Traumatic inferior vena caval injuries

Twenty-three cases of inferior vena caval injury (1.4% of all operatively managed abdominal injuries) are reviewed. The caval injury presented as free haemorrhage in 15 cases and as a retroperitoneal haematoma in eight. The site of vena caval injury was at or above the level of the renal veins in 14 cases (61%). Successful lateral suture repair was achieved in 18 cases (78%). The overall mortality rate was 39%. Factors positively associated with survival were stab wound, presentation as retroperitoneal haematoma, infrarenal injury, low Abdominal Trauma Index score and small peroperative blood loss. Concomitant injury to the abdominal aorta, liver or kidney worsened the prognosis. The crucial factor in management of inferior vena caval injuries is rapid and effective control of bleeding, whether from the caval or associated injuries.     

Variants of renin-angiotensin system genes and echocardiographic left ventricular mass

AIMS: Variants of renin-angiotensin system genes are shown to be associated with cardiovascular pathology. The association between renin-angiotensin system genes and left ventricular mass was investigated in a population-based case-control study. METHODS AND RESULTS: The association between echocardiographic left ventricular mass and both insertion/deletion polymorphism of the angiotensin-converting enzyme gene and the methionine-threonine variant at position 235 of the angiotensinogen gene was studied in a random cohort of 430 hypertensive and 426 control subjects. No differences in the adjusted left ventricular mass values between the different genotypes were seen among either the hypertensive or the control subjects, whether men or women, or in the subgroups of normotensive or physically active subjects. Gene variation had no statistically significant synergistic effect on left ventricular mass values. In control women, the deletion allele of the angiotensin-converting enzyme gene was associated with an increased risk of left ventricular hypertrophy. However, this finding was based on a small number of women with left ventricular hypertrophy and should be interpreted with caution. CONCLUSION: Variations in renin-angiotensin system genes had no major effect on left ventricular mass in this middle-aged population-based cohort of hypertensives and control subjects.     

Probabilistic models of motorcyclists' injury severities in single- and multi-vehicle crashes

Motorcycle fatalities have more than doubled in the United States since 1997--highlighting the need to better understand the many interrelated factors that determine motorcyclists' crash-injury severities. In this paper, using a detailed crash database from the state of Indiana, we estimate probabilistic models of motorcyclists' injury severities in single- and multi-vehicle crashes. Nested logit (estimated with full information maximum likelihood) and standard multinomial logit model results show a wide-range of factors significantly influence injury-severity probabilities. Key findings show that increasing motorcyclist age is associated with more severe injuries and that collision type, roadway characteristics, alcohol consumption, helmet use, unsafe speed and other variables play significant roles in crash-injury outcomes.     

Changes in the structure of food retail and wholesale: Effects on energy demand

This paper investigates the distribution chain of foodstuffs from the factory or port to the customer, from the point of view of the different energy inputs needed. Connections between the changes in the structure of the distribution system and changes in energy consumption are looked for. A model is developed for an energy audit of a distribution system. It is used to calculate the energy requirements of the Finnish food distribution system in the recent past, at present, and for a partial rearrangement of the system, i.e., with home deliveries replacing shopping trips by car. All parts of the distribution system have become more energy intensive as the structure of the distribution system has changed over time. The items related to households stand out as the largest energy consumers. The home delivery example shows an energy conservation potential worth pursuing further.     

Investigation of the Pentathiepin Functionality as an Inhibitor of Feline Immunodeficiency Virus (FIV) via a Potential Zinc Ejection Mechanism,as a Model for HIV Infection

A small diverse library of pentathiepin derivatives were prepared to evaluate their efficacy against the nucleocapsid protein function of the feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV) as a model for HIV, using an in vitro cell culture approach. This study led to the development of nanomolar active compounds with low toxicity.     

Temperature optimisation of a diesel engine using exhaust gas heat recovery and thermal energy storage (diesel engine with thermal energy storage)

Modern automotive diesel engines are so energy efficient that they are heating up slowly and tend to run rather cold at subzero temperatures. The problem is especially severe in mail delivery operations where the average speed is low and the drive cycle includes plenty of idling. The problem is typically solved by adding a diesel fuelled additional engine heater which is used for the preheating of the engine during cold start and additional heating of the engine if the coolant temperature falls below a thermostat set point during the drive cycle. However, this additional heater may drastically increase the total fuel consumption and exhaust gas emissions of the vehicle. In this study the additional heater was replaced by a combination of exhaust gas heat recovery system and latent heat accumulator for thermal energy storage. The system was evaluated on a laboratory dynamometer using a simulated drive cycle and in field testing in the city of Oulu (65°N), Finland in February 2009.     

Use of life cycle assessments to evaluate the environmental footprint of contaminated sediment remediation

Ecological and human risks often drive the selection of remedial alternatives for contaminated sediments. Traditional human and ecological risk assessment (HERA) includes assessing risk for benthic organisms and aquatic fauna associated with exposure to contaminated sediments before and after remediation as well as risk for human exposure but does not consider the environmental footprint associated with implementing remedial alternatives. Assessment of environmental effects over the whole life cycle (i.e., Life Cycle Assessment, LCA) could complement HERA and help in selecting the most appropriate sediment management alternative. Even though LCA has been developed and applied in multiple environmental management cases, applications to contaminated sediments and marine ecosystems are in general less frequent. This paper implements LCA methodology for the case of the polychlorinated dibenzo-p-dioxins and -furans (PCDD/F)-contaminated Grenland fjord in Norway. LCA was applied to investigate the environmental footprint of different active and passive thin-layer capping alternatives as compared to natural recovery. The results showed that capping was preferable to natural recovery when analysis is limited to effects related to the site contamination. Incorporation of impacts related to the use of resources and energy during the implementation of a thin layer cap increase the environmental footprint by over 1 order of magnitude, making capping inferior to the natural recovery alternative. Use of biomass-derived activated carbon, where carbon dioxide is sequestered during the production process, reduces the overall environmental impact to that of natural recovery. The results from this study show that LCA may be a valuable tool for assessing the environmental footprint of sediment remediation projects and for sustainable sediment management.     

Towards a standard methodology for greenhouse gas balances of bioenergy systems in comparison with fossil energy systems

In this paper, which was prepared as part of IEA Bioenergy Task XV (“Greenhouse Gas Balances of Bioenergy Systems”), we outline a standard methodology for comparing the greenhouse gas balances of bioenergy systems with those of fossil energy systems. Emphasis is on a careful definition of system boundaries. The following issues are dealt with in detail: time interval analysed and changes of carbon stocks; reference energy systems; energy inputs required to produce, process and transport fuels; mass and energy losses along the entire fuel chain; energy embodied in facility infrastructure; distribution systems; cogeneration systems; by-products; waste wood and other biomass waste for energy; reference land use; and other environmental issues. For each of these areas recommendations are given on how analyses of greenhouse gas balances should be performed. In some cases we also point out alternative ways of doing the greenhouse gas accounting. Finally, the paper gives some recommendations on how bioenergy systems should be optimized from a greenhouse-gas-emissions point of view.