Sweat rate and sodium loss during work in the heat

Significant and poorly documented electrolyte losses result from prolonged sweating. This study aimed to quantify likely sodium losses during work in heat. Male subjects exercised in an environmental chamber on two consecutive days in both winter and summer. Sweat collecting devices were attached to the upper arms and legs. Sweat rates were higher and sodium concentrations were lower in the summer (acclimatised) than the winter (unacclimatised) trials. Sweat sodium concentration was reduced on the second day in summer but not winter. Regional differences were found in both seasons. The difference between days in summer probably reflects short-term acclimation. The difference between seasons reflects acclimatisation. The data predict average sodium (Na) losses over a work shift of 4.8-6 g, equivalent to 10-15 g salt (NaCl). Losses are potentially greater in unacclimatised individuals. Fluid and electrolyte losses resulting from prolonged sweating must be replaced to prevent imbalance in body fluids, however guidelines for this replacement are often conflicting. This study provides important information for occupational health practitioners by quantifying the likely sodium losses over a work shift and providing recommendations for replacement

Mobile games with intelligence: a killer application?

Mobile gaming is an arena full of innovation, with developers exploring new kinds of games, with new kinds of interaction between the mobile device, players, and the connected world that they live in and move through. The mobile gaming world is a perfect playground for AI and CI, generating a maelstrom of data for games that use adaptation, learning and smart content creation. In this paper, we explore this potential killer application for mobile intelligence. We propose combining small, light-weight AI/CI libraries with AI/CI services in the cloud for the heavy lifting. To make our ideas more concrete, we describe a new mobile game that we built that shows how this can work

Fluid Intake and Hydration Status of Forest Workers -- A Preliminary Investigation

Dehydration and its milder form hypohydration have both short term and long term health effects. In the short term poor, body hydration impairs cognitive performance, physical strength and aerobic power, rendering the worker prone to injury and heat illness. In the long term the potential consequences of hypohydration are kidney stones and bladder cancer. The aim of this study was to evaluate hydration status of forest workers in New Zealand and their preferred fluid replacement. The specific gravity (sg) of urine was used as an indicator of body fluid status. In addition daily fluid loss was compared with a tested algorithm of sweat rate to better understand if workers are hydrating at the desired rate. The results of this preliminary study clearly demonstrate that loggers are working at sub-optimal hydration levels and are consuming inappropriate fluids to replace sweat losses. The hypohydrated state of these workers may pose both an immediate and long term health and safety risk

Exploring the Future of Friesenhahn Cave

Friesenhahn Cave in San Antonio, Texas, offers a wealth of paleontological artifacts. The cave is owned by Concordia University and is primarily managed by Dr. Laurence Meissner, professor of biology at Concordia. Since its discovery in the early twentieth century, researchers have discovered numerous Pleistocene fossils; aside from the La Brea Tar Pits in California, Friesenhahn Cave is the most Pleistocene fossil-rich site in the United States. Recently, little research has been conducted in the cave, though it is believed that many fossils remain to be discovered. We propose the establishment of the Friesenhahn Cave Foundation, a non-profit organization whose purpose would be to promote research, education and conservation regarding the cave. We analyze comparative models to help develop an effective framework for the Friesenhahn Cave Foundation, which would be governed by a nine-member board. It would be the responsibility of the board to accomplish Foundation goals. We include a mission statement in an effort to help the board achieve these goals. Moreover, we outline board member duties, explore funding possibilities and discuss effective outreach methods

Antibiotic-resistant Escherichia coli in wastewaters, surface waters, and oysters from an urban riverine system

antibiotic resistance (AR) patterns of 462 Escherichia coli isolates from wastewater, surface waters, and oysters were determined. Rates of AR and multiple-AR among isolates from surface water sites adjacent to wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) discharge sites were significantly higher (P < 0.05) than those among other isolates, whereas the rate of AR among isolates from oysters exposed to WWTP discharges was low (< lKc)

Self-reported food intake decreases over recording period in the National Diet and Nutrition Survey

This work was supported by funding from the Rural and Environment Science and Analytical Services Division (RESAS) programme of the Scottish Government. RESAS had no role in the design, analysis or writing of this article.Peer reviewedPostprin

Hydration status and physiological workload of UAE construction workers: A prospective longitudinal observational study

Abstract Background The objective of the study was to investigate the physiological responses of construction workers labouring in thermally stressful environments in the UAE using Thermal Work Limit (TWL) as a method of environmental risk assessment. Methods The study was undertaken in May 2006. Aural temperature, fluid intake, and urine specific gravity were recorded and continuous heart rate monitoring was used to assess fatigue. Subjects were monitored over 3 consecutive shifts. TWL and WBGT were used to assess the thermal stress. Results Most subjects commenced work euhydrated and maintained this status over a 12-hour shift. The average fluid intake was 5.44 L. There were no changes in core temperature or average heart rate between day 1 and day 3, nor between shift start and finish, despite substantial changes in thermal stress. The results obtained indicated that the workers were not physiologically challenged despite fluctuating harsh environmental conditions. Core body temperatures were not elevated suggesting satisfactory thermoregulation. Conclusion The data demonstrate that people can work, without adverse physiological effects, in hot conditions if they are provided with the appropriate fluids and are allowed to self-pace. The findings suggested that workers will self-pace according to the conditions. The data also demonstrated that the use of WBGT (a widely used risk assessment tool) as a thermal index is inappropriate for use in Gulf conditions, however TWL was found to be a valuable tool in assessing thermal stress.</p

Formation of Polyglutamine Inclusions in a Wide Range of Non-CNS Tissues in the HdhQ150 Knock-In Mouse Model of Huntington's Disease

BACKGROUND:Huntington's disease (HD) is an inherited progressive neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the ubiquitously expressed HD gene resulting in an abnormally long polyglutamine repeat in the huntingtin protein. Polyglutamine inclusions are a hallmark of the neuropathology of HD. We have previously shown that inclusion pathology is also present in the peripheral tissues of the R6/2 mouse model of HD which expresses a small N-terminal fragment of mutant huntingtin. To determine whether this peripheral pathology is a consequence of the aberrant expression of this N-terminal fragment, we extend this analysis to the genetically precise knock-in mouse model of HD, HdhQ150, which expresses mutant mouse huntingtin. METHODOLOGY/PRINCIPAL FINDINGS:We have previously standardized the CAG repeat size and strain background of the R6/2 and HdhQ150 knock-in mouse models and found that they develop a comparable and widespread neuropathology. To determine whether HdhQ150 knock-in mice also develop peripheral inclusion pathology, homozygous Hdh(Q150/Q150) mice were perfusion fixed at 22 months of age, and tissues were processed for histology and immunohistochemistry with the anti-huntingtin antibody S830. The peripheral inclusion pathology was almost identical to that found in R6/2 mice at 12 weeks of age with minor differences in inclusion abundance. CONCLUSIONS/SIGNIFICANCE:The highly comparable peripheral inclusion pathology that is present in both the R6/2 and HdhQ150 knock-in models of HD indicates that the presence of peripheral inclusions in R6/2 mice is not a consequence of the aberrant expression of an N-terminal huntingtin protein. It remains to be determined whether peripheral inclusions are a pathological feature of the human disease. Both mouse models carry CAG repeats that cause childhood disease in humans, and therefore, inclusion pathology may be a feature of the childhood rather than the adult forms of HD. It is important to establish the extent to which peripheral pathology causes the peripheral symptoms of HD from the perspective of a mechanistic understanding and future treatment options

Road map for clinicians to develop and evaluate AI predictive models to inform clinical decision-making

Background Predictive models have been used in clinical care for decades. They can determine the risk of a patient developing a particular condition or complication and inform the shared decision-making process. Developing artificial intelligence (AI) predictive models for use in clinical practice is challenging; even if they have good predictive performance, this does not guarantee that they will be used or enhance decision-making. We describe nine stages of developing and evaluating a predictive AI model, recognising the challenges that clinicians might face at each stage and providing practical tips to help manage them.Findings The nine stages included clarifying the clinical question or outcome(s) of interest (output), identifying appropriate predictors (features selection), choosing relevant datasets, developing the AI predictive model, validating and testing the developed model, presenting and interpreting the model prediction(s), licensing and maintaining the AI predictive model and evaluating the impact of the AI predictive model. The introduction of an AI prediction model into clinical practice usually consists of multiple interacting components, including the accuracy of the model predictions, physician and patient understanding and use of these probabilities, expected effectiveness of subsequent actions or interventions and adherence to these. Much of the difference in whether benefits are realised relates to whether the predictions are given to clinicians in a timely way that enables them to take an appropriate action.Conclusion The downstream effects on processes and outcomes of AI prediction models vary widely, and it is essential to evaluate the use in clinical practice using an appropriate study design