Exercise-induced maximum metabolic rate scaled to body mass by the fractal dimension of the vascular distribution network

The central postulation of the present approach to metabolic rate scaling is that exercise-induced maximum aerobic metabolic rate (MMR) is proportional to the fractal extent (V) of an animal. Total fractal extent can be calculated from the sum of the fractal extents of the capillary service units, as specified by the formula V ∞ N1LD1, where ∞ means 'proportional to'. Here N1 is the number of capillaries and L1 is capillary length, with D the fractal dimension of the vascular distribution network and with LD1 the fractal extent of a capillary service unit. D can be any real number in the interval 2 ≤ D ≤ 3. From dimensional considerations V scales with body mass (M) with power exponent D/3, or V∞MD/3 . Then MMR ∞ Mb with b=D/3 follows from the postulate MMR ∞ V . The utility of the relationship b=D/3 depends on the feasibility of estimating D. There are two possibilities. The first is to estimate D from the scaling of aorta cross-section area with body mass. The second is from morphometric observations on various body organs. Both give estimates of b in remarkable agreement with estimates obtained by exercise induction or oxygen half-saturation pressure scaling with body mass. The predicted range  2 ≤ D ≤ 3 is experimentally observed. Likely causes of notable particular instances of the symmorphosis b=D/3 with 2 ≤ D ≤ 3  include optimal movement requirements, muscle stress limitation, and maximized oxygen delivery and metabolic rates. Lastly, it is shown that the scaling exponent of basal metabolic rate with body mass can be obtained by taking body composition into account in the product of the scaling exponents of MMR and visceral mass.Keywords: basal metabolic rate, fractal dimension, fractal extent, maximum metabolic rate, vascular distribution networ

Basal metabolic rate scaled to body mass within species by the fractal dimension of the vascular system and body composition

Previous investigations show that it is plausible that metabolic rates (MR) in all body organs and tissues scale with their own mass with exponent b = D/3, where D is the fractal dimension of the self-similar vascular whole body blood transport system. From the assumption that organ or tissue mass scale with body mass (BM) with exponent d, it follows that organ and tissue MR scale with BM exponents bd. By taking the median organ in vitro MR exponential scaling of 0.91 as an estimate of b, this principle is shown to be valid in porgy. With d = 0.89 and d = 1.04, the scaling exponents of viscera and white muscle are bd = 0.81 for viscera and bd = 0.95 for white muscle, respectively. The viscera value is very close to the porgy resting or basal metabolic rate (BMR) scaling exponent of c = 0.82, and white muscle is reasonably close to the average ectotherm maximum metabolic rate (MMR) scaling exponent 0.92. There are only two species, humans and crucian carp, with available scalings of MMR, BMR and viscera in terms of the exponents b, c and d. The postulate bd = c is shown to hold for both these species within the limits of experimental error, with the crucian carp evidence being especially convincing, since b, c and d are estimated from the same experimental situation. A collation of 19 ectotherm estimates of b shows highly significant differences between them. It is remarkable that the average values of b do not differ much between aquatics and terrestrials, while the average BMR exponents c differ to a remarkable extent, most likely caused by differences in d. Observed differences in d, with generally d ≥ 1 during early growth and d ≤ 1or d ≤ b during later growth, coupled with can explain the pattern of the BMR scaling with BM, with its often observed broken stick appearance during ontogeny. The examples from the literature confirm that the range of theoretical values 1, 14/15, 5/6 and 2/3 ≤ b ≤ 1, when coupled with the observed values of d, is adequate to produce values of bd corresponding to c estimated from fasting experiments. An example is shown in humans that corrections for body fat percentage, exercise level and age give the same pattern in the relationship bd = c between mature individuals differing in size, as the one observed during growth.Keywords: Maximum metabolic rate, vascular distribution network, viscera, skeletal muscl

Challenges For Environmental Management In The Mining Sector

An IMR Open Report.Revenue from mineral resources has contributed to the improvement of the quality of life in several countries globally. The importance of mining in the SADC region is demonstrated by the amount of minerals produced; 40% of vanadium, 72% of the platinum group of metals, 40% of chromite, and 55% of diamonds of the global output. Mining contributes about 60% of the foreign currency receipts of the SADC region (www.sadc.int). Some of the major settlements providing much needed services have developed due to mining, e.g. Johannesburg, Francistown, Copperbelt towns of Zambia. Mining contributes significantly to government revenue in Southern Africa, e.g. 45% in -Botswana in 2004. The importance of the mining sector has been recognized at the SADC level through various initiatives aimed at the development of this sector, e.g. SADC Protocol on Mining, and attempts at harmonizing policies relevant to the development of the sector (UNECA, 2004). However, in the international arena, continued exploitation of mineral resources is increasingly depended upon the demonstrated capacity of the industry to effectively deal with the vast amount of waste generated from mining through to beneficiation

Perioperative Care Innovations: Optimizing Recovery and Reducing Complications in General Surgery

Significant progress has been made in perioperative care for general surgery with the goal of minimising postoperative complications and improving patient outcomes. This thorough analysis examines developments in the preoperative, intraoperative, and postoperative domains of the perioperative continuum. This article explores the most recent innovations influencing the profession, with a focus on patient-centered tactics, technology improvements, and interdisciplinary approaches. Within the context of preoperative optimisation, therapies aimed at correcting dietary deficiencies, individualised exercise programmes, and psychological preparedness are critical to improving surgical patient readiness. Improved surgical methods, such as robotics and minimally invasive surgery, revolutionise surgical accuracy while reducing trauma and facilitating a quicker recovery. Innovations in postoperative care, such improved recovery procedures and remote monitoring devices, speed up recovery and lower complications. Pain treatment and infection control advances in pharmacology have a major positive impact on patient comfort and lower morbidity. This study emphasises the value of customised treatment plans, collaborative decision-making, and specialised communication while embracing patient-centered methods. It highlights how important it is for patients to be involved in their treatment, how to promote their own autonomy, and how to improve compliance with postoperative instructions. This study seeks to highlight the combined influence of these breakthroughs on changing general surgery perioperative care paradigms through an examination of these advances. The perioperative setting is driven by the combination of innovative tactics, cooperation across varied healthcare specialties, and technology breakthroughs with the ultimate goal of optimising recovery and minimising problems

Climatology of daily rainfall semi-variance in The Netherlands

Rain gauges can offer high quality rainfall measurements at their locations. Networks of rain gauges can offer better insight into the space-time variability of rainfall, but they tend to be too widely spaced for accurate estimates between points. While remote sensing systems, such as radars and networks of microwave links, can offer good insight in the spatial variability of rainfall they tend to have more problems in identifying the correct rain amounts at the ground. A way to estimate the variability of rainfall between gauge points is to interpolate between them using fitted variograms. If a dense rain gauge network is lacking it is difficult to estimate variograms accurately. In this paper a 30-year dataset of daily rain accumulations gathered at 29 automatic weather stations operated by KNMI (Royal Netherlands Meteorological Institute) and a one-year dataset of 10 gauges in a network with a radius of 5 km around CESAR (Cabauw Experimental Site for Atmospheric Research) are employed to estimate variograms. Fitted variogram parameters are shown to vary according to season, following simple cosine functions. Semi-variances at short ranges during winter and spring tend to be underestimated, but semi-variances during summer and autumn are well predicted

The estimation of preweaning energy intake from litter mass in rats

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South and South-East Asian coastal fisheries: their status and directions for improved management: conference synopsis and recommendations

As a step to address the problems of coastal fisheries in Asia, the WorldFish Center joined forces with fisheries agencies from eight developing Asian countries (Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, Malaysia, The Philippines, Sri Lanka, Thailand and Vietnam) and the Asian Development Bank, to implement a project entitled “Sustainable Management of Coastal Fish Stocks in Asia” (also known as the “TrawlBase” project). The project was implemented between 1998 and 2001. The main achievements of this partnership were: (a) Development of a database called “Fisheries Resource Information System and Tools” (FiRST), which contains trawl research survey data and socioeconomic information for selected fisheries, and facilitates its analysis; (b) Evaluation of the extent of resource decline and over-fishing, both biological and economic, in the region; (c) Identification of the measures needed to manage coastal fisheries in the participating countries, resulting in draft strategies and action plans; and (d) Strengthening of national capacity in coastal fisheries assessment, planning and management

Preliminary Study on the Feasibility of Performing Quantitative Precipitation Estimation Using X-band Radar

IRCTR has built an experimental X-band Doppler po-larimetric weather radar system aimed at obtaining high temporal and spatial resolution measurements of precipitation, with particular interest in light rain and drizzle. In this paper a first analysis of the feasibility of obtaining accurate quantitative precipitation estimation from the radar data performed using a high density network of rain gauges is presented

Evaluation of the Accuracy of the AIRS Scoring System in Managing Acute Appendicitis

Background: Appendix inflammation characterizes acute appendicitis, a common surgical emergency. In order to avoid complications, a precise and prompt diagnosis is essential. A potential diagnostic tool is the Appendicitis Inflammatory Response Score (AIRS) scoring system. The purpose of this study was to assess the reliability of the AIRS score in treating acute appendicitis in a particular patient population. Methods: At a Tertiary care facility in Karad, India, a prospective study was carried out between December 2020 and June 2022. Patients with right iliac fossa discomfort and a tentative diagnosis of acute appendicitis were admitted to the surgery department. Patients with immunity-compromising conditions are excluded from consideration. Based on clinical indicators, laboratory values, and radiological results, the AIRS score was generated. The AIRS score was taken into account when making surgical decisions. Results: 130 participants participated in the trial. The AIRS score showed strong specificity and sensitivity. Sensitivity was 94.4% and negative predictive value was 87.5% in the low-risk category (AIRS scores 1-2). The sensitivity was 85.6% and the positive predictive value was 84.0% in the moderate-risk group (AIRS scores 3-4). The high-risk group (AIRS score 5) demonstrated a sensitivity of 97.3% and a positive predictive value of 91.0%. Conclusion: To help in the diagnosis and treatment of acute appendicitis, the AIRS scoring system successfully divided patients into risk groups. Our results support the use of the AIRS score as an auxiliary tool to improve clinical decision-making in instances of acute appendicitis, while more research is necessary

Role of Selective Node Dissection in the Treatment of Node-Negative Neck in Oral Carcinoma

  Background: Oral carcinoma is a severe oncological problem that calls for all-encompassing therapeutic strategies. In these circumstances, substantial neck dissection has historically been used to treat node-negative neck, which carries a risk of morbidity. The usefulness of selective node dissection, a possibly less invasive approach, is still being studied. Methods: From November 2020 to July 2022, 50 patients with oral cancer and node-negative neck involvement participated in this observational prospective study. Population statistics, tumor features, surgery specifics, and postoperative results were gathered and examined. Selective node dissection was carried out in accordance with predetermined standards. Results: A demographic study showed that patients were predominantly male (70%), with an average age of 57.4 years. The floor of the mouth (20%), buccal mucosa (30%), and the tongue (40%) were the three most frequent sites for tumors, with squamous cell carcinoma accounting for 90% of all histological subtypes. An average of 27 lymph nodes were removed during the surgical surgery, and other procedures, like neck dissection (90%), were also carried out. Infection (10%), problems with the healing of the wound (6%), and nerve injury (4%), were all postoperative consequences. The results of the survival are still being analyzed. Conclusion: This observational prospective analysis offers important new understandings of the function of selective node dissection in the management of oral cancer with node-negative neck. Future research will ascertain its impact on survival outcomes and improve its therapeutic application, ultimately boosting patient care in the therapy of oral cancer. The findings suggest its potential advantages in minimizing surgical morbidity