New Continuous Monitoring Technologies for Vapor Intrusion,

Typically, site investigation is carried out by using handheld or transportable field instruments coupled with offsite lab analyses. When using field instruments, the data generated represents a snapshot in time and space. Often, as with a PID or FID, data is presented as a total of contaminates present at that time and place. More sophisticated field equipment such as GC/MS can provide speciation, but still suffer from poor spatial and temporal resolution. As an alternative, investigators can choose methods such as Summa canisters that sample for a fixed period, say 24 hours, followed by lab analysis. The data generated provides speciation but the concentrations represent an average for the sampling period. Investigators are aware that environmental conditions such as pressure, temperature, water level and air movement substantially affect concentrations on a range of timescales, therefore uncertainty will always exist when using methods that lack temporal resolution. The presentation describes instrumentation that provides real time continuous data both down hole and ambient for multiple parameters such as VOCs, methane, oxygen, carbon dioxide, hydrogen sulfide and carbon monoxide together with atmospheric and borehole pressure. Data is presented from field work carried out by, among other, the Maine DEP, for applications such as vapor intrusion, recovery well monitoring and landfill gas migration. A comparison between spot sampling and continuous monitoring raises questions about the value of limited spot sampling

Modelling growth, recruitment and mortality to describe and simulate dynamics of subtropical rainforests following different levels of disturbance

The capacity of rainforests to recover from logging disturbance is difficult to model due to the compounding interactions between long-term disturbance effects, natural dynamics, site characteristics and tree species regeneration strategies. The aim of this study was to develop a quantitative model using over three decades of data from stands subjected to various levels of disturbance ranging from natural, through increasing intensities of tree removal to intensive logging. Data for trees >10 cm diameter at 1.3 m above the ground (dbh) in subtropical rainforest of north-east New South Wales, Australia were used. Botanical identity of trees at species level, species-specific shade tolerance and size at maturity were used to classify 117 species into five groups. These groups include the emergent and shade tolerant main canopy species, shade tolerant mid canopy species, shade tolerant understorey species, moderate shade tolerant species, and shade intolerant tree species. Multilevel nonlinear regression was used to estimate growth, recruitment and mortality parameters, based on the assumption of variations in tree species performance at both the plot and tree levels. The species group, tree size and competition from larger trees accounted for most variation at the tree level. Significant stand level variables included topography (elevation, slope and aspect), stand basal area, and time since the disturbance. The final model is a classical matrix management-oriented model with an ecological basis and maximum size-dependent parameters of ingrowth and outgrowth. The model provides a tool to simulate stand performance after logging and to assess silvicultural prescriptions before they are applied. Simulations with estimated parameters indicate that moderate harvesting (47% overstorey basal area (BA) removal) in a checkerboard of logged and unlogged patches (group selection) on a 120-year cycle could enable sustainable timber production without compromising the ecological integrity in these rainforests. This is due to reduced logging damage in group selection, which also released retained stems and facilitated recruitment of both shade tolerant and intolerant trees. Single-tree selection (35% BA removal) created small canopy gaps that resulted in low recruitment, a slight increase in the growth of retained stems and recovery time of 150 years. Intensive single-tree selection (50% BA removal) resulted in high logging damage that increased recovery time to 180 years. Intensive logging (65-80% BA removal) decreased the stem density and created larger canopy gaps allowing for high growth rates and recruitment of both shade tolerant and intolerant trees. However, few retained stems and high mortality of recruits, increased the recovery time to 180-220 years. Pre-harvest climber cutting coupled with poisoning of nontimber species followed by logging could allow harvesting on a 300-year cycle. Shorter logging cycles may lead to changes in species composition as well as in the forest structure

Evaluating the incidence of hydrological processes during site formation through orientation analysis. A case study of the middle Palaeolithic Lakeland site of Neumark-Nord 2 (Germany)

Lacustrine localitieswere attractive environments for Palaeolithic hominins, since they provide a large and broad spectrumof resources. Moreover, they are excellent archives that allowfor high-resolution environmental, chronological and archaeological analyses. However, these deposits are often subject to complex formation and postdepositional factors, including water-related processes. Evaluating the influence of hydrological processes in site formation is thus essential to more accurately reconstruct the duration, intensity and types of hominin behaviour within these environments. In this paperwe present the orientation analysis of archaeological material from the Last Interglacial site Neumark-Nord 2, Germany. Orientation analysis was done using GIS to calculate the orientation of artefact from digital plans of the excavation surface, which were subsequently tested using circular statistics. The results of the orientation analysis are compared with a hydrological model to check the relation between preferred orientations and reconstructed areas of water flow and accumulation. Results suggest that low-energy hydrological processes could have affected certain areas of the find-bearing deposits at Neumark-Nord 2 but, overall, there is no evidence for either high-energy hydrological processes or a significant movement of parts of the archaeological assemblage.The project “Interglacial landscapes and Neanderthal adaptations in the Neumark-Nord region (Saxony-Anhalt)” is funded by the Deutsche Forchungsgemeinschaft (DFG) (GA 683/9-1)

Derivation of a clinical decision guide in the diagnosis of cervical facet joint pain

Objective To derive a clinical decision guide (CDG) to identify patients best suited for cervical diagnostic facet joint blocks. Design Prospective cohort study. Setting Pain management center. Participants Consecutive patients with neck pain (N=125) referred to an interventional pain management center were approached to participate. Interventions Subjects underwent a standardized testing protocol, performed by a physiotherapist, prior to receiving diagnostic facet joint blocks. All subjects received the reference standard diagnostic facet joint block protocol, namely controlled medial branch blocks (MBBs). The physicians performing the MBBs were blinded to the local anesthetic used and findings of the clinical tests. Main Outcome Measures Multivariate regression analyses were performed in the derivation of the CDGs. Sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative likelihood ratios, and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated for the index tests and CDGs. Results A CDG involving the findings of the manual spinal examination (MSE), palpation for segmental tenderness (PST), and extension-rotation (ER) test demonstrated a specificity of 84% (95% CI, 77-90) and a positive likelihood ratio of 4.94 (95% CI, 2.8-8.2). Sensitivity of the PST and MSE were 94% (95% CI, 90-98) and 92% (95% CI, 88-97), respectively. Negative findings on the PST were associated with a negative likelihood ratio of.08 (95% CI,.03-.24). Conclusions MSE, PST, and ER may be useful tests in identifying patients suitable for diagnostic facet joint blocks. Further research is needed to validate the CDGs prior to their routine use in clinical practice

Middle Pleistocene protein sequences from the rhinoceros genus Stephanorhinus and the phylogeny of extant and extinct Middle/Late Pleistocene Rhinocerotidae

Background: Ancient protein sequences are increasingly used to elucidate the phylogenetic relationships between extinct and extant mammalian taxa. Here, we apply these recent developments to Middle Pleistocene bone specimens of the rhinoceros genus Stephanorhinus. No biomolecular sequence data is currently available for this genus, leaving phylogenetic hypotheses on its evolutionary relationships to extant and extinct rhinoceroses untested. Furthermore, recent phylogenies based on Rhinocerotidae (partial or complete) mitochondrial DNA sequences differ in the placement of the Sumatran rhinoceros (Dicerorhinus sumatrensis). Therefore, studies utilising ancient protein sequences from Middle Pleistocene contexts have the potential to provide further insights into the phylogenetic relationships between extant and extinct species, including Stephanorhinus and Dicerorhinus. Methods: ZooMS screening (zooarchaeology by mass spectrometry) was performed on several Late and Middle Pleistocene specimens from the genus Stephanorhinus, subsequently followed by liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) to obtain ancient protein sequences from a Middle Pleistocene Stephanorhinus specimen.We performed parallel analysis on a Late Pleistocene woolly rhinoceros specimen and extant species of rhinoceroses, resulting in the availability of protein sequence data for five extant species and two extinct genera. Phylogenetic analysis additionally included all extant Perissodactyla genera (Equus, Tapirus), and was conducted using Bayesian (MrBayes) and maximum-likelihood (RAxML) methods. Results: Various ancient proteins were identified in both the Middle and Late Pleistocene rhinoceros samples. Protein degradation and proteome complexity are consistent with an endogenous origin of the identified proteins. Phylogenetic analysis of informative proteins resolved the Perissodactyla phylogeny in agreement with previous studies in regards to the placement of the families Equidae, Tapiridae, and Rhinocerotidae. Stephanorhinus is shown to be most closely related to the genera Coelodonta and Dicerorhinus. The protein sequence data further places the Sumatran rhino in a clade together with the genus Rhinoceros, opposed to forming a clade with the black and white rhinoceros species. Discussion: The first biomolecular dataset available for Stephanorhinus places this genus together with the extinct genus Coelodonta and the extant genus Dicerorhinus. This is in agreement with morphological studies, although we are unable to resolve the order of divergence between these genera based on the protein sequences available. Our data supports the placement of the genus Dicerorhinus in a clade together with extant Rhinoceros species. Finally, the availability of protein sequence data for both extinct European rhinoceros genera allows future investigations into their geographic distribution and extinction chronologies.The project “Hominin subsistence strategies during the Middle Pleistocene in Scho¨ningen” is a co-operation between Monrepos Archaeological Research Centre and Museum for Human Behavioural Evolution (RGZM), Johannes Gutenberg-Universita¨t Mainz, and the Niedersa¨chsisches Landesamt fu¨r Denkmalpflege, supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (GA 683/9-1). This research was supported financially by the Max Planck Society. The funders had no role in study design, data collection and analysis, decision to publish, or preparation of the manuscript