Habitats and health,an incentive action for research on managing comfortable and healthy indoor environments

Summary New technics as saving energy and air conditioning technics, protections against polluted environments, evolution of way of life and more generaly the essential fight for quality justify in France, as in many others industrial countries, new programms of research to improve salubrity, safety and comfort in building.     

临床思维和决策能力的研究现状与思考

临床决策能力一直是医学教育者和管理者关注的热点,其研究体系已初步形成。本文简要回顾了临床决策思维的提出、概念及结合临床决策能力的培养体系、课程设置、理论教学法、实践教学法等方面归纳了国内外临床决策能力的研究现状,并由此提出对临床决策思维的思考。     

病理学专业学位研究生临床与科研能力培养模式初探

病理学是研究疾病的发病、病变机理及在疾病发展过程中各组织器官形态特征与功能变化的一门学科,被称作是联系基础与临床的桥梁和纽带。据统计我国现阶段临床病理医生的需求量很大,而高水平临床病理诊断医师尤为欠缺。近年来,病理学专业学位研究生的培养应运而生,旨在为国家培养高质量的病理学人才。然而由于我国传统的病理学研究生的培养仍存在种种弊端,毕业的研究生难以获得临床与科研二者综合能力的提升,因而限制了其自身在病理学事业方面的发展。本文依据我科室专业学位研究生的培养经验,探讨病理学专业学位研究生的培养模式以及如何培养高层次病理学人才,促进其科学研究与外科病理诊断的有机结合,为推动我国病理学事业的蓬勃发展打好坚实基础。     

芽孢与芽胞

在微生物的教学和科研过程中,"芽孢"和"芽胞"两种表述常常混用,造成了概念混乱,有必要对这一问题展开深入的讨论。从DNA的复制和传递、芽孢的分化和成熟等过程来看,芽孢形成过程是一个繁殖的过程;从芽孢的形状、大小、化学组成、结构和抗性等特性来看,芽孢与放线菌和霉菌的孢子更相近,而与营养细胞差距较大。通过综合比较,作者认为"芽孢"是比"芽胞"更科学的称谓。     

Melding of research and practice to improve restoration of Banksia woodlands after sand extraction,Perth, Western Australia

A unique, two decade‐long partnership of a government research organization (Botanic Gardens and Parks Authority) and an industry partner (Hanson Construction Materials) has enabled the restoration and management of Perth's Banksia woodland after sand extraction to be seriously tackled.     

Integrating ecosystem functions into restoration ecology—recent advances and future directions

Including ecosystem functions into restoration ecology has been repeatedly suggested, yet there is limited evidence that this is taking place without bias to certain habitats, species, or functions. We reviewed the inclusion of ecosystem functions in restoration and potential relations to habitats and species by extracting 224 publications from the literature (2004–2013). Most studies investigated forests, fewer grasslands or freshwaters, and fewest wetlands or marine habitats. Of all studies, 14% analyzed only ecosystem functions, 44% considered both biotic composition and functions, 42% exclusively studied the biotic component, mostly vascular plants, more rarely invertebrates or vertebrates, and least often microbes. Most studies investigating ecosystem functions focused on nutrient cycling (26%), whereas productivity (18%), water relations (16%), and geomorphological processes (14%) were less covered; carbon sequestration (10%), decomposition (6%), and trophic interactions (6%) were rarely studied. Monitoring of ecosystem functions was common in forests and grasslands, but the functions considered depended on the study organisms. These associations indicate research opportunities for certain habitats, species, and functions. Overall, the call to include ecosystem functions in restoration has been heard; however, a lack of clarity about the ecosystem functions to be included and deficits of feasible field methods are major obstacles for a functional approach. Restoration ecology should learn from recent advances in rapid assessment of ecosystem functions, and by a closer integration with biodiversity–ecosystem functioning research. Not all functions need to be measured in all ecosystems, but more functions than the few commonly addressed would improve the understanding of restored ecosystems.     

Quandaries of a decade‐long restoration experiment trying to reduce invasive species: beat them,join them,give up,or start over?

We evaluate the outcomes and consequences of a decade‐long restoration project in a Hawaiian lowland wet forest as they relate to long‐term management actions. Our initial study was designed both to promote native biodiversity and to develop knowledge that would enable land management agencies to restore invaded forests. Our premise of success followed the prevalent perception that short‐term management, such as removal of invasive species, ideally translates into long‐term and sustainable restoration. We were therefore disappointed and perhaps discouraged in our results—little recovery of native biodiversity despite ongoing and labor‐intensive management. Not only did we fail to return the invaded forest to a native‐dominated system but also our efforts lead to recruitment of new non‐native species assemblages. The sobering truth of many restoration projects in Hawaii and elsewhere is that we can never completely walk away and “consider the job finished,” or we have to accept that some ecosystems cannot be returned to an all‐native state. Essentially, costs of restoration may outweigh the accomplishment. This setback gave us an opportunity to reconsider and modify our initial approach. By starting over with a new direction using both native and non‐invasive but non‐native species, we have adopted a new philosophy of “join them.” In our revision, we changed the players in the game by following invasive species removal with outplantings of native and non‐invasive non‐native species that will functionally fill missing roles in the ecosystem. We link social interest in the new experiment to changing attitudes about naturalness.     

Maintaining Research Integrity While Balancing Cultural Sensitivity: A Case Study and Lessons From the Field

Contemporary emphasis on creating culturally relevant and context specific knowledge increasingly drives researchers to conduct their work in settings outside their home country. This often requires researchers to build relationships with various stakeholders who may have a vested interest in the research. This case study examines the tension between relationship development with stakeholders and maintaining study integrity, in the context of potential harms, data credibility and cultural sensitivity. We describe an ethical breach in the conduct of global health research by a arising from the ad‐hoc participation of a community stakeholder external to the visiting research group. A framework for reflection is developed from a careful examination of underlying factors and presented with a discussion of consequences and mitigation measures. This framework aims to present lessons learned for researchers working abroad who might face similar situations in their work.