The value of a desk study for building a national river obstacle inventory

This study evaluates two desk‐based approaches for building an inventory of man‐made river obstacles. The creation of a river obstacle inventory is a vital first step in developing a prioritization process for obstacle removal and/or modification. In this study, a desktop geographical information system analysis of two rivers and their tributary network was undertaken, using two different approaches. The first involved analysing historical maps, satellite imagery, and Ordnance Survey Ireland Discovery Series maps and producing a geo‐referenced layer of all the potential river obstacles. The second involved developing a geo‐referenced layer of potential river obstacles based on the intersections between elements of the transport network (roads and railways) and river systems. To determine the effectiveness of the desk studies, the located obstacles were cross‐referenced with actual obstacles verified through a field survey. The desk studies identified several thousand potential obstacles. The study utilizing a range of maps consistently located a greater number of actual obstacles than the desk study based on intersections between the transport and river networks. The results indicate that desk‐based research offers an efficient and effective method for locating river obstacles and can guide subsequent field surveys aimed at confirming the presence of obstacles. This is particularly useful for eliminating from study large stretches of rivers that would otherwise need to be walked to confirm the presence, or otherwise, of potential river obstacles. In this regard, desk‐based exercises can offer opportunities to save on both time and cost in larger river assessments.     

Do patient‐reported measures of symptoms and health status predict mortality in hemodialysis? An assessment of POS‐S Renal and EQ‐5D

Introduction Experience with the use of patient‐reported outcome measures such as EQ‐5D and the symptom module of the Palliative care Outcome Scale—Renal Version (POS‐S Renal) as mortality prediction tools in hemodialysis is limited. Methods A prospective survival study of people receiving hemodialysis (N = 362). The EQ‐5D and the POS‐S Renal were used to assess symptom burden and self‐rated health (with a self‐rated component). Participants were followed from instrument completion to death or study end. Competing risks survival analysis was used to evaluate associations with time to death, with renal transplant as a competing risk. Findings 32% (N = 116) of participants died over a median (25th–75th centile) of 2.6 (1.41–3.38) years. Factors most notably associated with mortality adjusted hazard ratio (95%CI) included: lower EQ VAS score 2.7 (1.4, 5.2) P = 0.004 (lowest tertile), higher POS‐S Renal score 2.4 (1.3, 4.3) P = 0.004 (highest tertile), and lower EQ‐5D score 2.6 (1.3, 5.3) P = 0.01 (lowest tertile) as well as the presence of: “problems with mobility?” 2 (1.1, 3.3) P = 0.01, or “problems with usual activities?” 2.1 (1.4, 3.3), P < 0.001. After age adjustment area under the receiver operating curves (AUC) (95%CI) for mortality were: 0.71 (0.62, 0.79) for EQ VAS score, 0.71 (0.63, 0.80) for POS‐S Renal‐S Renal score, and 0.76 (0.68, 0.84) for EQ‐5D score. AUC 95%CI was highest for our fourth model at 0.79 (0.72, 0.86) comprised of individual elements from both instruments and established risk factors. Discussion EQ VAS scores and predictive models based on combinations of elements from the POS‐S Renal and EQ‐5D instruments may aid in mortality discrimination and possibly in the delivery of supportive care services.     

Analytical Tools for Rapid,Sensitive, Quantitative Identification of Potential Meat Quality Markers

Myofibrillar extracts from bovine Musculus longissimus dorsi (MLD) were subjected to SDS‐PAGE, electroblotted and fragments of the 30 kDa band determined by internal and N‐terminal Edman sequencing, giving unequivocal proof, troponin‐T (TNT) to be the origin of this band. Based on the N‐terminal primary sequence of the 30 kDa band, a peptide with high antigenic sites was synthesized, conjugated to keyhole limpet hemocyanin (KLH), antibodies were generated and an enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) was developed for the determination of TNT concentrations in meat samples. For routine determinations of meat quality markers it seems more convenient to analyse soluble meat extracts, produced by trichloroacetic acid (TCA) or HCl treatment. In the supernatants of TCA‐treated MLDs, prominent peptide fragments from glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase and TNT (16—31) could be separated by HPLC and identified by Edman degradation. Both fragments were found to increase with ageing and might become useful indicators of meat quality. After HPLC separation and structure elucidation of MLD HCl extracts, fructose biphosphate aldolase, creatine kinase, glyceraldehyde‐3‐phosphate dehydrogenase and myoglobin could be identified, further potential candidates to correlate their quantitative appearance with meat quality. These peptides and proteins, found in soluble meat extracs, can be analyzed in an automatic, rapid, convenient way either by immunoassay methods, capillary electrophoreses or HPLC, for sure preferable compared to the tedious, inconvenient, time‐consuming method of SDS‐PAGE, also not suitable for automation.     

Estradiol Protects against Noise-Induced Hearing Loss and Modulates Auditory Physiology in Female Mice

Recent studies have identified sex-differences in auditory physiology and in the susceptibility to noise-induced hearing loss (NIHL). We hypothesize that 17β-estradiol (E₂), a known modulator of auditory physiology, may underpin sex-differences in the response to noise trauma. Here, we gonadectomized B6CBAF1/J mice and used a combination of electrophysiological and histological techniques to study the effects of estrogen replacement on peripheral auditory physiology in the absence of noise exposure and on protection from NIHL. Functional analysis of auditory physiology in gonadectomized female mice revealed that E₂-treatment modulated the peripheral response to sound in the absence of changes to the endocochlear potential compared to vehicle-treatment. E₂-replacement in gonadectomized female mice protected against hearing loss following permanent threshold shift (PTS)- and temporary threshold shift (TTS)-inducing noise exposures. Histological analysis of the cochlear tissue revealed that E₂-replacement mitigated outer hair cell loss and cochlear synaptopathy following noise exposure compared to vehicle-treatment. Lastly, using fluorescent in situ hybridization, we demonstrate co-localization of estrogen receptor-2 with type-1C, high threshold spiral ganglion neurons, suggesting that the observed protection from cochlear synaptopathy may occur through E₂-mediated preservation of these neurons. Taken together, these data indicate the estrogen signaling pathways may be harnessed for the prevention and treatment of NIHL.     

Sorption of organics by Selenastrum capricornutum

The sorption of eight organic compounds by a representative green alga, Selenastrum capricornutum, was determined by gas-liquid chromatography using a series of linear model experiments. The log₁₀ bioconcentration factors (BCF), defined as the ratio of the concentration on in the algae to the concentration in the aqueous medium, are as follows: benzene, 3.32; toluene, 3.18; chlorobenzene, 3.69; 1,2-dichlorobenzene, 4.17; naphthalene, 4.10; phenanthrene, 4.38; di-n-butylphthalate, 4.36 and pyrene, 4.56. The relation of log₁₀ BCF correlation with log₁₀ octanol-water partition coefficient was determined as log₁₀ BCF = 0.46 log₁₀ P + 2.36.     

Usefulness of abciximab for treatment of early coronary artery stent thrombosis

The clinical and angiographic outcomes of 10 patients who received abciximab as part of their therapy for early stent thrombosis was compared with 25 patients (using historical controls) who received conventional therapy. Although the angiographic outcome and the incidence of myocardial infarction in both groups was similar, there were no deaths or referral for emergency coronary bypass surgery in the abciximab-treated group versus 3 deaths and 10 referrals for emergency bypass surgery in the conventionally treated group.     

Operation of Current Navigation Aids and Future Prospects

This paper is designed as a survey document to be used as an overview and introduction to the various concepts and levels of complexity of current and future aids to air navigation. Major emphasis will be placed on identifying those technical and operational characteristics of each system concept and/or mechanization that have a significant impact upon both cockpit and ground-based communications and data processing. A representative bibliography is included to provide the reader the ability to pursue the subject further from an operational as well as a technical viewpoint. The object of this paper is to identify the relationship of air navigation aids to the flow and utilization of information in air navigation and air traffic control (ATC). Air navigation aids vary widely in both complexity and performance capability and these factors have a significant impact upon communications, data processing, and display, both in the air and on the ground.     

Tris(2-octyldodecyl)cyclopentane,a low volatility,wide liquid range,hydrocarbon fluid

Tris(2–octyldodecyl)cyclopentane, prepared by the hydrogenation of the product of alkylation of cyclopentadiene by 2–octyldodecanol, is a wide liquid range hydrocarbon fluid (pour point, −57°C; vapour pressure at 20 °C, 1 × 10⁻¹²). This new fluid compares favourably with other hydrocarbons and per fluoropolyethers (PFPAEs) in properties useful for vacuum applications in which low temperature fluidity and low volatility are important properties. It is half the density of PFPAE and exhibits inhibitable oxidation properties similar to other hydrocarbons. The pressure-viscosity coefficient is similar to those of PAOs and PFPAEs.