Performance of a reciprocal shaker in mechanical dispersion of soil samples for particle-size analysis

The dispersion of the samples in soil particle-size analysis is a fundamental step, which is commonly achieved with a combination of chemical agents and mechanical agitation. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the efficiency of a low-speed reciprocal shaker for the mechanical dispersion of soil samples of different textural classes. The particle size of 61 soil samples was analyzed in four replications, using the pipette method to determine the clay fraction and sieving to determine coarse, fine and total sand fractions. The silt content was obtained by difference. To evaluate the performance, the results of the reciprocal shaker (RSh) were compared with data of the same soil samples available in reports of the Proficiency testing for Soil Analysis Laboratories of the Agronomic Institute of Campinas (Prolab/IAC). The accuracy was analyzed based on the maximum and minimum values defining the confidence intervals for the particle-size fractions of each soil sample. Graphical indicators were also used for data comparison, based on dispersion and linear adjustment. The descriptive statistics indicated predominantly low variability in more than 90 % of the results for sand, medium-textured and clay samples, and for 68 % of the results for heavy clay samples, indicating satisfactory repeatability of measurements with the RSh. Medium variability was frequently associated with silt, followed by the fine sand fraction. The sensitivity analyses indicated an accuracy of 100 % for the three main separates (total sand, silt and clay), in all 52 samples of the textural classes heavy clay, clay and medium. For the nine sand soil samples, the average accuracy was 85.2 %; highest deviations were observed for the silt fraction. In relation to the linear adjustments, the correlation coefficients of 0.93 (silt) or > 0.93 (total sand and clay), as well as the differences between the angular coefficients and the unit < 0.16, indicated a high correlation between the reference data (Prolab/IAC) and results obtained with the RSh. In conclusion, the mechanical dispersion by the reciprocal shaker of soil samples of different textural classes was satisfactory. The results allowed recommending the use of the equipment at low agitation for particle size- analysis. The advantages of this Brazilian apparatus are its low cost, the possibility to simultaneously analyze a great number of samples using ordinary, easily replaceable glass or plastic bottles.

Comparison between detailed digital and conventional soil maps of an area with complex geology

Since different pedologists will draw different soil maps of a same area, it is important to compare the differences between mapping by specialists and mapping techniques, as for example currently intensively discussed Digital Soil Mapping. Four detailed soil maps (scale 1:10.000) of a 182-ha sugarcane farm in the county of Rafard, São Paulo State, Brazil, were compared. The area has a large variation of soil formation factors. The maps were drawn independently by four soil scientists and compared with a fifth map obtained by a digital soil mapping technique. All pedologists were given the same set of information. As many field expeditions and soil pits as required by each surveyor were provided to define the mapping units (MUs). For the Digital Soil Map (DSM), spectral data were extracted from Landsat 5 Thematic Mapper (TM) imagery as well as six terrain attributes from the topographic map of the area. These data were summarized by principal component analysis to generate the map designs of groups through Fuzzy K-means clustering. Field observations were made to identify the soils in the MUs and classify them according to the Brazilian Soil Classification System (BSCS). To compare the conventional and digital (DSM) soil maps, they were crossed pairwise to generate confusion matrices that were mapped. The categorical analysis at each classification level of the BSCS showed that the agreement between the maps decreased towards the lower levels of classification and the great influence of the surveyor on both the mapping and definition of MUs in the soil map. The average correspondence between the conventional and DSM maps was similar. Therefore, the method used to obtain the DSM yielded similar results to those obtained by the conventional technique, while providing additional information about the landscape of each soil, useful for applications in future surveys of similar areas.

USE OF SCALED SEMIVARIOGRAMS IN THE PLANNING SAMPLE OF SOIL PHYSICAL PROPERTIES IN SOUTHERN AMAZONAS, BRAZIL

There is a great lack of information from soil surveys in the southern part of the State of Amazonas, Brazil. The use of tools such as geostatistics may improve environmental planning, use and management. In this study, we aimed to use scaled semivariograms in sample design of soil physical properties of some environments in Amazonas. We selected five areas located in the south of the state of Amazonas, Brazil, with varied soil uses, such as forest, archaeological dark earth (ADE), pasture, sugarcane cropping, and agroforestry. Regular mesh grids were set up in these areas with 64 sample points spaced at 10 m from each other. At these points, we determined the particle size composition, soil resistance to penetration, moisture, soil bulk density and particle density, macroporosity, microporosity, total porosity, and aggregate stability in water at a depth of 0.00-0.20 m. Descriptive and geostatistical analyses were performed. The sample density requirements were lower in the pasture area but higher in the forest. We concluded that managed-environments had differences in their soil physical properties compared to the natural forest; notably, the soil in the ADE environment is physically improved in relation to the others. The physical properties evaluated showed a structure of spatial dependence with a slight variability of the forest compared to the others. The use of the range parameter of the semivariogram analysis proved to be effective in determining an ideal sample density.

MORPHOLOGICAL AND MICROMORPHOLOGICAL CHANGES IN THE STRUCTURE OF A RHODIC HAPLUDOX AS A RESULT OF AGRICULTURAL MANAGEMENT

In evaluation of soil quality for agricultural use, soil structure is one of the most important properties, which is influenced not only by climate, biological activity, and management practices but also by mechanical and physico-chemical forces acting in the soil. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the influence of conventional agricultural management on the structure and microstructure of a Latossolo Vermelho distroférrico típico (Rhodic Hapludox) in an experimental area planted to maize. Soil morphology was described using the crop profile method by identifying the distinct structural volumes called Morphologically Homogeneous Units (MHUs). For comparison, we also described a profile in an adjacent area without agricultural use and under natural regrowth referred to as Memory. We took undisturbed samples from the main MHUs so as to form thin sections and blocks of soil for micromorphological and micromorphometrical analyses. Results from the application of the crop profile method showed the occurrence of the following structural types: loose (L), fragmented (F) and continuous (C) in both profiles analyzed. In the Memory soil profile, the fragmented structures were classified as Fptμ∆+tf and Fmt∆μ, whose micromorphology shows an enaulic-porphyric (porous) relative distribution with a great deal of biological activity as indicated by the presence of vughs and channels. Lower down, from 0.20 to 0.35 m, there was a continuous soil volume (sub-type C∆μ), with a subangular block microstructure and an enaulic-porphyric relative distribution, though in this case more compact and with aggregate coalescence and less biological activity. The micromorphometrical study of the soil of the Memory Plot showed the predominance of complex pores in NAM (15.03 %), Fmt∆μ (11.72 %), and Fptμ∆+tf (7.73 %), and rounded pores in C∆μ (8.21 %). In the soil under conventional agricultural management, we observed fragmented structures similar to the Memory Plot from 0.02 to 0.20 m, followed by a volume with a compact continuous structure (C∆μ), without visible porosity and with few roots. In the MHUs under conventional management, reduction in the packing pores (40 %) was observed, mainly in the continuous units (C). The microstructure had well-defined blocks, with the occurrence of planar pores and less evidence of biological activity. In conclusion, the morphological and micromorphological analyses of the soil profiles studied offered complementary information regarding soil structural quality, especially concerning the changes in pore types as result of mechanical stress undergone by the soil.

Boundary between Soil and Saprolite in Alisols in the South of Brazil

Despite numerous studies conducted on the lower limit of soil and its contact with saprolite layers, a great deal of work is left to standardize identification and annotation of these variables in the field. In shallow soils, the appropriately noting these limits or contacts is essential for determining their behavior and potential use. The aims of this study were to identify and define the field contact and/or transition zone between soil and saprolite in profiles of an Alisol derived from fine sandstone and siltstone/claystone in subtropical southern Brazil and to subsequently validate the field observations through a multivariate analysis of laboratory analytical data. In the six Alisol profiles evaluated, the sequence of horizons found was A, Bt, C, and Cr, where C was considered part of the soil due to its pedogenetic structure, and Cr was considered saprolite due to its rock structure. The morphological properties that were determined in the field and that were different between the B and C horizons and the Cr layer were color, structure, texture, and fragments of saprolite. According to the test of means, the properties that support the inclusion of the C horizon as part of the soil are sand, clay, water-dispersible clay, silt/clay ratio, macroporosity, total porosity, resistance to penetration, cation exchange capacity, Fe extracted by DCB, Al, H+Al, and cation exchange capacity of clay. The properties that support the C horizon as a transition zone are silt, Ca, total organic C, and Fe extracted by ammonium oxalate. Discriminant analysis indicated differences among the three horizons evaluated.

Effect of Wildlife Highway Warning Reflectors on Deer-Vehicle Accident, December 1984

he number of deer-vehicle accidents in Iowa and around the country has steadily increased during the past 30 years. This i s basically due to: ( 1 ) increased volume of traffic; 12) an expanding network of hard surface roads, especially 4 lane interstates; and (3) a general increase in deer populations. Initidtion of a 55 MPH speed limit in 1974 and gasoline shortages in 1975 reduced deer-vehicle accident rates briefly, but since 1975, rates have continued to climb. Various methods of reducinq these accidents have been attempted in other states. These include: instal lation of rc?flective devlres, deer crossing signs, fencing, underpasses, clearing right--of--waysa,n d controlled hunting to reduce deer population s i z e . These methods have met with varying degrees of success, depending on animal behavior, deet- population fluctuations, method used, topoyr-aphy, road-side vegetation, traffic patterns, and highway configuration. This project was designed to evaluate a new ntethod of reducing deer-vehicle accidents. There are qenerally 4 important aspects of deer-vehicle accidents: danger to human l i f e , vehicle damage, loss of a valuable wildlife resource, and cost of processing accident reports. In !owe, during 1983, there were over 15,OOC) reported deer--vehicle accidents and probably many more that were not reported (Gladfelter 1984). The extent of human injury or death in Iowa i s not known, but studies in southern Michigan show that human injur ies occurred in about 4% of the deer-vehicle accidents (A1 lcn and MrCullough 1976). T h i s would indicate that in Iowa there could have been 200 human injury cases from deer-vehicle accidents i n 1983. These injuries usual 1 occur from secondary collisions when motorists try to avoid a deer on the highway, and hit some other object Vehicle darnaye from these accidents can into thousands of dollars because of the high speed involved and the size of the animal. The total amount of vehicle damage occurring in Iowa is unknown, but if the average vehicle damage was between $500-$800 per accident, estimated property damage would be between $2 1/2--$4 million annually. The value of deer lost in these accidents cannot be estimated, but recreational potential of this natural resource is surely diminished for hunters and wildlife enthusiasts. Also, there ir a great deal of money spent by governmental agencies for manpower to process accident reports and remove dead animals from highways.

Accès aux soins et maintien dans la communauté des personnes difficiles à engager dans un traitement psychiatrique [Access to care and maintenance in the community of persons who are difficult to engage in psychiatric treatment]

Psychotic patients to not access easily to psychiatric care. First, psychotic disorders are difficult to identify among a great number of non psychotic depressive and anxious disorders. Second, inpatient care has shortened and now focus on acute care rather than long stay. For some psychotic patients, desinstitutionalization means exclusion and marginalization. Intensive case management can answer these needs in collaboration with relatives and professionals of patient's social network. Results and care's steps of intensive case management as practiced in Lausanne are described and illustrated with cases vignettes.

Online teaching of inflammatory skin pathology by a French-speaking international university network

Introduction: Developments in technology, webbased teaching and whole slide imaging have broadened the teaching horizon in anatomic pathology. Creating online learning material including many types of media like radiologic images, videos, clinical and macroscopic photographs and whole slides imaging is now accessible to almost every university. Unfortunately, a major limiting factor to maintain and update the learning material is the amount of work, time and resources needed. In this perspective, a French national university network was initiated in 2011 to build mutualised online teaching pathology modules with clinical cases and tests. This network has been extended to an international level in 2012-2014 (Quebec, Switzerland and Ivory Coast). Method: One of the first steps of the international project was to build a learning module on inflammatory skin pathology intended for interns and residents of pathology and dermatology. A pathology resident from Quebec spent 6 weeks in France and Switzerland to develop the contents and build the module on an e-learning Moodle platform (http: //moodle.sorbonne-paris-cite.fr) under the supervision of two dermatopathologists (BV, MB). The learning module contains text, interactive clinical cases, tests with feedback, whole slides images (WSI), images and clinical photographs. For that module, the virtual slides are decentralized in 2 universities (Bordeaux and Paris 7). Each university is responsible of its own slide scanning, image storage and online display with virtual slide viewers. Results: The module on inflammatory skin pathology includes more than 50 web pages with French original content, tests and clinical cases, links to over 45 WSI and more than 50 micro and clinical photographs. The whole learning module is currently being revised by four dermatopathologists and two senior pathologists. It will be accessible to interns and residents in spring 2014. The experience and knowledge gained from that work will be transferred to the next international fellowship intern whose work will be aimed at creating lung and breast pathology learning modules. Conclusion: The challenges of sustaining a project of this scope are numerous. The technical aspect of whole-slide imaging and storage needs to be developed by each university or group. The content needs to be regularly updated, completed and its use and existence needs to be promoted by the different actors in pathology. Of the great benefits of that kind of project are the international partnerships and connections that have been established between numerous Frenchspeaking universities and pathologists with the common goals of promoting education in pathology and the use of technology including whole slide imaging. * The Moodle website is hosted by PRES Sorbonne Paris Cité, and financial supports for hardware have been obtained from UNF3S (http://www.unf3s.org/) and PRES Sorbonne Paris Cité. Financial support for international fellowships has been obtained from CFQCU (http://www.cfqcu.org/).

An Analysis of OWI Arrests and Convictions in Iowa, 2011

The primary goal of the project was to document the demographic profile of OWI offenders in Iowa. The study is based on both aggregate and case-level data. The case level data produced a final sample of 118,675 OWI convictions. That occurred from 2000 through 2009. The great majority of convicted offenders were White males. From 2000 through 2009 the percentage of convictions received by women increased by 34%. Defendants’ average age of was 30 years old, and the age cohorts of 15 to 24, 25 to 34, and 34 to 45 were overrepresented among convicted offenders. Whites were underrepresented among OWI defendants. African Americans, Hispanics and Native Americans were overrepresented. From 2000 through 2009, the percentage of aggravated misdemeanor felony OWI convictions received by Hispanics and African Americans increased significantly. The percentage of OWI convictions received by women and African Americans increased significantly after implementation of the .08 BAC law. We did not find convincing evidence of a direct relationship between enforcement trends and the alcohol related traffic fatalities (ARTFs). However, the ten year Iowa conviction trends did provide evidence of a conviction lag effect on Iowa’s ARTFs. The research findings established the basis for a phase two project that would assess the efficacy of OWI sentencing practices in Iowa.

Pieces of Iowa’s Past, February 13, 2008

Pieces of Iowa’s Past, published by the Iowa State Capitol Tour Guides weekly during the legislative session, features historical facts about Iowa, the Capitol, and the early workings of state government. All historical publications are reproduced here with the actual spelling, punctuation, and grammar retained. February 13, 2008 THIS WEEK: “The Great Tornado of 1860”

A treatie of justification, founde emong the writinges of Cardinal Pole,... : remaining in the custodie of M. Henrie Pyning,... : item, certaine translations touching the faid matter of justification,... ([Reprod.])

Collection : French books before 1601 ; 224.3

Reactivity of antiglioma monoclonal antibodies for a large panel of cultured gliomas and other neuroectoderm derived tumors.

We produced three monoclonal antibodies, BF7, GE2 and CG12, against cultured human glioma cells. Their specificity was tested by an indirect antibody-binding radioimmunoassay on a panel of glial and non-glial tumor cell lines. BF7 and GE2 react preferentially with glioma cells and, except for one colon carcinoma line, they do not bind to the control non-neuroectodermal cells; they appear to be directed against common malignant glioma associated antigens. CG12, the third monoclonal antibody, binds to the great majority of tumor cell lines of neuroectodermal origin and does not bind to any other cell lines tested.

Development of a Sensitive Resource Use Questionnaire

Alcoholism is a chronic disease and the evaluation of its burden usually focuses on long-term co-morbidity and mortality. Clinical Trials evaluating new interventions for alcohol-dependent patients rarely last more than 12 to 24 months. OBJECTIVES: Develop a questionnaire capable of capturing principal resource use yet sensitive enough to show short-term economic benefit of drugs developed to reduce consump¬tion in alcohol-dependent patients. METHODS: Comprehensive Medline literature search using keywords: Alcohol-related-disorders, economics, cost of illness. Further, experts panel discussions provided additional data. RESULTS: Two key cost drivers, hospitalisation and sick leaves were identified by the literature review. Expert findings related to costs of social consequences were incorporated. These three important resources were included in the questionnaire in addition to standard medical resource use consumption input. Finally, the following items were included: consultation visits, hospitalisations, sick leaves and working situation, living situation, social environ¬ment, accidents, arrests and domestic violence. The recall period is 3 months. DISCUSSION: A great deal of information is collected in this questionnaire in order to capture all relevant resources. Tests to validate the questionnaire in a real-life setting will be conducted (face validity, concurrent validity, and test-retest) in a cohort of dependent patients initiated at Lausanne University hospital ( Switzerland). Items not sensitive enough to capture short-term costs and consequences will be removed. Translation into other major languages and adaptation to different settings after cultural validation is planned. CONCLUSIONS: Publication of this tool should facilitate additional knowledge about resource utilisation at the patient level and enable evaluation of short-term economic impact of pharmacological and non-pharmacological interventions.

Self-measurement of blood pressure in clinical trials and therapeutic applications

Self-measurement of blood pressure (SMBP) is increasingly used to assess blood pressure outside the medical setting. A prerequisite for the wide use of SMBP is the availability of validated devices providing reliable readings when they are handled by patients. This is the case today with a number of fully automated oscillometric apparatuses. A major advantage of SMBP is the great number of readings, which is linked with high reproducibility. Given these advantages, one of the major indications for SMBP is the need for evaluation of antihypertensive treatment, either for individual patients in everyday practice or in clinical trials intended to characterize the effects of blood-pressure-lowering medications. In fact, SMBP is particularly helpful for evaluating resistant hypertension and detecting white-coat effect in patients exhibiting high office blood pressure under antihypertensive therapy. SMBP might also motivate the patient and improve his or her adherence to long-term treatment. Moreover, SMBP can be used as a sensitive technique for evaluating the effect of antihypertensive drugs in clinical trials; it increases the power of comparative trials, allowing one to study fewer patients or to detect smaller differences in blood pressure than would be possible with the office measurement. Therefore, SMBP can be regarded as a valuable technique for the follow-up of treated patients as well as for the assessment of antihypertensive drugs in clinical trials.

Accidentologic aspects of helicopter rescue missions involving winching of a physician

Introduction: Medical helicopter services provide several advantages,like the ability to perform air searches for lost victims, a rapid method ofshuttling rescue personnel and equipment to the victim, and the deliveryof early on-site advance medical care. When landing is not possible, therescuers can also be directly winched to the victim. As outdoor activitiesare increasing, few data are available about the type of accidentsleading to a rescue operation involving the use of the winch. We soughtto study the epidemiology and accidentology of such rescues.Methods: We retrospectively reviewed the medical reports of a singlehelicopter-based emergency medical service. Data from 1 January 2003to 31 December 2008 were analyzed. Cases with emergency callindicating that the victim was deceased were excluded. Data includedthe age and gender of the patients, the type of patients activitypreceeding the injury, the mecanism of injury, and the type of lesions(main diagnosis).Results: 9879 rescue missions were conducted between 1 January2003 and 31 December 2008. The 921 (9.3%) missions involvingwinching of the emergency physician were analysed. The male:femaleratio of the patients was 2:1. There were 56 (6%) patients aged 15 orunder. Most of the patients, while injured, were practising winter sportsor mountain-related activities in the summer (table 1). Falls accountedfor the great majority of the trauma events (700 patients or 76%),followed by illnesses (81 patients or 9 %). Of the 921 missions in whichthe physician was winched in the field, 28 (3%) were avalanche rescuesand 13 (1%) were glacier crevasse rescues. Trauma to the upper andlower extremities accounted for 429 (47%) of all injuries, followed by175 (19%) head injuries and 108 (12%) spinal lesions. Hypothermia,frostbite and altitude illnesses were diagnosed in 11 (1%) cases.In 128(14%) cases two different diagnoses were made, and in 69 (7%) threeor more diagnoses.Conclusions: In our helicopter emergency base, between 2003 and2008, 921 rescue missions (9.3%) involved winching of the emergencydoctor. Patients rescued using the winch usually practice outdoorsports, and are predominantly male. The mechanism of the injury isusually a fall, and extremities and head injuries account for more than50% of the main diagnosis made on the field.