Fluxes of Copper-Complexing Ligands from Estuarine Sediments

Most studies of the organic complexation of Cu in natural waters have focused on distributions and processes in the water column, where a significant fraction of Cu-complexing ligands may be biologically produced. We present direct evidence for a flux of Cu-complexing ligands from estuarine sediments, demonstrating that sediments are a significant, yet previously unrecognized source of the ligands. Fluxes of Cu-complexing ligands from Chesapeake Bay sediments range from 300 to 1,200 nmol m-2 d-1, exceeding fluxes of total dissolved Cu by 3-\u3e40-fold, suggesting that any Cu fluxing from the sediments is likely to be organically complexed. Our results indicate that benthic fluxes may supply from 10 to 50% of the standing stock of Cu-complexing ligands in Chesapeake Bay and suggest that such fluxes may strongly influence the biogeochemistry of Cu in shallow water environments and potentially in the ocean as a whole

Cardiovascular and cancer mortality in relation to dietary polychlorinated biphenyls and marine polyunsaturated fatty acids: A nutritional-toxicological aspect of fish consumption

Background. Co-exposure to environmental contaminants present in fish could mitigate the beneficial effects of fish consumption and possibly explain the lack of association observed for mortality in some geographical regions. Objective. To assess the independent associations of dietary exposure to polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs) and long-chain omega-3 fish fatty acids intake with cardiovascular and cancer mortality. Methods. We used the prospective population-based Swedish Mammography Cohort and the Cohort of Swedish Men comprising 32 952 women and 36 545 men, free from cancer, cardiovascular disease and diabetes at baseline in 1998. Validated estimates of dietary PCBs and long-chain omega-3 fish fatty acids [i.e. eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) and docosahexaenoic acid (DHA)] intake were obtained via a food frequency questionnaire at baseline. Information on death was ascertained through register linkage. Results. During a mean follow-up of 15.5 years, we ascertained 16 776 deaths. We observed for cardiovascular mortality, comparing extreme quintiles in multivariable models mutually adjusted for PCBs and EPA-DHA, dose-dependent associations for dietary PCB exposure, hazard ratio (HR) 1.31 (CI 95%: 1.08 to 1.57; P-trend 0.005) and for dietary EPA-DHA intake, HR 0.79 (CI 95%: 0.66 to 0.95; P-trend 0.041). For cancer mortality, no clear associations were discerned. Conclusion. The beneficial effect of fish consumption on the cardiovascular system seems compromised by co-exposure to PCBs – one likely explanation for the inconsistent associations observed between fish consumption and mortalityThe Swedish Research Council under the grant no 2017-00822 and 2017-00644 (SIMPLER) supported the stud

Assessment of a high-resolution central scheme for the solution of the relativistic hydrodynamics equations

We assess the suitability of a recent high-resolution central scheme developed by Kurganov & Tadmor (2000) for the solution of the relativistic hydrodynamics equations. The novelty of this approach relies on the absence of Riemann solvers in the solution procedure. The computations we present are performed in one and two spatial dimensions in Minkowski spacetime. Standard numerical experiments such as shock tubes and the relativistic flat-faced step test are performed. As an astrophysical application the article includes two-dimensional simulations of the propagation of relativistic jets using both Cartesian and cylindrical coordinates. The simulations reported clearly show the capabilities of the numerical scheme to yield satisfactory results, with an accuracy comparable to that obtained by the so-called high-resolution shock-capturing schemes based upon Riemann solvers (Godunov-type schemes), even well inside the ultrarelativistic regime. Such central scheme can be straightforwardly applied to hyperbolic systems of conservation laws for which the characteristic structure is not explicitly known, or in cases where the exact solution of the Riemann problem is prohibitively expensive to compute numerically. Finally, we present comparisons with results obtained using various Godunov-type schemes as well as with those obtained using other high-resolution central schemes which have recently been reported in the literature.Comment: 14 pages, 12 figures, to appear in A&

PBM Implementation Group, Making patient blood management the new norm(al) as experienced by implementors in diverse countries

Background: Patient blood management (PBM) describes a set of evidence-based practices to optimize medical and surgical patient outcomes by clinically managing and preserving a patient's own blood. This concepts aims to detect and treat anemia, minimize the risk for blood loss and the need for blood replacement for each patient through a coordinated multidisciplinary care process. In combination with blood loss, anemia is the main driver for transfusion and all three are independent risk factors for adverse outcomes including morbidity and mortality. Evidence demonstrates that PBM significantly improves outcomes and safety while reducing cost by macroeconomic magnitudes. Despite its huge potential to improve healthcare systems, PBM is not yet adopted broadly. The aim of this study is to analyze the collective experiences of a diverse group of PBM implementors across countries reflecting different healthcare contexts and to use these experiences to develop a guidance for initiating and orchestrating PBM implementation for stakeholders from diverse professional backgrounds. Methods: Semi-structured interviews were conducted with 1-4 PBM implementors from 12 countries in Asia, Latin America, Australia, Central and Eastern Europe, the Middle East, and Africa. Responses reflecting the drivers, barriers, measures, and stakeholders regarding the implementation of PBM were summarized per country and underwent qualitative content analysis. Clustering the resulting implementation measures by levels of intervention for PBM implementation informed a PBM implementation framework. Results: A set of PBM implementation measures were extracted from the interviews with the implementors. Most of these measures relate to one of six levels of implementation including government, healthcare providers, funding, research, training/education, and patients/public. Essential cross-level measures are multi-stakeholder communication and collaboration. Conclusion: The implementation matrix resulting from this research helps to decompose the complexity of PBM implementation into concrete measures on each implementation level. It provides guidance for diverse stakeholders to design, initiate and develop strategies and plans to make PBM a national standard of care, thus closing current practice gaps and matching this unmet public health need

Nonlinear hydrodynamical evolution of rotating relativistic stars: Numerical methods and code tests

We present numerical hydrodynamical evolutions of rapidly rotating relativistic stars, using an axisymmetric, nonlinear relativistic hydrodynamics code. We use four different high-resolution shock-capturing (HRSC) finite-difference schemes (based on approximate Riemann solvers) and compare their accuracy in preserving uniformly rotating stationary initial configurations in long-term evolutions. Among these four schemes, we find that the third-order PPM scheme is superior in maintaining the initial rotation law in long-term evolutions, especially near the surface of the star. It is further shown that HRSC schemes are suitable for the evolution of perturbed neutron stars and for the accurate identification (via Fourier transforms) of normal modes of oscillation. This is demonstrated for radial and quadrupolar pulsations in the nonrotating limit, where we find good agreement with frequencies obtained with a linear perturbation code. The code can be used for studying small-amplitude or nonlinear pulsations of differentially rotating neutron stars, while our present results serve as testbed computations for three-dimensional general-relativistic evolution codes.Comment: 13 pages, 10 figures, submitted to MNRA

Copyright and the Use of Images as Biodiversity Data [Forum paper]

Taxonomy is the discipline responsible for charting the world’s organismic diversity, understanding ancestor/descendant relationships, and organizing all species according to a unified taxonomic classification system. Taxonomists document the attributes (characters) of organisms, with emphasis on those can be used to distinguish species from each other. Character information is compiled in the scientific literature as text, tables, and images. The information is presented according to conventions that vary among taxonomic domains; such conventions facilitate comparison among similar species, even when descriptions are published by different authors. There is considerable uncertainty within the taxonomic community as to how to re-use images that were included in taxonomic publications, especially in regard to whether copyright applies. This article deals with the principles and application of copyright law, database protection, and protection against unfair competition, as applied to images. We conclude that copyright does not apply to most images in taxonomic literature because they are presented in a standardized way and lack the individuality that is required to qualify as ‘copyrightable works’. There are exceptions, such as wildlife photographs, drawings and artwork produced in a distinctive individual form and intended for other than comparative purposes (such as visual art). Further exceptions may apply to collections of images that qualify as a database in the sense of European database protection law. In a few European countries, there is legal protection for photographs that do not qualify as works in the usual sense of copyright. It follows that most images found in taxonomic literature can be re-used for research or many other purposes without seeking permission, regardless of any copyright declaration. In observance of ethical and scholarly standards, re-users are expected to cite the author and original source of any image that they use

Cardiovascular disease versus periodontal disease: chronic systemic infection as a link

Objective : Analysis of the alleged connection between the periodontal and cardiovascular disease, with reference to periodontal pathogens as a risk factor for heart disease. Researching method : A research was carried out at Medline/Pubmed. Included criteria and researching strategy. The articles selection has been made taking into account key-terms appearing either in the title or in the summary. Experimental studies in animals, clinical prospective studies performed with a minimum sample size (>30) and studies written in English have been included. The rejected criteria were the following: clinical retrospective studies and/or studies carried out with a low sample size (n<30). Results : Within systemic diseases related to periodontal ones, the alleged link between periodontal and heart and circulatory disease has been one of the most investigated in recent times. Different authors consider the existence of a link between the diseases as such, inappropriate and implausible since both the diseases have risk factors in common (age, gender, smoking, diet, oral hygiene and diabetes). However, speculations about the origin of the diseases were raised when it was demonstrated that some bacteria species, bacteria proteins and lipopolysaccharide are present at the plaques of atherosclerosis that obstruct the coronary arteries. The mechanisms of this connection have been analyzed following an actualized review. Conclusion : Most of the experimental and clinical studies ensure that a positive association between periodontal disease and heart disease has been found, once the con-founder factors have been eliminate

Necrotizing periodontitis in the context of Takayasu s disease: report of a case

Necrotizing periodontitis is characterized by gingival necrosis with bleeding and pain, and alveolar bone attachment loss. The disease is associated to spirochete and Prevotella intermedia infection, as well as to a series of bacterial infections, with an altered local host immune response and tissue destruction. We present the case of a 40-year-old woman with inflammatory vasculitis of the aorta and its main branches, known as Takayasu’s disease. In the course of treatment of the latter, she developed necrotizing periodontitis. In this case local factors such as abundant bacterial plaque accumulation secondary to a lack of tooth brushing, and the administration of methotrexate, may have played a role. The clinical condition improved notoriously after emergency treatment with local antiseptics and tartar remova

Tonsilolito gigante: a propósito de un caso

Los tonsilolitos son pequeñas concreciones calcificadas que se forman en las criptas de las amígdalas palatinas formados por sales cálcicas o en combinación con otras sales minerales y que suelen tener pequeño tamaño. En pocas ocasiones han sido descritos tonsilolitos de grandes dimensiones o en localizaciones periamigdalinas. Nosotros presentamos el caso de una mujer de 55 años de edad que tenía sintomatología de disfagia y molestias en la faringe con sensación de cuerpo extraño desde había un año aproximadamente aunque últimamente se habían agudizado las molestias. A la exploración se palpaba una tumoración dura a nivel submucoso en el paladar blando a nivel del pilar amigdalino anterior derecho. El pilar parecía algo abombado, palpándose dicha tumoración como una lesión de consistencia dura y que en superficie presentaba la mucosa algo eritematosa. La tomografía computadorizada mostraba una imagen ovalada delimitada y muy calcificada de gran tamaño (2,5x1,5 cm). Se procedió a la exéresis quirúrgica de dicha estructura.Tonsilloliths or tonsil stones are calcifications that form in the crypts of the palatal tonsils. These calculi are composed of calcium salts either alone or in combination with other mineral salts, and are usually of small size though there ha ve been occasional reports of large tonsilloliths or calculi in peritonsillar locations. We present the case of a 55-year-old woman with a one-year history of dysphagia and pharyngeal discomfort with a foreign body sensation, though the manifestations had recently intensified. Exploration of the oral cavity revealed a hard bulging submucosal mass in the region of the soft palate, at right anterior tonsillar pillar level. The mucosa overlying the lesion appeared erythematous. Computed tomography revealed a large, delimited and highly calcified oval image measuring 2.5 x 1.5 cm, which was subsequently surgically removed