Arctic geese:Herbivore-vegetation interaction, predators and human pressures - A symposium synthesis

A symposium on the Svalbard geese was hosted by the Norwegian Polar Institute in Oslo, Norway, 23-26 September 1997, to collaborate new information on the three goose populations that breed in Svalbard: the barnacle goose Branta leucopsis, the light-bellied brent goose Branta bernicla hrota and the pink-footed goose Anser brachyrhynchus. This paper attempts to synthesise information gained in recent years on these goose populations. Also echoed here are management problems related to these goose populations and priorities for future research.Looking back over several decades of intensive effort devoted to the goose species breeding in Svalbard, four research themes are touched upon. We argue that (A) unravelling the mechanisms of response of the individual to increasing population density is both technically feasible and theoretically rewarding. A cooperative effort here deserves unflagging priority if we are to achieve population models useful for management purposes. Although individual responses at the various sites utilised through the annual cycle fit the paradigm of density dependence, this does not imply overall population control. The weakest link in the causal chain is (B) understanding the interaction between geese and their food plants, and we contend that this topic should head the new research agenda. This work can profitably be linked with (C) new technologies which allow the tracking of individuals in relation to potential food supplies that can in turn be quantified by means of remote sensing techniques. Under ideal conditions the birds can subsequently be recaptured and profiles of past energetic expenditure reconstructed from indwelling heart-rate loggers. Finally, the geese are not alone, and (D) various predators (notably arctic foxes, polar bears and man) have major impacts on habitat use and influence goose numbers both directly and indirectly, often in an interaction with weather conditions (ice and snow cover). Recently there have been major changes in numbers and distribution of these key predators and at least locally they may now be acting to limit goose populations.</p

Marine Birds in the Marginal Ice Zone of the Barents Sea in Late Winter and Spring

We recorded the distribution and abundance of marine birds in the northern Barents Sea from 27 February to 8 March 1987 and from 20 to 31 May 1988. Birds were more abundant in waters associated with pack ice than in open water away from pack ice. Within the pack ice, thick-billed murres (Uria lomvia) were the most commonly encountered birds in both periods. Murre densities in the pack ice north of the zone proximate to the ice edge were positively correlated with distance from the ice edge. Large leads were more frequently occupied by murres than small leads, and had larger numbers of birds present. In spring, we found more birds along a well-defined ice edge than were present either in open water or in leads in the pack ice within 5 nautical miles of the ice edge. Transects along the ice edge revealed little correlation in abundance between species, or within species when coverage was repeated during the same day. We conclude that the birds showed considerable specificity of habitat choice within the habitat divisions that we recognized and that avian patches were of short duration. We need information on the distribution, abundance and movements of prey patches if we are to understand the changing distribution patterns of the birds

Future Challenges in Psychotherapy Research for Personality Disorders

Purpose of Review Individuals with personality disorders are frequently seen in mental health settings. Their symptoms typically reflect a high level of suffering and burden of disease, with potentially harmful societal consequences, including costs related to absenteeism at work, high use of health services, ineffective or harmful parenting, substance use, suicidal and non-suicidal self-harming behavior, and aggressiveness with legal consequences. Psychotherapy is currently the first-line treatment for patients with personality disorders, but the study of psychotherapy in the domain of personality disorders faces specific challenges. Recent Findings Challenges include knowing what works for whom, identifying which putative mechanisms of change explain therapeutic effects, and including the social interaction context of patients with a personality disorder. By following a dimensional approach, psychotherapy research on personality disorders may serve as a model for the development and study of innovative psychotherapeutic interventions. Summary We recommend developing the following: (a) an evidence base to make treatment decisions based on individual features; (b) a data-driven approach to predictors, moderators, and mechanisms of change in psychotherapy; (c) methods for studying the interaction between social context and psychotherapy

Review on the validity of self-report to assess work-related diseases

Self-report is an efficient and accepted means of assessing population characteristics, risk factors, and diseases. Little is known on the validity of self-reported work-related illness as an indicator of the presence of a work-related disease. This study reviews the evidence on (1) the validity of workers' self-reported illness and (2) on the validity of workers' self-assessed work relatedness of an illness. A systematic literature search was conducted in four databases (Medline, Embase, PsycINFO and OSH-Update). Two reviewers independently performed the article selection and data extraction. The methodological quality of the studies was evaluated, levels of agreement and predictive values were rated against predefined criteria, and sources of heterogeneity were explored. In 32 studies, workers' self-reports of health conditions were compared with the "reference standard" of expert opinion. We found that agreement was mainly low to moderate. Self-assessed work relatedness of a health condition was examined in only four studies, showing low-to-moderate agreement with expert assessment. The health condition, type of questionnaire, and the case definitions for both self-report and reference standards influence the results of validation studies. Workers' self-reported illness may provide valuable information on the presence of disease, although the generalizability of the findings is limited primarily to musculoskeletal and skin disorders. For case finding in a population at risk, e.g., an active workers' health surveillance program, a sensitive symptom questionnaire with a follow-up by a medical examination may be the best choice. Evidence on the validity of self-assessed work relatedness of a health condition is scarce. Adding well-developed questions to a specific medical diagnosis exploring the relationship between symptoms and work may be a good strateg