A universal mass-based index defining energy efficiency of different modes of passenger transport

Reduction in vehicle weight can significantly reduce energy use in human transportation. However, to gauge efficiency, energy use and weight for a particular vehicle should be related to the number of people being transported while currently there is no convenient means to assess this. Here we statistically analyse the weight, energy consumption, carrying capacity and occupancy level for automobiles, buses, high-speed trains and aircraft. Based on the analysis and inspired by the medical body mass index (BMI), we have proposed a vehicle mass index (VMI), defined as [Formula presented], for the first time enables energy efficiency assessment of different transportations on a global scale, where n a weight sensitivity parameter and A the energy efficiency constant of a theoretically weightless vehicle. We show the VMI ranges and conclude the significant vehicle weight reduction windows to achieve their index lower limits. The possible limits for the VMI and the associated A and n values are also assessed. The concept of VMI could form the basis of a worldwide standard, useful in the current drive for a greener economy

A Systematic Review of Magnesium Sulfate for Perinatal Neuroprotection: What Have We Learnt From the Past Decade?

There is an important unmet need to improve long term outcomes of encephalopathy for preterm and term infants. Meta-analyses of large controlled trials suggest that maternal treatment with magnesium sulfate (MgSO4) is associated with a reduced risk of cerebral palsy and gross motor dysfunction after premature birth. However, to date, follow up to school age has found an apparent lack of long-term clinical benefit. Because of this inconsistency, it remains controversial whether MgSO4 offers sustained neuroprotection. We systematically reviewed preclinical and clinical studies reported from January 1 2010, to January 31 2020 to evaluate the most recent advances and knowledge gaps relating to the efficacy of MgSO4 for the treatment of perinatal brain injury. The outcomes of MgSO4 in preterm and term-equivalent animal models of perinatal encephalopathy were highly inconsistent between studies. None of the perinatal rodent studies that suggested benefit directly controlled body or brain temperature. The majority of the studies did not control for sex, study long term histological and functional outcomes or use pragmatic treatment regimens and many did not report controlling for potential study bias. Finally, most of the recent preterm or term human studies that tested the potential of MgSO4 for perinatal neuroprotection were relatively underpowered, but nevertheless, suggest that any improvements in neurodevelopment were at best modest or absent. On balance, these data suggest that further rigorous testing in translational preclinical models of perinatal encephalopathy is essential to ensure safety and best regimens for optimal preterm neuroprotection, and before further clinical trials of MgSO4 for perinatal encephalopathy at term are undertaken

The experience of linking Victorian emergency medical service trauma data

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Background</p> <p>The linking of a large Emergency Medical Service (EMS) dataset with the Victorian Department of Human Services (DHS) hospital datasets and Victorian State Trauma Outcome Registry and Monitoring (VSTORM) dataset to determine patient outcomes has not previously been undertaken in Victoria. The objective of this study was to identify the linkage rate of a large EMS trauma dataset with the Department of Human Services hospital datasets and VSTORM dataset.</p> <p>Methods</p> <p>The linking of an EMS trauma dataset to the hospital datasets utilised deterministic and probabilistic matching. The linking of three EMS trauma datasets to the VSTORM dataset utilised deterministic, probabilistic and manual matching.</p> <p>Results</p> <p>There were 66.7% of patients from the EMS dataset located in the VEMD. There were 96% of patients located in the VAED who were defined in the VEMD as being admitted to hospital. 3.7% of patients located in the VAED could not be found in the VEMD due to hospitals not reporting to the VEMD. For the EMS datasets, there was a 146% increase in successful links with the trauma profile dataset, a 221% increase in successful links with the mechanism of injury only dataset, and a 46% increase with sudden deterioration dataset, to VSTORM when using manual compared to deterministic matching.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>This study has demonstrated that EMS data can be successfully linked to other health related datasets using deterministic and probabilistic matching with varying levels of success. The quality of EMS data needs to be improved to ensure better linkage success rates with other health related datasets.</p

Candida esophageal perforation and esophagopleural fistula: a case report

<p>Abstract</p> <p>Introduction</p> <p>Esophageal perforation is a rare disease, which can lead to significant morbidity and mortality. Its clinical presentation can mimic other disease processes and, therefore, it can be easily misdiagnosed. <it>Candida </it>infection of the esophagus is an extremely rare cause of esophageal perforation.</p> <p>Case presentation</p> <p>We report the youngest pediatric case in the medical literature of spontaneous esophageal perforation and an esophagopleural fistula due to <it>Candida </it>infection.</p> <p>Conclusion</p> <p>A high index of suspicion, especially in the presence of <it>Candida </it>empyema and the absence of disseminated infection, should raise the possibility of esophageal perforation with esophagopleural fistula formation. This can lead to early diagnosis and surgical intervention, which would decrease the high mortality rate of this rare condition.</p

Effect of boat noise on the behaviour of bluefin tuna Thunnus thynnus in the Mediterranean Sea

The effect of boat noise on the behaviour of bluefin tuna Thunnus thynnus was investigated in the Egadi Islands, Sicily, during spring 2005 using a fixed tuna trap set near shipping routes. Tuna behaviour was observed when exposed to both natural ambient sound and sound generated by hydrofoil passenger ferries, small boats and large car ferries. Acoustical and behavioural analyses were conducted with and without extraneous sound to define a list of behavioural categories. Each vessel produced different engine sounds with regard to their composition and bandwidth, and all were distinctly different from ambient sound levels. In the absence of boat noise, tuna assumed a concentrated coordinated school structure with unidirectional swimming and without a precise shape. When a car ferry approached, tuna changed swimming direction and increased their vertical movement toward surface or bottom; the school exhibited an unconcentrated structure and uncoordinated swimming behaviour. Hydrofoils appeared to elicit a similar response, but for shorter periods. Agonistic behaviour was more evident when exposed to sounds from outboard motors of small boats. This study showed that local noise pollution generated by boats produced behavioural deviations in tuna schools. Schooling enhances tuna homing accuracy during their spawning migration, and an alteration in schooling behaviour can affect the accuracy of their migration to spawning and feeding grounds

Real Space Imaging of Spin Stripe Domain Fluctuations in a Complex Oxide

Understanding the formation and dynamics of charge and spin-ordered states in low-dimensional transition metal oxide materials is crucial to understanding unconventional high-temperature superconductivity. La2−xSrxNiO4þδ (LSNO) has attracted much attention due to its interesting spin dynamics. Recent x-ray photon correlation spectroscopy studies have revealed slow dynamics of the spin order (SO) stripes in LSNO. Here, we applied resonant soft x-ray ptychography to map the spatial distribution of the SO stripe domain inhomogeneity in real space. The reconstructed images show the SO domains are spatially anisotropic, in agreement with previous diffraction studies. For the SO stripe domains, it is found that the correlation lengths along different directions are strongly coupled in space. Surprisingly, fluctuations were observed in the real space amplitude signal, rather than the phase or position. We attribute the observed slow dynamics of the stripe domains in LSNO to thermal fluctuations of the SO domain boundaries

Scaling behavior of low-temperature orthorhombic domains in the prototypical high-temperature superconductor La₁.₈₇₅ Ba₀.₁₂₅ CuO₄

Structural symmetry breaking and recovery in condensed-matter systems are closely related to exotic physical properties such as superconductivity (SC), magnetism, spin density waves, and charge density waves (CDWs). The interplay between different order parameters is intricate and often subject to intense debate, as in the case of CDW order and superconductivity. In La₁.₈₇₅ Ba₀.₁₂₅ CuO

International evidence-based medicine survey of the veterinary profession: information sources used by veterinarians

Veterinarians are encouraged to use evidence to inform their practice, but it is unknown what resources (e.g. journals, electronic sources) are accessed by them globally. Understanding the key places veterinarians seek information can inform where new clinically relevant evidence should most effectively be placed. An international survey was conducted to gain understanding of how veterinary information is accessed by veterinarians worldwide. There were 2137 useable responses to the questionnaire from veterinarians in 78 countries. The majority of respondents (n = 1835/2137, 85.9%) undertook clinical work and worked in a high income country (n = 1576/1762, 89.4%). Respondents heard about the survey via national veterinary organisations or regulatory bodies (31.5%), online veterinary forums and websites (22.7%), regional, discipline-based or international veterinary organisations (22.7%) or by direct invitation from the researchers or via friends, colleagues or social media (7.6%). Clinicians and non-clinicians reportedly used journals most commonly (65.8%, n = 1207/1835; 75.6%, n = 216/286) followed by electronic resources (58.7%, n = 1077/1835; 55.9%, n = 160/286), respectively. Respondents listed a total of 518 journals and 567 electronic sources that they read. Differences in veterinarian preference for resources in developed, and developing countries, were found. The nominated journals most read were the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association (12.7% of nominations) for clinicians and the Veterinary Record (5.7%) for non-clinicians. The most accessed electronic resource reported was the Veterinary Information Network (25.6%) for clinicians and PubMed (7.4%) for non-clinicians. In conclusion, a wide array of journals and electronic resources appear to be accessed by veterinarians worldwide. Veterinary organisations appear to play an important role in global communication and outreach to veterinarians and consideration should be given to how these channels could be best utilised for effective dissemination of key research findings

Structure of charge density waves in La1.875 Ba0.125 CuO4

Although charge density wave (CDW) correlations exist in several families of cuprate superconductors, they exhibit substantial variation in CDW wave vector and correlation length, indicating a key role for CDW-lattice interactions. We investigated this interaction in La1.875Ba0.125CuO4 using single-crystal x-ray diffraction to collect a large number of CDW peak intensities and determined the Cu and La/Ba atomic distortions induced by the formation of CDW order. Within the CuO2 planes, the distortions involve a periodic modulation of the Cu-Cu spacing along the direction of the ordering wave vector. The charge ordering within the copper-oxygen layer induces an out-of-plane breathing modulation of the surrounding lanthanum layers, which leads to a related distortion on the adjacent copper-oxygen layer. Our result implies that the CDW-related structural distortions do not remain confined to a single layer but rather propagate an appreciable distance through the crystal. This leads to overlapping structural modulations, in which CuO2 planes exhibit distortions arising from the orthogonal CDWs in adjacent layers as well as distortions from the CDW within the layer itself. We attribute this striking effect to the weak c-axis charge screening in cuprates and suggest this effect could help couple the CDWs between adjacent planes in the crystal

UK Breastfeeding Helpline support: An investigation of influences upon satisfaction

Background Incentive or reward schemes are becoming increasingly popular to motivate healthy lifestyle behaviours. In this paper, insights from a qualitative and descriptive study to investigate the uptake, impact and meanings of a breastfeeding incentive intervention integrated into an existing peer support programme (Star Buddies) are reported. The Star Buddies service employs breastfeeding peer supporters to support women across the ante-natal, intra-partum and post-partum period. Methods In a disadvantaged area of North West England, women initiating breastfeeding were recruited by peer supporters on the postnatal ward or soon after hospital discharge to participate in an 8 week incentive (gifts and vouchers) and breastfeeding peer supporter intervention. In-depth interviews were conducted with 26 women participants who engaged with the incentive intervention, and a focus group was held with the 4 community peer supporters who delivered the intervention. Descriptive analysis of routinely collected data for peer supporter contacts and breastfeeding outcomes before and after the incentive intervention triangulated and retrospectively provided the context for the qualitative thematic analysis. Results A global theme emerged of 'incentives as connectors', with two sub-themes of 'facilitating connections' and 'facilitating relationships and wellbeing'. The incentives were linked to discussion themes and gift giving facilitated peer supporter access for proactive weekly home visits to support women. Regular face to face contacts enabled meaningful relationships and new connections within and between the women, families, peer supporters and care providers to be formed and sustained. Participants in the incentive scheme received more home visits and total contact time with peer supporters compared to women before the incentive intervention. Full participation levels and breastfeeding rates at 6-8 weeks were similar for women before and after the incentive intervention. Conclusion The findings suggest that whilst the provision of incentives might not influence women's intentions or motivations to breastfeed, the connections forged provided psycho-social benefits for both programme users and peer supporters