Hydrogeological characterisation of coal measures and overview of impacts of coal mining on groundwater systems in the Upper Hunter Valley of NSW

University of Technology, Sydney. Faculty of Science.Open cut coal mining in the Upper Hunter region of New South Wales has resulted in mine pit depths of 1 SO metres or more below the natural water table, and the backfilling and reshaping of more than 10 billion cubic metres of spoils waste rock. Groundwater impact studies are a pre-requisite for mine pit regulatory approvals. Such studies often rely heavily upon computer based numerical models to simulate pit development and predict impacts. These models are sometimes poorly designed and reliant upon conjecture in prescribing strata hydraulic properties and other parameters. In addition, regional groundwater chemistry and the impacts relating thereto, are often addressed in a simplistic way while spoils leachate which is generated following pit resaturation, is poorly characterised if at all. In order to assist groundwater practitioners m their assessments, a large amount of hydrogeological data has been consolidated as part of this research effort, hydrophysical and hydrochemical methodologies have been docutnented, and aquifers in the Upper Hunter region characterised. Compilation and trend analysis of 172 packer tests conducted on coal seams (aquifers) at different locations and depths has resulted in a new and potentially useful coal seam depth versus hydraulic conductivity relationship based on coal brightness. Testing of 180 interburden core samples comprehensively demonstrates the very low matrix conductivity (less than 1.0E-04 m/ day) of non coal interburden strata. Expected ranges in compressible storage for both coal seams and interburden have been calculated directly from reported ranges in elastic moduli derived from geomechanical studies. Groundwater qualities within the regional coal measures and the shallow alluvial aquifers have been re-assessed through the compilation of 850 laboratory ion speciated samples. Tri-linear plotting of samples lends weight to some previously defmed hydrochemical provmces. However there appears to be no useful division that might support regional scale inference within the coal measures. XRD analyses of 24 interburden core samples exhibit a remarkably common mineral regime dominated by quartz with subordinate albite, kaolinite, illite-smectite and dolomite. The presence of dawsonite is also noted. ill Vertical section numerical modelling of a typical open cut pit demonstrates that coal seams, by virtue of their relatively high hydraulic conductivity, tend to preferentially depressurise the strata and induce a component of leakage from adjacent less permeable interburden. Pressure losses within shallower strata are likely be restricted to less than 2 km from a pit face while losses in deeper strata could migrate distances of 6 to 7 km over a period of 1 00 years. Following pit closure, water levels will recover within a pit shell due to rainwater and groundwater contributions. A leachate will evolve from progressive re-saturation of spoils. The hydrochemistry of leachate derived from rainwater percolation has been explored by conducting batch reaction trials on 58 core samples representing different interburden lithologies in the Upper Hunter region. Trial results demonstrate leachates exhibiting Na>>Mg>Ca and HC03> >Cl-S04 ionic species distributions. TDS projections out to 100 years support a range from 500 mg/L to more than 5000 mg/L with an average of about 2150 mg/L. Inverse geochemical modelling of leachate trials has shown ion exchange to be particularly relevant. Findings suggest rapid dissolution of halite and dolomite will occur while ion exchange will enhance the dominance of Na through the presence of Na-smectite. Reaction path modelling results demonstrate that in the absence of exchangeable Na, the leachate quality is likely to be Na-Mg>Ca (Ca is minor) and HCOrCl-S04 (no dominant anion). Progressively increasing the availability of exchangeable Na leads to an increasing presence ofNa and HC03 . Research findings suggest subsurface hydrophysical impacts of mining on the high value alluvial groundwater system adjacent to the Hunter River, are relatively minor at the present time and are likely to remain so providing the hydraulic conductivities of Permian strata adjacent to the alluvial system, are not enhanced by fracturing and bedding shears. Potential hydrochemical impacts on regional high value aquifers equate largely to the long term potential for spillage/leakage of leachate from mine pits. Predictive analyses suggest this leachate is likely to be Na-HC03 type water with potential enhancement of Na-Cl from washery rejects if present. The pit closure design may also lead to enhancement of Na-Cl in the long term through evaporative concentration. D esign of an appropriate passive pit closure scheme is especially relevant to long term groundwater quality in the region

What is the impact of giant cell arteritis on patients' lives?: a UK qualitative study

Objectives: Clinical management of giant cell arteritis (GCA) involves balancing the risks and burdens arising from the disease with those arising from treatment, but there is little research on the nature of those burdens. We aimed to explore the impact of giant cell arteritis (GCA) and its treatment on patients’ lives. Methods: UK patients with GCA participated in semi-structured telephone interviews. Inductive thematic analysis was employed. Results: 24 participants were recruited (age: 65–92 years, time since diagnosis: 2 months to >6 years). The overarching themes from analysis were: ongoing symptoms of the disease and its treatment; and ‘life-changing’ impacts. The overall impact of GCA on patients’ lives arose from a changing combination of symptoms, side effects, adaptations to everyday life and impacts on sense of normality. Important factors contributing to loss of normality were glucocorticoid-related treatment burdens and fear about possible future loss of vision. Conclusions: The impact of GCA in patients’ everyday lives can be substantial, multifaceted and ongoing despite apparent control of disease activity. The findings of this study will help doctors better understand patient priorities, legitimise patients’ experiences of GCA and work with patients to set realistic treatment goals and plan adaptations to their everyday lives

Glycerol treatment as recovery procedure for cryopreserved human skin allografts positive for bacteria and fungi

Human donor skin allografts are suitable and much used temporary biological (burn) wound dressings. They prepare the excised wound bed for final autografting and form an excellent substrate for revascularisation and for the formation of granulation tissue. Two preservation methods, glycerol preservation and cryopreservation, are commonly used by tissue banks for the long-term storage of skin grafts. The burn surgeons of the Queen Astrid Military Hospital preferentially use partly viable cryopreserved skin allografts. After mandatory 14-day bacterial and mycological culture, however, approximately 15% of the cryopreserved skin allografts cannot be released from quarantine because of positive culture. To maximize the use of our scarce and precious donor skin, we developed a glycerolisation-based recovery method for these culture positive cryopreserved allografts. The inactivation and preservation method, described in this paper, allowed for an efficient inactivation of the colonising bacteria and fungi, with the exception of spore-formers, and did not influence the structural and functional aspects of the skin allografts

A comparative study of quality and safety of Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua) fillets during cold storage, as affected by different thawing methods of pre-rigor frozen headed and gutted fish

The catch of marine whitefish is typically seasonal, whereas the land‐based processing industry has a need for all‐year stable supply of raw materials. This challenge can be met by applying fish frozen at sea. When using frozen fish, the methods employed for thawing may influence the safety and quality of the final product. This study aimed to investigate the applicability of novel thawing strategies in order to provide an all‐year supply of high‐quality and safe cod products.publishedVersio

The OMERACT core domain set for outcome measures for clinical trials in polymyalgia rheumatica

Objective. To inform development of a core domain set for outcome measures for clinical trials in polymyalgia rheumatica (PMR), we conducted patient consultations, a systematic review, a Delphi study, and 2 qualitative studies. Methods. Domains identified by 70% or more of physicians and/or patients in the Delphi study were selected. The conceptual framework derived from the 2 qualitative research studies helped inform the meaning of each domain and its relationship to the others. The draft core domain set was refined by further discussion with patients and physicians who had participated in the Delphi study. At the Outcome Measures in Rheumatology (OMERACT) 2016, the domains were discussed and prioritized by 8 breakout groups. Formal voting took place at the end of the workshop and in the final plenary. Results. Ninety-three percent of voters in the final plenary agreed that the inner core of domains considered mandatory for clinical trials of PMR should consist the following: laboratory markers of systemic inflammation, pain, stiffness, and physical function. Patient’s global and fatigue were considered important but not mandatory (outer core). The research agenda included psychological impact, weakness, physical activity, participation, sleep, imaging, and health-related quality of life. Conclusion. This core domain set was considered sufficiently well-defined that the next step will be to apply the OMERACT Filter 2.0 Instrument Selection Algorithm to select candidate instruments for a subsequent “deeper dive” into the data. This will allow instruments to be mapped onto each of our core domains to derive a core outcome set for PMR

Time Course and Pattern of Metastasis of Cutaneous Melanoma Differ between Men and Women

Background: This study identified sex differences in progression of cutaneous melanoma. Methodology/Principal Findings: Of 7,338 patients who were diagnosed as an invasive primary CM without clinically detectable metastases from 1976 to 2008 at the University of Tuebingen in Germany, 1,078 developed subsequent metastases during follow up. The metastatic pathways were defined in these patients and analyzed using the Kaplan-Meier method. Multivariate survival analysis was performed using Cox modeling. In 18.7 % of men and 29.2 % of women (P,0.001) the first metastasis following diagnosis of primary tumor was locoregional as satellite/in-transit metastasis. The majority of men (54.0%) and women (47.6%, P = 0.035) exhibited direct regional lymph node metastasis. Direct distant metastasis from the stage of the primary tumor was observed in 27.3 % of men and 23.2 % of women (P = 0.13). Site of first metastasis was the most important prognostic factor of survival after recurrence in multivariate analysis (HR:1.3; 95 % CI: 1.0–1.6 for metastasis to the regional lymph nodes vs. satellite/in-transit recurrence, and HR:5.5; 95 % CI: 4.2–7.1 for distant metastasis vs. satellite/ in-transit recurrence, P,0.001). Median time to distant metastasis was 40.5 months (IQR, 58.75) in women and 33 months (IQR, 44.25) in men (P = 0.002). Five-year survival after distant recurrence probability was 5.2 % (95 % CI: 1.4–2.5) for men compared with 15.3 % (95 % CI: 11.1–19.5; P = 0.008) for women. Conclusions/Significance: Both, the pattern of metastatic spread with more locoregional metastasis in women, and th

The Inhibitory Effect of Salmon Calcitonin on Tri-Iodothyronine Induction of Early Hypertrophy in Articular Cartilage

Salmon calcitonin has chondroprotective effect both in vitro and in vivo, and is therefore being tested as a candidate drug for cartilage degenerative diseases. Recent studies have indicated that different chondrocyte phenotypes may express the calcitonin receptor (CTR) differentially. We tested for the presence of the CTR in chondrocytes from tri-iodothyronin (T3)-induced bovine articular cartilage explants. Moreover, investigated the effects of human and salmon calcitonin on the explants.Early chondrocyte hypertrophy was induced in bovine articular cartilage explants by stimulation over four days with 20 ng/mL T3. The degree of hypertrophy was investigated by molecular markers of hypertrophy (ALP, IHH, COLX and MMP13), by biochemical markers of cartilage turnover (C2M, P2NP and AGNxII) and histology. The expression of the CTR was detected by qPCR and immunohistochemistry. T3-induced explants were treated with salmon or human calcitonin. Calcitonin down-stream signaling was measured by levels of cAMP, and by the molecular markers.Compared with untreated control explants, T3 induction increased expression of the hypertrophic markers (p<0.05), of cartilage turnover (p<0.05), and of CTR (p<0.01). Salmon, but not human, calcitonin induced cAMP release (p<0.001). Salmon calcitonin also inhibited expression of markers of hypertrophy and cartilage turnover (p<0.05).T3 induced early hypertrophy of chondrocytes, which showed an elevated expression of the CTR and was thus a target for salmon calcitonin. Molecular marker levels indicated salmon, but not human, calcitonin protected the cartilage from hypertrophy. These results confirm that salmon calcitonin is able to modulate the CTR and thus have chondroprotective effects