Costal cartilage fractures in blunt polytrauma patients - a prospective clinical and radiological follow-up study

Purpose To assess the healing of costal cartilage fractures (CCFX) in patients with blunt polytrauma with follow-up imaging and clinical examination. Effect on physical performance and quality of life (QoL) was also evaluated. Methods The study group comprised twenty-one patients with diagnosed CCFX in trauma CT. All the patients underwent MRI, ultrasound, ultra-low-dose CT examinations, and clinical status control. The patients completed QoL questionnaires. Two radiologists evaluated the images regarding fracture union, dislocation, calcifications, and persistent edema at fracture site. An attending trauma surgeon clinically examined the patients, with emphasis on focal tenderness and ribcage mobility. Trauma registry data were accessed to evaluate injury severity and outcome. Results The patients were imaged at an average of 34.1 months (median 36, range 15.8-57.7) after the initial trauma. In 15 patients (71.4%), CCFX were considered stable on imaging. Cartilage calcifications were seen on healed fracture sites in all the patients. The fracture dislocation had increased in 5 patients (23.8%), and 1 patient (4.8%) showed signs of a non-stable union. Four patients (19.0%) reported persistent symptoms from CCFX. Conclusion Non-union in CCFX is uncommon but may lead to decreased stability and discomfort. Both clinical and radiological examinations play an important part in the post-traumatic evaluation of CCFX. CT and MRI visualize the healing process, while dynamic ultrasound may reveal instability. No significant difference in QoL was detected between patients with radiologically healed and non-healed CCFX. Post-traumatic disability was mostly due to other non-thoracic injuries.Peer reviewe

Predictive habitat suitability models to aid conservation of elasmobranch diversity in the central Mediterranean Sea

Commercial fisheries have dramatically impacted elasmobranch populations worldwide. With high capture and bycatch rates, the abundance of many species is rapidly declining and around a quarter of the world’s sharks and rays are threatened with extinction. At a regional scale this negative trend has also been evidenced in the central Mediterranean Sea, where bottom-trawl fisheries have affected the biomass of certain rays (e.g. Raja clavata) and sharks (e.g. Mustelus spp.). Detailed knowledge of elasmobranch habitat requirements is essential for biodiversity conservation and fisheries management, but this is often hampered by a poor understanding of their spatial ecology. Habitat suitability models were used to investigate the habitat preference of nine elasmobranch species and their overall diversity (number of species) in relation to five environmental predictors (i.e. depth, sea surface temperature, surface salinity, slope and rugosity) in the central Mediterranean Sea. Results showed that depth, seafloor morphology and sea surface temperature were the main drivers for elasmobranch habitat suitability. Predictive distribution maps revealed different species-specific patterns of suitable habitat while high assemblage diversity was predicted in deeper offshore waters (400–800 m depth). This study helps to identify priority conservation areas and diversity hot-spots for rare and endangered elasmobranchs in the Mediterranean Sea

Diel Variations in Survey Catch Rates and Survey Catchability of Spiny Dogfish and their Pelagic Prey in the Northeast US Continental Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem

This study examines the potential uncertainty in survey biomass estimates of Spiny Dogfish Squalus acanthias in the Northeast U.S. Continental Shelf Large Marine Ecosystem (NES LME). Diel catch-per-unit-effort (CPUE) estimates are examined from the Northeast Fisheries Science Center bottom trawl surveys conducted during autumn (1963-2009) and spring (1968-2009). Influential environmental variables on survey catchability are identified for Spiny Dogfish life history stages and five pelagic prey species: Butterfish Peprilus triacanthus, Atlantic Herring Clupea harengus, shortfin squid Illex spp., longfin squid Doryteuthis spp., and Atlantic Mackerel Scomber scombrus. Daytime survey catchability was significantly higher than nighttime catchability for most species during autumn and for mature male Spiny Dogfish, shortfin squid, and longfin squid during spring in the NES LME. For most stages and species examined, breakpoint analyses identified significant increases in CPUE in the morning, peak CPUE during the day, and significant declines in CPUE in the late afternoon. Seasonal probabilities of daytime catch were largely driven by solar zenith angle for most species, with stronger trends identified during autumn. Unadjusted CPUE estimates appear to overestimate absolute abundance, with adjustments resulting in reductions in absolute abundance ranging from 41% for Spiny Dogfish to 91% for shortfin and longfin squids. These findings have important implications for Spiny Dogfish regarding estimates of population consumption of key pelagic prey species and their ecological footprint within the NES LME

Online multi-element analysis of the top gas of a blast furnace by LIBS

The continuous and simultaneous monitoring of relative concentrations of Na, K, Zn and Pb as well as C, N, O, H, Ca and Fe - being constituents of top gas and dust particles carried therein - is demonstrated by a direct laser measuring in the top gas tube of a blast furnace. The measuring method is laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) which uses optical emission spectrometry (OES) of a plasma generated by focussing a laser beam into the top gas stream. The LIBS instrumentation consists of laser, optics, spectrometer and electronics installed in a container near the top gas tube access. An optical probe is installed to enable a traversing of the top gas tube. Due to the CO content of the top gas, safety measures such as monitoring the absence of O2 inside and CO outside of the top gas tube have been taken. The laser-based instrumentation was set-up and installed for measuring campaigns at three blast furnace sites in Germany, Finland and Spain. On-site measuring periods of up to 10 hours a day with an average measuring value every 10 s were carried out demonstrating the capability of this technique for online measuring tasks in rough industrial environments. The functionality of the system was shown successfully and first correlations of online monitored analytes in the top gas with blast furnace parameters were found