Rion – Antirion Bridge Foundations: A Blend of Design and Construction Innovation

This case history discusses the design and construction of the appropriate foundation scheme for the largest cable-stayed bridge in the world. This concession project was financed through a combination of public funds, private equity and bank loans. When completed in 2004, the Rion-Antirion Bridge will connect the Peloponnese, Greece’s southernmost peninsula, with the mainland across the Gulf of Corinth. Alternative foundation concepts that were considered included traditional driven piles, deeply embedded caissons, and soil improvement. The process of how the foundation evolved from schematics to final design, what were the driving forces, how ideas were disseminated among the Design Team, the Design Checker and the Technical Advisors, and the performance of the foundations to date are summarized

The National Surgical, Obstetric, and Anesthesia Plan (NSOAP): Recognition and Definition of an Empirically Evolving Global Surgery Systems Science Comment on “Global Surgery – Informing National Strategies for Scaling Up Surgery in Sub-Saharan Africa”

bstract In 2015, the Lancet Commission on Global Surgery (LCoGS) working groups developed a National Surgical, Obstetric, and Anesthesia Plan (NSOAP) framework to guide national surgical system development globally predicated on six data points (indicators) which can assess surgical systems. Zambia as well as other subSaharan Africa (SSA) countries have forged ahead in designing and implementing interventions based on LCoGS indicators collected to inform NSOAP. Concurrently, the Zambian team and others have recognized the need for rigorous scientific inquiry to assess and iteratively improve upon the NSOAP process and outputs. Based on the Zambian experience, as well as that of ours in Colombia, we have identified “core principles” through convergent works which inform a scientific framework through which NSOAP can be evaluated. We propose that when contextualized, participatory action research (PAR) and dissemination and implementation science are methodologies upon which a robust framework can be developed to achieving objective and iterative NSOAP evaluation, and ultimately universal health coverage as envisioned by the World Health Organization (WHO)

Lobe Advance Velocities in the Extragalactic Compact Symmetric Object 4C 31.04

We report on the results of a two epoch study of the low power Compact Symmetric Object 4C 31.04. Observations performed with the VLBA at 5 GHz in 1995 and 2000 have yielded images of this source at milliarcsecond angular resolution. A central core is detected, with bright compact hot spots and extended lobes on both sides. Model-fitting and other analysis of the data (brightness profile, difference map) clearly indicate that the source is expanding. We estimate the velocity of this expansion to be (0.085 +/- 0.016) mas/yr, i.e. (0.33 +/- 0.06) c in both hot spots. Assuming a constant expansion velocity, we estimate the kinematic age of the source at 550 yrs. We also study the spectral index using VLBA observations at 1.3 GHz and MERLIN at 22 GHz. The derived spectral age is 3000-5000 years in equipartition conditions. The two estimates are discussed and found to be in agreement, given present uncertainties.Comment: 9 pages, 8 .eps figures; accepted for publication in Astronomy & Astrophysic

AMI observations of unmatched Planck ERCSC LFI sources at 15.75 GHz

The Planck Early Release Compact Source Catalogue includes 26 sources with no obvious matches in other radio catalogues (of primarily extragalactic sources). Here we present observations made with the Arcminute Microkelvin Imager Small Array (AMI SA) at 15.75 GHz of the eight of the unmatched sources at declination > +10 degrees. Of the eight, four are detected and are associated with known objects. The other four are not detected with the AMI SA, and are thought to be spurious.Comment: 6 pages, 5 figures, 4 table

Natural selection shaped the rise and fall of passenger pigeon genomic diversity.

The extinct passenger pigeon was once the most abundant bird in North America, and possibly the world. Although theory predicts that large populations will be more genetically diverse, passenger pigeon genetic diversity was surprisingly low. To investigate this disconnect, we analyzed 41 mitochondrial and 4 nuclear genomes from passenger pigeons and 2 genomes from band-tailed pigeons, which are passenger pigeons' closest living relatives. Passenger pigeons' large population size appears to have allowed for faster adaptive evolution and removal of harmful mutations, driving a huge loss in their neutral genetic diversity. These results demonstrate the effect that selection can have on a vertebrate genome and contradict results that suggested that population instability contributed to this species's surprisingly rapid extinction

Catalog of Radio Galaxies with z>0.3. I:Construction of the Sample

The procedure of the construction of a sample of distant ($z>0.3$) radio galaxies using NED, SDSS, and CATS databases for further application in statistical tests is described. The sample is assumed to be cleaned from objects with quasar properties. Primary statistical analysis of the list is performed and the regression dependence of the spectral index on redshift is found.Comment: 9 pages, 6 figures, 2 table

MicroRNAs Classify Different Disease Behavior Phenotypes of Crohnʼs Disease and May Have Prognostic Utility:

Article first published online 6 July 2015.Supplemental Digital Content is Available in the Text.Background:There is a dire need for reliable prognostic markers that can guide effective therapeutic intervention in Crohn's disease (CD). We examined whether different phenotypes in CD can be classified based on colonic microRNA (miRNA) expression and whether miRNAs have prognostic utility for CD.Methods:High-throughput sequencing of small and total RNA isolated from colon tissue from patients with CD and controls without Inflammatory Bowel Disease (non-IBD) was performed. To identify miRNAs associated with specific phenotypes of CD, patients were stratified according to disease behavior (nonstricturing, nonpenetrating; stricturing; penetrating), and miRNA profiles in each subset were compared with those of the non-IBD group. Validation assays were performed using quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. These miRNAs were further evaluated by quantitative reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction on formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue (index biopsies) of patients with nonpenetrating CD at the time of diagnosis that either retained the nonpenetrating phenotype or progressed to penetrating/fistulizing CD.Results:We found a suite of miRNAs, including miR-31-5p, miR-215, miR-223-3p, miR-196b-5p, and miR-203 that stratify patients with CD according to disease behavior independent of the effect of inflammation. Furthermore, we also demonstrated that expression levels of miR-215 in index biopsies of patients with CD might predict the likelihood of progression to penetrating/fistulizing CD. Finally, using a novel statistical simulation approach applied to colonic RNA-sequencing data for patients with CD and non-IBD controls, we identified miR-31-5p and miR-203 as candidate master regulators of gene expression profiles associated with CD.Conclusions:miRNAs may serve as clinically useful prognostic markers guiding initial therapy and identifying patients who would benefit most from effective intervention

Prognostic model to predict postoperative acute kidney injury in patients undergoing major gastrointestinal surgery based on a national prospective observational cohort study.

Background: Acute illness, existing co-morbidities and surgical stress response can all contribute to postoperative acute kidney injury (AKI) in patients undergoing major gastrointestinal surgery. The aim of this study was prospectively to develop a pragmatic prognostic model to stratify patients according to risk of developing AKI after major gastrointestinal surgery. Methods: This prospective multicentre cohort study included consecutive adults undergoing elective or emergency gastrointestinal resection, liver resection or stoma reversal in 2-week blocks over a continuous 3-month period. The primary outcome was the rate of AKI within 7 days of surgery. Bootstrap stability was used to select clinically plausible risk factors into the model. Internal model validation was carried out by bootstrap validation. Results: A total of 4544 patients were included across 173 centres in the UK and Ireland. The overall rate of AKI was 14·2 per cent (646 of 4544) and the 30-day mortality rate was 1·8 per cent (84 of 4544). Stage 1 AKI was significantly associated with 30-day mortality (unadjusted odds ratio 7·61, 95 per cent c.i. 4·49 to 12·90; P < 0·001), with increasing odds of death with each AKI stage. Six variables were selected for inclusion in the prognostic model: age, sex, ASA grade, preoperative estimated glomerular filtration rate, planned open surgery and preoperative use of either an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or an angiotensin receptor blocker. Internal validation demonstrated good model discrimination (c-statistic 0·65). Discussion: Following major gastrointestinal surgery, AKI occurred in one in seven patients. This preoperative prognostic model identified patients at high risk of postoperative AKI. Validation in an independent data set is required to ensure generalizability