SURFICIAL GEOLOGY OF YORK COLLEGE CAMPUS (QUEENS) AND MONTAUK POINT (LONG ISLAND): AN OPEN ACCESS TO GEOSCIENCE EDUCATION

To evaluate compositional and textural differences among the samples collected from York College (YC) campus (Queens), Montauk Point (MP) and Hither Hills (HH), Long Island, emphasis is given to the general geologic setting, overall grain size distribution, and relative abundances of light and heavy mineral assemblages. Geologic setting encompasses outwash plains (York College), fluvioglacial and glacial (Montauk Point) and beach and dune complex (Hither Hills). YC samples were collected from depth ranging 40 cm to 250 cm and are mostly an assortment of medium to coarse sand, granule to cobble sized, minor silt, and clay. Presence of low angle cross bedding was noted within the sandy unit located around 150 cm from the surface and melt-water dominated transport can also be associated with this feature. MP sand samples largely collected from the beach were mostly free of finer fraction and preponderance of coarse-sand sized grains is highly noticeable. Scattered presence of purple sand often containing garnet, magnetite, rutile, monazite, and tourmaline is suggestive of hydraulic sorting due to wave action and provenance of purple sand is presumed to be intermediate to mafic clasts associated with coastal bluff. Magnetite abundances within the purple sand range from 5% to 20%. HH sands are representative of both beach and dune complex and showing prominent cross bedding with foresets accentuated by heavy minerals. Dominant grain size is medium to fine-grained and well sorted sand. Subtle differences in terms of mineral assemblages including quartz, feldspar, muscovite, biotite, garnet, zircon, monazite, rutile, and tourmaline within the YC, MP, and HH samples suggest slight variation of the source rock composition and overall grain size trends also point to a particular sedimentary environment of deposition. These locations are easily accessible and form a great field geology sites for understanding surficial geology of Queens and Long Island and recent glacial activity that sculptured the landscapes. K9-16 earth science students can greatly benefit by having this opportunity located close to the urban setting of New York. Department of Education Grant titled Enhancing Talents of African American Students funded this research project

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Abstract Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Reducing the environmental impact of surgery on a global scale: systematic review and co-prioritization with healthcare workers in 132 countries

Background Healthcare cannot achieve net-zero carbon without addressing operating theatres. The aim of this study was to prioritize feasible interventions to reduce the environmental impact of operating theatres. Methods This study adopted a four-phase Delphi consensus co-prioritization methodology. In phase 1, a systematic review of published interventions and global consultation of perioperative healthcare professionals were used to longlist interventions. In phase 2, iterative thematic analysis consolidated comparable interventions into a shortlist. In phase 3, the shortlist was co-prioritized based on patient and clinician views on acceptability, feasibility, and safety. In phase 4, ranked lists of interventions were presented by their relevance to high-income countries and low–middle-income countries. Results In phase 1, 43 interventions were identified, which had low uptake in practice according to 3042 professionals globally. In phase 2, a shortlist of 15 intervention domains was generated. In phase 3, interventions were deemed acceptable for more than 90 per cent of patients except for reducing general anaesthesia (84 per cent) and re-sterilization of ‘single-use’ consumables (86 per cent). In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for high-income countries were: introducing recycling; reducing use of anaesthetic gases; and appropriate clinical waste processing. In phase 4, the top three shortlisted interventions for low–middle-income countries were: introducing reusable surgical devices; reducing use of consumables; and reducing the use of general anaesthesia. Conclusion This is a step toward environmentally sustainable operating environments with actionable interventions applicable to both high– and low–middle–income countries

Platelet Aggregation Unchanged by Lipoprotein-Associated Phospholipase A₂ Inhibition: Results from an In Vitro Study and Two Randomized Phase I Trials

<div><p>Background</p><p>We explored the theorized upregulation of platelet-activating factor (PAF)– mediated biologic responses following lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A₂ (Lp-PLA₂) inhibition using human platelet aggregation studies in an in vitro experiment and in 2 clinical trials.</p><p>Methods and Results</p><p>Full platelet aggregation concentration response curves were generated in vitro to several platelet agonists in human plasma samples pretreated with rilapladib (selective Lp-PLA₂ inhibitor) or vehicle. This was followed by a randomized, double-blind crossover study in healthy adult men (n = 26) employing a single-agonist dose assay of platelet aggregation, after treatment of subjects with 250 mg oral rilapladib or placebo once daily for 14 days. This study was followed by a second randomized, double-blind parallel-group trial in healthy adult men (n = 58) also treated with 250 mg oral rilapladib or placebo once daily for 14 days using a full range of 10 collagen concentrations (0–10 µg/ml) for characterizing EC₅₀ values for platelet aggregation for each subject. Both clinical studies were conducted at the GlaxoSmithKline Medicines Research Unit in the Prince of Wales Hospital, Sydney, Australia. EC₅₀ values derived from multiple agonist concentrations were compared and no pro-aggregant signals were observed during exposure to rilapladib in any of these platelet studies, despite Lp-PLA₂ inhibition exceeding 90%. An increase in collagen-mediated aggregation was observed 3 weeks post drug termination in the crossover study (15.4% vs baseline; 95% confidence interval [CI], 3.9–27.0), which was not observed during the treatment phase and was not observed in the parallel-group study employing a more robust EC₅₀ examination.</p><p>Conclusions</p><p>Lp-PLA₂ inhibition does not enhance platelet aggregation.</p><p>Trial Registration</p><p>1) Study 1: ClinicalTrials.gov <a href="http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01745458?term=NCT01745458&rank=1andwww.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT01750827?term=NCT01750827&rank=1" target="_blank">NCT01745458</a> 2) Study 2: ClinicalTrials.gov <a href="http://www.clinicaltrials.gov/ct2/show/NCT00387257?term=NCT00387257&rank=1" target="_blank">NCT00387257</a></p></div

Demographics of the study participants in the crossover and E_max studies.

<p>SD, standard deviation; NA, not available.</p