Effects of Climate on Douglas-fir ( (Mirb.) Franco) Growth Southeast of the European Alps.

Douglas-fir ( (Mirb.) Franco) is a non-native tree species in Slovenia with the potential to partially replace Norway spruce in our native forests. Compared to spruce, it has several advantages in terms of volume growth, wood quality and tolerance to drought.

Assessment of intimate partner violence abuse ratings by recently abused and never abused women.

Background: There are a paucity of directly reported intimate partner violence survivors' experiences, especially in women of color. This study measures recently/currently abused women's ratings of varied abuse events compared to ratings from never abused women.

Methods: Women in a single, urban, public hospital emergency department (ED) were screened for intimate partner violence using the Abuse Assessment Screen (AAS).

Intimate partner violence and functional health status: associations with severity, danger, and self-advocacy behaviors.

Objective: To assess physical and mental functional health status as associated with the severity of intimate partner violence (IPV) and perceived danger.

Methods: Prospective cross-sectional survey of all patients aged 18-55 in an urban emergency department during a convenience sample of shifts. Instruments included the George Washington Universal Violence Prevention Screening protocol, administered by computer during the initial visit, the Short-Form 12 Health Survey (SF-12), the Conflict Tactics Scale (CTS2), and the Revised Danger Assessment (DA), administered by interview at 1 week follow-up.

Intimate partner violence and comorbid mental health conditions among urban male patients.

Purpose: We wanted to explore the associations between intimate partner violence (IPV) and comorbid health conditions, which have received little attention in male patients.

Methods: Using a computer-based self-assessment health questionnaire, we screened sequential emergency department patients who were urban, male, and aged 18 to 55 years. We then examined associations between types of IPV disclosures, co-occurring mental health symptoms, and adverse health behaviors.

Does screening in the emergency department hurt or help victims of intimate partner violence?

Study Objective: Recent systematic reviews have noted a lack of evidence that screening for intimate partner violence does more good than harm. We assess whether patients screened for intimate partner violence on a computer kiosk in the emergency department (ED) experienced any adverse events during or subsequent to the ED visit and whether computer kiosk identification and referral of intimate partner violence in the ED setting resulted in safety behaviors or contact with referrals.

Methods: We conducted a prospective, observational study in which a convenience sample of male and female ED patients triaged to the waiting room who screened positive (on a computer kiosk-based questionnaire) for intimate partner violence in the past year were provided with resources and information and invited to participate in a series of follow-up interviews.

Distribution of variable vs fixed costs of hospital care.

Context: Most strategies proposed to control the rising cost of health care are aimed at reducing medical resource consumption rates. These approaches may be limited in effectiveness because of the relatively low variable cost of medical care. Variable costs (for medication and supplies) are saved if a facility does not provide a service while fixed costs (for salaried labor, buildings, and equipment) are not saved over the short term when a health care facility reduces service.

Costs of an emergency department-based accelerated diagnostic protocol vs hospitalization in patients with chest pain: a randomized controlled trial.

Context: More than 3 million patients are hospitalized yearly in the United States for chest pain. The cost is over $3 billion just for those found to be free of acute disease. New rapid diagnostic tests for acute myocardial infarction (AMI) have resulted in the proliferation of accelerated diagnostic protocols (ADPs) and chest pain observation units.

Community support services and functioning of the seriously mentally ill.

A cohort of 729 chronically mentally ill patients receiving community support services (CSS) were followed over a nine-month period. Receiving needed community support services was shown to predict change in client functioning as measured by the Global Assessment Scale (GAS) even after the initial values on the GAS, as well as demographic, psychiatric, residential and medication maintenance variables were considered. Adequacy of social support from family, friends and others also contributed to predicting change in global functioning of the CSS patients.

The combined use of Gated Cardiac Blood Pool Scanning and Myocardial Imaging with Postassium-43 in the Evaluation of Patients with Myocardial infarction.

Fourteen patients with transmural myocardial infarction were studied by gated cardiac blood pool scanning (to determine regional ventricular function) and 43-K myocardial imaging (to determine the regional distribution of myocardial perfusion). An akinetic area on the gated scan and an area of decreased tracer concentration on the 43-K image were detected. The area of reduced 43-K concentration averaged 33.