Ecological and geomorphological impacts of channel stability restoration in urban streams

Stream restoration projects that attempt to reduce channel incision and bank erosion by reconstructing the channel and grading and armoring stream banks (channel stability restoration projects) are common, particularly in urbanized watersheds. However, integrated assessment of changes in geomorphic processes and ecological properties within the channel and in the surrounding riparian zone induced by stability restoration has rarely been carried out across multiple restored streams. I provide such an assessment by measuring channel complexity, bed sediment dynamics, channel movement rates, riparian soil structure and function, and diatom communities in multiple restored streams located in urbanized watersheds and comparing these measurements to measurements from urban and forested reference streams. Stability restoration appears to have reduced lateral channel migration and channel incision through channel reshaping. Patterns of bed sediment movement were altered through the effects of added channel obstructions on flow dynamics and bed sediment size distribution. Channel stability restoration did not alter channel complexity, primarily because channel complexity was not reduced by urbanization as has commonly been assumed. Restoration did not alter diatom communities either, primarily because diatom communities responded more strongly to urbanization-induced changes in water chemistry. Riparian soils were negatively impacted by stability restoration, particularly compared to riparian buffer establishment, which had mostly neutral effects on riparian soils. Channel stability restoration can provide a minor increase in channel and bed sediment stability. However, changes in bed sediment stability were driven by in-channel restoration structures, which can be placed without grading the banks or reconstructing the channel. Riparian buffer restoration can also stabilize channels and will provide wood to channels, which can provide similar stabilization benefits as restoration structures. Restoration of channel stability using only in-channel structures and riparian vegetation planting would reduce the cost of stability restoration and reduce negative impacts to riparian soils. Even so, effects of stability restoration were often overwhelmed by processes operating beyond the channel boundaries, suggesting that reach-scale targeting of channel instability needs to be assessed at the watershed scale and may need to be given lower priority to such restoration approaches as stormwater management, which directly address the causes of channel instability

Physical Performance Assessments of Strength and Power in Women Collegiate Athletes

International Journal of Exercise Science 14(6): 984-993, 2021. Limited research exists on physical performance assessments for women collegiate athletes. The current cross-sectional study compared field-based tests of muscular strength and power and investigated their relationship. Sports included field hockey, volleyball, soccer, and softball. Tests of one repetition maximum (1-RM) back squat, 1-RM bench press, vertical jump, and standing long jump were administered. A one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) assessed differences across sports. Bivariate Pearson correlation coefficients examined relationships among tests. It was hypothesized sports with a higher anaerobic nature (volleyball, softball) would outperform those with higher aerobic nature (field hockey, soccer). Softball had the highest 1-RM bench press and 1-RM back squat (p \u3c 0.001) compared to field hockey, volleyball, and soccer. Further, softball had the highest vertical jump (p \u3c 0.001) compared to field hockey and soccer, but did not differ from volleyball. There were no differences across sports for standing long jump. Correlations (p \u3c 0.001) existed between 1-RM back squat and 1-RM bench press (n = 663, r = 0.56), and vertical jump and standing long jump (n = 160, r = 0.64). Results demonstrate strength and power differences among collegiate women’s sports. Softball consistently outperformed others in bench press, back squat, and vertical jump, which may be due to the demand of power embedded in the nature of the sport. These data provide descriptive measures of physical performance assessments and may assist practitioners with goal setting and program design

Effect of Preventive Primary Care Outreach on Health Related Quality of Life Among Older Adults at Risk of Functional Decline: Randomised Controlled Trial

Objective: To evaluate the impact of a provider initiated primary care outreach intervention compared with usual care among older adults at risk of functional decline. Design: Randomised controlled trial. Setting: Patients enrolled with 35 family physicians in five primary care networks in Hamilton, Ontario, Canada. Participants: Patients were eligible if they were 75 years of age or older and were not receiving home care services. Of 3166 potentially eligible patients, 2662 (84%) completed the validated postal questionnaire used to determine risk of functional decline. Of 1724 patients who met the risk criteria, 769 (45%) agreed to participate and 719 were randomised. Intervention: The 12 month intervention, provided by experienced home care nurses in 2004-6, consisted of a comprehensive initial assessment using the resident assessment instrument for home care; collaborative care planning with patients, their families, and family physicians; health promotion; and referral to community health and social support services. Main outcome measures: Quality adjusted life years (QALYs), use and costs of health and social services, functional status, self rated health, and mortality. Results: The mean difference in QALYs between intervention and control patients during the study period was not statistically significant (0.017, 95% confidence interval ?0.022 to 0.056; P=0.388). The mean difference in overall cost of prescription drugs and services between the intervention and control groups was not statistically significant, (-$C165 (£107; 118;$162), 95% confidence interval -$C16 545 to$$16 214; P=0.984). Changes over 12 months in functional status and self rated health were not significantly different between the intervention and control groups. Ten patients died in each group. Conclusions: The results of this study do not support adoption of this preventive primary care intervention for this target population of high risk older adults

A meta-ethnography of organisational culture in primary care medical practice

Peer reviewedPreprin

Vertical Impedance Measurements of Concrete Bridge Deck Cover Condition without a Direct Electrical Connection to the Reinforcing Steel

Vertical impedance measurements provide significant quantitative information about the ability of concrete cover to slow the penetration of chloride ions that can corrode steel reinforcement in a bridge deck [1]. The primary limitations preventing the widespread adoption of vertical impedance for assessment of concrete bridge decks are (1) the necessity to have a direct electrical connection to the embedded steel reinforcement and (2) the low speeds of data acquisition. This work presents solutions to both limitations. In previous work, our group developed a vertical impedance testing apparatus that was used to collect data from a continuously moving platform in the field [2]. While that apparatus greatly increased the speed of data collection, it required a direct electrical connection to the reinforcing steel; making a direct electrical connection to the rebar generally requires drilling through the concrete surface and tapping the reinforcing steel, which is a time-consuming process and therefore a major limitation to rapid data acquisition. In this work, a method using a large area electrode as a reference electrode for vertical impedance testing is proposed and validated using numerical finite-element simulations to demonstrate how a direct rebar connection can be eliminated. Based on these successful simulations, this work additionally reports how a large area electrode was constructed and incorporated in a continuously moving platform. When used in a multichannel arrangement, the use of a large area electrode allows rapid measurements of a full lane width of a bridge deck in a single pass. This development simplifies the entire vertical impedance testing process and greatly reduces the total time necessary to obtain measurements. Field data, including comparisons to direct electrical connections, demonstrate the utility of this technique and its general applicability to impedance-based measurements for quantitatively assessing the ability of the concrete cover to protect the reinforcing steel from corrosion

Rapid Multichannel Impact-Echo Scanning of Concrete Bridge Decks from a Continuously Moving Platform

Impact-echo testing is a non-destructive evaluation technique for determining the presence of defects in reinforced concrete bridge decks based on the acoustic response of the bridge deck when struck by an impactor. Impact events excite Lamb-wave as well as flexural vibrations which, when properly measured and interpreted, can reveal the presence of defects, specifically delaminations, in the bridge deck. Because of the utility of the impact-echo technique, a number of attempts have been made at improving the speed of data acquisition to especially reduce the required traffic control, which may exceed the cost of the testing itself or prohibit the testing altogether. In this vein, other researchers have developed air-coupled sensing for impact-echo measurements [1]. In our group, we have focused our efforts on developing repeatable excitation of flexural vibrations using disposable as well as mallet impactors. We have shown that the nature of the impact is very important for exciting the acoustic response associated with delaminations in concrete [2]. In this work, we build on our prior research with a single-channel impactor to demonstrate a seven-channel impact-echo scanning system with independent control of the impactors. This system is towed by a vehicle and integrated with distance measurement for registering the locations of the impacts along a bridge deck. The entire impact and recording system is computer-controlled. Because of a winch system and hinged frame construction of the apparatus, setup, measurement, and take-down of the apparatus can be achieved in a matter of minutes. Signal processing of the impact responses is performed on-site and can produce a map of delaminations immediately after data acquisition. This map can then be used to guide other testing and/or can be referenced with the results of other testing techniques to facilitate comprehensive condition assessments of concrete bridge decks. This work demonstrates how impact-echo testing can be performed in a manner that makes complete bridge deck scanning for delaminations rapid and practical

The use of telemonitoring in managing the COVID pandemic:a pilot implementation study

BACKGROUND: Most people with COVID-19 self-manage at home. However, the condition can deteriorate quickly, and some people may develop serious hypoxia with relatively few symptoms. Early identification of deterioration allows effective management with oxygen and steroids. Telemonitoring of symptoms and physiological signs may facilitate this. OBJECTIVE: The aim of this study was to design, implement, and evaluate a telemonitoring system for people with COVID-19 who are self-managing at home and are considered at significant risk of deterioration. METHODS: A multidisciplinary team developed a telemonitoring protocol using a commercial platform to record symptoms, pulse oximetry, and temperature. If symptoms or physiological measures breached targets, patients were alerted and asked to phone for an ambulance (red alert) or for advice (amber alert). Patients attending COVID-19 assessment centers, who were considered fit for discharge but at risk of deterioration, were shown how to use a pulse oximeter and the monitoring system, which they were to use twice daily for 2 weeks. Patients could interact with the system via app, SMS, or touch-tone phone. Written guidance on alerts was also provided. Following consent, patient data on telemonitoring usage and alerts were linked to data on the use of service resources. Subsequently, patients who had either used or not used the telemonitoring service, including those who had not followed advice to seek help, agreed to brief telephone interviews to explore their views on, and how they had interacted with, the telemonitoring system. Interviews were recorded and analyzed thematically. Professionals involved in the implementation were sent an online questionnaire asking them about their perceptions of the service. RESULTS: We investigated the first 116 patients who used the service. Of these patients, 71 (61.2%) submitted data and the remainder (n=45, 38.8%) chose to self-monitor without electronic support. Of the 71 patients who submitted data, 35 (49%) received 152 alerts during their 2-week observation. A total of 67 red alerts were for oxygen saturation (SpO(2)) levels of ≤93%, and 15 red alerts were because patients recorded severe breathlessness. Out of 71 patients, 14 (20%) were admitted to hospital for an average stay of 3.6 (SD 4.5) days. Of the 45 who used written guidance alone, 7 (16%) were admitted to hospital for an average stay of 4.0 (SD 4.2) days and 1 (2%) died. Some patients who were advised to seek help did not do so, some because parameters improved on retesting and others because they felt no worse than before. All patients found self-monitoring to be reassuring. Of the 11 professionals who used the system, most found it to be useful and easy to use. Of these 11 professionals, 5 (45%) considered the system “very safe,” 3 (27%) thought it “could be safer,” and 3 (27%) wished to have more experience with it before deciding. In total, 2 (18%) felt that SpO(2) trigger thresholds were too high. CONCLUSIONS: Supported self-monitoring of patients with COVID-19 at home is reassuring to patients, is acceptable to clinicians, and can detect important signs of deterioration. Worryingly, some patients, because they felt well, occasionally ignored important signs of deterioration. It is important, therefore, to emphasize the importance of the early investigation and treatment of asymptomatic hypoxia at the time when patients are initiated and in the warning messages that are sent to patients

Activation mechanism of the G protein-coupled sweet receptor heterodimer with sweeteners and allosteric agonists

The sweet taste in humans is mediated by the TAS1R2/TAS1R3 G protein-coupled receptor (GPCR), which belongs to the class C family that also includes the metabotropic glutamate and γ-aminobutyric acid receptors. We report here the predicted 3D structure of the full-length TAS1R2/TAS1R3 heterodimer, including the Venus Flytrap Domains (VFDs) [in the closed–open (co) active conformation], the cysteine-rich domains (CRDs), and the transmembrane domains (TMDs) at the TM56/TM56 interface. We observe that binding of agonists to VFD2 of TAS1R2 leads to major conformational changes to form a TM6/TM6 interface between TMDs of TAS1R2 and TAS1R3, which is consistent with the activation process observed biophysically on the metabotropic glutamate receptor 2 homodimer. We find that the initial effect of the agonist is to pull the bottom part of VFD3/TAS1R3 toward the bottom part of VFD2/TAS1R2 by ∼6 Å and that these changes get transmitted from VFD2 of TAS1R2 (where agonists bind) through the VFD3 and the CRD3 to the TMD3 of TAS1R3 (which couples to the G protein). These structural transformations provide a detailed atomistic mechanism for the activation process in GPCR, providing insights and structural details that can now be validated through mutation experiments

Cermet Development for High Temperature and High Pressure Applications

Many traditionally used low cost alloys are easily corroded in steam or supercritical CO2. An effective solution is to utilize ceramic heat exchangers that are often integrated with metallic components which result in a significant thermal expansion mismatch. The goal of this project is to develop a sealing method to create a hermetic joint between the ceramic and metal alloy. Proposed is a seal ring containing a cermet powder with a coefficient of thermal expansion (CTE) higher than the ceramic and metal to produce a high temperature compressive seal. Cermets of Ag and MgO have been selected to withstand pressures of 3000 psi and temperatures above 700 °C. Three preliminary tests were conducted to study the behavior of the cermet: 1. Static heat on cermet filled stainless steel tubes; 2. Radial compression test on cermet filled stainless steel tubes; 3. Compression tests on open cermet filled cavities. Tests 2 and 3 suggest that powder flowability and densification regions decrease with increased ceramic concentrations

Respiratory effect of beta-blockers in people with asthma and cardiovascular disease:population-based nested case control study

Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is a common comorbidity in people with asthma. However, safety concerns have caused heterogeneity in clinical guideline recommendations over the use of cardioselective beta-blockers in people with asthma and CVD, partly because risk in the general population has been poorly quantified. The aim of this study was to measure the risk of asthma exacerbations with beta-blockers prescribed to a general population with asthma and CVD.Methods: Linked data from the UK Clinical Practice Research Datalink was used to perform nested case-control studies among people with asthma and CVD matched on age, gender and calendar time. Adjusted incidence rate ratios (IRR) were calculated for the association between oral beta-blocker use and moderate asthma exacerbations (rescue oral steroids) or severe asthma exacerbations (hospitalisation or death) using conditional logistic regression.Results: The cohort consisted of 35502 people identified with active asthma and CVD, of which 14.1% and 1.2% were prescribed cardioselective and non-selective beta-blockers respectively during follow-up. Cardioselective beta-blocker use was not associated with a significantly increased risk of moderate or severe asthma exacerbations. Consistent results were obtained following sensitivity analyses and a self-controlled case series approach. In contrast, non-selective beta-blockers were associated with a significantly increased risk of moderate asthma exacerbations when initiated at low to moderate doses (IRR 5.16, 95%CI 1.83-14.54, p=0.002), and both moderate and severe exacerbations when prescribed chronically at high dose (IRR 2.68, 95%CI 1.08-6.64, p=0.033 and IRR 12.11, 95%CI 1.02-144.11, p=0.048 respectively).Conclusions: Cardioselective beta-blockers prescribed to people with asthma and CVD were not associated with a significantly increased risk of moderate or severe asthma exacerbations and potentially could be used more widely when strongly indicated