A combined field and laboratory design for assessing the impact of night shift work on police officer operational performance

This study assessed the utility of a combined field and laboratory research design for measuring the impact of consecutive night shift work on the sleepiness, vigilance, and driving performance of police patrol officers. For police patrol officers working their normal night shift duty cycles, simulated driving performance and psychomotor vigilance were measured in a laboratory on two separate occasions: in the morning after the last of five consecutive 10.7-h night shifts, and at the same time in the morning after three consecutive days off duty. Order of participation in conditions was randomized among subjects. Subjects experienced manipulation of sleep schedules due to working night shifts in a real operational environment, but performance testing was conducted under controlled laboratory conditions. N = 29 active-duty police patrol officers (27 male, 2 female; age 37.1 ± 6.3 years) working night shift schedules participated in this study. Simulated driving performance, psychomotor vigilance, and subjective sleepiness were significantly degraded following 5 consecutive night shifts as compared to 3 consecutive days off duty, indicating that active-duty police officers are susceptible to performance degradation as a consequence of working nights. This combined field and laboratory research design succeeded in bridging the gap between the realism of the operational environment and the control of laboratory performance testing, demonstrating that this is a useful approach for addressing the relationship between shift work induced fatigue and critical operational task performance

Noninvasive imaging of quantum dots in mice.

Quantum dots having four different surface coatings were tested for use in in vivo imaging. Localization was successfully monitored by fluorescence imaging of living animals, by necropsy, by frozen tissue sections for optical microscopy, and by electron microscopy, on scales ranging from centimeters to nanometers, using only quantum dots for detection. Circulating half-lives were found to be less than 12 min for amphiphilic poly(acrylic acid), short-chain (750 Da) methoxy-PEG or long-chain (3400 Da) carboxy-PEG quantum dots, but approximately 70 min for long-chain (5000 Da) methoxy-PEG quantum dots. Surface coatings also determined the in vivo localization of the quantum dots. Long-term experiments demonstrated that these quantum dots remain fluorescent after at least four months in vivo.</p

Imaging vasculature and lymphatic flow in mice using quantum dots.

Quantum dots are ideal probes for fluorescent imaging of vascular and lymphatic tissues. On injection into appropriate sites, red- and near-infrared-emitting quantum dots provide excellent definition of vasculature, lymphoid organs, and lymph nodes draining both normal tissues and tumors. We detail methods for use with commercially available quantum dots and discuss common difficulties.</p

Does Implementation of Biomathematical Models Mitigate Fatigue and Fatigue-related Risks in Emergency Medical Services Operations? A Systematic Review

<p><b>Background</b>: Work schedules like those of Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel have been associated with increased risk of fatigue-related impairment. Biomathematical modeling is a means of objectively estimating the potential impacts of fatigue on performance, which may be used in the mitigation of fatigue-related safety risks. In the context of EMS operations, our objective was to assess the evidence in the literature regarding the effectiveness of using biomathematical models to help mitigate fatigue and fatigue-related risks. <b>Methods</b>: A systematic review of the evidence evaluating the use of biomathematical models to manage fatigue in EMS personnel or similar shift workers was performed. Procedures proposed by the Grading of Recommendations, Assessment, Development, and Evaluation (GRADE) methodology were used to summarize and rate the certainty in the evidence. Potential bias attached to retained studies was documented using the Cochrane Collaboration's Risk of Bias tool for experimental studies. <b>Results</b>: The literature search strategy, which focused on both EMS personnel and non-EMS shift workers, yielded <i>n</i> = 2,777 unique records. One paper, which investigated non-EMS shift workers, met inclusion criteria. As part of a larger effort, managers and dispatchers of a trucking operation were provided with monthly biomathematical model analyses of predicted fatigue in the driver workforce, and educated on how they could reduce predicted fatigue by means of schedule adjustments. The intervention showed a significant reduction in the number and cost of vehicular accidents during the period in which biomathematical modeling was used. The overall GRADE assessment of evidence quality was very low due to risk of bias, indirectness, imprecision, and publication bias. <b>Conclusions</b>: This systematic review identified no studies that investigated the impact of biomathematical models in EMS operations. Findings from one study of non-EMS shift workers were favorable toward use of biomathematical models as a fatigue mitigation scheduling aid, albeit with very low quality of evidence pertaining to EMS operations. We propose three focus areas of research priorities that, if addressed, could help better elucidate the utility and impact of biomathematical models as a fatigue-mitigation tool in the EMS environment.</p

Does Implementation of Biomathematical Models Mitigate Fatigue and Fatigue-related Risks in Emergency Medical Services Operations? A Systematic Review

Uvod: Bolesti štitnjače smatraju se kasnom komplikacijom alogenične transplantacije krvotvornih matičnih stanica. Abnormalna funkcija štitnjače u navedenoj populaciji bolesnika javlja se s učestalošću od 2-56%, ovisno o primarnoj bolesti, vrsti liječenja uslijed i nakon transplantacije te starosti u vrijeme transplantacije. U ovom radu istražujemo postoji li povezanost između bolesti štitnjače i kronične reakcije transplantanta protiv primatelja. ----- Bolesnici i metode: U periodu od lipnja 2013. do ožujka 2018. u studiju je uključeno 118 bolesnika kod kojih je učinjena transplantacija koštane srži. Ovisno o tome jesu li razvili cGvHD, podijeljeni su u dvije grupe: cGvHDpat (n=71) i non-cGvHDpat (n=47). ----- Rezultati: Do poremećaja funkcije štitnjače došlo je u u 30% bolesnika u grupi s cGvHD, odnosno u 19% bolesnika u grupi kod bez cGvHD-a. Najčešće nađena vrsta poremećaja funkcije štitnjače u obje skupine bila je subklinička hipotireoza (67% i 44%). ----- Zaključak: Bolesti štitnjače kasna su komplikacija post alo-TKMS. Nije pokazana signifikantna značajnost da je cGvHD rizični čimbenik za povećanu incidenciju bolesti štitnjače. Također, nije pokazana signifikantna razlika u kumulativnoj incidenciji bolesti štitnjače u grupi cGvHDpat, odnosno non-cGvHDpat. Kod bolesnika koji su uz cGvHD imali i poremećaj funkcije štitnjače pojavile su se u većoj mjeri i bolesti pluća, gastrointestinalnog trakta, jetre, kože, usta i, u najvećem omjeru, bolesti očiju.Introduction: Thyroid diseases are regarded as long-term complications after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. Abnormal thyroid function in this population occurs in 2-56% of patients, depending on primary disease, type of treatment due to and after transplantation and the age at time of transplantation. The aim of this study was to identify whether there is an association between thyroid dysfunction and cGvHD, and to describe the characteristics of the affected patients. ----- Patients and methods: In period from June 2013 till March 2018 118 patients who survived the transplantation were included in this study. Depending on whether they developed cGvHD or not, they were divided into two groups: cGvHDpat (n=71) and non-cGvHDpat (n=47). ----- Results: Abnormal thyroid function occurred in 30% of patients and 19% of controls. The most frequent noticed thyroidopathy in patients and controls was subclinical hypothyreosis, 67% and 44%, respectively. ----- Conclusion: Thyroid dysfunction is a long-term complication after allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation. We did not prove that chronic graft versus host disease is a significant risk factor for the increased incidence of thyroid diseases in patients after transplantation. There was no significant difference in cumulative incidence of thyroid disease in groups of cGvHDpat and non-cGvHDpat. Dysfunction of lungs, gastrointestinal tract, liver, skin, mouth, and in the biggest ratio, diseases of eyes were more prevalent in patients who developed cGvHD and had abnormal thyroid function

U.S. cereal rye winter cover crop growth database

Abstract Winter cover crop performance metrics (i.e., vegetative biomass quantity and quality) affect ecosystem services provisions, but they vary widely due to differences in agronomic practices, soil properties, and climate. Cereal rye (Secale cereale) is the most common winter cover crop in the United States due to its winter hardiness, low seed cost, and high biomass production. We compiled data on cereal rye winter cover crop performance metrics, agronomic practices, and soil properties across the eastern half of the United States. The dataset includes a total of 5,695 cereal rye biomass observations across 208 site-years between 2001–2022 and encompasses a wide range of agronomic, soils, and climate conditions. Cereal rye biomass values had a mean of 3,428 kg ha−1, a median of 2,458 kg ha−1, and a standard deviation of 3,163 kg ha−1. The data can be used for empirical analyses, to calibrate, validate, and evaluate process-based models, and to develop decision support tools for management and policy decisions