Urban Biomimicry for Flood Mitigation Using an Ecosystem Service Assessment Tool in Central Wellington, New Zealand.

Many cities are vulnerable to flooding due to their high proportion of impervious surfaces and lack of vegetated land cover. This vulnerability will often be exacerbated by changing rainfall and storm patterns due to climate change. Using the principles of urban biomimicry, this study aims to show an ecosystem service-based approach to designing an urban green infrastructure network for stormwater management in densely built areas that more closely emulates natural hydrology processes.

A Pilot Study of Confocal Laser Endomicroscopy to Predict Barrier Dysfunction and Relapse in Pediatric Inflammatory Bowel Disease.

Objectives: Probe-based confocal laser endomicroscopy (pCLE) is a novel imaging modality that enables virtual optical biopsy in vivo. Loss of barrier function of the small bowel observed via pCLE as increased density of epithelial gaps (extrusion zones left in the intestinal lining after cells are shed) is predictive of relapse in adult patients with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). This study aims to determine whether such observations on pCLE are similarly predictive of disease relapse in pediatric patients with IBD.

A comparison of four typical green exercise environments and prediction of psychological health outcomes.

Aims: 'Green exercise' (GE) is physical activity while simultaneously being exposed to nature. GE comprises three physical components: the individual, the exercise and the environment, and one processes component encompassing a range of psychological and physiological processes. Previous research has consistently shown affective benefits of GE compared to equivalent non-GE.

Walks4Work: assessing the role of the natural environment in a workplace physical activity intervention.

Objectives: The primary aim of this study was to examine the impact of physical activity (PA) in the natural environment (eg, "green exercise") on resting autonomic function in the Walks4Work intervention. A secondary aim was to assess the feasibility of Walks4Work in terms of adherence, change in PA levels, and cardiovascular health parameters.

Methods: In an 8-week randomized control trial, 94 office workers in an international company were allocated to one of three groups: control, nature (NW), or built (BW) lunchtime walking route.

The great outdoors: how a green exercise environment can benefit all.

The studies of human and environment interactions usually consider the extremes of environment on individuals or how humans affect the environment. It is well known that physical activity improves both physiological and psychological well-being, but further evidence is required to ascertain how different environments influence and shape health. This review considers the declining levels of physical activity, particularly in the Western world, and how the environment may help motivate and facilitate physical activity.

Viewing nature scenes positively affects recovery of autonomic function following acute-mental stress.

A randomized crossover study explored whether viewing different scenes prior to a stressor altered autonomic function during the recovery from the stressor. The two scenes were (a) nature (composed of trees, grass, fields) or (b) built (composed of man-made, urban scenes lacking natural characteristics) environments. Autonomic function was assessed using noninvasive techniques of heart rate variability; in particular, time domain analyses evaluated parasympathetic activity, using root-mean-square of successive differences (RMSSD).

Walks4work: rationale and study design to investigate walking at lunchtime in the workplace setting.

Background: Following recruitment of a private sector company, an 8 week lunchtime walking intervention was implemented to examine the effect of the intervention on modifiable cardiovascular disease risk factors, and further to see if walking environment had any further effect on the cardiovascular disease risk factors.

Methods: For phase 1 of the study participants were divided into three groups, two lunchtime walking intervention groups to walk around either an urban or natural environment twice a week during their lunch break over an 8 week period. The third group was a waiting-list control who would be invited to join the walking groups after phase 1.

Hepatoid esophageal carcinoma: a rare cause of elevated alpha fetoprotein.

AFP-producing tumors are uncommon. They have mostly been described of pulmonary origin. However, they have also been described from gastrointestinal tract.

Drug-induced pancreatitis: a practical review.

Although numerous drugs have been implicated in the etiology of acute pancreatitis, literature on various aspects of drug-induced pancreatitis is sparse and limited mostly to case reports. Accurate diagnosis and management of this rare entity can be a challenge. This review discusses the clinical and epidemiological features of drug-induced pancreatitis, commonly associated drugs and conditions, possible pathogenic mechanisms, and a systematic approach to the diagnosis and management of drug-induced pancreatitis.