Comparisons of mortality and pre-discharge respiratory outcomes in small-for-gestational-age and appropriate-for-gestational-age premature infants

BACKGROUND: There are differences in the literature regarding outcomes of premature small-for-gestational-age (SGA) and appropriate-for gestational-age (AGA) infants, possibly due to failure to take into account gestational age at birth. OBJECTIVE: To compare mortality and respiratory morbidity of SGA and AGA premature newborn infants. DESIGN/METHODS: A retrospective study was done of the 2,487 infants born without congenital anomalies at ≤36 weeks of gestation and admitted to the neonatal intensive care unit (NICU) at John Dempsey Hospital, between Jan. 1992 and Dec. 1999. Recent (1994–96) U.S. birth weight percentiles for gestational age (GA), race and gender were used to classify neonates as SGA (<10th percentile for GA) or AGA (10(th)–90th percentile for GA). Using multivariate logistic regression and survival analyses to control for GA, SGA and AGA infants were compared for mortality and respiratory morbidity. RESULTS: Controlling for GA, premature SGA infants were at a higher risk for mortality (Odds ratio 3.1, P = 0.001) and at lower risk of respiratory distress syndrome (OR = 0.71, p = 0.02) than AGA infants. However multivariate logistic regression modeling found that the odds of having respiratory distress syndrome (RDS) varied between SGA and AGA infants by GA. There was no change in RDS risk in SGA infants at GA ≤ 32 wk (OR = 1.27, 95% CI 0.32 – 1.98) but significantly decreased risk for RDS at GA > 32 wk (OR = 0.41, 95% CI 0.27 – 0.63; p < 0.01). After controlling for GA, SGA infants were observed to be at a significantly higher risk for developing chronic lung disease as compared to AGA infants (OR = 2.2, 95% CI = 1.2 – 3.9, P = 0.01). There was no significant difference between SGA and AGA infants in total days on ventilator. Among infants who survived, mean length of hospital stay was significantly higher in SGA infants born between 26–36 wks GA than AGA infants. CONCLUSIONS: Premature SGA infants have significantly higher mortality, significantly higher risk of developing chronic lung disease and longer hospital stay as compared to premature AGA infants. Even the reduced risk of RDS in infants born at ≥32 wk GA, (conferred possibly by intra-uterine stress leading to accelerated lung maturation) appears to be of transient effect and is counterbalanced by adverse effects of poor intrauterine growth on long term pulmonary outcomes such as chronic lung disease

Mitochondrial Control Region and microsatellite analyses on harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) unravel population differentiation in the Baltic Sea and adjacent waters

The population status of the harbour porpoise (Phocoena phocoena) in the Baltic area has been a continuous matter of debate. Here we present the by far most comprehensive genetic population structure assessment to date for this region, both with regard to geographic coverage and sample size: 497 porpoise samples from North Sea, Skagerrak, Kattegat, Belt Sea, and Inner Baltic Sea were sequenced at the mitochondrial Control Region and 305 of these specimens were typed at 15 polymorphic microsatellite loci. Samples were stratified according to sample type (stranding vs. by-caught), sex, and season (breeding vs. non-breeding season). Our data provide ample evidence for a population split between the Skagerrak and the Belt Sea, with a transition zone in the Kattegat area. Among other measures, this was particularly visible in significant frequency shifts of the most abundant mitochondrial haplotypes. A particular haplotype almost absent in the North Sea was the most abundant in Belt Sea and Inner Baltic Sea. Microsatellites yielded a similar pattern (i.e., turnover in occurrence of clusters identified by STRUCTURE). Moreover, a highly significant association between microsatellite assignment and unlinked mitochondrial haplotypes further indicates a split between North Sea and Baltic porpoises. For the Inner Baltic Sea, we consistently recovered a small, but significant separation from the Belt Sea population. Despite recent arguments that separation should exceed a predefined threshold before populations shall be managed separately, we argue in favour of precautionary acknowledging the Inner Baltic porpoises as a separate management unit, which should receive particular attention, as it is threatened by various factors, in particular local fishery measures. © Springer Science+Business Media B.V. 2009

Hearing in cetaceans : from natural history to experimental biology

Author Posting. © The Author(s), 2012. This is the author's version of the work. It is posted here by permission of Elsevier for personal use, not for redistribution. The definitive version was published in Advances in Marine Biology 63, edited by Michael Lesser, :197-246. Academic Press (Elsevier), 2013. ISBN: 9780123942821. doi:10.1016/B978-0-12-394282-1.00004-1Sound is the primary sensory cue for most marine mammals, and this is especially true for cetaceans. To passively and actively acquire information about their environment, cetaceans have perhaps the most derived ears of all mammals, capable of sophisticated, sensitive hearing and auditory processing. These capabilities have developed for survival in an underwater world where sound travels five times faster than in air, and where light is quickly attenuated and often limited at depth, at night, and in murky waters. Cetacean auditory evolution has capitalized on the ubiquity of sound cues and the efficiency of underwater acoustic communication. The sense of hearing is central to cetacean sensory ecology, enabling vital behaviors such as locating prey, detecting predators, identifying conspecifics, and navigating. Increasing levels of anthropogenic ocean noise appears to influence many of these activities. Here we describe the historical progress of investigations on cetacean hearing, with a particular focus on odontocetes and recent advancements. While this broad topic has been studied for several centuries, new technologies in the last two decades have been leveraged to improve our understanding of a wide range of taxa, including some of the most elusive species. This paper addresses topics including how sounds are received, what sounds are detected, hearing mechanisms for complex acoustic scenes, recent anatomy and physiology studies, the potential impacts of noise, and mysticete hearing. We conclude by identifying emerging research topics and areas which require greater focus.In compiling this review, TAM was supported by the John E. and Anne W. Sawyer Endowed Fund and the Penzance Endowed Fund

Onderzoekingen over de ontwikkeling van de anthere, van den zaadknop en van het zaad bij beta vulgaris l.

Applied Science

Joint-free quay walls in high performance concrete: A feasibility study

A feasibility study has been started with respect to the joint-free exectution of quay walls in high-performance concrete. This feasibility study has the purpose of looking for faster means of building quay walls. The use of high performance concrete is an excellent material for a faster execution of the superstructure of quay walls. The strength development of the material is significantly higher then normal concrete, which allows for faster dismantling of the casing. To further improve the building speed it's been proposed to broaden the study with the subject of joint-free execution. This means there will be no contraction joints anymore in the concrete upper structure of the quay walls, which allows for a continuous execution of the superstructure. As a reference project the quay wall of ECT (Europe Container Terminal) has been chosen. A reference project is chosen to allow for a comparison between the new and the old design. The superstructure has been redesigned in high performance concrete without the use of contraction joints. The substructure stayed the same to allow for a comparison between only the superstructures. The first problem faced was the temperature induced deformation of the superstructure. The foundation (the substructure) was unable to withstand these new forces, causing them to fail in certain cases. The main item here was the increased length of the quay wall when the concrete got warmer. To disable the influence of the elongation of the superstructure with respect to the loads on the substructure a slide bearing has been designed between the superstructure and the substructure. This allows the superstructure to elongate without causing any harmful loads on the substructure. The only adjustment in the design was the relocation of the strain element (the MV-pole) from the superstructure to the substructure. Furthermore the superstructure has to be made from fibre-reinforced concrete. This has to be done to make the concrete strong enough to withstand the extra strains, caused by the joint free execution. When at the end the two designs (the old one and the new one) were compared it showed a slight profit for the new design of 200.000 euro. Compared to the overall costs of 24 Million euro of the project this was a small profit. More economical profit could be gained when the used concrete mixtures will be cheaper. The price of the concrete made up for a large proportion of the loss-factor, so cheaper concrete would increase the overall profit significantly.Civil Engineering and Geoscience

Voegloze Kademuren in Hogesterktebeton

Om een beter inzicht te krijgen naar de toepassingen van hogesterktebeton (HSB) bij de uitvoering van kademuren is er een haalbaarheidsstudie gestart. Deze bekijkt de mogelijkheden van het voegloos uitvoeren van de betonnen bovenbouw van kademuren in HSB. Als eerste is er gekeken naar de opbouw van kademuren. De verschillende onderdelen waaruit een kademuur is opgebouwd zijn geanalyseerd en ingedeeld naar functie. Er zijn een aantal verschillende typen kademuren genomen en er is gekeken voor welk type kademuur het aantrekkelijk zou zijn om deze uit te voeren in HSB.WaterbouwkundeCivil Engineering and Geoscience