Combined uncertainty estimation for the determination of the dissolved iron amount content in seawater using flow injection with chemiluminescence detection

This work assesses the components contributing to the combined uncertainty budget associated with the measurement of the Fe amount content by flow injection chemiluminescence (FI-CL) in <0.2 μm filtered and acidified seawater samples. Amounts of loaded standard solutions and samples were determined gravimetrically by differential weighing. Up to 5% variations in the loaded masses were observed during measurements, in contradiction to the usual assumptions made when operating under constant loading time conditions. Hence signal intensities (V) were normalised to the loaded mass and plots of average normalized intensities (in V kg-1) versus values of the Fe amount content (in nmol kg-1) added to a ‘low level’ iron seawater matrix were used to produce the calibration graphs. The measurement procedure implemented and the uncertainty estimation process developed were validated from the agreement obtained with consensus values for three SAFe and GEOTRACES reference materials (D2, GS and GD). Relative expanded uncertainties for peak height and peak area based results were estimated to be around 12% and 10% (k=2) respectively. The most important contributory factors were the uncertainty on the sensitivity coefficient (i.e. calibration slope) and within-sequence-stability (i.e. the signal stability measured over several hours of operation; in this case 32 h). Therefore, an uncertainty estimation based on the intensity repeatability alone, as is often done in FI-CL studies, is not a realistic estimation of the overall uncertainty of the procedure.JRC.D.2-Standards for Innovation and sustainable Developmen

Functional treatment versus plaster for simple elbow dislocations (FuncSiE): a randomized trial

Background. Elbow dislocations can be classified as simple or complex. Simple dislocations are characterized by the absence of fractures, while complex dislocations are associated with fractures. After reduction of a simple dislocation, treatment options include immobilization in a static plaster for different periods of time or so-called functional treatment. Functional treatment is characterized by early active motion within the limits of pain with or without the use of a sling or hinged brace. Theoretically, functional treatment should prevent stiffness without introducing increased joint instability. The primary aim of this randomized controlled trial is to compare early functional treatment versus plaster immobilization following simple dislocations of the elbow. Methods/Design. The design of the study will be a multicenter randomized controlled trial of 100 patients who have sustained a simple elbow dislocation. After reduction of the dislocation, patients are randomized between a pressure bandage for 5-7 days and early functional treatment or a plaster in 90 degrees flexion, neutral position for pro-supination for a period of three weeks. In the functional group, treatment is started with early active motion within the limits of pain. Function, pain, and radiographic recovery will be evaluated at regular intervals over the subsequent 12 months. The primary outcome measure is the Quick Disabilities of the Arm, Shoulder, and Hand score. The secondary outcome measures are the Mayo Elbow Performance Index, Oxford elbow score, pain level at both sides, range of motion of the elbow joint at both sides, rate of secondary interventions and complication rates in both groups (secondary dislocation, instability, relaxation), health-related quality of life (Short-Form 36 and EuroQol-5D), radiographic appearance of the elbow joint (degenerative changes and heterotopic ossifications), costs, and cost-effectiveness. Discussion. The successful completion of this trial will provide evidence on the effectiveness of a functional treatment for the management of simple elbow dislocations. Trial Registration. The trial is registered at the Netherlands Trial Register (NTR2025)

Osteopathology and selenium deficiency co-occurring in a population of endangered Patagonian huemul (Hippocamelus bisulcus)

Background: About 1,000 endangered Patagonian huemul deer (Hippocamelus bisulcus) remain in Chile and 350-500 in Argentina. Most groups (&gt;100) are not recovering, and prevalence of osteopathology in Argentina was at least 57%. Here I describe relevant cases of osteopathology from a Chilean population which, however, recently also provided data on trace mineral status, supporting the initial hypothesis that nutrition may be a primary etiologic factor. Additionally, recent data on bone chemical composition of Argentine cases and soil analyses are discussed. Results: Fluoride levels in Argentine cases with osteopathology were low and fluorosis was discarded as an etiological factor. Selenium deficiency occurred in 73% of huemul from the Chilean population which exhibited several cases with osteopathology. The pathophysiognomy included extensive erosion; tooth loss;  porosification; perforations of palate, maxillar and mandibular bone with frequent exposure of tooth roots; and fractured mandibula. Areas currently used by remaining huemul have mainly acidic volcanic soils, which reduces selenium bioavailability: mean soil selenium levels from areas typically used by extant huemul were very deficient (0.19 ppm), corroborating documented overt selenium deficiency in local livestock and plants. The area of extant huemul is known to result in primary iodine deficiency in livestock which is aggravated by selenium deficiency. Conclusions: Currently the most parsimonious explanation for frequent osteopathology and lack of numerical recovery are the combined effects of selenium and iodine deficiencies based on: osteopathology in a population of selenium deficient huemul; selenium deficient livestock, plants and soils; acidic soils; and regional primary iodine deficiency. The nexus between mineral nutrition and population dynamics of huemul may be due to constraints on their movements to fertile lowlands, including the elimination of historic migratory traditions, and concomitant elimination of source populations

Selenium mobilization during Rain-Soil Interaction at Etna volcano

Humans are attracted by the fertile properties of volcanic soils. Currently around 10% of the world population lives within active volcanic areas. Volcanoes emit enormous amounts of potentially toxic elements, even in the absence of obvious volcanic activity. Selenium is particularly interesting due to it geochemical similarities with sulphur, a major compound in volcanic gasses. Although selenium (Se) is an essential element for humans, ingestion of an excess amount of Se can produce adverse effects. Mt. Etna, the biggest volcano in Europe, is persistently active for the last 200,000 years. It is one of the most intensely monitored volcanoes. In the area, volcanic gasses, rainwater and groundwater are enriched in selenium. Although soils play an important role in the Se level in food and water and thereby human health, the behaviour of S! e in Etnean soils is currently unknown. We studied the Se sorption during rainwater-soil interaction in batch experiments with soils and synthetic rainwater with different pHs. Our results show spatial trends with soil sample location. Trace element deposition from the plume cannot explain the observed elemental patterns. Moreover, Fe oxides do not control the geochemical Se cycle in this environment. However, the stage of soil development and especially the presence of Al compounds and organic matter play an important role in the behaviour of Se. These results have implications for the chemical composition of the aquifer. In addition, the mobility of Se influences the bioavailability and potential toxicity through agricultural activities, essential to the local economy

Rainwater-induced leaching of selenium, arsenic and vanadium from Etnean volcanic soils

Active volcanoes emit considerable amounts of contaminants such as As, Se and V. Mount Etna is the biggest volcano of Europe and an excellent geochemical site to study water-soil processes. Due to its volcanic activity, the rainwater has a strong compositional gradient, both in time and space. At present, the behaviour of trace elements in the soils around Mt Etna is poorly understood. To determine the influence of the rainwater pH on the potential mobilization of geogenic pollutants, batch experiments have been performed with synthetic rainwater for 25 soils collected along the flanks of the volcano. Our results show that: i) The maximum concentrations in the leaching solutions are higher for acid rain than for neutral rain (e.g. 7.7 vs 1.3 mg/L for Se). ii) With neutral rain conditions the soils upwind from the volcano have higher concentrations of Se than those downwind (up to 1.3 mg/L compared to ≤0.3 mg/L for the other samples). This trend is less clear for As and V. iii) For soils collected from 2 to 10 km downwind of the craters, Se concentrations in acid rain leachates decrease one order of magnitude with increasing distance. A similar pattern is also observed upwind from the volcano. For As and V no clear relationship between concentrations and location with respect to the volcanic craters is observed. Both i) and ii) result in a low pH dependence for samples upwind from the volcano. The biggest difference between acid and neutral leaching for As and V is observed for a sample 2 km downwind from the craters. The observed patterns are influenced by potential controlling factors, such as organic matter content, total concentrations, mineralogy, influence of the volcanic plume, etc. Our results have implications for the chemical composition of the Etnean aquifer, the only water resource to the one million inhabitants around Mt Etna, as well as for the bioavailability and potential toxicity through agricultural activities, essential to the local economy

Geogenic element behaviour in soil-rainwater interaction at Mt Etna, Sicily: preliminary results

Active volcanoes emit considerable amounts of contaminants such as As, Se and V. Previous studies have shown that the volcanic activity at Mt Etna (Sicily) has a strong influence on local rainwater compositions. However to date, the behaviour of trace elements in the soils around Mt Etna is poorly understood. 4-hr batch experiments have been performed with 1:5 soil solutions of air-dried soil (fraction <2 mm) and synthetic (acid) rainwater (using either deionized water with a pH of ~6 or a ~500 ppm of sulphuric acid solution with a pH of ~2). In general trace element concentrations are more enriched in soil solutions with low pH (e.g. enrichment factor (EF) acid compared to neutral soil solution is up to 4.3x102 for V, 2.5x102 for As and 50 for Se). However, it seems that the EF especially for As and V has a correlation with the distance to the crater. Additional, some soils located downwind of the volcano have EFs smaller than 1 (i.e. the elements are more enriched in neutral rainwater), for several elements like V, As and Se. For As and V the EF seems to be vary with distance to the crater. Some possible explanations for these trends will be discussed. These results might have important implications for the chemical composition of the Etnean aquifer, the only water resource to the one million inhabitants around Mt Etna, as well as the bioavailability and therefore potential toxicity through agricultural activities, essential to the local economy

Trajectories of CBCL Attention Problems in childhood

The first aim of this study was to identify developmental trajectories of Attention Problems in twins followed from age 6 to 12 years. Second, we investigated whether singletons follow similar trajectories. Maternal longitudinal ratings on the Attention Problems (AP) subscale of the Child Behavior Checklist were obtained for a sample of 12,486 twins from the Netherlands Twin Register and for a general population sample of 1,346 singletons. Trajectories were analyzed by growth mixture modeling in twins, and compared with singletons. Teacher ratings on the AP subscale of the Teachers' Report Form were available for 7,179 twins and 1,211 singletons, and were used for cross-sectional mean comparisons at each age. All analyses were conducted for boys and girls separately. We identified three linear trajectories in both boys and girls, i.e., stable low (62-71%), low-increasing (15-18%), and high-decreasing (14-21%). Singletons followed three identical trajectories, with similar class proportions. Teacher ratings yielded no differences in mean levels of Attention Problems between twins and singletons. The development of Attention Problems from age 6 to 12 years can be characterized by stable low, low-increasing, and high-decreasing developmental trajectories. Twins and singletons are comparable with respect to the development of Attention Problems in childhood

Checklist for standardized reporting of drug-drug interaction management guidelines

Item does not contain fulltextPURPOSE: Inconsistencies and omissions in drug-drug interaction (DDI) management guidelines may lead to harm and suboptimal therapy. The purpose of this study was to define a checklist for DDI management guidelines to help developers produce high-quality guidelines that will support healthcare providers in clinical practice. METHODS: We carried out a two-round Delphi process with an international panel of healthcare providers, most of whom are pharmacists involved in providing DDI information, in order to select those items that should be addressed in DDI management guidelines (including grading systems that could be used). Results : Twenty-three panellists reached consensus on 19 items in two main domains. These were consolidated into a checklist of 15 elements for standardized reporting in management guidelines. For each element a description is provided to specify what information should be documented in that specific element. CONCLUSIONS: It was possible to reach a broad consensus on which relevant items should be included in a checklist for the development of DDI management guidelines