The Quebec Child Mental Health Survey (QCMHS) was conducted in 1992 on a representative sample of 2400 children and adolescents aged 6 to 14 years from throughout Quebec. Prevalences of nine Axis-I DSM-III-R (American Psychiatric Association, 1987) mental health disorders were calculated based on each informant (for 6-11-year-olds: child, parent, and teacher; for 12-14-year-olds: child and parent). Informant parallelism allows the classification of results of the demographic variables associated with disorders in the logistic regression models. This strategy applies to group variables (correlates of disorders) whereas informant agreement applies to individual diagnoses. Informant parallelism implies that results for two informants or more are in the same direction and significant. In the QCMHS, informant parallelism exists for disruptive disorders, i.e. in two ADHD regression models (child and parent) higher rates among boys and young children, and in three oppositional/conduct disorders regression models (child, parent, and teacher) higher rates among boys. No informant parallelism is observed in the logistic regression models for internalizing disorders, i.e. the patterns of association of demographic variables with anxiety and depressive disorders vary across informants. Urban-rural residence does not emerge as a significant variable in any of the logistic regression models. The overall 6-month prevalences reach 19.9% according to the parent and 15.8% according to the child. The implications of the results for policy makers and clinicians are discussed.

Lithology is a principle state factor of soil formation, interacting with climate, organisms, topography and time to define pedogenesis. A lithosequence of extrusive igneous lithologies (rhyolite obsidian, dacite, andesite and basalt) was identified in the Clear Lake Volcanic Field in the Coast Range of northern California to determine the effects of lithology on pedogenesis, clay mineralogy and soil physiochemical properties. Based on regional landscape erosion rates (0.2-0.5 mm yr −1 ), the soil residence times for the investigated pedons (~150 cm deep) were of the order of 3000 to 7500 years indicating that the soils developed under the relatively stable Holocene mesic/xeric climate regime. Soils from all lithologies developed to a similar Xeralf taxonomy with remarkably consistent physiochemical properties. Although total (Fe t ) and dithionite-citrate extractable (Fe d ) iron concentrations diverged across lithologies, the degree of weathering as assessed by the Fe d /Fe t ratio was similar across the lithosequence. In spite of large differences in silica content of the parent materials, the clay mineralogical assemblage of all lithologies was dominated by kaolin minerals (kaolinite and/or halloysite). All pedons displayed an increase in halloysite and the degree of halloysite hydration with increasing depth, except the basalt pedon, which was dominated by kaolinite with only trace halloysite. We attribute this lack of halloysite in the basalt pedon to the lower silica activities associated with this silica-poor lithology. There was a lack of nanocrystalline minerals across all lithologies as inferred from selective dissolution. The dominance of crystalline materials is a function of the xeric soil moisture regime whereby summer soil profile desiccation promotes dehydration and crystallization of metastable nanocrystalline precursors. Further, the pronounced summer dry period results in dehydration of halloysite (1.0 nm) to halloysite (0.7 nm; also referred to as meta halloysite in some literature), together with transformation to kaolinite, in the upper soil profile. In spite of the relatively young soil residence times of these soils (Holocene age), the effects of lithology persisted only in differences in Fe oxide concentrations (Fe d ), as well as a lack of significant halloysite in basalt pedons. The overwhelming effect of climate in these highly weatherable parent materials narrowed the trajectory of pedogenesis, resulting in soils from contrasting lithologies converging on kaolin mineralogy, a lack of nanocrystalline constituents, and similar soil physiochemical properties.

Core Ideas Phosphorous fertility was evaluated in weathered volcanic soil in winegrape production. Seasonal Hedley P fractionations, P sorption, microbial biomass carbon, and DOC were investigated. Application of compost, alone or with TSP, reduced sorption and increased MBC. Labile Pi responded significantly to fertilization despite advanced pedogenesis. Significant labile Pi response in weathered soil may be due to low‐Fe lithology. Phosphorus dynamics and management strategies were investigated in a strongly weathered rhyolitic soil in the northern Coast Ranges of California. Recent conversion of upland, native oak (Quercus spp.) woodland ecosystems to winegrape production has led to a P deficiency in these soils. We investigated the growing season behavior of Hedley phosphorus fractions, the P sorption index (PSI), microbial biomass C (MBC), and dissolved organic C (DOC) in response to a single P application from three sources: composted steer manure (CSM), triple superphosphate (TSP), and mixed compost and triple superphosphate (MIX). Phosphorous sources, equal in P application rate (39 kg ha−1), were applied in the winter of 2012, and soils were sampled in spring, summer, and fall. Labile inorganic P (Pi) (resin Pi + NaHCO3 Pi), Fe/Al‐Pi (NaOH Pi), and total P were significantly (p < 0.01) increased by P application, regardless of source. Calcium‐Pi (HCl Pi), DOC, MBC, and pH were increased, and PSI was reduced, by compost addition. Net extractable Fe/Al‐Pi increased during the study period. Moderately labile organic P (Po) (NaOH Po) declined, independent of fertilization, reflecting background soil P cycling. Calcium‐Pi totals were low (mean 9 mg kg−1 for untreated plots), and other indicators of chemical weathering were high, suggesting an advanced stage of pedogenesis with respect to Walker–Syers P availability. In spite of advanced pedogenesis, labile Pi increased significantly from fertilization and remained elevated throughout the growing season. Results of this study inform P management in highly weathered, P‐fixing soils experiencing P deficiencies.

There was no difference in sustained improvement of dyspepsia symptoms when LCA was compared with placebo. An 82% cure rate of H. pylori infection was observed with LAC.

The treatment of acute episodes of morbidities in hospitalized patients is a complex and uncertain task. To accomplish this task, physicians organize themselves into teams in an effort to overcome two constraints: the necessity to offer both complete care and continuous care. This study examines the extent to which the nature and size of medical teams is explained by task difficulty and task variability, which are two dimensions of task uncertainty. The results support globally the hypothesis that the organization of medical practice is contingent upon the nature of the task defined in terms of uncertainty. However, the results also suggest that the task contingent model should be adjusted to take into account the fact that formal organizational characteristics may have an a priori influence on team structure.

No abstract

The toxicity of 3 chemical forms of beryllium (Be) was compared in this study. A total of 160 mice equally divided into 4 groups were exposed by inhalation (nose only) for 3 consecutive weeks, 5 d/week, 6 h/d. One group was used as control, while the 3 others were exposed to fine particles of Be metal, Be oxide (BeO), or Be aluminum (BeAl). Except for the controls, the target level of exposure was 250 μg/m(3). In all, 35 mice/group were sacrificed 1 week postexposure and another 5 mice 3 weeks postexposure. The BeO group showed the highest lung Be concentration with higher interleukin 12 (IL-12) and interferon-γ (IFN-γ) levels, while the Be group produced the most severe lung inflammation and higher tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) and CD4+ T cells levels. Data suggested that Be and BeO apparently produced more pulmonary toxicity than BeAl. However, this conclusion is not definitive, because of different confounding factors such as particle sizes, specific surface area, and solubility.

This study aimed to determine the toxicity and toxicokinetic of three Be chemical species A total of 120 mice (four groups of 30) were nose-only exposed. The first group was used as a control while the three others were exposed to 250 microg m(-3) of fine particles of three different Be species (Be metal, Be-F; Be oxide, BeO-F; Be aluminium, BeAl-F). Exposure lasted over three consecutive weeks, five days per week and 6 h per day. Blood and several tissues were collected one week after exposure. Urines were collected before the beginning of exposure, at the end of every week of exposure and one week after exposure. Results showed that urine concentrations were different from one Be species to another and that excretion continued after the end of exposure. Except for BeO-F, where Be urine concentrations were stable during the three weeks of exposure, concentrations of Be-F and BeAl-F reached a peak after the first week. According to particle size, BeO-F obtained the highest theoretical pulmonary deposition rate, which partially led to the highest Be lung concentration. This group also presented the lowest urine concentration but that did not lead to more severe lung inflammation. Moreover, even if BeAl-F obtained the lowest percentage theoretical pulmonary deposition, it showed the highest Be urinary concentration, the lowest Be lung concentration and the lowest lung toxicity. In this specific case, a high Be concentration in urine did not reflect a high exposure or a severe toxic effect.