Seal properties of TachoSil: in vitro hemodynamic measurements.

Fibrin glue products and collagen patches are frequently used as a sealing product, preventing surgical side bleedings. This is especially true in the field of cardiovascular surgery, where increasing numbers of patients are being operated with antiplatelet and anticoagulation therapy. The aim of this report was, in an in vitro hemodynamic setting, to examine the sealant properties of the TachoSil (Nycomed Pharma, Linz, Austria) patch. Burst pressure and normal force of 15 TachoSil sealed defects were measured. This was determined in a closed hydraulic system. Mean burst pressure load for a 5-mm defect was 69+/-11.4 mmHg; for a 7-mm defect was 63+/-16 mmHg; and, 62+/-16 mmHg for the defect with a diameter of 10 mm (P>0.05). The mean calculated normal force was as follows: 0.91+/-0.15 N for the 5 mm defect, 6.5+/-1.6 N for the 7 mm, and 8.1+/-0.75 N for the 10 mm defect. The TachoSil patch has the capability to seal small defects. However, at the larger defects the seal character was significantly reduced. These results suggest that the device may be a good alternative for hemostasis for small defects. The capacity to curtail or stop hemorrhage at the larger defects is unlikely.

Quantification of magmatic and hydrothermal processes in a peralkaline syenite-alkali granite complex based on textures, phase equilibria, and stable and radiogenic isotopes

The Puklen complex of the Mid-Proterozoic Gardar Province, South Greenland, consists of various silica-saturated to quartz-bearing syenites, which are intruded by a peralkaline granite. The primary mafic minerals in the syenites are augite +/- olivine + Fe-Ti oxide + amphibole. Ternary feldspar thermometry and phase equilibria among mafic silicates yield T = 950-750degreesC, a(SiO2) = 0.7-1 and an f(O2) of 1-3 log units below the fayalite-magnetite-quartz (FMQ) buffer at 1 kbar. In the granites, the primary mafic minerals are ilmenite and Li-bearing arfvedsonite, which crystallized at temperatures below 750degreesC and at f(O2) values around the FMQ buffer. In both rock types, a secondary post-magmatic assemblage overprints the primary magmatic phases. In syenites, primary Ca-bearing minerals are replaced by Na-rich minerals such as aegirine-augite and albite, resulting in the release of Ca. Accordingly, secondary minerals include ferro-actinolite, (calcite-siderite)(ss), titanite and andradite in equilibrium with the Na-rich minerals. Phase equilibria indicate that formation of these minerals took place over a long temperature interval from near-magmatic temperatures down to similar to300degreesC. In the course of this cooling, oxygen fugacity rose in most samples. For example, late-stage aegirine in granites formed at the expense of arfvedsonite at temperatures below 300degreesC and at an oxygen fugacity above the haematite-magnetite (HM) buffer. The calculated delta(18)O(melt) value for the syenites (+5.9 to +6.3parts per thousand) implies a mantle origin, whereas the inferred delta(18)O(melt) value of <+5.1parts per thousand for the granitic melts is significantly lower. Thus, the granites require an additional low-delta(18)O contaminant, which was not involved in the genesis of the syenites. Rb/Sr data for minerals of both rock types indicate open-system behaviour for Rb and Sr during post-magmatic metasomatism. Neodymium isotope compositions (epsilonNd(1170 Ma) = -3.8 to -6.4) of primary minerals in syenites are highly variable, and suggest that assimilation of crustal rocks occurred to variable extents. Homogeneous epsilon(Nd) values of -5.9 and -6.0 for magmatic amphibole in the granites lie within the range of the syenites. Because of the very similar neodymium isotopic compositions of magmatic and late- to post-magmatic minerals from the same syenite samples a principally closed-system behaviour during cooling is implied. In contrast, for the granites an externally derived fluid phase is required to explain the extremely low epsilon(Nd) values of about -10 and low delta(18)O between +2.0 and +0.5parts per thousand for late-stage aegirine, indicating an open system in the late-stage history. In this study we show that the combination of phase equilibria constraints with stable and radiogenic isotope data on mineral separates can provide much better constraints on magma evolution during emplacement and crystallization than conventional whole-rock studies.

Trends over time of virological and immunological characteristics in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study.

BACKGROUND: The long-term outcome of antiretroviral therapy (ART) is not assessed in controlled trials. We aimed to analyse trends in the population effectiveness of ART in the Swiss HIV Cohort Study over the last decade. METHODS: We analysed the odds of stably suppressed viral load (ssVL: three consecutive values <50 HIV-1 RNA copies/mL) and of CD4 cell count exceeding 500 cells/μL for each year between 2000 and 2008 in three scenarios: an open cohort; a closed cohort ignoring the influx of new participants after 2000; and a worst-case closed cohort retaining lost or dead patients as virological failures in subsequent years. We used generalized estimating equations with sex, age, risk, non-White ethnicity and era of starting combination ART (cART) as fixed co-factors. Time-updated co-factors included type of ART regimen, number of new drugs and adherence to therapy. RESULTS: The open cohort included 9802 individuals (median age 38 years; 31% female). From 2000 to 2008, the proportion of participants with ssVL increased from 37 to 64% [adjusted odds ratio (OR) per year 1.16 (95% CI 1.15-1.17)] and the proportion with CD4 count >500 cells/μL increased from 40 to >50% [OR 1.07 (95% CI 1.06-1.07)]. Similar trends were seen in the two closed cohorts. Adjustment did not substantially affect time trends. CONCLUSIONS: There was no relevant dilution effect through new participants entering the open clinical cohort, and the increase in virological/immunological success over time was not an artefact of the study design of open cohorts. This can partly be explained by new treatment options and other improvements in medical care.

Dynamic Modelling of Material Flows and Sustainable Resource Use: Case Studies in Regional Metabolism and Space Life Support Systems

Sustainable resource use is one of the most important environmental issues of our times. It is closely related to discussions on the 'peaking' of various natural resources serving as energy sources, agricultural nutrients, or metals indispensable in high-technology applications. Although the peaking theory remains controversial, it is commonly recognized that a more sustainable use of resources would alleviate negative environmental impacts related to resource use. In this thesis, sustainable resource use is analysed from a practical standpoint, through several different case studies. Four of these case studies relate to resource metabolism in the Canton of Geneva in Switzerland: the aim was to model the evolution of chosen resource stocks and flows in the coming decades. The studied resources were copper (a bulk metal), phosphorus (a vital agricultural nutrient), and wood (a renewable resource). In addition, the case of lithium (a critical metal) was analysed briefly in a qualitative manner and in an electric mobility perspective. In addition to the Geneva case studies, this thesis includes a case study on the sustainability of space life support systems. Space life support systems are systems whose aim is to provide the crew of a spacecraft with the necessary metabolic consumables over the course of a mission. Sustainability was again analysed from a resource use perspective. In this case study, the functioning of two different types of life support systems, ARES and BIORAT, were evaluated and compared; these systems represent, respectively, physico-chemical and biological life support systems. Space life support systems could in fact be used as a kind of 'laboratory of sustainability' given that they represent closed and relatively simple systems compared to complex and open terrestrial systems such as the Canton of Geneva. The chosen analysis method used in the Geneva case studies was dynamic material flow analysis: dynamic material flow models were constructed for the resources copper, phosphorus, and wood. Besides a baseline scenario, various alternative scenarios (notably involving increased recycling) were also examined. In the case of space life support systems, the methodology of material flow analysis was also employed, but as the data available on the dynamic behaviour of the systems was insufficient, only static simulations could be performed. The results of the case studies in the Canton of Geneva show the following: were resource use to follow population growth, resource consumption would be multiplied by nearly 1.2 by 2030 and by 1.5 by 2080. A complete transition to electric mobility would be expected to only slightly (+5%) increase the copper consumption per capita while the lithium demand in cars would increase 350 fold. For example, phosphorus imports could be decreased by recycling sewage sludge or human urine; however, the health and environmental impacts of these options have yet to be studied. Increasing the wood production in the Canton would not significantly decrease the dependence on wood imports as the Canton's production represents only 5% of total consumption. In the comparison of space life support systems ARES and BIORAT, BIORAT outperforms ARES in resource use but not in energy use. However, as the systems are dimensioned very differently, it remains questionable whether they can be compared outright. In conclusion, the use of dynamic material flow analysis can provide useful information for policy makers and strategic decision-making; however, uncertainty in reference data greatly influences the precision of the results. Space life support systems constitute an extreme case of resource-using systems; nevertheless, it is not clear how their example could be of immediate use to terrestrial systems.

Iowa Medical Malpractice Annual Report, 2013

The Iowa Insurance Division requested open and closed claim data for calendar year 2013 from licensed insurance companies pursuant to Iowa Code Section 505.27. Licensed companies who wrote medical malpractice insurance in Iowa during the period from January 1, 2013, through December 31, 2013, were asked to provide specific data for claims closed during that period and separately those remaining open at the end of the year.

A biophysical model of atrial fibrillation ablation: what can a surgeon learn from a computer model?

AIMS: Surgical ablation procedures for treating atrial fibrillation have been shown to be highly successful. However, the ideal ablation pattern still remains to be determined. This article reports on a systematic study of the effectiveness of the performance of different ablation line patterns. METHODS AND RESULTS: This study of ablation line patterns was performed in a biophysical model of human atria by combining basic lines: (i) in the right atrium: isthmus line, line between vena cavae and appendage line and (ii) in the left atrium: several versions of pulmonary vein isolation, connection of pulmonary veins, isthmus line, and appendage line. Success rates and the presence of residual atrial flutter were documented. Basic patterns yielded conversion rates of only 10-25 and 10-55% in the right and the left atria, respectively. The best result for pulmonary vein isolation was obtained when a single closed line encompassed all veins (55%). Combination of lines in the right/left atrium only led to a success rate of 65/80%. Higher rates, up to 90-100%, could be obtained if right and left lines were combined. The inclusion of a left isthmus line was found to be essential for avoiding uncommon left atrial flutter. CONCLUSION: Some patterns studied achieved a high conversion rate, although using a smaller number of lines than those of the Maze III procedure. The biophysical atrial model is shown to be effective in the search for promising alternative ablation strategies.

Cell size in trays for the production of strawberry plug transplants

The objective of this work was to evaluate the influence of cell sizes used for strawberry plug production in trays compared to bare root transplants, regarding initial plant size, harvest timing, and total strawberry fruit yield. Plug transplants were produced from runner tips rooted in trays with cell sizes of 26.5, 50, 100 and 150 cm³ filled with Plantmax HA organic substrate. Bare root transplants (control) were produced in a closed soilless system using sand as substrate. A randomized block design was used, with four replicates with 16 plants per plot. Bare root transplants and plug transplants from 100-cm³ cells had larger crown and higher leaf and root dry mass. Early fruit yield was higher in plants propagated from plugs than in those propagated from bare root transplants. Spring and total fruit yield did not differ among treatments, with an average yield of 435 and 874 g per plant, respectively. Earlier strawberry fruit yield was obtained by using plug transplants, even from trays with small cells of 26.5 or 50 cm³.

Sulfur isotope variations from orebody to hand-specimen scale at the Mezica lead-zinc deposit, Slovenia: a predominantly biogenic pattern

The Mississippi Valley-type (MVT) Pb-Zn ore district at Mezica is hosted by Middle to Upper Triassic platform carbonate rocks in the Northern Karavanke/Drau Range geotectonic units of the Eastern Alps, northeastern Slovenia. The mineralization at Mezica covers an area of 64 km(2) with more than 350 orebodies and numerous galena and sphalerite occurrences, which formed epigenetically, both conformable and discordant to bedding. While knowledge on the style of mineralization has grown considerably, the origin of discordant mineralization is still debated. Sulfur stable isotope analyses of 149 sulfide samples from the different types of orebodies provide new insights on the genesis of these mineralizations and their relationship. Over the whole mining district, sphalerite and galena have delta(34)S values in the range of -24.7 to -1.5% VCDT (-13.5 +/- 5.0%) and -24.7 to -1.4% (-10.7 +/- 5.9%), respectively. These values are in the range of the main MVT deposits of the Drau Range. All sulfide delta(34)S values are negative within a broad range, with delta(34)S(pyrite) < delta(34)S(sphalerite) < delta(34)S(galena) for both conformable and discordant orebodies, indicating isotopically heterogeneous H(2)S in the ore-forming fluids and precipitation of the sulfides at thermodynamic disequilibrium. This clearly supports that the main sulfide sulfur originates from bacterially mediated reduction (BSR) of Middle to Upper Triassic seawater sulfate or evaporite sulfate. Thermochemical sulfate reduction (TSR) by organic compounds contributed a minor amount of (34)S-enriched H(2)S to the ore fluid. The variations of delta(34)S values of galena and coarse-grained sphalerite at orefield scale are generally larger than the differences observed in single hand specimens. The progressively more negative delta(34)S values with time along the different sphalerite generations are consistent with mixing of different H(2)S sources, with a decreasing contribution of H(2)S from regional TSR, and an increase from a local H(2)S reservoir produced by BSR (i.e., sedimentary biogenic pyrite, organo-sulfur compounds). Galena in discordant ore (-11.9 to -1.7%; -7.0 +/- 2.7%, n=12) tends to be depleted in (34)S compared with conformable ore (-24.7 to -2.8%, -11.7 +/- 6.2%, n=39). A similar trend is observed from fine-crystalline sphalerite I to coarse open-space filling sphalerite II. Some variation of the sulfide delta(34)S values is attributed to the inherent variability of bacterial sulfate reduction, including metabolic recycling in a locally partially closed system and contribution of H(2)S from hydrolysis of biogenic pyrite and thermal cracking of organo-sulfur compounds. The results suggest that the conformable orebodies originated by mixing of hydrothermal saline metal-rich fluid with H(2)S-rich pore waters during late burial diagenesis, while the discordant orebodies formed by mobilization of the earlier conformable mineralization.

Trace element distribution among rock-forming minerals from metamorphosed to partially molten basic igneous rocks in a contact aureole (Fuerteventura, Canaries)

Low pressure partial melting of basanitic and ankaramitic dykes gave rise to unusual, zebra-like migmatites, in the contact aureole of a layered pyroxenite-gabbro intrusion, in the root zone of an ocean island (Basal Complex, Fuerteventura, Canary Islands). These migmatites are characterised by a dense network of closely spaced, millimetre-wide leucocratic segregations. Their mineralogy consists of plagioclase (An(32-36)), diopside, biotite, oxides (magnetite, ilmenite), +/-amphibole, dominated by plagioclase in the leucosome and diopside in the melanosome. The melanosome is almost completely recrystallised, with the preservation of large, relict igneous diopside phenocrysts in dyke centres. Comparison of whole-rock and mineral major- and trace-element data allowed us to assess the redistribution of elements between different mineral phases and generations during contact metamorphism and partial melting. Dykes within and outside the thermal aureole behaved like closed chemical systems. Nevertheless, Zr, Hf, Y and REEs were internally redistributed, as deduced by comparing the trace element contents of the various diopside generations. Neocrystallised diopside - in the melanosome, leucosome and as epitaxial phenocryst rims - from the migmatite zone, are all enriched in Zr, Hf, Y and REEs compared to relict phenocrysts. This has been assigned to the liberation of trace elements on the breakdown of enriched primary minerals, kaersutite and sphene, on entering the thermal aureole. Major and trace element compositions of minerals in migmatite melanosomes and leucosomes are almost identical, pointing to a syn- or post-solidus reequilibration on the cooling of the migmatite terrain i.e. mineral-melt equilibria were reset to mineral-mineral equilibria. (C) 2007 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

2015 Calendar Year Annual Report of the Watershed Improvement Review Board

The Watershed Improvement Fund and the Iowa Watershed Improvement Review Board (WIRB) were created in 2005. This statute is now codified in Iowa Code Chapter 466A. The fifteen-member Board conducted seven meetings throughout the year in-person or via teleconference. Meetings were held January 23, February 27, April 17, June 18, July 24, September 25 and December 17. Attachment 1 lists the board members and their organization affiliation. The Board completed one Request For Applications (RFA) for the Watershed Improvement Fund. The RFA was announced November 6, 2014 and closed December 29, 2014. December 29, 2014 Closing Date Request For Applications: The Board received 16 applications in response to this RFA. These applications requested $2.8 million in Watershed Improvement Funds and leveraged an additional $9.1 million for a total of $11.9 million of watershed project activity proposed. After reviewing and ranking the applications individually from this RFA, the Board met and selected eight applications for funding. The eight applications were approved for $1,249,861 of Watershed Improvement Funds. Data on the eight selected projects in this RFA include the following: • These projects included portions of 12 counties. • The $1.2 million requested of Watershed Improvement Funds leveraged an additional $4.2 million for a total of $5.4 million in watershed improvements. • Approved projects ranged in funding from $41,980 to $250,000. Attachment 2 lists the approved projects’ name, applicant name, project length, county or counties where located, and funding amount for the RFA. Attachment 3 is a map showing the status of all projects funded since inception of the program. At the end of 2015 there are 111 completed projects and 39 active projects. In cooperation with the Treasurer of State, the WIRB submitted the 2015 year-end report for the Rebuild Iowa Infrastructure Fund to the Legislative Services Agency and the Department of Management. Attachment 4 contains the 2015 annual progress reports submitted from active projects or projects finished in 2015.

Abrasion of Aggregates as Affected by Grading, 1970

Many specifications for coarse aggregates, that are to be used in highway construction, limit the percentage of wear when tested by AASHO T-96 "Resistance to Abrasion of Coarse Aggregate by use of the Los Angeles Machine". This test consists of placing a 5000 gram sample of the aggregate in a "hollow steel cylinder, closed at both ends, having an inside diameter of 28 inches and an inside length of 20 inches. The cylinder - - - shall be mounted in such a manner that it may be rotated with the axis in a horizontal position. - A removable steel shelf, projecting radially 3-1/2 inches into the cylinder and extending its full length, shall be mounted along one element of the interior surface of the cylinder."

Improvement of rehabilitation possibilities with the MotionMaker (TM)

"MotionMaker (TM)" is a stationary programmable test and training system for the lower limbs developed at the 'Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne' with the 'Fondation Suisse pour les Cybertheses'.. The system is composed of two robotic orthoses comprising motors and sensors, and a control unit managing the trans-cutaneous electrical muscle stimulation with real-time regulation. The control of the Functional Electrical Stimulation (FES) induced muscle force necessary to mimic natural exercise is ensured by the control unit which receives a continuous input from the position and force sensors mounted on the robot. First results with control subjects showed the feasibility of creating movements by such closed-loop controlled FES induced muscle contractions. To make exercising with the MotionMaker (TM) safe for clinical trials with Spinal Cord Injured (SCI) volunteers, several original safety features have been introduced. The MotionMaker (TM) is able to identify and manage the occurrence of spasms. Fatigue can also be detected and overfatigue during exercise prevented.

Addendum to the Design Manual for Low Water Stream Crossings, HR-247, 1984

The purpose of this manual is to provide guidelines for low water stream crossings (LWSC). Rigid criteria for determining the applicability of a LWSC to a given site are not established nor is a 'cookbook" procedure for designing a LWSC presented. Because conditions vary from county to county and from site to site within the county, judgment must be applied to the suggestions contained in this manual. A LWSC is a stream crossing that will be flooded periodically and closed to traffic. Carstens (1981) has defined a LWSC as "a ford, vented ford (one having some number of culvert pipes), low water bridge, or other structure that is designed so that its hydraulic capacity will be insufficient one or more times during a year of normal rainfall." In this manual, LWSC are subdivided into these same three main types: unvented fords, vented fords and low water bridges. Within the channel banks, an unvented ford can have its road profile coincident with the stream bed or can have its profile raised some height above the stream bed.

Oxidation of methane at the CH4/H2O-(CO2) transition zone in the external part of the Central Alps, Switzerland: Evidence from stable isotope investigations

With the aim of understanding the mechanisms that control the metamorphic transition from the CH4- to the H2O-(CO2)-dominated fluid zone in the Helvetic domain of the Central Alps of Switzerland, fluid inclusions in quartz, illite ``crystallinity'' index, vitrinite reflectance, and the stable isotope compositions of vein and whole rock minerals and fluids trapped in quartz were investigated along four cross-sections. Increasing temperature during prograde metamorphism led to the formation of dry gas by hydrocarbon cracking in the CH4-zone. Fluid immiscibility in the H2O-CH4-(CO2)-NaCl system resulted in cogenetic, CH4- and H2O-dominated fluid inclusions. In the CH4-zone, fluids were trapped at temperatures <= 270 +/- 5 degrees C. The end of the CH4-zone is markedby a sudden increase of CO2 content in the gas phase of fluid inclusions. At temperatures > 270 +/- 5 degrees C, in the H2O-zone, the total amount of volatiles within the fluid decreased below 1 mol% with no immiscibility. This resulted m total homogenization temperatures of H2O-(CO2-CH4)-NaCl inclusions below 180 degrees C. Hydrogen isotope compositions of methane in fluid inclusion have delta D values of less than -100 parts per thousand in the CH4-zone, typical for an origin through cracking of higher hydrocarbons, but where the methane has not equilibrated with the pore water. delta D values of fluid inclusion water are around -40 parts per thousand., in isotopic equilibrium with phyllosilicates of the whole rocks. Within the CH4 to H2O(CO2) transition zone, delta D(H2O) values in fluid inclusions decrease to -130 parts per thousand interpreted to reflect the contribution of deuterium depleted water from methane oxidation. In the H2O-zone, delta D(H2O) values increase again towards an average of -30 parts per thousand which is again consistent with isotopic equilibrium with host-rock phyllosilicates. delta C-13 values of methane in fluid inclusions from the CH4-zone are around -27 parts per thousand in isotopic equilibrium with calcite in veins and whole rocks. The delta C-13(CH4) values decrease to less than -35 parts per thousand at the transition to the H2O-zone and are no longer in equilibrium with the carbonates in the whole rocks. delta C-13 values of CO, are variable but too low to be in equilibrium with the wall rock fluids, compatible with a contribution of CO2 from closed system oxidation of methane. Differences in isotopic composition between host-rock and Alpine fissure carbonate are generally small, suggesting that the amount of CO2 produced by oxidation of methane was small compared to the C-budget in the rocks and local pore fluids were buffered by the wall rocks during precipitation of calcite within the fissures. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

Fast Track and Fast Track II - Cedar Rapids, Iowa, HR-544, Construction Report, 1989

Two lanes of a major four lane arterial street needed to be reconstructed in Cedar Rapids, Iowa. The traffic volumes and difficulty of detouring the traffic necessitated closure for construction be held to an absolute minimum. Closure of the intersections, even for one day, was not politically feasible. Therefore, Fast Track and Fast Track II was specified for the project. Fast Track concrete paving has been used successfully in Iowa since 1986. The mainline portion of the project was specified to be Fast Track and achieved the opening strength of 400 psi in less than twelve hours. The intersections were allowed to be closed between 6 PM and 6 AM. This could occur twice - once to remove the old pavement and place the base and temporary surface and the second time to pave and cure the new concrete. The contractor was able to meet these restrictions. The Fast Track II used in the intersections achieved the opening strength of 350 psi in six to seven hours. Two test sections were selected in the mainline Fast Track and two intersections were chosen to test the Fast Tract II. Both flexural and compression specimens were tested. Pulse velocity tests were conducted on the pavement and test specimens. Maturity curves were developed through monitoring of the temperatures. Correlations were performed between the maturity and pulse velocity and the flexural strengths. The project was successful in establishing the feasibility of construction at night, with no disruption of traffic in the daytime, using fast Track II. Both the Fast Track II pavements were performing well four years after construction.