Assessment of Human Health Risks from Chemically Contaminated Lake Fishes In Greece

Objectives were to conduct screening level surveys of locally consumed fish tissues in vicinities of two lakes (Kastoria and Pamvotis) in Greece to determine the presence of halogenated organic compounds and determine carcinogenic and non-carcinogenic human health risks associated with the consumption of sampled fish tissues. Results estimate the Incremental Lifetime Cancer Risks (ILCR) and Hazard Index (HI) values for the two local populations using site-specific population data. These results were compared to analyses conducted using U.S. Environmental Protection Agency default values in an effort to determine the applicability of USEPA default values to assessments of risks in non U.S. populations. Using site specific data, 87 % of the mean ILCRs calculated for total populations and sub-populations (i.e. female adult, female youth, male adult and male youth) consuming fishes from the two lakes we studied were above USEPA’s acceptable cancer risk of 1.0E-06; 53 % of the mean HIs were greater than 1.0. The USEPA default value (0.054 kg/d) for ingestion rate (IR) is considerably lower than the mean site specific IRs derived from populations in vicinity of Lake Kastoria (0.20; min.=0.09; max.=0.29 kg/d) and Lake Pamvotis (0.10; min.=0.01; max.=0.21 kg/d). These differences point to the need for the development of default values specific to the regions and population consumption patterns within Greece

Velocity-conductivity relations for cratonic lithosphere and their application : example of Southern Africa

Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2013. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Geochemistry, Geophysics, Geosystems 14 (2013): 806–827, doi:10.1002/ggge.20075.Seismic velocity is a function of bulk vibrational properties of the media, whereas electrical resistivity is most often a function of transport properties of an interconnected minor phase. In the absence of a minor conducting phase then the two should be inter-relatable primarily due to their sensitivity to temperature variation. We develop expressions between shear wave velocity and resistivity for varying temperature, composition, and water content based on knowledge from two kimberlite fields: Jagersfontein (Kaapvaal Craton) and Gibeon (Rehoboth Terrane). We test the expressions through comparison between a new high-resolution regional seismic model, derived from surface wave inversion of earthquake data from Africa and the surrounding regions, and a new electrical image from magnetotelluric (MT) data recorded in SAMTEX (Southern African Magnetotelluric Experiment). The data-defined robust linear regression between the two is found to be statistically identical to the laboratory-defined expression for 40 wt ppm water in olivine. Cluster analysis defines five clusters that are all geographically distinct and tectonically relate to (i) fast, cold, and variably wet Kaapvaal Craton, (ii) fast and wet central Botswana, (iii) slow, warm, and wet Rehoboth Terrane, (iv) moderately fast, cold, and very dry southernmost Angola Craton, and (v) slow, warm, and somewhat dry Damara Belt. From the linear regression expression and the MT image we obtain predicted seismic velocity at 100 km and compare it with that from seismic observations. The differences between the two demonstrate that the linear relationship between Vs and resistivity is appropriate for over 80% of Southern Africa. Finally, using the regressions for varying water content, we infer water content in olivine across Southern Africa.We wish to again acknowledge the three main funding agencies, the U.S. National Science Foundation’s Continental Dynamics Program (grant EAR0455242 to RLE), the South African Department of Science and Technology (grant to South African Council for Geoscience), and Science Foundation Ireland (grant 05/RGP/GEO001 to AGJ), for their support. Industry support for SAMTEX from De Beers Group Services, BHP Billiton and Rio Tinto Mining and Exploration resulted in a program far more extensive than originally conceived. S.F. has been supported by the NERC New Investigator grant NE/G000859/1. M.M. wishes to thank Science Foundation Ireland (grant 08/RFP/GEO1693 SAMTEX to AGJ) for support. J.F. wishes to thank Enterprise Ireland (grant Topo-Med to AGJ), Science Foundation Ireland (grant 10/IN.1/I3022 IRETHERMto AGJ), and the JAE-DOC Programme from Spanish CSIC, cofunded by FSE for support.2013-10-0

Robust magnetotelluric inversion

Author Posting. © The Author(s), 2014. This article is posted here by permission of The Royal Astronomical Society for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Geophysical Journal International 196 (2014): 1365-1374, doi:10.1093/gji/ggt484.A robust magnetotelluric (MT) inversion algorithm has been developed on the basis of quantile-quantile (q-q) plotting with confidence band and statistical modelling of inversion residuals for the MT response function (apparent resistivity and phase). Once outliers in the inversion residuals are detected in the q-q plot with the confidence band and the statistical modelling with the Akaike information criterion, they are excluded from the inversion data set and a subsequent inversion is implemented with the culled data set. The exclusion of outliers and the subsequent inversion is repeated until the q-q plot is substantially linear within the confidence band, outliers predicted by the statistical modelling are unchanged from the prior inversion, and the misfit statistic is unchanged at a target level. The robust inversion algorithm was applied to synthetic data generated from a simple 2-D model and observational data from a 2-D transect in southern Africa. Outliers in the synthetic data, which come from extreme values added to the synthetic responses, produced spurious features in inversion models, but were detected by the robust algorithm and excluded to retrieve the true model. An application of the robust inversion algorithm to the field data demonstrates that the method is useful for data clean-up of outliers, which could include model as well as data inconsistency (for example, inability to fit a 2-D model to a 3-D data set), during inversion and for objectively obtaining a robust and optimal model. The present statistical method is available irrespective of the dimensionality of target structures (hence 2-D and 3-D structures) and of isotropy or anisotropy, and can operate as an external process to any inversion algorithm without modifications to the inversion program.TM was supported by the scientific program of TAIGA (trans-crustal advection and in-situ reaction of global sub-seafloor aquifer) sponsored by the MEXT of Japan, and is supported by the NIPR project KP-7. ADC is supported by US National Science Foundation (NSF) grant EAR1015185

Lithospheric structure of an Archean craton and adjacent mobile belt revealed from 2-D and 3-D inversion of magnetotelluric data : example from southern Congo craton in northern Namibia

Author Posting. © American Geophysical Union, 2013. This article is posted here by permission of American Geophysical Union for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Journal of Geophysical Research: Solid Earth 118 (2013): 4378–4397, doi:10.1002/jgrb.50258.Archean cratons, and the stitching Proterozoic orogenic belts on their flanks, form an integral part of the Southern Africa tectonic landscape. Of these, virtually nothing is known of the position and thickness of the southern boundary of the composite Congo craton and the Neoproterozoic Pan-African orogenic belt due to thick sedimentary cover. We present the first lithospheric-scale geophysical study of that cryptic boundary and define its geometry at depth. Our results are derived from two-dimensional (2-D) and three-dimensional (3-D) inversion of magnetotelluric data acquired along four semiparallel profiles crossing the Kalahari craton across the Damara-Ghanzi-Chobe belts (DGC) and extending into the Congo craton. Two-dimensional and three-dimensional electrical resistivity models show significant lateral variation in the crust and upper mantle across strike from the younger DGC orogen to the older adjacent cratons. We find Damara belt lithosphere to be more conductive and significantly thinner than that of the adjacent Congo craton. The Congo craton is characterized by very thick (to depths of  250 km) and resistive (i.e., cold) lithosphere. Resistive upper crustal features are interpreted as caused by igneous intrusions emplaced during Pan-African magmatism. Graphite-bearing calcite marbles and sulfides are widespread in the Damara belt and account for the high crustal conductivity in the Central Zone. The resistivity models provide new constraints on the southern extent of the greater Congo craton and suggest that the current boundary drawn on geological maps needs revision and that the craton should be extended further south.The SAMTEX consortiummembers (Dublin Institute for Advanced Studies, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Council for Geoscience (South Africa), De Beers Group Services, The University of the Witwatersrand, Geological Survey of Namibia, Geological Survey of Botswana, Rio Tinto Mining and Exploration, BHP Billiton, Council for Scientific and Industrial Research (South Africa), and ABB Sweden) are thanked for their funding and logistical support during the four phases of data acquisition. This work is also supported by research grants from the National Science Foundation (EAR-0309584 and EAR-0455242 through the Continental Dynamics Program to R. L. Evans), the Department of Science and Technology, South Africa, and Science Foundation of Ireland (grant 05/RFP/ GEO001to A. G. Jones).2014-02-0

Efficacy of temsirolimus in metastatic chromophobe renal cell carcinoma

<p>Background: Renal cell carcinoma (RCC) is a histopathologically and molecularly heterogeneous disease with the chromophobe subtype (chRCC) accounting for approximately 5% of all cases. The median overall survival of advanced RCC has improved significantly since the advent of tyrosine kinase inhibitors and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors. However, high-quality evidence for the use of new generation tyrosine kinase inhibitors in patients with advanced chRCC is lacking. Few published case reports have highlighted the use of temsirolimus in chRCC.</p> <p>Case presentation: Here, we report the case of a 36-year-old Caucasian woman with metastatic chRCC with predominantly skeletal metastases who was refractory to sunitinib who demonstrated a durable clinical response to temsirolimus lasting 20 months. We review the available evidence pertaining to the use of new generation molecularly targeted agents, in particular mTOR inhibitors in chRCC and discuss their emerging role in the management of this disease which would aid the oncologists faced with the challenge of treating this rare type of RCC.</p> <p>Conclusion: Conducting randomised clinical trials in this rarer sub-group of patients would be challenging and our case report and the evidence reviewed would guide the physicians to make informed decision regarding the management of these patients.</p&gt

Site selection strategy for environmental monitoring in connection with shale-gas exploration: Vale of Pickering, Yorkshire and Fylde, Lancashire

This report outlines the strategies for site selection adopted as part of a baseline environmental monitoring investigation in connection with shale-gas exploration and development in the Vale of Pickering, North Yorkshire. The project forms an extension to an ongoing baseline investigation being carried out in the Fylde, Lancashire, and the current project incorporates an air-quality monitoring component that was not within the original remit of the Fylde study. The DECC-funded investigation is led by the British Geological Survey, and is being carried out as a collaboration with the Universities of Birmingham, Bristol, Liverpool, Manchester and York (National Centre for Atmospheric Science, NCAS) and Public Health England (PHE). The project incorporates work packages in monitoring of water quality, air quality and greenhouse gases, soil gas, ground motion and seismicity, and air radon and is being carried out over the period September 2015 to March 2016. Site selection is a critical consideration in setting up a monitoring programme as chosen sites need to be representative of conditions to be tested. While sites will necessarily be subject to practical constraints (land access agreements, existing infrastructure, geological conditions, cost implications etc), site selection has a large part to play in ensuring collection of quantifiable, unbiased data. This report sets out the rationale for site selection in each of the work packages and the steps taken to ensure defensible site-selection decisions and to minimise the impact of practical constraints

Area selection for diamonds using magnetotellurics : examples from southern Africa

Author Posting. © Elsevier B.V., 2009. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Elsevier B.V. for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Lithos 112 (2009): 83-92, doi:10.1016/j.lithos.2009.06.011.Southern Africa, particularly the Kaapvaal Craton, is one of the world’s best natural laboratories for studying the lithospheric mantle given the wealth of xenolith and seismic data that exist for it. The Southern African Magnetotelluric Experiment (SAMTEX) was launched to complement these databases and provide further constraints on physical parameters and conditions by obtaining information about electrical conductivity variations laterally and with depth. Initially it was planned to acquire magnetotelluric data on profiles spatially coincident with the Kaapvaal Seismic Experiment, however with the addition of seven more partners to the original four through the course of the experiment, SAMTEX was enlarged from two to four phases of acquisition, and extended to cover much of Botswana and Namibia. The complete SAMTEX dataset now comprises MT data from over 675 distinct locations in an area of over one million square kilometres, making SAMTEX the largest regional-scale MT experiment conducted to date. Preliminary images of electrical resistivity and electrical resistivity anisotropy at 100 km and 200 km, constructed through approximate one-dimensional methods, map resistive regions spatially correlated with the Kaapvaal, Zimbabwe and Angola Cratons, and more conductive regions spatially associated with the neighbouring mobile belts and the Rehoboth Terrain. Known diamondiferous kimberlites occur primarily on the boundaries between the resistive or isotropic regions and conductive or anisotropic regions. Comparisons between the resistivity image maps and seismic velocities from models constructed through surface wave and body wave tomography show spatial correlations between high velocity regions that are resistive, and low velocity regions that are conductive. In particular, the electrical resistivity of the sub-continental lithospheric mantle of the Kaapvaal Craton is determined by its bulk parameters, so is controlled by a bulk matrix property, namely temperature, and to a lesser degree by iron content and composition, and is not controlled by contributions from interconnected conducting minor phases, such as graphite, sulphides, iron oxides, hydrous minerals, etc. This makes quantitative correlations between velocity and resistivity valid, and a robust regression between the two gives an approximate relationship of Vs [m/s] = 0.045*log(resistivity [ohm.m]).We especially thank our academic funding sponsors; the Continental Dynamics programme of the U.S. National Science Foundation, the South African Department of Science and Technology, and Science Foundation Ireland

The effectiveness of varicocele embolisation for the treatment of varicocele related orchalgia

PURPOSE: Orchalgia is a common problem with varicoceles however the association between varicocele embolisation for the treatment of varicocele related pain has not been widely investigated. We aim to investigate the effectiveness of varicocele embolisation for the treatment of orchalgia secondary to varicoceles; and to see if pre-embolisation pain scores can be used to predict treatment outcomes. METHODS: A prospectively collected database of patients undergoing varicocele embolisation for pain was analysed over a 10-year period. Pain scores were assessed with a 10-point visual analogue score. Analgesia requirements and satisfaction scores were assessed with questionnaires. RESULTS: Total of 96 cases. Median age was 34 years old. Median pain scores reduced significantly following embolisation (p < 0.001). 74% had reduced pain (30% of these had resolution of pain), 24% had no change in symptoms and 1% had worsening pain. Those with moderate or severe pain had a reduction of pain in 81 and 79% of cases respectively, however 64% of cases with mild pain did not experience any benefit. We also noted a reduction in analgesia requirements and a median satisfaction score of 8/10. CONCLUSION: Primary varicocele embolisation can successfully reduce varicocele related orchalgia. It works best in those with moderate or severe pain. The majority of patients with mild pain may not experience any benefit so should be counseled appropriately. The classification of patients into those with mild, moderate or severe symptoms prior to embolisation should be done, so robust consenting can be performed