulge extinction maps, and three-dimensional extinction maps. The long baseline, near+mid-IR stellar colors are, on average, the most accurate predictors of the APOGEE extinction estimates, and the two-dimensional and three-dimensional extinction maps derived from different stellar populations along different sightlines show varying degrees of reliability. We present the results of all of the comparisons and discuss reasons for the observed discrepancies. We also demonstrate how the particular stellar atmospheric models adopted can have a strong impact on this type of analysis, and discuss related caveats.NSF Astronomy & Astrophysics Postdoctoral Fellowship AST-1203017Physics Frontier Center/Joint Institute for Nuclear Astrophysics (JINA) PHY 08-22648U.S. National Science FoundationAlfred P. Sloan FoundationParticipating InstitutionsU.S. Department of Energy Office of Science ANR-12-BS05-0015-01Astronom