Issues associated with sound exposure experiments in tanks

For practical reasons it is often necessary to carry out sound exposure experiments on marine animals in tanks or pools that may have dimensions ranging from less than one meter to a few tens of meters. The boundaries of such tanks are almost invariably highly reflective to underwater sound, resulting in a sound field that can vary spatially in unexpected ways, and in which the relationship between pressure and particle velocity is quite different from that in an animal's natural environment. In this paper a numerical simulation based on the finite difference method is used to illustrate these effects. The results show that, at frequencies below the tank's lowest resonant frequency, the particle velocity and pressure fields vary smoothly in space and with changes in frequency, but that both the ratio of the particle velocity to the pressure and the way in which their amplitudes vary with distance from the source are different than in a freefield situation. At frequencies above the lowest resonant frequency the particle velocity and pressure fields, and their ratio, vary rapidly both spatially and with changes in frequency. Experimental measurements of pressure and particle velocity in a tank agree qualitatively with these results. © 2016 Acoustical Society of America

Zeitliche und räumliche Prognose der Stabilität von Braunkohletagebaukippen im Nordraum Lausitz mit künstlichen neuronalen Netzen

Mittels künstlichen neuronalen Netzen wurden die in den rekultivierten Tagebaukippen im Nordraum Lausitz (Tagebaue Schlabendorf und Seese) auftretenden Geländedeformationen infolge Bodenverflüssigung für die Jahre 2009 - 2013 als Zeitreihe modelliert. Das Modell ist in der Lage, grob die zeitliche Entwicklung und exakt die räumliche Lage des in den Kippen auftretenden Gefährdungspotenzials nachzuvollziehen und als Funktion des sich ändernden Grundwasserspiegels und der sich ändernden Oberflächenmorphologie in die Zukunft zu prognostizieren. Das Modell zeigt dynamisch das Entstehen neuer Risikoflächen in bisher scheinbar stabilen Bereichen des Untersuchungsgebietes. Die Korrektheit des Modells wurde mittels verschiedener Tests geprüft sowie anhand einer Prognoserechnung für das Jahr 2014 und des Vergleichs mit den real in 2014/2015 gegangenen Ereignissen nachgewiesen. Folgende Gefährdungsfaktoren wurden ermittelt: Destabilisierend wirken eine möglichst einförmige Lithologie folgender Zusammenset-zung: 31 % Feinsand, 34 % Mittelsand, 31 % Grobsand, 3 % Schluff, < 1 % Kies, < 1 % Kalk, < 1 % Ton, < 1 % Kohle, kf-Werte zwischen 10-4 und 10-4,5 m/s, ein Grundwasserflurabstand bei 3,45 m (Medianwert), möglichst hohe Gradienten der nicht lithologisch kontrollierten Parameter: Tagebauoberfläche, Grundwasseroberfläche, Grundwasserflurabstand und Mächtigkeit der gesättigten Kippe. Stabilisierend wirken vor allem eine möglichst große Heterogenität der Lithologie auf kleinem Raum (möglichst hohe Gradienten der lithologisch kontrollierten Parameter (z.B. Kiesgehalt, Sandgehalt, Tongehalt, Kohlegehalt)), ein möglichst geringer Sandanteil, möglichst hohe Anteile an Kies, Schluff, Ton, Kalk, bzw. Kohle, ein möglichst großer Grundwasserflurabstand sowie möglichst geringe Gradienten der nicht lithologisch kontrollierten Parameter: Tagebauoberfläche, Grundwasseroberfläche, Grundwasserflurabstand, Mächtigkeit der gesättigten Kippe sowie wechselnde kf-Werte 10-7 bzw. >10-2 m/s. Für die Bearbeitung wurden ausschließlich die bei der LMBV vorhandenen bzw. laufend flächendeckend erhobenen Daten genutzt: Lage des Grundwasserspiegels, Relief der Tagebauoberfläche, Liegendes der Kippe, geologische Daten der Vorfeldbohrungen. Das Modell kann als dynamisches Instrument zum Risikomanagement vor bzw. während der Sanierungsmaßnahmen genutzt werden. Mittels der Variation der prozesskontrollie-renden Parameter können die geotechnischen Auswirkungen verschiedener Sanierungsszenarien (z.B. Gestaltung der Tagebauoberfläche, Schüttung der Kippen, Grundwasseranstieg) auf die Stabilität der Kippen prognostiziert werden.Geotechnical events (terrain deformation due to soil liquefaction) in lignite mining waste rock piles of the northern Lausitz area (opencast pits Schlabendorf and Seese), have been modeled as time series for the years 2009 – 2013 by using artificial neural networks. The model has clearly recognized the influences of various lithological and non-lithological controlled parameters on the occurrence of geotechnical events, and these have been quantified and weighted in terms of their importance. The model is able to predict the tem-poral evolution and the exact spatial location of the events occurring in the dumps as a function of changing groundwater levels and surface morphology. The model shows dynamically the emergence of new risk areas in hitherto seemingly stable areas. The correctness of the model was confirmed by means of various tests and its predictive success was demonstrated through forecasting of events for the years 2014 and 2015 and their comparison with the observed events of those years. The following main risk factors were identified: Important destabilizing factors are a monotonous lithology with the following composition: 31% fine sand, 34% medium sand, 31% coarse sand, 3% silt, <1% gravel, <1% lime, <1% clay, <1% coal, kf-values between 10-4 and 10-4.5 m/s, a surface to groundwater distance of 3.45 meters (median value), high gradients of non-lithological controlled parameters: waste dump surface, groundwater level, depth to groundwater and thickness of saturated dump. 2. Important stabilizing factors are a high heterogeneity of lithology (high gradients of the lithological controlled parameters: e.g. gravel content, sand content, clay content, carbon content), a low proportion of sand in the dump composition, high proportions of gravel, silt, clay, lime, or coal, a high depth to groundwater, low gradients of non-lithological controlled parameters: open pit surface, groundwater surface, depth to groundwater, thickness of saturated dump, strongly changing kf values between 10-7 and 10-2 m/s. The model can be used as a dynamic tool for risk management before and during the re-habilitation of lignite waste dumps, and for constructing stable waste dumps. By means of varying the model parameters (e.g. design of the dump surface, composition of dumped rocks, rising groundwater) the geotechnical effects of dump design and remediation scenarios can be predicted

Radio observations of the planetary nebula around the OH/IR Star OH354.88-0.54 (V1018 Sco)

We present radio observations of the unique, recently formed, planetary nebula (PN) associated with a very long-period OH/IR variable star V1018 Sco that is unequivocally still in its asymptoticgiant branch phase. Two regions within the optical nebula are clearly detected in nonthermal radio continuum emission, with radio spectral indices comparable to those seen in colliding-wind Wolf-Rayet binaries. We suggest that these represent shocked interactions between the hot, fast stellar wind and the cold nebular shell that represents the PN's slow wind moving away from the central star. This same interface produces both synchrotron radio continuum and the optical PN emission. The fast wind is neither spherical in geometry nor aligned withany obvious optical or radio axis. We also report the detection of transient H2O maser emission in this nebula.Comment: 11 pages, LaTeX (mn2e.cls), incl. 9 PostScript (ps or eps) figures and 2 tables. Accepted by MNRA

Adherence To Respiratory And Nonrespiratory Medication In Patients With COPD: Results Of The German COSYCONET Cohort

Background: Adherence to COPD medication is often considered to be lower than in other chronic diseases. In view of the frequent comorbidities of COPD, the economic impact of nonadherence and the potential for adverse effects, a direct comparison between the adherence to respiratory and nonrespiratory medication in the same patients seems of particular interest. Objectives: We aimed to investigate the intake of respiratory and nonrespiratory medication in the same patients with COPD and frequent comorbidities. Method: Within the COPD cohort COSYCONET, we contacted 1042 patients, mailing them a list with all medication regarding all their diseases, asking for regular, irregular and non-intake. Results: Valid responses were obtained in 707 patients covering a wide spectrum of drugs. Intake of LABA, LAMA or ICS was regular in 91.9% of patients, even higher for cardiovascular and antidiabetes medication but lower for hyperlipidemia and depression/anxiety medication. Regular intake of respiratory medication did not depend on GOLD groups A-D or grades 1-4, was highest in patients with concomitant cardiovascular disorders and was lowest for concomitant asthma. It was slightly larger for LAMA and LABA administered via combined compared to single inhalers, and lower when similar compounds were prescribed twice. Most differences did not reach statistical significance owing to the overall high adherence. Conclusion: Our results indicate a high adherence to respiratory medication in participants of a COPD cohort, especially in those with cardiovascular comorbidities. Compared to the lower adherence reported in the literature for COPD patients, our observations still suggest some room for improvement, possibly through disease management programs

Lifespan extension and the doctrine of double effect

Recent developments in biogerontology—the study of the biology of ageing—suggest that it may eventually be possible to intervene in the human ageing process. This, in turn, offers the prospect of significantly postponing the onset of age-related diseases. The biogerontological project, however, has met with strong resistance, especially by deontologists. They consider the act of intervening in the ageing process impermissible on the grounds that it would (most probably) bring about an extended maximum lifespan—a state of affairs that they deem intrinsically bad. In a bid to convince their deontological opponents of the permissibility of this act, proponents of biogerontology invoke an argument which is grounded in the doctrine of double effect. Surprisingly, their argument, which we refer to as the ‘double effect argument’, has gone unnoticed. This article exposes and critically evaluates this ‘double effect argument’. To this end, we first review a series of excerpts from the ethical debate on biogerontology in order to substantiate the presence of double effect reasoning. Next, we attempt to determine the role that the ‘double effect argument’ is meant to fulfil within this debate. Finally, we assess whether the act of intervening in ageing actually can be justified using double effect reasoning

Reduced decline of lung diffusing capacity in COPD patients with diabetes and metformin treatment

We studied whether in patients with COPD the use of metformin for diabetes treatment was linked to a pattern of lung function decline consistent with the hypothesis of anti-aging efects of metformin. Patients of GOLD grades 1–4 of the COSYCONET cohort with follow-up data of up to 4.5 y were included. The annual decline in lung function (FEV1, FVC) and CO difusing capacity (KCO, TLCO) in %predicted at baseline was evaluated for associations with age, sex, BMI, pack-years, smoking status, baseline lung function, exacerbation risk, respiratory symptoms, cardiac disease, as well as metformin-containing therapy compared to patients without diabetes and metformin. Among 2741 patients, 1541 (mean age 64.4 y, 601 female) fulflled the inclusion criteria. In the group with metformin treatment vs. non-diabetes the mean annual decline in KCO and TLCO was signifcantly lower (0.2 vs 2.3, 0.8 vs. 2.8%predicted, respectively; p < 0.05 each), but not the decline of FEV1 and FVC. These results were confrmed using multiple regression and propensity score analyses. Our fndings demonstrate an association between the annual decline of lung difusing capacity and the intake of metformin in patients with COPD consistent with the hypothesis of anti-aging efects of metformin as refected in a surrogate marker of emphysema

The revised GOLD 2017 COPD categorization in relation to comorbidities

Introduction: The COPD classification proposed by the Global Initiative for Obstructive Lung Disease was recently revised, and the A to D grouping is now based on symptoms and exacerbations only. Potential associations with comorbidities have not been assessed so far. Thus the aim of the present study was to determine the relationship between the revised (2017) GOLD groups A-D and major comorbidities. Methods: We used baseline data from the COPD cohort COSYCONET. Comorbidities were identified from patient self-reports and disease-specific medication: gastrointestinal disorders, asthma, sleep apnea, hyperuricemia, hyperlipidemia, diabetes, osteoporosis, mental disorders, heart failure, hypertension, coronary artery disease. The A-D groups were based on either the COPD Assessment Test or the modified Medical Research Council scale. Exacerbations were also categorized as per GOLD recommendations. Results: Data from 2228 patients were analyzed. Using GOLD group A as a reference, group D was associated with nearly all comorbidities, followed by group B and C. When groups A-D were dichotomized as AC vs. BD (symptoms) and AB vs. CD (exacerbations), all comorbidities correlated with symptoms and/or exacerbations. This was true for both mMRC- and CAT-based categorizations. Conclusions: These findings suggest that the recently modified GOLD categorization is clinically relevant beyond being purely an assessment of symptoms and exacerbations. As the A-D groups correlated with the risk of important comorbidities, with some differences in terms of the correlation with symptoms and exacerbations, the findings underline the importance of identifying comorbidities in COPD, particularly in non-responders to therapy who have high symptoms and/or exacerbation rates

Relationship of hyperlipidemia to comorbidities and lung function in COPD: Results of the COSYCONET cohort

Although hyperlipidemia is common in COPD, its relationship to comorbidities, risk factors and lung function in COPD has not been studied in detail. Using the baseline data of the COSYCONET cohort we addressed this question. Data from 1746 COPD patients (GOLD stage 1–4; mean age 64.6 y, mean FEV1%pred 57%) were evaluated, focusing on the comorbidities hyperlipidemia, diabetes and cardiovascular complex (CVC; including arterial hypertension, cardiac failure, ischemic heart disease). Risk factors comprised age, gender, BMI, and packyears of smoking. The results of linear and logistic regression analyses were implemented into a path analysis model describing the multiple relationships between parameters. Hyperlipidemia (prevalence 42.9%) was associated with lower intrathoracic gas volume (ITGV) and higher forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1) when adjusting for its multiple relationships to risk factors and other comorbidities. These findings were robust in various statistical analyses. The associations between comorbidities and risk factors were in accordance with previous findings, thereby underlining the validity of our data. In conclusion, hyperlipidemia was associated with less hyperinflation and airway obstruction in patients with COPD. This surprising result might be due to different COPD phenotypes in these patients or related to effects of medication