A Tale of Two Spills: Novel Science and Policy Implications of an Emerging New Oil Spill Model

The 2010 Deepwater Horizon oil release posed the challenges of two types of spill: a familiar spill characterized by buoyant oil, fouling and killing organisms at the sea surface and eventually grounding on and damaging sensitive shoreline habitats, and a novel deepwater spill involving many unknowns. The subsurface retention of oil as finely dispersed droplets and emulsions, wellhead injection of dispersants, and deepwater retention of plumes of natural gas undergoing rapid microbial degradation were unprecedented and demanded the development of a new model for deepwater well blowouts that includes subsurface consequences. Existing governmental programs and policies had not anticipated this new theater of impacts, which thereby challenged decisionmaking on the spill response, on the assessment of natural resource damages, on the preparation for litigation to achieve compensation for public trust losses, and on restoration. Modification of laws and policies designed to protect and restore ocean resources is needed in order to accommodate oil drilling in the deep sea and other frontiers.Keywords: Ecosystem, Petroleum, Deep water horizon, Gulf of Mexico, BlowoutKeywords: Ecosystem, Petroleum, Deep water horizon, Gulf of Mexico, Blowou

A systematic review of psychological interventions in total hip and knee arthroplasty

Abstract Background The current practice in elective orthopaedics does not routinely include psychological interventions despite evidence that psychological factors such as personality, anxiety, depression and negative thinking styles can influence outcomes and recovery from surgery. The objective of this paper was to review the effectiveness of psychological interventions used in conjunction with total hip (THA) and knee arthroplasty (TKA), in improving patient reported joint outcomes. Methods An extensive literature search was conducted according to Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses guidelines. Search terms included psychology, interventions, and orthopaedics. Articles were included if they were randomised controlled trials (RCTs) of psychological interventions involving active patient participation measured with patient reported joint outcomes in patients undergoing hip or knee arthroplasty. Results A total of 19,489 titles were screened. Seven studies met the inclusion criteria and were included. Five of seven studies did not show improvements in patient reported outcomes after surgery. Specifically, psycho-education alone was not effective at improving patient reported joint outcomes in two out of two studies. Conclusion The current literature does not support routine psychological interventions for TKA and THA. However, it should be noted that the literature for psychological interventions in conjunction with TKA and THA is still in its infancy. This gap in the literature is surprising, considering the importance of the role of psychological factors in recovery. Further RCTs with long term follow ups, multidisciplinary involvement, and more comprehensive and focused interventions that go beyond educating patients are needed. Future studies should account for the demand effect, include measures of psychological variables to determine whether psychological interventions are more beneficial for some patients compared to others, and compare the different modes of delivery and timing of interventions to determine the optimal nature and duration of psychological interventions for TKA and THA

Pathways to criminalization for street involved youth who use illicit substances : [infographic]

This infographic is based on the following article : Boyd, J., Fast, D., & Small, W. (2016). Pathways to criminalization for street-involved youth who use illicit substances. Critical Public Health, 26(5), 530–541. This undergraduate student work is a product of a collaboration between the Making Research Accessible initiative (MRAi), researchers, Dr. Kirby Mania and the students of ASTU 100 at UBC. This student work has been reviewed by the lead author of the original item. Revisions provided by the lead author have been incorporated into the student work with support from the UBC Learning Exchange and members of the MRAi. The reader should bear in mind that this is a student research project/report and is not an official document of UBC.Arts, Faculty ofUnreviewedUndergraduat

Poor correlation between biomarkers and MRI-detected joint damage in a cross-sectional study of persons with nonsevere hemophilia A (DYNAMO study)

Background: Persons with nonsevere hemophilia A (NSHA) experience less frequent joint bleeding than persons with severe hemophilia A, but may still develop joint damage. Biomarkers of cartilage and synovial remodeling can reflect ongoing pathologic processes that may precede or coincide with damage on joint imaging. If so, biomarkers may be an important diagnostic tool for joint damage in NSHA. Objective: To assess the correlation between biomarkers and MRI-detected joint damage in persons with NSHA. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, men with NSHA (factor VIII [FVIII], 2-35 IU/dL) were included. Participants underwent magnetic resonance imaging of elbows, knees, and ankles and blood and urine sampling for biomarker analysis on a single visit. The following biomarker(s) were analyzed in urine: CTX-II or serum: cartilage oligomeric matrix protein, chondroitin sulfate 846, vascular cell adhesion molecule 1, osteopontin (OPN), neo-epitope of MMP -mediated degradation of type II collagen, N-terminal propeptide of type II collagen, collagen type IV M, and propetide of type IV collagen. Spearman's rank correlations were calculated between these biomarkers and the total International Prophylaxis Study group (IPSG) score, soft-tissue subscore, and osteochondral subscore.Results: In total, 48 persons with NSHA were included. Median age was 43 years (range, 24-55 years) and median FVIII was 10 IU/dL (IQR, 4-16 IU/dL). The median IPSG score was 4 (IQR, 2-9). Median IPSG soft-tissue subscores were 3 (IQR, 2-4) and osteochondral subscores were 0 (IQR, 0-4). No strong correlations were found between the studied biomarkers, total IPSG score, subsequent soft-tissue, and osteochondral subscores. Conclusions: In this study, selected biomarkers indicative of different aspects of hemophilic arthropathy showed no consistent correlation with IPSG scores. This suggests that systemically measured biomarkers are currently not suitable for identifying milder joint damage in NSHA, as observed on magnetic resonance imaging.</p

Poor correlation between biomarkers and MRI-detected joint damage in a cross-sectional study of persons with nonsevere hemophilia A (DYNAMO study)

Background: Persons with nonsevere hemophilia A (NSHA) experience less frequent joint bleeding than persons with severe hemophilia A, but may still develop joint damage. Biomarkers of cartilage and synovial remodeling can reflect ongoing pathologic processes that may precede or coincide with damage on joint imaging. If so, biomarkers may be an important diagnostic tool for joint damage in NSHA. Objective: To assess the correlation between biomarkers and MRI-detected joint damage in persons with NSHA. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, men with NSHA (factor VIII [FVIII], 2-35 IU/dL) were included. Participants underwent magnetic resonance imaging of elbows, knees, and ankles and blood and urine sampling for biomarker analysis on a single visit. The following biomarker(s) were analyzed in urine: CTX-II or serum: cartilage oligomeric matrix protein, chondroitin sulfate 846, vascular cell adhesion molecule 1, osteopontin (OPN), neo-epitope of MMP -mediated degradation of type II collagen, N-terminal propeptide of type II collagen, collagen type IV M, and propetide of type IV collagen. Spearman's rank correlations were calculated between these biomarkers and the total International Prophylaxis Study group (IPSG) score, soft-tissue subscore, and osteochondral subscore.Results: In total, 48 persons with NSHA were included. Median age was 43 years (range, 24-55 years) and median FVIII was 10 IU/dL (IQR, 4-16 IU/dL). The median IPSG score was 4 (IQR, 2-9). Median IPSG soft-tissue subscores were 3 (IQR, 2-4) and osteochondral subscores were 0 (IQR, 0-4). No strong correlations were found between the studied biomarkers, total IPSG score, subsequent soft-tissue, and osteochondral subscores. Conclusions: In this study, selected biomarkers indicative of different aspects of hemophilic arthropathy showed no consistent correlation with IPSG scores. This suggests that systemically measured biomarkers are currently not suitable for identifying milder joint damage in NSHA, as observed on magnetic resonance imaging.</p

Poor correlation between biomarkers and MRI-detected joint damage in a cross-sectional study of persons with nonsevere hemophilia A (DYNAMO study)

Background: Persons with nonsevere hemophilia A (NSHA) experience less frequent joint bleeding than persons with severe hemophilia A, but may still develop joint damage. Biomarkers of cartilage and synovial remodeling can reflect ongoing pathologic processes that may precede or coincide with damage on joint imaging. If so, biomarkers may be an important diagnostic tool for joint damage in NSHA. Objective: To assess the correlation between biomarkers and MRI-detected joint damage in persons with NSHA. Methods: In a cross-sectional study, men with NSHA (factor VIII [FVIII], 2-35 IU/dL) were included. Participants underwent magnetic resonance imaging of elbows, knees, and ankles and blood and urine sampling for biomarker analysis on a single visit. The following biomarker(s) were analyzed in urine: CTX-II or serum: cartilage oligomeric matrix protein, chondroitin sulfate 846, vascular cell adhesion molecule 1, osteopontin (OPN), neo-epitope of MMP -mediated degradation of type II collagen, N-terminal propeptide of type II collagen, collagen type IV M, and propetide of type IV collagen. Spearman's rank correlations were calculated between these biomarkers and the total International Prophylaxis Study group (IPSG) score, soft-tissue subscore, and osteochondral subscore. Results: In total, 48 persons with NSHA were included. Median age was 43 years (range, 24-55 years) and median FVIII was 10 IU/dL (IQR, 4-16 IU/dL). The median IPSG score was 4 (IQR, 2-9). Median IPSG soft-tissue subscores were 3 (IQR, 2-4) and osteochondral subscores were 0 (IQR, 0-4). No strong correlations were found between the studied biomarkers, total IPSG score, subsequent soft-tissue, and osteochondral subscores. Conclusions: In this study, selected biomarkers indicative of different aspects of hemophilic arthropathy showed no consistent correlation with IPSG scores. This suggests that systemically measured biomarkers are currently not suitable for identifying milder joint damage in NSHA, as observed on magnetic resonance imaging