The Medical Kipling—Syphilis, Tabes Dorsalis, and Romberg's Test

Born of expatriate parents in Bombay, India, in 1865, Rudyard Kipling was the first English author to win the Nobel Prize for literature. He received this honor when he was not yet 42 years old. Indeed, Kipling’s career is remarkable for its precocious success. His collection of verse Departmental Ditties was published when he was 20 years old. When he first went to England in 1889, he was already a well-known writer

Hatfield Marine Science Center Dynamic Revetment Project DSL permit # 45455-FP: Monitoring Report, February 2015

Stabilization of the Yaquina Bay shoreline along the northeastern edge of the Hatfield Marine Science Center (HMSC) campus became necessary to halt erosion that threatened both HMSC critical infrastructure (seawater storage tank) and public access to the HMSC Nature Trail. A Dynamic Revetment (gravel beach) was installed in November, 2011 on 260 feet of shoreline to mitigate erosion. Shoreline topographic and biological monitoring was initiated before and has continued after the project completion. Monitoring of beach profiles indicated that as of January 2015, the 2011 Dynamic Revetment Project (DRP) has generally successfully stabilized the shoreline in the project area. Beach profile data also indicated that the 2007 DRP continued to be successful in stabilizing further retreat of the shoreline. In both areas, some loss of gravel at the top of the shore profile due to overtopping of the beach during highest tides was noted, and some additional placement of gravel at these locations is recommended. Rapid erosion has continued in the adjacent Reference beach area and over the period 2009-2015 has been as great as 11 m (36 ft). The erosion in the Reference area adjacent to the south end of new gravel beach appears entirely a function of antecedent erosion that is taking place along the entire length of this shore and is not related to any end effects associated with the expanded gravel beach. Monitoring of beach wrack invertebrates, fish, and vegetation was conducted in 2014. Per unit of beach wrack biomass, the density of wrack invertebrates was significantly greater in the DRP area as compared to both the 2007 DRP area and the Reference area. Total amount of beach wrack was much sparser in the Reference area because of vertical beach scarps generated by erosion that appeared to limit wrack accumulation. As has been a consistent pattern, fish were significantly more abundant in the Reference area compared to the DRP. However, this pattern was present in the pre-project sampling, and the Reference area may have a higher degree of physical habitat complexity, resulting from root masses of trees that have been eroded onto the shore. Chum salmon were recorded from both the DRP and Reference area in 2014 in approximately equal numbers. Preliminary assessment of fish using stationary GoPro® camera samples suggested that there is active fish usage of the DRP gravel shoreline. Sampling issues continue to be problematic for quantitative comparisons of fish abundance. As has consistently been observed, vegetation coverage was significantly greater and presence of non-living substrata was significantly less in the Reference area as compared to the DRP. These differences are consistent with pre-project site differences, probably resulting from a low area of the shoreline which allows increased flooding and associated disturbance in the DRP back shore area. Fish and wrack invertebrates, such as beach hoppers, continue to utilize the DRP project area. Biological differences in fish and vegetation observed in the post-project monitoring in 2014 tended to reflect differences in habitat that were present before the DRP project

Characterizations and comparison of low sulfur fuel oils compliant with 2020 global sulfur cap regulation for international shipping

© The Author(s), 2022. This article is distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License. The definitive version was published in Nelson, R. K., Scarlett, A. G., Gagnon, M. M., Holman, A. I., Reddy, C. M., Sutton, P. A., & Grice, K. Characterizations and comparison of low sulfur fuel oils compliant with 2020 global sulfur cap regulation for international shipping. Marine Pollution Bulletin, 180, (2022): 113791, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marpolbul.2022.113791.The International Marine Organization 2020 Global Sulfur Cap requires ships to burn fuels with <0.50% S and some countries require <0.10% S in certain Sulfur Emission Control Areas but little is known about these new types of fuels. Using both traditional GC–MS and more advanced chromatographic and mass spectrometry techniques, plus stable isotopic, δ13C and δ2H, analyses of pristane, phytane and n-alkanes, the organic components of a suite of three 0.50% S and three 0.10% S compliant fuels were characterized. Two oils were found to be near identical but all of the remaining oils could be forensically distinguished by comparison of their molecular biomarkers and by the profiles of the heterocyclic parent and alkylated homologues. Oils could also be differentiated by their δ13C and δ2H of n-alkanes and isoprenoids. This study provides important forensic data that may prove invaluable in the event of future oil spills.This research did not receive any specific grant from funding agencies in the public, commercial, or not-for-profit sectors. CMR and RKN were supported by the National Science Foundation (OCE-1634478 and OCE-1756242). GC × GC analysis support provided by WHOI's Investment in Science Fund

Parks Canada’s adaptation framework and workshop approach: Lessons learned across a diverse series of adaptation workshops

In 2017, the Canadian Parks Council Climate Change Working Group, a team of federal, provincial, and territorial representatives, developed a Climate Change Adaptation Framework for Parks and Protected Areas, guiding practitioners through a simple, effective five-step adaptation process. This framework was adapted by Parks Canada into a two-day adaptation workshop approach, with 11 workshops subsequently held from September 2017 to May 2019 at Parks Canada sites in the Yukon, Quebec, Manitoba, Alberta, Nova Scotia, British Columbia, Newfoundland, and Ontario. Lessons learned from each workshop have been integrated into the approach, with the development of tools and guidance for each phase of the process, and a shareable, visual “placemat” that describes each step of the framework, acting as a map for those navigating the process

Overestimates of Survival after HAART: Implications for Global Scale-Up Efforts

Background: Monitoring the effectiveness of global antiretroviral therapy scale-up efforts in resource-limited settings is a global health priority, but is complicated by high rates of losses to follow-up after treatment initiation. Determining definitive outcomes of these lost patients, and the effects of losses to follow-up on estimates of survival and risk factors for death after HAART, are key to monitoring the effectiveness of global HAART scale-up efforts. Methodology/Principal Findings: A cohort study comparing clinical outcomes and risk factors for death after HAART initiation as reported before and after tracing of patients lost to follow-up was conducted in Botswana's National Antiretroviral Therapy Program. 410 HIV-infected adults consecutively presenting for HAART were evaluated. The main outcome measures were death or loss to follow-up within the first year after HAART initiation. Of 68 patients initially categorized as lost, over half (58.8%) were confirmed dead after tracing. Patient tracing resulted in reporting of significantly lower survival rates when death was used as the outcome and losses to follow-up were censored [1-year Kaplan Meier survival estimate 0.92 (95% confidence interval, 0.88–0.94 before tracing and 0.83 (95% confidence interval, 0.79–0.86) after tracing, log rank P&lt;0.001]. In addition, a significantly increased risk of death after HAART among men [adjusted hazard ratio 1.74 (95% confidence interval, 1.05–2.87)] would have been missed had patients not been traced [adjusted hazard ratio 1.41 (95% confidence interval, 0.65–3.05)]. Conclusions/Significance: Due to high rates of death among patients lost to follow-up after HAART, survival rates may be inaccurate and important risk factors for death may be missed if patients are not actively traced. Patient tracing and uniform reporting of outcomes after HAART are needed to enable accurate monitoring of global HAART scale-up efforts

Quantitative X-ray diffraction phase analysis of poorly ordered nontronite clay in nickel laterites

Studies of the extraction of nickel from low-grade laterite ores require a much better quantitative understanding of the poorly ordered mineral phases present, including turbostratically disordered nontronite. Whole pattern refinements with nontronite X-ray diffraction data from a Western Australian nickel deposit (Bulong) using a nontronite lattice model (Pawley phase) with two space groups(P3 and C2/m) and a peaks phase group model were performed to improve the accuracy of quantitative X-ray diffraction of nickel laterite ore samples. Modifications were applied when building the new models to accommodate asymmetric peak shape and anisotropic peak broadening due to the turbostraticdisorder. Spherical harmonics were used as convolution factors to represent anisotropic crystal size and strain and asymmetric peak shape when using the lattice model. A peaks phase group model was also developed to fit the anisotropic peak broadening in the nontronite pattern. The quantitative resultsof the new Pawley phase and peaks phase group models were compared and verified with synthetic mixtures of nontronite, quartz and goethite simulating various West Australian laterite ore compositions. The models developed in this paper demonstrate adequate accuracy for quantification of nontronite in the synthesized reference materials and should be generally applicable toquantitative phase analysis of nontronite in nickel laterite ore samples

Hatfield Marine Science Center Dynamic Revetment Project DSL permit #45455-FP: Monitoring Report February 2014

Stabilization of the Yaquina Bay shoreline along the northeastern edge of the Hatfield Marine Science Center (HMSC) campus became necessary to halt erosion that threatened both HMSC critical infrastructure (seawater storage tank) and public access to the HMSC Nature Trail. A Dynamic Revetment (gravel beach) was installed in November, 2011 on 260 feet of shoreline to mitigate erosion. Shoreline topographic and biological monitoring was initiated before and has continued after the project completion. Monitoring of beach profiles indicated that as of December 2013, the 2011 Dynamic Revetment Project (DRP) has successfully stabilized the shoreline in the project area, while rapid erosion has continued in the adjacent Reference beach area. Erosion in the unprotected Reference area in the period 2009-2013 has been as great as 9.6 m (31.5 ft). Beach profile data also indicated that the 2007 DRP continued to be successful in stabilizing further retreat of the shoreline. Monitoring of birds and marine mammals was discontinued in 2013 as planned. Monitoring of beach wrack invertebrates, fish, and vegetation continued. Per unit of beach wrack biomass, there was no significant difference in density of wrack invertebrates among the three study areas. Total amount of beach wrack was much sparser in the Reference area because of vertical beach scarps generated by erosion that appeared to limit wrack accumulation. As has been a consistent pattern, fish were significantly more abundant in the Reference area compared to the DRP. However, this pattern was present in the pre-project sampling, and the Reference area may have a higher degree of physical habitat complexity, resulting from root masses of trees that have been eroded onto the shore. Bottom dwelling Pacific Staghorn Sculpin tended to be somewhat more evenly distributed between the DRP and Reference areas, while pelagic Shiner Perch tended to be found more in the Reference area. Vegetation coverage was significantly greater and presence of non-living substrata was significantly less in the Reference area as compared to the DRP. These differences are consistent with pre-project site differences, probably resulting from a low area of the shoreline which allows increased flooding and associated disturbance in the DRP back shore area. Fish and wrack invertebrates, such as beach hoppers, were shown to utilize the DRP project area. Biological differences in fish and vegetation observed in year 2 of post-project monitoring tended to reflect differences in habitat that were present before the DRP project

Control of tumor size and disease activity during cotreatment with octreotide and the growth hormone receptor antagonist pegvisomant in an acromegalic patient

We describe the case of an acromegalic subject, who was the first patient ever treated with the GH receptor antagonist pegvisomant. Furthermore, in this particular patient, progression in tumor size was encountered during treatment with pegvisomant. The patient described did benefit from cotreatment with pegvisomant and octreotide, including decreased GH levels, normalization of serum insulin-like growth factor I concentrations, and improvement of visual field defects

Epidemiology of Non-small Cell Lung Cancer in Asian Americans: Incidence Patterns Among Six Subgroups by Nativity

BackgroundDifferences in the epidemiology of lung cancer between Asians and non-Hispanic whites have brought to light the relative influences of genetic and environmental factors on lung cancer risk. We set out to describe the epidemiology of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) among Asians living in California, and to explore the effects of acculturation on lung cancer risk by comparing lung cancer rates between U.S.-born and foreign-born Asians.MethodsAge-adjusted incidence rates of NSCLC were calculated for Chinese, Filipino, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, and South Asians in California between 1988 and 2003 using data from the California Cancer Registry. Incidence rates were calculated and stratified by sex and nativity. We analyzed population-based tobacco smoking prevalence data to determine whether differences in rates were associated with prevalence of tobacco smoking.ResultsAsians have overall lower incidence rates of NSCLC compared with whites (29.8 and 57.7 per 100,000, respectively). South Asians have markedly low rates of NSCLC (12.0 per 100,000). Foreign-born Asian men and women have an approximately 35% higher rate of NSCLC than U.S.-born Asian men and women. The incidence pattern by nativity is consistent with the population prevalence of smoking among Asian men; however, among women, the prevalence of smoking is higher among U.S.-born, which is counter to their incidence patterns.ConclusionsForeign-born Asians have a higher rate of NSCLC than U.S.-born Asians, which may be due to environmental tobacco smoke or nontobacco exposures among women. South Asians have a remarkably low rate of NSCLC that approaches white levels among the U.S.-born. More studies with individual-level survey data are needed to identify the specific environmental factors associated with differential lung cancer risk occurring with acculturation among Asians

CO2 Sensitivity of Southern Ocean Phytoplankton

The Southern Ocean exerts a strong impact on marine biogeochemical cycles and global air-sea CO2 fluxes. Over the coming century, large increases in surface ocean CO2 levels, combined with increased upper water column temps. and stratification, are expected to diminish Southern Ocean CO2 uptake. These effects could be significantly modulated by concomitant CO2-dependent changes in the region\u27s biol. carbon pump. Here we show that CO2 concentrations affect the physiology, growth and species composition. of phytoplankton assemblages in the Ross Sea, Antarctica. Field results from in situ sampling and ship-board incubation experiments demonstrate that inorganic carbon uptake, steady-state productivity and diatom species composition are sensitive to CO2 concentrations ranging from 100 to 800 ppm. Elevated CO2 led to a measurable increase in phytoplankton productivity, promoting the growth of larger chain-forming diatoms. Our results suggest that CO2 concentrations can influence biological carbon cycling in the Southern Ocean, thereby creating potential climate feedbacks