Large-scale distribution of microbial and viral populations in the South Atlantic Ocean

Viruses are abundant, diverse and dynamic compo-nents of the marine environments and play a signi?-cant role in the ocean biogeochemical cycles. Toassess potential variations in the relation betweenviruses and microbes in different geographic regionsand depths, viral and microbial abundance and pro-duction were determined throughout the watercolumn along a latitudinal transect in the South Atlan-tic Ocean. Path analysis was used to examine therelationships between several abiotic and bioticparameters and the different microbial and viral popu-lations distinguished by ?ow cytometry.The depth-integrated contribution of microbial andviral abundance to the total microbial and viralbiomass differed signi?cantly among the differentprovinces. Additionally, the virus-to-microbe ratioincreased with depth and decreased laterally towardsthe more productive regions. Our data revealed thatthe abundance of phytoplankton and microbes is themain controlling factor of the viral populations in theeuphotic and mesopelagic layers, whereas in thebathypelagic realm, viral abundance was only weaklyrelated to the biotic and abiotic variables. The relativecontribution of the three viral populations distin-guished by ?ow cytometry showed a clear geographi-cal pattern throughout the water column, suggestingthat these populations are composed of distinct tax

CFD NUMERICAL ANALYSIS OF A PROPOSED CHANGE IN THE CHANNEL GEOMETRY DOWNSTREAM OF A REVERSED TAINTER GATE

Reversed Tainter gates are often used to control flow in the filling and emptying locks navigation systems of high fall. High speeds and pressure fluctuations may occur in the flow downstream of these gates, the flow cavitation may occur, damaging the structure. One way proposed to mitigate this problem is through geometric changes in the channel downstream of the gate. In this study was analyzed using CFD the effect of an expansion in the roof and the base of the conduit, followed by a straight section and a subsequent contraction until returning to the original geometry. It was observed that the pressure at the base of the conduit increases with the modification, however peaks of positive and negative pressures occur due to the shape change of the geometry of the corners not be smooth. The size of recirculation downstream of the gate increases with the geometrical alteration, increasing the distance required for pressure recovery

Least squares optimization: From theory to practice

Nowadays, Nonlinear Least-Squares embodies the foundation of many Robotics and Computer Vision systems. The research community deeply investigated this topic in the last few years, and this resulted in the development of several open-source solvers to approach constantly increasing classes of problems. In this work, we propose a unified methodology to design and develop efficient Least-Squares Optimization algorithms, focusing on the structures and patterns of each specific domain. Furthermore, we present a novel open-source optimization system that addresses problems transparently with a different structure and designed to be easy to extend. The system is written in modern C++ and runs efficiently on embedded systemsWe validated our approach by conducting comparative experiments on several problems using standard datasets. The results show that our system achieves state-of-the-art performances in all tested scenarios

A novel ionic exchange membrane crystallizer to recover magnesium hydroxide from seawater and industrial brines

A novel technology, the ion exchange membrane crystallizer (CrIEM), that combines reactive and membrane crystallization, was investigated in order to recover high purity magnesium hydroxide from multi-component artificial and natural solutions. In particular, in a CrIEM reactor, the presence of an anion exchange membrane (AEM), which separates two-compartment containing a saline solution and an alkaline solution, allows the passage of hydroxyl ions from the alkaline to the saline solution compartment, where crystallization of magnesium hydroxide occurs, yet avoiding a direct mixing between the solutions feeding the reactor. This enables the use of low-cost reactants (e.g., Ca(OH)2) without the risk of co-precipitation of by-products and contamination of the final crystals. An experimental campaign was carried out treating two types of feed solution, namely: (1) a waste industrial brine from the Boles\u142aw \u15amia\u142y coal mine in \u141aziska G\uf3rne (Poland) and (2) Mediterranean seawater, collected from the North Sicilian coast (Italy). The CrIEM was tested in a feed and bleed modality in order to operate in a continuous mode. The Mg2+ concentration in the feed solutions ranges from 0.7 to 3.2 g/L. Magnesium recovery efficiencies from 89 up to 100% were reached, while magnesium hydroxide purity between 94% and 98.8% was obtained

Fish Welfare in Aquaculture: Physiological and Immunological Activities for Diets, Social and Spatial Stress on Mediterranean Aqua Cultured Species

Welfare assessment currently is less well-characterized for aquatic animals and the clas- sical methodologies used for terrestrial animals are not adequate to improve our knowledge about fish well-being. Among different approaches, the status of organism responses can be carried out using different physiological and biochemical tools. Here, we present the state of the art regarding fish welfare, methodologies, and experimental results with a particular focus on two important Mediterranean aquaculture species, Sparus aurata and Dicentrarchus labrax. We introduce an approach using physiological stress-indicators, growth performance and swimming activity to investigate the effects of the implantation of electronic tags to facilitate the application of telemetry for aquaculture purposes. The application of telemetry to research on aquatic organisms has expanded recently, and its utilization needs to be better understood. The mentioned approaches have been discussed for application in different aquaculture methodologies. Moreover, social stress and territoriality are relevant factors in the evaluation of gregarious species that may have consequences on the conditions of animals farmed in captivity. These aspects, that may impair the ability of fish to respond to various stimuli or negatively influence the flesh quality, here are analysed through behavioural observation, flanked by the physiological and immunological approach

A pilot-plant for the selective recovery of magnesium and calcium from waste brines

The problem of brines disposal has raised great interest towards new strategies for their valorisation through the recovery of minerals or energy. As an example, the spent brine from ion exchange resins regeneration is often discharged into rivers or lakes, thus impacting on the process sustainability. However, such brines can be effectively reconcentrated, after removal of bivalent cations, and reused for the resins regeneration. This work focuses on developing and testing a pilot plant for selective recovery of magnesium and calcium from spent brines exploiting a novel proprietary crystallization unit. This is part of a larger treatment chain for the complete regeneration of the brine, developed within the EU-funded ZERO BRINE project. The pilot crystallizer was tested with the retentate of the nanofiltration unit processing the spent brine from the industrial water production plant of Evides Industriewater B.V. (Rotterdam, The Netherlands). Magnesium and calcium hydroxide were selectively precipitated by adding alkaline solution in two consecutive steps and controlling reaction pH. Performance was assessed in terms of recovery efficiency and purity of produced crystals, observing in most investigated cases a recovery of about 100% and 97% and a purity above 90% and 96%, for magnesium and calcium hydroxide, respectively

Virtual reality and live scenario simulation: options for training medical students in mass casualty incident triage

Introduction Multicasualty triage is the process of establishing the priority of care among casualties in disaster management. Recent mass casualty incidents (MCI) revealed that health personnel are unfamiliar with the triage protocols. The objective of this study is to compare the relative impact of two simulation-based methods for training medical students in mass casualty triage using the Simple Triage and Rapid Treatment (START) algorithm. Methods A prospective randomized controlled longitudinal study. Medical students enrolled in the emergency medicine course were randomized into two groups (A and B). On day 1, group A students were exposed to a virtual reality (VR) scenario and group B students were exposed to a live scenario (LS), both exercises aiming at triaging 10 victims in a limited period of time (30 seconds/victim). On day 2 all students attended a 2-hour lecture about medical disaster management and START. On day 3 group A and B students were exposed to a LS and to a VR scenario respectively. The vital signs and clinical condition of the 10 victims were identical in the two scenarios. Ability of the groups to manage a simulated triage scenario was then compared (times and triage accuracy). Results Groups A and B were composed of 25 and 28 students respectively. During day 1 group A LS triage accuracy was 58%, while the average time to assess all patients was 4 minutes 28 seconds. The group B VR scenario triage accuracy was 52%, while the average time to complete the assessment was 5 minutes 18 seconds. During day 3 the triage accuracy for group A VR simulation was 92%, while the average time was 3 minutes 53 seconds. Group B triage accuracy during the LS was 84%, with an average time of 3 minutes 25 seconds. Triage scores improved significantly during day 3 (P < 0.001) in the two groups. The time to complete each scenario decreased significantly from day 1 to day 3. Conclusions The study demonstrates that the training course generates significant improvement in triage accuracy and speed. It also reveals that VR simulation compared to live exercises has equivalent results in prompting critical decisions in mass casualty drills. In the beginning the average time to complete the VR scenario was higher than the LS. This could be due to the fact that on day 1 very detailed VR victims created a higher challenge for untaught students. However, the higher triage accuracy recorded at the end of day 3 in VR could be explained by a lower stress level compared to the LS, which could be creating a more stressful environment in taught students

POS1394 ACCURACY AND PERFORMANCE OF A HANDHELD ULTRASOUND DEVICE TO ASSESS ARTICULAR AND PERIARTICULAR PATHOLOGIES IN PATIENTS WITH INFLAMMATORY ARTHRITIS

Background:Handheld ultrasound (HHUS) devices have increasingly found their way into clinical practice due to several advantages (e.g. portability, significantly lower purchase cost). However, there is no evidence to date on the accuracy and performance of HHUS in patients with inflammatory arthritis (IA).Objectives:To assess accuracy and performance of a new HHUS machine in comparison to a conventional cart-based sonographic machine in patients with IA.Methods:Consecutive IA patients of our outpatient clinic with at least one tender and swollen joint in the 66/68 joint count were enrolled. US was performed on clinically affected joints with corresponding tendons/entheses using a cart-based sonographic device ("Samsung HS40") and a HHUS device ("Butterfly iQ") in standard scan positions. One blinded reader scored all images for the presence of following pathologic findings: erosions, bony enlargement, synovial hyperthrophy, joint effusion, bursitis, tenosynovitis and enthesitis. In addition, synovitis was graded (B Mode and power Doppler (PD)) by the 4-level EULAR-OMERACT scale [1]. To avoid bias by the blinded reader, who otherwise would have been tempted to identify pathological findings for each examined joint, we also included 67 joints of two healthy volunteers into the evaluation. We calculated the overall concordance and the concordance by type of joint and type of pathological finding between the two devices (percentage of observation pairs in which the same rating was given by both devices). The Cohen's kappa coefficient (κ) with 95% bootstrap confidence intervals was used to assess the agreement between the two US devices. We also measured the time required for the US examination of one joint with both devices.Results:32 patients (20 rheumatoid arthritis, 10 psoriatic arthritis, 1 gouty arthritis, 1 systemic lupus erythematosus) were included in this study. Mean age of patients was 58.2±13.7 years, 63% were females. In total 186 joints were examined. The overall raw concordance in B-mode between the two devices was 97 %, with an overall κappa for agreement of 0.90, 95% CI (0.89, 0.94). No significant differences were found in relation to type of joint or pathological finding examined. The PD-mode of the HHUS device did not detect any PD-signal, whereas the cart-based device detected a PD-signal in 61 joints (33%). The portable device did not offer any time saving compared to the cart-based device (mean time in seconds per examined region: 47 seconds for the HHUS device versus 46.3 seconds for the cart-based device).Conclusion:The HHUS device "Butterfly iQ" has been shown to be accurate in the assessment of structural joint damage and inflammation in patients with IA, but only in B-mode. Significant improvements are still needed to reliable demonstrate blood flow detection by PD mode.References:[1]D'Agostino, M.A., et al., RMD Open, 2017. 3(1): p. e000428.Table 1.Concordance between a handheld and a conventional cart-based US device in B-modeAgreement by siteN joints (%)Concordance (%)Kappa 95%CIOverall186970.90 (0.89 to 0.94)Wrist32 (17.2)960.86 (0.77 to 0.93)Finger/toe joint (MCP, PIP, DIP, MTP)114 (61.3)970.92 (0.88 to 0.95)Elbows11 (5.9)950.87 (0.75 to 0.97)Shoulder4 (2.2)1001.00 (NA to NA) *Knee20 (10.7)980.96 (0.90 to 1.00)Ankle5 (2.7)1001.00 (NA to NA) *Agreement by pathological findingJoint effusion950.81 (0.68 to 0.92)Synovitis940.87 (0.79 to 0.93)Synovitis OMERACT grade (0– 3)900.84 (0.76 to 0.91)Bone enlargement980.88 (0.71 to 1.00)Erosion980.89 (0.77 to 0.89)Tenosynovitis980.83 (0.61 to 0.96)Entheseopathy1001.00 (NA to NA) *Bursitis970.90 (0.89 to 0.94)* unreliable kappa statistics because of small number of shoulders/ankles examined and small number of entheseopathiesFigure 1.Pathological US findings in MCP joints (1, 2, 3) and wrist (4) depicted by the two different ultrasound devicesB-mode erosive (arrow) and synovial (asterisk) changes could be detected by both devices (1-2), while PD changes of different grades only by the conventional US device (3-4).Acknowledgements:This study was supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG- FOR2886 PANDORA and the CRC1181). Additional funding was received by the Bundesministerium für Bildung und Forschung (BMBF; project METARTHROS, MASCARA), the H2020 GA 810316 - 4D-Nanoscope ERC Synergy Project, the IMI funded project RTCure, the Emerging Fields Initiative MIRACLE of the Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg, the Else Kröner-Memorial Scholarship (DS, no. 2019_EKMS.27) and Innovationsfond Lehre / FAU Erlangen-Nürnberg 2019.Disclosure of Interests:None declare

Primary mucosal melanoma presenting with a unilateral nasal obstruction of the left inferior turbinate

We report the case of a primitive nasal melanoma in an 82-year-old patient, showing how this rare malignancy, with non-specific signs and symptoms, can represent a challenging diagnosis for the physician. A 82-year-old Caucasian patient presented for unilateral nasal obstruction and occasional epistaxis. Computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the facial massif revealed turbinate hypertrophy and a polypoid phlogistic tissue isointense in T1 with an intermediate signal in T2 and Short-TI Inversion Recovery (STIR)-T2, occupying the middle meatus and the anterior upper and lower left meatus with partial obliteration of the ostium and the infundibulum of the maxillary sinus. The Positron emission tomography (PET) exam was negative for metastases. Conservatory surgery in the left anterior video rhinoscopy was performed, allowing a radical 4-cm tumor excision. Histology reported epithelioid cell melanoma, PanK−, CD45−, and PanMelanoma+. Adjuvant radiotherapy was suggested, even considering a complete resection as the result of surgery. No local or systemic relapse was noticed at the 2-month follow-up visit. Although mucosal melanoma is a rare and aggressive malignancy characterized by a poor prognosis, early diagnosis allows a more conservative approach, with little surgical difficulty and no aesthetic effect. Our case raises awareness of the importance of early intervention even in those cases where the clinic symptoms and diagnostic images show uncertain severity