Reply to J.J. Muñoz-Perez et al. Comments on “Confirmation of beach accretion by grain-size trend analysis: Camposoto beach, Cádiz, SWSpain” by E. Poizot et al. (2013) Geo-Marine Letters 33(4)

In a novel finding for a beach environment, Poizot et al. (2013) identified an FB+ trend (sediments becoming finer, better sorted and more positively skewed upshore) on a well-developed swash bar on the upper foreshore of the Camposoto beach of Cádiz in SW Spain. In their Discussion of that paper, Muñoz-Perez et al. (2014) provide some supporting arguments and also report grain-size, beach profile and other data from nearby beaches which differ from those of Poizot and colleagues for Camposoto beach, pointing out that a trend observed on one beach may not apply to a neighbouring beach. However, even though the absolute values differ, the overall trends actually do show the same general behaviour. In our Reply to their comments, we also address some difficulties in comparing granulometric datasets generated by different analytical techniques

Global patient outcomes after elective surgery: prospective cohort study in 27 low-, middle- and high-income countries.

BACKGROUND: As global initiatives increase patient access to surgical treatments, there remains a need to understand the adverse effects of surgery and define appropriate levels of perioperative care. METHODS: We designed a prospective international 7-day cohort study of outcomes following elective adult inpatient surgery in 27 countries. The primary outcome was in-hospital complications. Secondary outcomes were death following a complication (failure to rescue) and death in hospital. Process measures were admission to critical care immediately after surgery or to treat a complication and duration of hospital stay. A single definition of critical care was used for all countries. RESULTS: A total of 474 hospitals in 19 high-, 7 middle- and 1 low-income country were included in the primary analysis. Data included 44 814 patients with a median hospital stay of 4 (range 2-7) days. A total of 7508 patients (16.8%) developed one or more postoperative complication and 207 died (0.5%). The overall mortality among patients who developed complications was 2.8%. Mortality following complications ranged from 2.4% for pulmonary embolism to 43.9% for cardiac arrest. A total of 4360 (9.7%) patients were admitted to a critical care unit as routine immediately after surgery, of whom 2198 (50.4%) developed a complication, with 105 (2.4%) deaths. A total of 1233 patients (16.4%) were admitted to a critical care unit to treat complications, with 119 (9.7%) deaths. Despite lower baseline risk, outcomes were similar in low- and middle-income compared with high-income countries. CONCLUSIONS: Poor patient outcomes are common after inpatient surgery. Global initiatives to increase access to surgical treatments should also address the need for safe perioperative care. STUDY REGISTRATION: ISRCTN5181700

Distribution of the intertidal macrofauna of the Colorado River Delta, northern Gulf of California, Mexico

Entre 1999 y 2000 se determinaron la composición y distribución de la macrofauna bentónica (moluscos, equinodermos y braquiópodos) en la zona intermareal del Delta del Río Colorado, al norte del Golfo de California, México. Los muestreos se obtuvieron a lo largo de diez transectos de la zona mesomareal desde la parte superior a inferior, en dos épocas del año para determinar la variación estacional de la fauna. Fueron identificadas 26 especies en 112 muestras con un total de 1954 individuos. Dominó el gasterópodo epifaunal Nassarius moestus, bivalvos y equinoideos infaunales y el braquiópodo linguloide Glottidia palmeri. La densidad de la fauna fue mayor hacia la parte inferior de la zona intermareal. La riqueza de las especies no varió significativamente entre transectos, pero la diversidad (índice de Shannon) y equitatividad fueron mayores en los transectos del sur, los más alejados de la boca del río. La diversidad y equitatividad de los transectos del sur pueden explicarse por la variación en la región de la salinidad y tipo del sustrato. Actualmente la densidad de la fauna es de 3 a 7 ind m–2, mucho menor a la reportada antes de la construcción de las presas y que afectó los hábitat en el Delta del Río Colorado, principalmente por la disminución en la población del bivalvo máctrido Mulinia coloradoensis. Surveys were conducted in 1999 and 2000 to document the composition and distribution of the shelly (mollusk, echinoderm and brachiopod) fauna of the intertidal zone of the Colorado River Delta, northern Gulf of California, Mexico. Samples of the benthic fauna were taken along ten high-to-low intertidal transects, during two seasons to assess seasonal variation in the fauna. Twenty-six species were identified among 1954 individuals in 112 samples. The fauna was dominated by the epifaunal gastropod Nassarius moestus, infaunal bivalves, infaunal echinoids and the lingulid brachiopod Glottidia palmeri. Faunal density was generally greater toward the lower part of the intertidal zone. Species richness did not vary significantly among transects, although Shannon diversity and equitability were greater in the southern transects, those distant from the river mouth. The distinctive species composition, diversity and equitability of the southern transects may be the result of regional variation in salinity and substrate. Current faunal densities of 3?7 ind m–2 are much lower than the estimates before upstream dams and water diversions affected the habitats of the Colorado River Delta. The post-dam decrease in density is largely the result of the decline in the population of the mactrid bivalve Mulinia coloradoensis

Sediment variations and littoral transport at La Victoria Beach, Cádiz, Spain

The evolution of La Victoria Beach, located in the province of Cádiz (Spain), was evaluated from February to October 2004 by comparing the lithology and slope of two beach sections: the northern or Final Victoria (FV) section and the southern or Hotel Victoria (HV) section. Textural parameters and CaCO3 content of 24 sediment samples were obtained, and littoral transport was determined by fluorescent tracers. Topographic profiles were measured every 15 days using a total station during low spring tides. The sediment samples were analyzed by the method of moments and their textural paramete (mean, asymmetry, sorting, and kurtosis) calculated. The textural analysis showed that the sediment in section FV during the study period was moderately well classified and extremely leptokurtic, whereas section HV had two sediment groups: fine sands near the breaker zone and very fine pebbles at the berm; however, the winter period was evident in both sections. The CaCO3 content varied between 3% and 9%, indicating beach instability. The direction of the littoral transport, in agreement with the region’s behavior, was NW–SE, and showed a displacement of 130 m at 0.29 m s–1.

Reply to the comment by Muñoz-Pérez and Gómez-Pina on “Sediment variations and litoral transport at La Victoria Beach, Spain"

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A comparison of methods for theoretical photochemistry: Applications, successes and challenges

The authors acknowledge financial support from the Australian Research Council (ARC:CE140100012, FL170100041) Centre of Excellence for Electromaterials Science, and anARC Laureate Fellowship (to M.L.C.