26 research outputs found
Coding Early Naturalists' Accounts into Long-Term Fish Community Changes in the Adriatic Sea (1800–2000)
The understanding of fish communities' changes over the past centuries has important implications for conservation policy and marine resource management. However, reconstructing these changes is difficult because information on marine communities before the second half of the 20th century is, in most cases, anecdotal and merely qualitative. Therefore, historical qualitative records and modern quantitative data are not directly comparable, and their integration for long-term analyses is not straightforward. We developed a methodology that allows the coding of qualitative information provided by early naturalists into semi-quantitative information through an intercalibration with landing proportions. This approach allowed us to reconstruct and quantitatively analyze a 200-year-long time series of fish community structure indicators in the Northern Adriatic Sea (Mediterranean Sea). Our analysis provides evidence of long-term changes in fish community structure, including the decline of Chondrichthyes, large-sized and late-maturing species. This work highlights the importance of broadening the time-frame through which we look at marine ecosystem changes and provides a methodology to exploit, in a quantitative framework, historical qualitative sources. To the purpose, naturalists' eyewitness accounts proved to be useful for extending the analysis on fish community back in the past, well before the onset of field-based monitoring programs
A role for subchondral bone changes in the process of osteoarthritis; a micro-CT study of two canine models
BACKGROUND: This study evaluates changes in peri-articular bone in two canine models for osteoarthritis: the groove model and the anterior cruciate ligament transection (ACLT) model. METHODS: Evaluation was performed at 10 and 20 weeks post-surgery and in addition a 3-weeks time point was studied for the groove model. Cartilage was analysed, and architecture of the subchondral plate and trabecular bone of epiphyses was quantified using micro-CT. RESULTS: At 10 and 20 weeks cartilage histology and biochemistry demonstrated characteristic features of osteoarthritis in both models (very mild changes at 3 weeks). The groove model presented osteophytes only at 20 weeks, whereas the ACLT model showed osteophytes already at 10 weeks. Trabecular bone changes in the groove model were small and not consistent. This contrasts the ACLT model in which bone volume fraction was clearly reduced at 10 and 20 weeks (15-20%). However, changes in metaphyseal bone indicate unloading in the ACLT model, not in the groove model. For both models the subchondral plate thickness was strongly reduced (25-40%) and plate porosity was strongly increased (25-85%) at all time points studied. CONCLUSION: These findings show differential regulation of subchondral trabecular bone in the groove and ACLT model, with mild changes in the groove model and more severe changes in the ACLT model. In the ACLT model, part of these changes may be explained by unloading of the treated leg. In contrast, subchondral plate thinning and increased porosity were very consistent in both models, independent of loading conditions, indicating that this thinning is an early response in the osteoarthritis process
Morphological characteristics of cartilage-bone transitional structures in the human knee joint and CAD design of an osteochondral scaffold
Availability of ambulance services
In the Dutch emergency care in 2001 about 8.2% of the ambulance services exceeded the standard 15 minutes response time, or 13 minutes actual travel time. This report identifies possibilities for improved availability of ambulance services. Two scenarios were developed explore ways of increasing this coverage. In the first scenario, ambulance posts are added to the present set. In the second scenario a number of existing posts are moved to more optimal positions whereafter posts were added. At present, a theoretical 93% of the Dutch population can be reached within 13 minutes driving time from the existing 195 ambulance posts. In the first scenario this coverage is improved to 95% by adding 15 posts; 97% coverage is achieved with a total 235 posts. In the second scenario, we show that by moving 50 posts the coverage can already be increased to almost 95%. The capacity model determined that, compared to the current situation, the capacity needed to meet the demand for ambulances ranges from 10% less in the minimum variant to 9% more in the maximum variant. An improved spatial coverage can be accomplished by adding new and/or relocating current posts. This improved distribution will solve the response-time failures for 21% at the most, however. Furthermore, increasing the capacity of ambulances in selected regions may contribute to a further decrease in response-time failures. If ambulance services would make more use of 'mobile availability', the number of failures could decrease even more. Yet, mobile availability is not an option for all regions. The quality of the currently available data on Dutch ambulance performance limits the interpretation of our modelling results. Although the model provides directions for solving the distribution problems, the data and methods do not allow to draw detailed conclusions on allocation or reallocation of ambulances.Het rapport Ambulances binnen bereik beschrijft de resultaten van een landelijk onderzoek naar de geografische spreiding van standplaatsen en de beschikbaarheid (capaciteit) van ambulances. Knelpunten in de spreiding en beschikbaarheid uiten zich in het aantal keren dat een ambulance niet binnen de norm van 15 minuten na melding op de plaats van bestemming arriveert. In een tweetal scenario's worden mogelijkheden verkend hoe door uitbreiding en verplaatsing van standplaatsen en verandering van beschikbaarheid knelpunten in de voorziening van ambulancezorg voor een deel kunnen worden opgelost. In 2001 vond bij 8,2% (27.800) van het aantal spoedritten een overschrijding van de norm plaats. Hoogstens 20% van de overschrijdingen waarvoor de rijtijd kon worden bepaald, is het gevolg van ongunstige spreiding van ambulancestandplaatsen. Hoe groot het effect van wijzigingen in de aard en omvang van beschikbare ambulancecapaciteit zal zijn op het aantal overschrijdingen is niet te zeggen. Daarvoor ontbreekt in de rittenregistraties van ambulances informatie over de toedracht van overschrijdingen. Om dezelfde reden kunnen de onderzoekers evenmin kwantificeren in hoeverre overschrijdingen worden bepaald door nog andere factoren zoals de invloed van langere opstarttijden bij piketdiensten en overmachtsituaties zoals verkeersopstoppingen en -omleidingen, extreme weersopstandigheden of materiaalpech. Om overschrijdingen en maatregelen in de toekomst beter te kunnen evalueren doen de onderzoekers de aanbeveling om de kwaliteit van de rittenregistraties en de registratiewijze in de ambulancezorg te verhogen
Availability of ambulance services
Het rapport Ambulances binnen bereik beschrijft de resultaten van een landelijk onderzoek naar de geografische spreiding van standplaatsen en de beschikbaarheid (capaciteit) van ambulances. Knelpunten in de spreiding en beschikbaarheid uiten zich in het aantal keren dat een ambulance niet binnen de norm van 15 minuten na melding op de plaats van bestemming arriveert. In een tweetal scenario's worden mogelijkheden verkend hoe door uitbreiding en verplaatsing van standplaatsen en verandering van beschikbaarheid knelpunten in de voorziening van ambulancezorg voor een deel kunnen worden opgelost. In 2001 vond bij 8,2% (27.800) van het aantal spoedritten een overschrijding van de norm plaats. Hoogstens 20% van de overschrijdingen waarvoor de rijtijd kon worden bepaald, is het gevolg van ongunstige spreiding van ambulancestandplaatsen. Hoe groot het effect van wijzigingen in de aard en omvang van beschikbare ambulancecapaciteit zal zijn op het aantal overschrijdingen is niet te zeggen. Daarvoor ontbreekt in de rittenregistraties van ambulances informatie over de toedracht van overschrijdingen. Om dezelfde reden kunnen de onderzoekers evenmin kwantificeren in hoeverre overschrijdingen worden bepaald door nog andere factoren zoals de invloed van langere opstarttijden bij piketdiensten en overmachtsituaties zoals verkeersopstoppingen en -omleidingen, extreme weersopstandigheden of materiaalpech. Om overschrijdingen en maatregelen in de toekomst beter te kunnen evalueren doen de onderzoekers de aanbeveling om de kwaliteit van de rittenregistraties en de registratiewijze in de ambulancezorg te verhogen.In the Dutch emergency care in 2001 about 8.2% of the ambulance services exceeded the standard 15 minutes response time, or 13 minutes actual travel time. This report identifies possibilities for improved availability of ambulance services. Two scenarios were developed explore ways of increasing this coverage. In the first scenario, ambulance posts are added to the present set. In the second scenario a number of existing posts are moved to more optimal positions whereafter posts were added. At present, a theoretical 93% of the Dutch population can be reached within 13 minutes driving time from the existing 195 ambulance posts. In the first scenario this coverage is improved to 95% by adding 15 posts; 97% coverage is achieved with a total 235 posts. In the second scenario, we show that by moving 50 posts the coverage can already be increased to almost 95%. The capacity model determined that, compared to the current situation, the capacity needed to meet the demand for ambulances ranges from 10% less in the minimum variant to 9% more in the maximum variant. An improved spatial coverage can be accomplished by adding new and/or relocating current posts. This improved distribution will solve the response-time failures for 21% at the most, however. Furthermore, increasing the capacity of ambulances in selected regions may contribute to a further decrease in response-time failures. If ambulance services would make more use of 'mobile availability', the number of failures could decrease even more. Yet, mobile availability is not an option for all regions. The quality of the currently available data on Dutch ambulance performance limits the interpretation of our modelling results. Although the model provides directions for solving the distribution problems, the data and methods do not allow to draw detailed conclusions on allocation or reallocation of ambulances.VW
Caso raro de pneumotórax: adamantinoma metastático A rare case of pneumothorax: metastatic adamantinoma
Descrevem-se dois casos de metástases pulmonares de adamantinoma de ossos longos, o qual é uma neoplasia óssea de baixo grau que raramente metastatiza. Nos dois casos a apresentação clínica das metástases se deu por pneumotórax espontâneo secundário a escavação tumoral, fenômeno descrito em apenas três dos trabalhos consultados na literatura. São descritos os achados clínicos, radiológicos e anatomopatológicos, bem como os procedimentos adotados nos dois casos.<br>Here, we describe two cases of lung metastasis of adamantinoma of long bones, a low-grade bone neoplasm that rarely metastasizes. In both cases, the clinical presentation of the metastases was characterized by spontaneous pneumothorax secondary to tumor cavitation, a phenomenon described in only three of the studies reviewed in the literature. Clinical, radiological, and anatomopathological findings, as well as the procedures adopted in the two cases, are described