Analysis of Log Hauling Vehicle Accidents in the State of Georgia, USA, 1988–2004

Mechanical failure rates associated with logging vehicle accidents in Georgia are dramatically lower today than they were in 1988–1991 before these trucks became subject to random roadside inspections. Mechanical failure dropped by half for logging tractor-trailers (from 10.9% to 4.8%) and by two-thirds for logging trucks (from 12.9% to 4.2%). Mechanical failure is now the seventh most cited contributing factor in logging tractor-trailer accidents instead of first as it was prior to 1991. Specific types of mechanical failures have also declined sharply. Three potential failure items that are visually checked during roadside inspections – brakes, slick tires, and lights – have seen the most dramatic declines. Brake failure has dropped by two-thirds and improper lights as a factor have almost disappeared. Driver impairment due to use of alcohol or drugs today occurs in less than 0.5 percent of accidents. Factors associated with logging vehicle accidents today in Georgia closely resemble those associated with all trucking accidents generally. Accidents per million tons of wood consumed, however, has increased steadily from 11 in 1991 to 19 per million tons in 2003

The Virtual Irie Homes Toolbox: Adaptation and remote delivery of an early childhood, violence prevention, parenting program in Jamaica

In response to the global pandemic, we adapted a Jamaican early childhood, violence-prevention, parenting program (the Irie Homes Toolbox (IHT)) for virtual delivery. The resultant virtual IHT (vIHT) is a 10-week program that consists of weekly, one-hour, virtual group parenting sessions and e-summary sent via WhatsApp, three SMS messages/week and access to a data-free app. The vIHT was implemented with 557 Jamaican caregivers of children aged two-to-six years with virtual groups conducted by government officers. We conducted an ongoing process evaluation to identify enablers and barriers to implementation. Key enablers included high compliance by government officers in conducting virtual sessions, sessions were implemented with adequate levels of quality, 90% participants read the SMS/WhatsApp messages and 79% attended at least one virtual group with 52% attending five or more. Barriers included poor internet connectivity, difficulty navigating the online environment, low usage of the App and inconsistent caregiver attendance at virtual sessions

‘FAN the SUN brighter': Fortifying Africa nutritionally (FAN) - the role of public private partnership in scaling up nutrition (SUN) in West Africa

The scaling up nutrition (SUN) policy framework requires extensive public-private partnership (PPP). Malnutrition is multi-dimensional and should engage multi-sectoral platforms. The SUN policy however did not fully embrace the dynamics of harnessing PPP. The objectives of the present paper are to highlight the reasons for the apprehension around PPP and illustrate how effective coordination of PPP in West Africa has contributed to implementing large-scale food fortification with micronutrients as a complementary nutrition intervention. The experience of Helen Keller International (HKI) in scaling up food fortification was emphasised with understanding of the factors contributing to indifference by the international community to private sector contribution to SUN. The roles of different stakeholders in a PPP are elucidated and the process linked to who, why and how to engage. The private sector provides direct nutrition services while the public sector creates the enabling environment for the private sector to thrive on social values. Through this approach fortified vegetable oil and wheat flour are now reaching over 70% of the population in West Africa. As a neutral broker HKI coordinated and facilitated dialogue among the different stakeholders. The core competencies of each stakeholder were harnessed and each partner was held accountable. It concludes that multi-sectoral relationship must be transparent, equitable and based on shared mutual interests. The rules and values of PPP offer opportunities for SU

The Fire and Smoke Model Evaluation Experiment—A Plan for Integrated, Large Fire–Atmosphere Field Campaigns

The Fire and Smoke Model Evaluation Experiment (FASMEE) is designed to collect integrated observations from large wildland fires and provide evaluation datasets for new models and operational systems. Wildland fire, smoke dispersion, and atmospheric chemistry models have become more sophisticated, and next-generation operational models will require evaluation datasets that are coordinated and comprehensive for their evaluation and advancement. Integrated measurements are required, including ground-based observations of fuels and fire behavior, estimates of fire-emitted heat and emissions fluxes, and observations of near-source micrometeorology, plume properties, smoke dispersion, and atmospheric chemistry. To address these requirements the FASMEE campaign design includes a study plan to guide the suite of required measurements in forested sites representative of many prescribed burning programs in the southeastern United States and increasingly common high-intensity fires in the western United States. Here we provide an overview of the proposed experiment and recommendations for key measurements. The FASMEE study provides a template for additional large-scale experimental campaigns to advance fire science and operational fire and smoke models

Developing and understanding biofluid vibrational spectroscopy : a critical review

Vibrational spectroscopy can provide rapid, label-free, and objective analysis for the clinical domain. Spectroscopic analysis of biofluids such as blood components (e.g. serum and plasma) and others in the proximity of the diseased tissue or cell (e.g. bile, urine, and sputum) offers non-invasive diagnostic/monitoring possibilities for future healthcare that are capable of rapid diagnosis of diseases via specific spectral markers or signatures. Biofluids offer an ideal diagnostic medium due to their ease and low cost of collection and daily use in clinical biology. Due to the low risk and in vasiveness of their collection they are widely welcomed by patients as a diagnostic medium. This review under scores recent research within the field of biofluid spectroscopy and its use in myriad pat hologies such as cancer and infectious diseases. It highlights current progresses, advents, and pitfalls within the field and discusses future spectroscopic clinical potentials for diagnostics. The requirements and issues surrounding clinical translation are also considered

IFPA meeting 2016 workshop report I: Genomic communication, bioinformatics, trophoblast biology and transport systems

Workshops are an important part of the IFPA annual meeting as they allow for discussion of specialized topics. At IFPA meeting 2016 there were twelve themed workshops, four of which are summarized in this report. These workshops covered innovative technologies applied to new and traditional areas of placental research: 1) genomic communication; 2) bioinformatics; 3) trophoblast biology and pathology; 4) placental transport systems

Prehospital resuscitation with hypertonic saline-dextran modulates inflammatory, coagulation and endothelial activation marker profiles in severe traumatic brain injured patients

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>Traumatic brain injury (TBI) initiates interrelated inflammatory and coagulation cascades characterized by wide-spread cellular activation, induction of leukocyte and endothelial cell adhesion molecules and release of soluble pro/antiinflammatory cytokines and thrombotic mediators. Resuscitative care is focused on optimizing cerebral perfusion and reducing secondary injury processes. Hypertonic saline is an effective osmotherapeutic agent for the treatment of intracranial hypertension and has immunomodulatory properties that may confer neuroprotection. This study examined the impact of hypertonic fluids on inflammatory/coagulation cascades in isolated head injury.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>Using a prospective, randomized controlled trial we investigated the impact of prehospital resuscitation of severe TBI (GCS < 8) patients using 7.5% hypertonic saline in combination with 6% dextran-70 (HSD) <it>vs </it>0.9% normal saline (NS), on selected cellular and soluble inflammatory/coagulation markers. Serial blood samples were drawn from 65 patients (30 HSD, 35 NS) at the time of hospital admission and at 12, 24, and 48-h post-resuscitation. Flow cytometry was used to analyze leukocyte cell-surface adhesion (CD62L, CD11b) and degranulation (CD63, CD66b) molecules. Circulating concentrations of soluble (s)L- and sE-selectins (sL-, sE-selectins), vascular and intercellular adhesion molecules (sVCAM-1, sICAM-1), pro/antiinflammatory cytokines [tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α and interleukin (IL-10)], tissue factor (sTF), thrombomodulin (sTM) and D-dimers (D-D) were assessed by enzyme immunoassay. Twenty-five healthy subjects were studied as a control group.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>TBI provoked marked alterations in a majority of the inflammatory/coagulation markers assessed in all patients. Relative to control, NS patients showed up to a 2-fold higher surface expression of CD62L, CD11b and CD66b on polymorphonuclear neutrophils (PMNs) and monocytes that persisted for 48-h. HSD blunted the expression of these cell-surface activation/adhesion molecules at all time-points to levels approaching control values. Admission concentrations of endothelial-derived sVCAM-1 and sE-selectin were generally reduced in HSD patients. Circulating sL-selectin levels were significantly elevated at 12 and 48, but not 24 h post-resuscitation with HSD. TNF-α and IL-10 levels were elevated above control throughout the study period in all patients, but were reduced in HSD patients. Plasma sTF and D-D levels were also significantly lower in HSD patients, whereas sTM levels remained at control levels.</p> <p>Conclusions</p> <p>These findings support an important modulatory role of HSD resuscitation in attenuating the upregulation of leukocyte/endothelial cell proinflammatory/prothrombotic mediators, which may help ameliorate secondary brain injury after TBI.</p> <p>Trial registration</p> <p>NCT00878631.</p

Nutrition training in medical and other health professional schools in West Africa: the need to improve current approaches and enhance training effectiveness

Background: Health professionals play a key role in the delivery of nutrition interventions. Improving the quality of nutrition training in health professional schools is vital for building the necessary human resource capacity to implement effective interventions for reducing malnutrition in West Africa. This study was undertaken to assess the current status of nutrition training in medical, nursing and midwifery schools in West Africa. Design: Data were collected from 127 training programs organized by 52 medical, nursing, and midwifery schools. Using a semi-structured questionnaire, we collected information on the content and distribution of nutrition instruction throughout the curriculum, the number of hours devoted to nutrition, the years of the curriculum in which nutrition was taught, and the prevailing teaching methods. Simple descriptive and bivariate analyses were performed. Results: Nutrition instruction occurred mostly during the first 2 years for the nursing (84%), midwifery (87%), and nursing assistant (77%) programs and clinical years in medical schools (64%). The total amount of time devoted to nutrition was on average 57, 56, 48, and 28 hours in the medical, nursing, midwifery, and nursing assistant programs, respectively. Nutrition instruction was mostly provided within the framework of a dedicated nutrition course in nursing (78%), midwifery (87%), and nursing assistant programs (100%), whereas it was mainly embedded in other courses in medical schools (46%). Training content was heavily weighted to basic nutrition in the nursing (69%), midwifery (77%), and nursing assistant (100%) programs, while it was oriented toward clinical practice in the medical programs (64%). For all the programs, there was little focus (<6 hours contact time) on public health nutrition. The teaching methods on nutrition training were mostly didactic in all the surveyed schools; however, we found an integrated model in some medical schools (12%). None of the surveyed institutions had a dedicated nutrition faculty. The majority (55%) of the respondents rated nutrition instruction in their institutions as insufficient. Conclusions: The results of our study reveal important gaps in current approaches to nutrition training in health professional schools in West Africa. Addressing these gaps is critical for the development of a skilled nutrition workforce in the region. Nutrition curricula that provide opportunities to obtain more insights about the basic principles of human nutrition and their application to public health and clinical practice are recommended

Contaminants of Emerging Concern as a Tool to Differentiate Bacterial Contamination from Human Activity

Bacterial and nutrient contamination of streams and marine water effect many areas around the Salish Sea. Identifying and correcting the sources of this pollution can be a challenging task. This project investigated using a suite of chemicals known as Contaminants of Emerging Concern (CEC) to differentiate between human-associated sources such as sewage or farm runoff, and those coming from natural sources like wildlife. These CEC are chemicals which include medicines, herbicides, and compounds commonly consumed by humans. Advances in analytical methods over the last decade allow these compounds to be detected at very low concentrations (ng/L) in surface water samples. Surface water impacted by human activity may contain CEC that could be used to identify likely sources. To test this hypothesis, sampling was conducted under a collaborative partnership between the Kitsap Public Health District, and University of Washington Center for Urban Waters. Sites were selected to represent locations affected by known failing septic systems, agricultural run off, some unknown sources, and background controls. Samples were analyzed for a suite of 20 CEC compounds, as well as fecal coliform bacteria, nitrogen, and phosphorous. The results indicate that CEC in the environment can be highly variable, depending on the type of source, transport pathway, and site conditions. Some compounds are persistent and widespread, while others are rarely detected. Individual CEC compounds used by themselves are probably not suitable to differentiate pollution from human activites. However, several compounds used together, such as ibuprofen, acetominophen, and metabolites of caffeine and nicotine show promising correlation with human sources of bacterial pollution. The value of other CEC as source tracking tools may depend on using them in combination, or in comparison to background concentrations. NOTE: Another abstract based on this sampling project has been submitted for the session on Occurrence and Impacts of Contaminants of Emerging Concern. (Paper#236) This abstract is for an oral presentation in the Water Pollution Identification & Correction session

Evaluation of the Community Multiscale Air Quality Model for Simulating Winter Ozone Formation in the Uinta Basin

The Weather Research and Forecasting (WRF) and Community Multiscale Air Quality (CMAQ) models were used to simulate a 10 day high-ozone episode observed during the 2013 Uinta Basin Winter Ozone Study (UBWOS). The baseline model had a large negative bias when compared to ozone (O3) and volatile organic compound (VOC) measurements across the basin. Contrary to other wintertime Uinta Basin studies, predicted nitrogen oxides (NOx) were typically low compared to measurements. Increases to oil and gas VOC emissions resulted in O3 predictions closer to observations, and nighttime O3 improved when reducing the deposition velocity for all chemical species. Vertical structures of these pollutants were similar to observations on multiple days. However, the predicted surface layer VOC mixing ratios were generally found to be underestimated during the day and overestimated at night. While temperature profiles compared well to observations, WRF was found to have a warm temperature bias and too low nighttime mixing heights. Analyses of more realistic snow heat capacity in WRF to account for the warm bias and vertical mixing resulted in improved temperature profiles, although the improved temperature profiles seldom resulted in improved O3 profiles. While additional work is needed to investigate meteorological impacts, results suggest that the uncertainty in the oil and gas emissions contributes more to the underestimation of O3. Further, model adjustments based on a single site may not be suitable across all sites within the basin